Nintendo Pictures Shows Up in Death Stranding 2 Credits, and Here's Why That's Not as Weird as It Sounds

Image: Nintendo Pictures Shows Up in Death Stranding 2 Credits

Nintendo Pictures, the animation and motion capture studio owned by Nintendo, has popped up in the credits for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach — a PS5 exclusive. Yeah, you read that right. A company under Nintendo’s wing working on a major PlayStation title definitely raises some eyebrows, but there’s more to it than meets the eye.

Formerly known as Dynamo Pictures, this Tokyo-based studio was acquired by Nintendo in 2022 and rebranded to focus more on creating visual content using Nintendo IP. Since then, it’s been involved in several big-name Nintendo titles, including Tears of the Kingdom, Pikmin 4, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Super Mario RPG, and Another Code: Recollection. So, naturally, fans weren’t expecting to see its name in a project tied to Hideo Kojima and Sony.

But here's the catch — Dynamo Pictures worked on the original Death Stranding before Nintendo stepped in. According to the game’s credits, they likely provided motion capture or CG work again for the sequel. It’s very possible this contribution happened before the acquisition, or maybe it was part of an earlier agreement that carried over. Either way, it makes sense once you know the history.

Interestingly, Nintendo Pictures still lists “motion capture recording services” on its official website as a separate service from its Nintendo-focused video production. So technically, it hasn’t shut the door on non-Nintendo projects. In fact, it also helped out with animation work for Toei’s Pretty Cure anime even after the acquisition.

Before joining the Nintendo family, the studio had quite a resume. It contributed CG work to Final Fantasy XIII-2, helped with motion capture for Persona 5 and Monster Hunter World, and even crafted Pikmin short films with Shigeru Miyamoto back in the Wii U and 3DS days.

So while seeing Nintendo Pictures in Death Stranding 2 might seem odd at first, it’s really just a continuation of old ties.

Source: VGC