How Nintendo Started
In 1889, Fusajiro Yamauchi founded The Nintendo Playing Card Company. Initially, Fusajiro created handmade hanafuda, a type of Japanese playing card. Marketed mainly towards gamblers, Nintendo’s hanafuda offered new designs besides the traditional flowers. and often these designs were pretty risque. Soon enough, the cards became so popular that Nintendo became one of the largest card makers in Japan.
Because he didn’t have any sons, Fusajiro adopted his son in law Sekiryo to take over the company in 1929. And Sekiryo didn’t have any sons, so he intended to adopt his own son in law to take over the company. At the time the company was still doing very well at the playing card field. But, they weren't diversifying as much as they should have.
And it was in 1949 when Sekiryo passed away and handed the company down to his grandson Hiroshi Yamauchi. it was under Hiroshi Yamauchi's control when the company took a turn. And they actually signed a deal with Disney in 1953 and now they were not marketing to gamblers but they were marketing to families. The move was a huge success and they sold over 600K playing cards that year.
As the business grew, Hiroshi loved the idea of diversification and started new expirements and ideas all the time. Nintendo tried everything: from seedy love hotels, taxi companies, instant rice and even vacuum cleaners But nothing proved to be as valuable and as profitable as the playing cards.
But it was in 1966 when Hiroshi saw one of his employees palying with the mechanical hand that he made. and Hiroshi saw this potentiel. He commissioned the employee, named Gunpei Yokoi to make a prototype of this product to be sold in stores. The Ultra Hand was a huge christmas hit toy and Nintendo started to realize that they found their niche. Then they started to incorporate technology in their business and in no time they were creating some of the first gaming consoles that were the most profitable items they've ever had.
And Gunpei Yokoi the person that created the mechanical hand actually went on to be a famous game designer who helped create the Gameboy. And who helped create games such as Mr game&watch and metroid Prime and super smash Bros. and the list goes on and on.
As of 2019 Nintendo Boasts nearly $2Billion in annual revenue And is nearly worth $50Billion.
And that's How Nintendo Started!