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*[[Nintendo Virtual Boy|Virtual Boy]] – The Virtual Boy used an array of red [[LED]]s combined with two motor-driven mirrors to display graphics in 3D. The resulting images were displayed in varying shades of red and black. Fewer than two dozen games were released for it in the United States. It is the only Nintendo game system to be a [[List of commercial failures in computer and video gaming#Virtual Boy|commercial failure]].
*[[Nintendo Virtual Boy|Virtual Boy]] – The Virtual Boy used an array of red [[LED]]s combined with two motor-driven mirrors to display graphics in 3D. The resulting images were displayed in varying shades of red and black. Fewer than two dozen games were released for it in the United States. It is the only Nintendo game system to be a [[List of commercial failures in computer and video gaming#Virtual Boy|commercial failure]].
*[[Yakuman]] — A handheld Mah-jong game released in 1983.
*[[Yakuman]] — A handheld Mah-jong game released in 1983.
*[[GameCube Microphone]] — Used in ''[[Mario Party 7]]'' for the [[Nintendo GameCube]]. Recognizes basic sounds, and incorporates them into gameplay.
*[[GameCube Microphone]] — Used in ''[[Mario Party 7]]'' and in ''[[Odama]]'' for the [[Nintendo GameCube]]. Recognizes basic sounds, and incorporates them into gameplay.


==Offices and locations==
==Offices and locations==

Revision as of 21:33, 9 November 2007

Nintendo Company, Limited
任天堂株式会社
Company typePublic
TYO: 7974
Nasdaq: NTDOY
FWB: NTO
IndustryCard games (previously)
Video games
FoundedSeptember 23 1889
FounderFusajiro Yamauchi Edit this on Wikidata
HeadquartersJapan Kyoto, Japan
International:
United States Redmond, Washington, USA
Canada Richmond, British Columbia, Canada
Europe Großostheim, Germany, Europe
Australia Scoresby, Victoria, Australia
China Suzhou, China (as iQue, Ltd.)
South Korea Seoul, South Korea
Key people
Satoru Iwata: President & CEO
Reggie Fils-Aime: President & COO of NOA
Shigeru Miyamoto: Game Designer
Gunpei Yokoi: Creator Game Boy, Game & Watch, and Metroid
Hiroshi Yamauchi: Former President & Chairman
Minoru Arakawa & Howard Lincoln: Former heads of NOA
Satoru Shibata: President of NOE
ProductsGame Boy line, Color TV Game, NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS, Wii, and various video game titles.
RevenueIncrease USD$7.8 billion (2006)
Forbes 2000 ranking: 620
Increase USD$1.4 billion (2006)
Number of employees
3,013 (2006)
WebsiteNintendo Japan
Nintendo of America
Nintendo Europe
Nintendo Australia

Nintendo Company, Limited (任天堂株式会社 Nintendō Kabushiki-kaisha?; TYO: 7974, Nasdaq: NTDOY, FWB: NTO) is a Japanese multinational corporation founded on September 23 1889[1] in Kyoto, Japan by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards.[2] In the mid-twentieth century, the company tried several small niche businesses, such as a love hotel and a taxi company.[3] Over the years, it became a video game company, growing into one of the most powerful in the industry and Japan's third most valuable listed company with a market value of more than $85 billion.[4] Aside from video games, Nintendo is also the majority owner of the Seattle Mariners, a Major League Baseball team in Seattle, Washington, USA. They are also the partial owner of the Atlanta Hawks, an NBA team based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Nintendo has the distinction of historically being both the oldest intact company in the video game console market and one of the largest and well-known console manufacturers, as well as being the dominant entity in the handheld console market.

Nintendo recently won a Golden Joystick for "Publisher of the Year 2007" at the Golden Joystick Awards 2007.[5]

History

Main article: History of Nintendo

As a card company (1889-1956)

Nintendo started as a small Japanese business by Fusajiro Yamauchi near the end of 1889 as Nintendo Koppai. Based in Kyoto, Japan, the business produced and marketed a playing card game called Hanafuda. The handmade cards soon began to gain popularity, and Yamauchi had to hire assistants to mass produce cards to keep up with the demand.

New ventures (1956-1975)

Nintendo Poster from late Meiji Era
Former headquarter plate from when Nintendo was solely a playing card company

In 1956, Hiroshi Yamauchi paid a visit to the US, to engage in talks with the United States Playing Card Company, the dominant playing card manufacturer in the US. Yamauchi was shocked to find that the world's biggest company in his business was relegated to using a small office. This was a turning point where Yamauchi realized the limitations of the playing card business. He then gained access to Disney's characters and put them on the playing cards, in order to drive sales.

In 1963, Yamauchi renamed Nintendo Playing Card Company Limited to Nintendo Company, Limited. The company then began to experiment in other areas of business using the newly injected capital. During the period of time between 1963 and 1968, Nintendo set up a taxi company, a "love hotel" chain, a TV network, a food company (trying to sell instant rice, similar to instant noodles), and several other things (including a toy remote controlled vacuum cleaner called Chiritory[6] which was later seen as a two-player game in WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$ in 2003). All these ventures failed, except toy making, where they had some earlier experience from selling playing cards. Then, after the Tokyo Olympics, playing card sales dropped, leaving Nintendo with 60 yen in stocks.

