It starts from hanafuda cards. Near Kyoto, Fusajiro Yamauchi founded a craft company called Nintendo Koppai. Traditional Japanese cards are very popular. He expanded his production quickly.
Early struggles and diversification
Money has become tight. The quality has deteriorated. Mr. Yamauchi started making cheaper cards to make ends meet. At the beginning of the 20th century, his business expanded to new cities. He also began making western playing cards.
An agreement was made with Japan Tobacco Inc. (currently Japan Tobacco Inc.) to sell Nintendo cards to tobacconists. This distribution network allows them to survive.
World War II interrupted everything. The Japanese government banned foreign games. There has been a change in Nintendo’s management. Sekiryo Kaneda, the son-in-law of Fusajiro’s successor, took over. Changed his name to Sekiryo Yamauchi.
In 1947, a new organization was founded. The goal is simple: to export the cards abroad. Hiroshi Yamauchi, grandson of the founder, achieved this goal. He made a deal with Walt Disney to use Mickey Mouse and his friends to increase sales. Then he made toys. The name of the company changed and was eventually called “Nintendo Playing Cards”.
Moving on to video games
The 1970s changed the game. literally. Nintendo expands into arcade cabinets.
In 1974 they bought the distribution rights to Magnavox Odyssey. It was the first home console. Nintendo brought it to Japan. But they didn’t stop there. They teamed up with Mitsubishi Electric. They spent four years built the Color TV-Game. It is modeled after the Odyssey, but made specifically for the Japanese market.
Then came 1981.
Donkey Kong appears. Introducing characters that can jump. This mechanism define a genre. It led directly to Mario Bros.
In the same year, Nintendo released the Famicom. Family Computer. It was the first game console to use removable cartridges. This hardware choice allows for a game library instead of a fixed system.
NES and global expansion
Two years later, Nintendo improved the Famicom. They redesigned it for the US market. It became the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).
They just didn’t change the box art. Full of flagship games. Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda defined this era. A company that once struggled with cheap playing cards now rules living rooms.
The strategy worked. However, this technology is still in its infancy. What happens when hardware outpaces software? This question is always there as hardware evolves.
