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SO MUCH CAN HAPPEN
in 110 years! Did you know that Nintendo originally started in 1889, and is now a
leader in this $15 billion worldwide retail video game industry? With the emergence
of popular products like their first coin-operated video game machines, NES (Nintendo
Entertainment System), SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System), Game Boy, and
the Nintendo 64, its no wonder that 40 percent of American households own a product
with the Nintendo label branded on to it. We will look into the history of Nintendo
and see how a small playing card company turned around and become the most successful
video game producer ever!
It started in 1889, where Fusajiro Yamauchi, who was the great-grandfather of the
present president, created "Hanafuda," Japanese playing cards in Kyoto,
Japan. He soon started small production of Hanafuda, which was originally for export,
but became very popular in Japan as well as abroad. For 31 years Mr. Yamauchi produced
small distributions of these playing cards and other products to build capital, and
finally establish his own company. Then in 1933 he established an unlimited partnership,
and called it Yamauchi Nintendo & Co. Little did he know he would create a company
that would soon change the face of entertainment forever. He finally created a mass
distribution company, Marufuku Co. Ltd. In 1950, Fusajiro passed all operations to
his son Hiroshi as President and changed the company name Marufuku Co. Ltd. to Nintendo
Playing Cards Co. Ltd. Factories were dispersed all over Kyoto, and in 1953, Nintendo
Playing Cards Co. Ltd. became the first successful mass-produced plastic playing
cards in Japan. In 1959, Hiroshi made a joint deal with Walt Disney, to print their
characters onto his cards, which opened up a new market in children's playing cards,
and resulted in a card department boom! In January of 1962, Nintendo Playing Cards
Co. Ltd., was listed on the second section of the Osaka Stock Exchange and the Kyoto
Stock Exchange. One year later, Hiroshi decides to drop the "Playing Cards."
From the company name and leave it at Nintendo Co. Ltd. He explored the video game
industry, and decided that his company should head in that direction. A smart choice
that would turn out to be.
It took Hiroshi a few years to establish his game department, due mostly to the technology
barrier not translating to what he really dreamed and imagined. But he reinforced
his game department, and built a plant in Uji City, a suburb of Kyoto, still believing
that video games were the way to go. One year later, Nintendo created Beam Guns series,
using opto-electronics, which introduced electronic technology into the toy industry
for the first time in Japan. The company soon built on that idea and developed laser
clay shooting, which succeeded bowling as a major pastime.
Finally in 1977, Nintendo developed home-use video games in cooperation with Mitsubishi
Electronics, and created/started selling coin-operated video games. Coin-operated
games became such a hit worldwide; Nintendo built its own operations division, as
well as an office in New York City, United States (Nintendo of America Inc.). In
1981 the product was unstoppable with the development of the famous "Donkey
Kong," which quickly became the hottest selling individual coin-operated machine
in the business. The emergence of this company was beginning, with the opening of
headquarters in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A, and Vancouver, B.C., Canada (Nintendo
Entertainment Centres Ltd.) In 1983, Nintendo of America was raising $10 million
dollars in revenue, and finally reached the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
1985 began an evolution for Nintendo with the introduction of the "Nintendo
Entertainment System" (NES) in America. The system included R.O.B- Robotic Operating
Buddy- and the games Duck Hunt and Super Mario Bros. The Super Mario Bros. Characters,
Mario and Luigi, soon became the most popular video characters of all time. In 1988,
the NES achieved the status as the #1 selling toy in America, and the Legend of Zelda
became the first new generation home video game to exceed sales of one million copies.
The game library soon grew to over 65 titles, which helped broaden the demographics
of game players, including adults. At this point, Nintendo was flexing its muscles
to become a dominant force in the entertainment industry. In fact, studies show that
children are as familiar with "Mario" as they are with Bugs Bunny and Mickey
Mouse (which are some pretty big shoes to fill). Also in 1989, Nintendo introduced
the Game Boy, the first portable, hand held game system.
After five solid years of success with the NES, Nintendo released the 16-bit Super
Famicom in Japan. One year later the 16-bit Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)
was brought to America, along with the long awaited "Super Mario Bros."
Also with the SNES Super Scope, Mario Paint, and SNES Mouse, "The Legend of
Zelda: A Link to the Past" arrive for the system.
1996 was an exciting year for Nintendo, but also a year of questions and uncertainty.
With the launch for the Nintendo 64, Nintendo is entered uncharted ground with the
first true 64-bit home video game system. Since Nintendo's release of the SNES, stiff
competition from companies like Sega's Saturn, and Sony's 32-bit Playstation, critics
are asking if Nintendo is still the king of the hill of the video game industry.
The company that changed the face of entertainment is in tough to new comers like
first year Sony. The last few years had been won over by Sony's growing alliance
of fans, and it was important for Nintendo to come back strong. Judgement day would
land on June 23 for Nintendo. So on that very day, thousands lined up in Japan to
be the first to witness the N64 experience. More than 500,000 systems were sold on
the first day. On September 29, Nintendo 64 launches in North America, and the entire
shipment of 350,000 units were sold in the first three days. It was safe to say that
Nintendo was still a solid player in the industry, but had obviously lost some ground
to competition. In 1998, the release of the Game Boy color, and Game Boy Camera and
Printer were introduced. But the big news is the release of "The Legend of Zelda:
Ocarina of Time" for the N64, which pre-sold more than 400,000 copies, the most
by any video game ever.
Once a small playing card manufacturer this company has turned into a large, and
very successful corporation. The late Fusajiro Yamauchi must be proud of what his
dream has evolved into, and how he has changed the definition of entertainment forever.
Eric Balanon is
a student in the multimedia program looking to expand his prior software skills to
build a career on.
All information was taken from the Nintendo Web Site address at www.nintendo.com
Located under the "company history" link, and gathered on September 15th,
1999.
Would like to thank Nintendo for the use of all information
gathered from their Web Site
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