Riddled with debt, Nintendo struggled to survive in the Japanese toy industry; it was still small at this point, and dominated by already well established companies such as Bandai and Tomy. Because of the generally short product life cycle of toys, the company always had to come up with a new product. This was the beginning of a major new era for Nintendo.

In 1970, Hiroshi Yamauchi was observing a Nintendo hanafuda factory. He noticed an extending arm, which was made by one of their maintenance engineers, Gunpei Yokoi, for his own amusement. Yamauchi ordered Yokoi to develop it as a product for the Christmas rush. The Ultra Hand was a huge success, selling approximately 1.2 million units. Yokoi was soon moved from maintenance duty to product development.

The 1970s also saw the hiring of Shigeru Miyamoto, the man who (along with Yokoi) would become a living legend in the world of gaming and the secret to Nintendo's longevity; his creative vision was instrumental in determining the path Nintendo's future (and indeed, the video game industry as a whole) would follow. Yokoi began to mentor Miyamoto during this period of time in R&D, teaching him all that he knew.

Electronic era (1975-present)

Nintendo's first step into the video games industry was to secure the rights to distribute the Magnavox Odyssey in Japan, which it did in 1975. At the time, home video game consoles were extremely rare — even the seminal Atari PONG console had yet to be produced.

Nintendo's first video arcade game was 1978's Computer Othello; a large handful of others followed in the next several years, Radar Scope and Donkey Kong being among the most famous of these. The early 1980s saw Nintendo's video game division (led by Yokoi) creating some of its most famous arcade titles. The massively popular Donkey Kong was created in 1981 with Miyamoto as its mastermind, and released in the arcades and on the Atari 2600, Intellivision, and ColecoVision video game systems (although Nintendo itself generally had no involvement with these early console ports). This release method would be used on several later Nintendo arcade games of this same period, including the original Mario Bros. (not to be confused with the later Super Mario Bros.). In addition to this arcade and dedicated console game activity, Nintendo was testing the consumer handheld video game waters with the Game & Watch. Then, in 1985, Nintendo struck gold with its Nintendo Entertainment System and continued with the handheld gaming market with their highly successful Game Boy. Nintendo continued producing updates of these two concepts, leading it to become one of the world's most recognized video-game manufacturers.

Nintendo's main line-up of video-game systems currently include the Nintendo DS Lite, Wii, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo GameCube.

Slogans

  • Now you're playing with power! (1986 - 1992)*
  • The best play here! (1992 - 1994)
  • Play it loud! (1994 - 1996)
  • Get N or get out! (in reference to the Nintendo 64) (1996 - 2000)
  • Who are you? (accompanyied photos of civilians with Nintendo character faces pasted over) (2002 - 2005)
  • Touching is good. (2004 - Present) (Nintendo DS)**
  • Wii would like to play. (2006 - Present) (Wii)

* This slogan was sometimes used slightly differently in commercials. When the commercial was for a Game Boy game, the slogan would be "Now you're playing with power...Portable power!", and if it was a commercial for a Super NES game, the slogan would be "Now you're playing with power...Super power!"

** This slogan hasn't been used at all in ads for DS games since the release of the Nintendo DS Lite in North America.

Gaming systems

Consoles

The Color TV Game dedicated console.

Color TV Game (1977 – 1980)

Main article: Color TV Game

The Color TV Game Series were five different dedicated consoles, each designed to play a specific game or set of games. They were very similar to the early Pong home console. The players controlled their paddles with dials attached directly to the machine. Additionally, as an alternative to the standard version, a white-colored C Battery powered model of the Color TV Game 6 was introduced. With a limited run of only a few hundred units, these are largely considered the most prized by serious collectors.

Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) (1983 – 2003)

The Nintendo Entertainment System.
Main article: Nintendo Entertainment System

Nintendo Entertainment System, or NES, is an 8-bit video game console released by Nintendo in North America, Brazil, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Its Japanese equivalent is known as the Famicom (Family Computer). NES is the most successful gaming console of its time in Asia and North America, since Nintendo claims to have sold over 60 million NES units worldwide.[7] It helped revitalize the video game industry following the video game crash of 1983 and set the standard for subsequent consoles in everything from game design (the platform game, Super Mario Bros., was the system’s first "killer app") to business practices. The NES was the first console for which the manufacturer openly courted third-party developers.

Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) (1990 – 2003)

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
Main article: Super Nintendo Entertainment System

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, also known as Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a 16-bit video game console released by Nintendo in North America, Brazil, Europe, and Australia. In Japan it is known as the Super Famicom (Super Family Computer). In South Korea, it is known as the Super Comboy and was distributed by Hyundai Electronics.

