History OF NINTENDO|
History of Nintendo
1889–1956: As a card company
Nintendo was founded as a card
company in late 1889, later (1951) named Nintendo Koppai (Nintendo
Playing Card Co. Ltd.), by Fusajiro Yamauchi Based in Kyoto, Japan, the business produced and marketed a playing card
game called Hanafuda. The handmade cards soon became popular, and Yamauchi hired
assistants to mass-produce cards to satisfy demand. Nintendo now continues to
manufacture playing cards in Japan and organizes its own contract bridge
tournament called the "Nintendo Cup".
1956–1974: New ventures
In 1956, Hiroshi Yamauchi, grandson of Fusajiro Yamauchi, visited the U.S. to talk
with the United States Playing Card Company, the dominant playing card manufacturer there. He found
that the biggest playing card company in the world was using only a small
office. Yamauchi's realization that the playing card business had limited
potential was a turning point. He then acquired the license to use Disney
characters on playing cards to drive sales.
In 1963, Yamauchi renamed Nintendo
Playing Card Co. Ltd. to Nintendo Co., Ltd. The company then began to experiment in other areas of business using newly
injected capital. During this period of time between 1963 and 1968, Nintendo
set up a taxi
company, a love hotel chain, a TV network, a food company (selling instant rice)
and several other ventures.All of these ventures eventually failed, and after the 1964
Tokyo Olympics, playing card sales dropped, and Nintendo's stock price
plummeted to ¥60.[citation needed]
In 1966, Nintendo moved into the
Japanese toy industry with the Ultra Hand,
an extendable arm developed by its maintenance engineer Gunpei Yokoi
in his free time. Yokoi was moved from maintenance to the new "Nintendo
Games" department as a product developer. Nintendo continued to produce popular
toys, including the Ultra Machine, Love Tester and the Kousenjuu series of light gun
games. Despite some successful products, Nintendo struggled to meet the fast
development and manufacturing turnaround required in the toy market, and fell
behind the well-established companies such as Bandai and Tomy.
In 1973, its focus shifted to family
entertainment venues with the Laser
Clay Shooting System, using the same light gun
technology used in Nintendo's Kousenjuu series of toys, and set up in
abandoned bowling alleys. Following some success, Nintendo developed several
more light gun machines (such as the light gun shooter game Wild Gunman)
for the emerging arcade scene. While the Laser Clay Shooting System ranges had
to be shut down following excessive costs, Nintendo had found a new market.
1974–1978: Early electronic era
Nintendo's first venture into the
video gaming industry was securing rights to distribute the Magnavox Odyssey video game console in Japan in 1974. Nintendo began to produce its own
hardware in 1977, with the Color TV-Game
home video game consoles. Four versions of these consoles were produced, each
including variations of a single game (for example, Color TV Game 6 featured
six versions of Light Tennis).
A student product developer named Shigeru Miyamoto was hired by Nintendo at this time. He worked for Yokoi, and one of his first tasks was to design the casing for
several of the Color TV Game consoles. Miyamoto went on to create, direct and
produce some of Nintendo's most famous video games and become one of the most
recognizable figures in the video game industry.
In 1975, Nintendo moved into the
video arcade game industry with EVR Race,
designed by their first game designer, Genyo Takeda, and several more titles followed. Nintendo had some small success with this
venture, but the release of Donkey
Kong in 1981, designed by Miyamoto,
changed Nintendo's fortunes dramatically. The success of the game and many
licensing opportunities (such as ports on the Atari 2600,
Intellivision and ColecoVision)
gave Nintendo a huge boost in profit and in addition, the game also introduced
an early iteration of Mario, known then as Jumpman, the eventual mascot of the company.
1979–2003: Success with video games
In 1979, Gunpei Yokoi conceived the
idea of a handheld video game, while observing a fellow bullet train commuter who passed
the time by interacting idly with a portable LCD calculator, which gave birth
to Game & Watch In 1980, Nintendo launched Game & Watch—a handheld video game series developed by Yokoi. These systems do not contain
interchangeable cartridges and thus the hardware was tied to the game. The
first Game & Watch game released, titled Ball, was distributed
worldwide. The modern "cross" D-pad design was developed in 1982, by
Yokoi for a Donkey
Kong version. Proven to be popular, the
design was patented by Nintendo. It later earned a Technology & Engineering Emmy Award.
In 1983, Nintendo launched the Family
Computer (colloquialized as
"Famicom") home video game console in Japan, alongside ports of its most popular arcade
titles. In 1985, a cosmetically reworked version of the system known outside of
Japan as the Nintendo Entertainment System or NES, launched in North America.
The practice of bundling the system along with select games helped to make Super Mario Bros. one of the best-selling video games in history.
In 1988, Gunpei Yokoi and his team
at Nintendo R&D1
conceived the new Game Boy handheld system, with the purpose of merging the two very
successful ideas of the Game & Watch's portability along with the NES's
cartridge interchangeability. Nintendo released the Game Boy in Japan on April
21, 1989, and in North America on July 31, 1989. Nintendo of America president Minoru Arakawa
managed a deal to bundle the popular third party game Tetris
along with the Game Boy, and the pair launched as an instant success.
