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Founding of Nintendo
Fusajiro Yamauchi founds Nintendo as a small trading card company based in Kyoto. One of their first products were Hanafuda trading cards, also known as "flower cards". The product became popular and Yamauchi hired workers to mass produce cards. -
Joining with USA
After 70 years of business in Japan, Nintendo visits the USA to with the United States Playing Card Company. They receive a license from Disney to create Disney character playing to increase sales. This act was a major success and allowed Nintendo's stock to go public. -
Nintendo Toys
With their success in the trading card market, Nintendo begins to explore new businesses such as food and toys. They succeed in the toy market after their food industry is shut down due to complication with labor unions. They manufacture toys such the Ultra Hand, which was developed by a worker named Gunpei Yokoi, and became a successful hit. -
The Video Game Industry
The video game industry begins to grow and Nintendo decides to join in the business. They invent and distribute a new console called the Magnavox Odyssey, which is a successful product. Apart from consoles, Nintendo also produces several light gun and arcade games, including Donkey Kong, which gain instant fame and business for the company. -
The Nintendo Entertainment System
With Nintendo's growing popularity in the video game industry, the company continues to create and experiment with new products for the market. After years of practice in console technology, they invent the Nintendo Entertainment System. Through its success, they release Super Mario Bros for the NES, which becomes one of the best-selling games of all time. -
The Game Boy
Gunpei Yokoi and the Nintendo conceive the Game Boy hand-held system. The key features to this product were the Game and Watch's portability and the NES cartridges interchangeability. The Game Boy is released along with Tetris, which becomes another instant success along with the device. -
Super Mario and Super Nintendo
Nintendo announces the creation the NES' successor, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. They developed improved graphics and performance for the system as well as compatiblity with old NES games. During that time, Nintendo releases Super Mario Bros 3, which sells over 18 million copies and becomes one of the greatest 8-bit games in history. -
Nintendo 64
Nintendo continued to improve the design of their consoles and they soon release the Nintendo 64. With their new partnership with Rare, they develop a line of 3D games with 64-bit graphics, starting with Donkey Kong Country, a critical success selling over 8 million copies worldwide. -
Pokemon
With the creation of Pokemon, originally known as Pocket Monsters, Nintendo goes back to its roots and creates the line of Pokemon trading cards. However, the sale of cards proves to be less successful as game sales and Nintendo struggles with trading card business. -
Wii
Nintendo releases the Nintendo DS in 2004, which was their fourth hand-held game system which re-energized their business in the video game industry. A short time after, they invent the Nintendo Wii, an innovative motion remote console, which became a best-selling console at 100 million sales, putting Nintendo back at the top of the video game industry again.
