Early History of Nintendo

Nintendo Starts

Sep 23, 1889

Nintendo started out as a small Japanese buisness, founded by Fusajiro Yamauchi. Based in Kyoto they produced and marketed Hanafuda cards (playing cards). In recognition of its card-playing roots, the name "Nintendo" means "leave luck to heaven".

Nintendo Passed on to Adopted Son

Sep 1, 1929

Fusajiro Yamauchi did not have a son to take over the family business. Following common Japanese tradition, he adopted his son-in-law, Sekiryo Kaneda (Sekiryo Yamauchi, after the marriage). In 1929, Yamauchi retired from the company and allowed Sekiryo Yamauchi to take over the company as president. In 1933, Sekiryo Yamauchi established a joint venture with another company and renamed the company Yamauchi Nintendo & Company.

Nintendo makes deal with Disney

Aug 28, 1959

Nintendo makes deal with Disney to allow Nintendo to use Disney's characters on Nintendo playing cards. The tie-in was a success and the company sold at least 600,000 card packs in a single year. Because of this success the company was taken public by Yamauchi in 1962 on the Osaka Stock Exchange Second Division.

Nintendo releases first Video Game Console

Dec 10, 1977

In 1977 Nintendo released its first video game console named the: Color TV Game 6 and 15. These numbers told consumers how many games they included.

Nintendo Releases Famicom in Japan

Jul 1, 1983

In July 1983, Nintendo released their Famicom (Family Computer) system in Japan, which was their first attempt at a cartridge-based video game console. The system was sold over 500,000 units within two months at a price around $100 USD. This console would be relreleased worldwide as the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) in 1985. Developers were restricted to releasing 5 games per year by Nintendo to ensure quality control.

Nintendo Releases Next Consol The Super Famicom

Nov 21, 1990

The Super Famicom was released in Japan on November 21, 1990. The system's launch was widely successful, and the Super Famicom was sold out across Japan within three days. In August 1991, the Super Famicom was launched in the US under the name "Super Nintendo Entertainment System" (SNES). The SNES was released in Europe in 1992.

Nintendo 64 Released

Jun 23, 1996

Who won? Nintendo 64 vs Playstation 1On June 23, 1996, the Nintendo 64 (N64) was released in Japan and became a huge hit, selling over 500,000 units on the first day of its release. On September 29, 1996, Nintendo released the Nintendo 64 in North America, and it too was a success. Many feel that the advertising onslaught by Sony at this time did not truly begin to take effect until many of the consumers who held out for the N64 became frustrated at the lack of software following the first few months after the system's release.

Pocket Monsters Released

Jul 2, 1996

PokemonPocket Monsters (Pokemon around the world) is released by Nintendo and creator Satoshi Tajiri. The series was so popular it made Nintendo the top gaming company around the world for a short time after its release.

Gamecube Released

Sep 15, 2001

Gamecube release salesNintendo released the GameCube home video game console on September 14, 2001, in Japan. It was released in North America on November 18, 2001, Europe on May 3, 2002, and Australia on May 17, 2002.

Reggie Fils-Aime Becomes Nintendo America President

May 25, 2006

Reggies Famous Wii Fit PresentationOn May 25, 2006 Fils-Aime became the President and Chief Operating Officer of Nintendo of America after former president, Tatsumi Kimishima, was moved to his new role as Chairman of the Board and chief executive officer. Fils-Aime is the first American to hold this position.

Wii Released

Nov 19, 2006

Wii launch statistics The Wii was launched on November 19, 2006. The Wii has many advanced features compared to previous Nintendo consoles. For example, the primary wireless controller (the Wii Remote) can be used as a handheld pointing device and detects movement in three dimensions. Another notable feature of the console is WiiConnect24, which enables it to receive messages and updates over the Internet while in standby mode.

Wii U released

Nov 18, 2012

Wii U release Preview from E3 2012The Wii U was released on November 18, 2012 in North America. The system is scheduled for release on November 30, 2012 in Europe and Australia, and December 8, 2012 in Japan. During its first week of release in North America, Nintendo sold its entire allotment of over 400,000 Wii U units.