In 1989, Nintendo announced plans to
release the successor to the Famicom, the Super Famicom.
Based on a 16-bit
processor,
Nintendo boasted significantly superior hardware specifications of graphics,
sound, and game speed over the original 8-bit Famicom. The system was also said
to have backwards compatibility with Famicom games, though this feature was
ultimately cut upon release. The Super Famicom was finally released relatively
late to the market in Japan on November 21, 1990, and released as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (abbreviated to SNES or Super Nintendo) in North America on
August 23, 1991 and in Europe in 1992. Its main rival was the 16-bit Sega Mega Drive,
known in North America as Sega Genesis, which had been advertised aggressively
against the nascent 8-bit NES. A console war
between Sega and Nintendo ensued during the early 1990s. From 1990 to 1992, Nintendo opened World of Nintendo shops in the United
States where consumers could test and buy Nintendo products.
In August 1993, Nintendo announced
the SNES's successor, code-named Project Reality. Featuring 64-bit graphics,
the new system was developed as a joint venture between Nintendo and
North-American-based technology company Silicon Graphics. The system was announced to be released by the end of
1995, but was subsequently delayed. Meanwhile, Nintendo continued the Nintendo
Entertainment System family with the release of the NES-101,
a smaller redesign of the original NES. Nintendo also announced a CD
drive peripheral called the SNES-CD,
which was co-developed first by Sony with the name "Play
Station" and then by Philips. Bearing prototypes and joint announcements at the Consumer
Electronics Show, it was on track for a 1994
release, but was controversially cancelled.
During the same year, Nintendo
announced that it had sold one billion game cartridges worldwide, one tenth of
it being from the Mario franchise. This prompted Nintendo to deem 1994 the "Year of the
Cartridge". To further their support for cartridges, Nintendo announced
that Project Reality, which had now been renamed the Ultra 64, would not use a
CD format as expected, but would rather use cartridges as its primary media
format. Nintendo IRD general
manager Genyo Takeda was impressed by video game development company Rare Ltd.'s
progress with real-time 3D graphics technology, using state of the art Silicon Graphics workstations. As a result, Nintendo bought a 25% stake in
the company, eventually expanding to 49%, and offered their catalogue of
characters to create a CGI game around, making Rare a Nintendo's first
western-based second-party
developer. Their first game as partners with Nintendo was Donkey Kong Country. The game was a critical success and sold over eight
million copies worldwide, making it the second best-selling game in the SNES library. In September 1994, Nintendo, along with six other video game giants including
Sega, Electronic Arts, Atari, Acclaim, Philips, and 3DO
approached the United States Senate and demanded a ratings system for video games to be
enforced, with prompted the decision to create the Entertainment Software Rating Board.
Aiming to produce an affordable virtual reality
console, Nintendo released the Virtual Boy
in 1995, designed by Gunpei Yokoi. The console consists of a head-mounted
semi-portable system with one red-colored screen for each of the user's eyes,
featuring stereoscopic graphics. Games are viewed through a binocular eyepiece and
controlled using an affixed gamepad. Critics were generally disappointed with
the quality of the games and the red-colored graphics, and complained of
gameplay-induced headaches.The system sold poorly and was quietly discontinued. Amid the system's failure, Yokoi retired from Nintendo.During the same year, Nintendo launched the Satellaview
in Japan, a peripheral for the Super Famicom. The accessory allowed users to
play video games via broadcast for a set period of time. Various games were
made exclusively for the platform, as well as various remakes.
In 1996, Nintendo released the Ultra
64 as the Nintendo 64 in Japan and North
America. The console was later released in Europe and Australia in 1997.
Despite the limitations set by using cartridges, the technical specifications
of the Nintendo 64 surpassed its competitors. With its market shares
slipping to the Sega Saturn and partner-turned-rival Sony PlayStation, Nintendo revitalized its brand by launching a $185 million
marketing campaign centered around the "Play it Loud" slogan. During the same year, Nintendo also released the Game Boy Pocket
in Japan, a smaller version of the Game Boy that generated more sales for the
platform. On October 4, 1996, famed Nintendo developer Gunpei Yokoi died in a
car crash. In 1997, Nintendo released the SNS-101
(called Super Famicom Jr. in Japan), a smaller redesigned version of the Super
Nintendo Entertainment System.
In 1998, the successor to the Game
Boy, the Game Boy Color, was released. The system had improved technical
specifications allowing it to run games made specifically for the system as
well as games released for the Game Boy, albeit with added color. The Game Boy Camera
and Printer were also released as accessories. In October 1998, Retro
Studios was founded as an alliance between Nintendo and former Iguana Entertainment founder Jeff Spangenberg. Nintendo saw an opportunity for the new studio to create
games for the upcoming GameCube targeting an older demographic, in the same vein as Iguana
Entertainment's successful Turok series for the Nintendo 64.
