By the evening edition.
A museum dedicated to the history of Nintendo opened its doors in Kyoto, Japan, this Wednesday, October 2, 2024. Visitors can immerse themselves in the video game universe of the brand that gave birth to Mario and Link, but not only that. The company has a much longer history.
“A great Nantandeau. – A super Nintendo! » Nearly thirty years after the release of the film, the bailiff of Three brothers would seem even more like a nerdy person, not knowing and correctly pronouncing the name of the famous Japanese video game company. The company, based in Kyoto, has carved out a unique place in the home console and gaming industry. Its Switch, both mobile and pluggable into a TV, had already sold more than 140 million copies worldwide in March 2024. Which makes the family favorite one of the best-selling machines in history. But Nintendo also has invented cult characters: Mario, Donkey Kong, Link from Zelda, or Kirby, without forgetting all those who have enjoyed global success by benefiting from the exposure offered by the brand, like Pokémon.
Read also: The Game Boy is celebrating its 30th anniversary, how did it become cult?
As early as the 1970s, with its Color TV-Game consoles, the company was already one of the pioneers in the sector. But its birth dates back even further. A story recounted by the Nintendo Museum, which opened its doors in Japan this Wednesday, October 2, 2024.
Beginnings in playing cards
It all starts in Kyoto, in 1889. Obviously, it’s not about TVs or consoles, or even electronics. Fusajiro Yamauchi founded the Nintendo Koppai company. His field of activity? The edition of playing cards, hanafudas, a very popular game in Japan.
To do this, he set his sights on a modest traditional building: a dark wooden facade and gray tile roofs. The entrepreneur’s models quickly find success. It starts hiring and growing.
In 1902, he launched series of Western maps, then, a few years later, began exporting. During the first half of the 20th century, his descendants continued this growth and began to diversify their activities.
Read also: Fire, furniture and love… Here is the incredible story of The Sims which even seduced Hollywood
Despite a major crisis in 1954, which researcher Florent Gorges details in his works devoted to the history of Nintendo, the card market held its own, driven in particular by the arrival of plastic models. The company approached Disney in 1959 to print its characters on its cards. “In Japan, derivative products do not exist. We think Nintendo may be the first to do this”indicated Florent Gorges in an interview with YouTuber Julien Chièze. In the process, Nintendo Co. Ltd went public in 1962.
From toys to video games
Despite this trajectory, the company’s managers are aware that the card market is limited. That of toys seems more promising. A dedicated department was set up in 1969. The Ultra Hand, a sort of arm extension allowing you to grab objects, sold 1.2 million copies.
The toy and, then, naturally, the arcade machines from the 1970s, before the first computers and home consoles. A first step is taken in video games. A step that will stand out like that of a giant. The Famicom, known to us as Nes, was launched in 1983. A machine that allowed Nintendo to change scale.