In 2001, just three years later,
Nintendo introduced the totally redesigned Game Boy Advance. The same year,
Nintendo also released the GameCube
to lukewarm sales, and it ultimately failed to regain the market share lost by
the Nintendo 64.
In 2003, Nintendo released the Game Boy Advance SP, its fourth handheld system.
2004-2011:
Nintendo DS and Wii
In 2004, Nintendo released the Nintendo DS,
its fourth major handheld system. The DS is a dual screened handheld featuring touch screen
capabilities, which respond to either a stylus or the touch of a finger. Former
Nintendo president and now chairman Hiroshi Yamauchi was translated by GameScience as explaining, "If we
can increase the scope of the industry, we can re-energise the global market and
lift Japan out of depression - that is Nintendo's mission." Regarding
lukewarm GameCube sales which had yielded the company's first reported
operating loss in over 100 years, Yamauchi continued: "The DS represents a
critical moment for Nintendo's success over the next two years. If it succeeds,
we rise to the heavens, if it fails, we sink into hell." Thanks to titles such as Nintendogs
and Mario Kart DS, the DS became a success. In 2005, Nintendo released the Game Boy Micro
in North America, a redesign of the Game Boy Advance. The last system in the Game Boy line,
it was also the smallest Game Boy, and the least successful. In the middle of 2005,
Nintendo opened the Nintendo World Store in New York City,
which would sell Nintendo games, present a museum of Nintendo history, and host
public parties such as for product launches.
In the first half of 2006, Nintendo
released the Nintendo DS Lite, a version of the original Nintendo DS with lighter weight,
brighter screen, and better battery life. In addition to this
streamlined design, its prolific subset of casual games
appealed to the masses, such as the Brain Age series. Meanwhile, New Super Mario Bros. provided a substantial addition to the Mario series
when it was launched to the top of sales charts. The successful direction of
the Nintendo DS had a big influence on Nintendo's next home console, which had
been code named "Revolution" and was now renamed to "Wii".
In the latter half of 2006, Nintendo released the Wii as the backwards-compatible successor to the GameCube. Based upon intricate Wii Remote motion controls and a balance board, the Wii inspired several new game franchises, some targeted at entirely new market segments of casual and fitness gaming. At over 100 million units, the Wii is the best selling console of the seventh generation, regaining the market share lost during the tenures of the Nintendo 64 and the GameCube.
On May 1, 2007, Nintendo acquired an
80% stake on video game development company Monolith Soft,
previously owned by Bandai Namco. Monolith Soft is best known for developing role-playing games such as the Xenosaga
and Baten Kaitos series.
During the holiday season of 2008,
Nintendo followed up the success of the DS Lite with the release of the Nintendo DSi
in Japan. The system features two cameras, one facing towards the player and
one facing outwards, and had an online distribution store called DSiWare.
The DSi was later released worldwide during 2009. In the latter half of 2009,
Nintendo released the Nintendo DSi XL
in Japan, a larger version of the DSi. This updated system was later released
worldwide in 2010.
2011-present: Nintendo 3DS and Wii U
In 2011, Nintendo greatly expanded
the DS legacy by releasing the Nintendo 3DS,
based upon a glasses-free 3D display.
In February 2012, Nintendo acquired Mobiclip,
a France-based
research and development company specialized in highly optimized software
technologies such as video compression. The company's name was later changed to
Nintendo European Research & Development. During the fourth quarter of 2012, Nintendo released the Wii U. It sold slower than expected. although being the first eighth generation console. By September 2013, however,
sales had rebounded.[clarification needed] Intending
to broaden the 3DS market, Nintendo released 2013's cost-reduced Nintendo 2DS.
The 2DS is completely compatible but lacks the 3DS's more expensive but
cosmetic autostereoscopic 3D feature. Nintendo also released the Wii Mini,
a cheaper and non-networked redesign of the Wii.
2013 onward: Mobile, QOL, and the NX
On September 25, 2013, Nintendo
announced it had purchased a 28% stake in a Panasonic
spin-off company called PUX Corporation. The company specializes in face and
voice recognition technology, with which Nintendo intends to improve the
usability of future game systems. Nintendo has also worked with this company in
the past to create character recognition software for a Nintendo DS
touchscreen. After announcing a 30% dive in profits for the April to December 2013 period,
President Satoru Iwata announced he would take a 50% pay-cut, with other
executives seeing reductions by 20%-30%. During a May 7, 2014, investors' meeting, Nintendo confirmed that it had spent
over $150 million on an acquisition of an unspecified, non-Japanese,
non-gaming, technology company.In January 2015, Nintendo announced its exit from the Brazilian market after
four years of distributing products in the country. Nintendo cited high import duties and lack of local manufacturing operation as reasons for
leaving. Nintendo continues its partnership with Juegos de Video Latinoamérica
to distribute products to rest of Latin America.
In March 2015, Nintendo announced
that they would team up with Japanese mobile company DeNA to produce games for smart devices. On the same day Nintendo also announced a new "dedicated games platform
with a brand new concept" under the codename "NX" that would be
further revealed in 2016.
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