The SNES was Nintendo's second home console, following the Nintendo Entertainment System. Whereas the earlier system had struggled in the PAL region and large parts of Asia, the SNES proved to be a global success, albeit one that could not match its predecessor's popularity in Northeast Asia and North America—due in part to increased competition from Sega's Mega Drive console (released in North America as the Genesis). Despite its relatively late start, the SNES became the best selling console of the 16-bit era.

The SNES has sold over 49 million systems worldwide[8].

Nintendo 64 (N64) (1996 – 2002)

The Nintendo 64.
Main article: Nintendo 64

The Nintendo 64, commonly called the N64, was Nintendo's third home video game console for the international market. It was released with three launch games in Japan (Super Mario 64, Pilotwings 64 and Saikyo Habu Shogi) and two in North America (Super Mario 64 and Pilotwings 64). PAL regions also had three launch titles (Super Mario 64, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire and Pilotwings 64) with Turok: Dinosaur Hunter delayed until three days after launch. Other key titles included two The Legend of Zelda games, GoldenEye 007, and Star Fox 64. The Nintendo 64 has sold over 32.93 million systems as of March 31, 2005[9].

Nintendo GameCube (GCN) (2001 – Present)

The Nintendo GameCube.
Main article: Nintendo GameCube

The Nintendo GameCube is Nintendo's sixth generation game console, the same generation as Sega's Dreamcast, Sony's PlayStation 2, and Microsoft's Xbox. Right up until the console's unveiling at SpaceWorld 2000, the design project was known as Dolphin — this can still be seen in the console and its accessories' model numbers. The GameCube itself is the most compact and least expensive of the sixth generation era consoles. The GameCube is Nintendo's first game console to use optical discs rather than game cartridges. An agreement with the optical drive manufacturer Matsushita led to a DVD-playing GameCube system named the Panasonic Q, which was only released in Japan.

The Nintendo GameCube has sold 21.66 million systems as of September 30, 2007.[10]

Wii (2006 – Present)

The Wii.
Main article: Wii

The Wii (pronounced as the word we, /wiː/) is Nintendo's seventh-generation video game console. The system's code name was "Revolution", and as with the Nintendo GameCube, this reference appears on the console and its accessories.

The major feature of the Wii console is the console's wireless controller, the Wii Remote, that may be used as a handheld pointing device and can detect motion and rotation in three dimensions. The controller comes with a Nunchuk accessory which provides additional controls, including more motion sensing. The controller also contains a speaker and a rumble device to provide sensory feedback, and can be used to turn the console on and off. The console also features a stand-by mode entitled WiiConnect24, enabling it to receive messages and updates over the Internet while consuming very little electrical power. The console is bundled with a game, Wii Sports, unusual for a games console of its era. In the Japan region, the Wii Sports game is not included with the console but is offered as a standalone title. The Wii has sold over 12 million systems as of October 26, 2007. The Wii, like the Nintendo GameCube, is the smallest and most compact system in its generation. However, it does not have the ability to match certain aspects of its competitors in the peer generation, such as high-definition graphics (the Wii can only achieve 480p, as opposed to the Xbox 360 and PS3 that can achieve 1080p).

On December 15, 2006, Nintendo announced that it would offer to replace wrist straps for 3.2 million Wii controllers. Consumers reported they were breaking during game play[11].

By April 2007, the Wall Street Journal declared Nintendo had "become the company to beat in the games business" with the Wii outselling its home system rivals and overshadowing the better selling Nintendo DS portable.[12] Nintendo's profits were up 77% on the fiscal year due to Wii and Nintendo DS sales.[13]

Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata has urged Nintendo not to get "complacent" due to the early success of the Wii. He continued by saying it was important "not to lose internal momentum and energy". Iwata urged Nintendo to continue its momentum.[14]

Portable

Game Boy (1989 – Present)

The Game Boy Advance SP
Main article: Game Boy line

The Game Boy (ゲームボーイ, Gemu Boi) line is a line of battery-powered handheld game consoles sold by Nintendo. It is one of the world's best-selling game system lines, with more than 188 million hardware units sold worldwide[15]. The original Game Boy has sold 70 million units, while the Game Boy Color sold 50 million units. The Game Boy Advance has managed to sell 80.02 million units as of June 30, 2007.[16] This latter system underwent two revisions without changing its game-playing functionality: a smaller SP model, which was the first Game Boy to include a back-lit screen and rechargeable battery, and an even smaller micro variant with a higher-quality backlit screen.

Nintendo DS (2004 – Present)

The Nintendo DS Lite
A size comparison of the (top to bottom) Wii, GCN, N64, North American SNES, and NES.
Main articles: Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite

The Nintendo DS (sometimes abbreviated NDS or DS, also as iQue DS in China) is a handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo, released in 2004. It is visibly distinguishable by its horizontal clamshell design, which is almost a throwback to the Game & Watch, and the presence of two displays, the lower of which acts as a touch screen. The system also has a built-in microphone and supports wireless IEEE 802.11 (WiFi) standards, allowing players to interact with each other within short range (30–100 feet, depending on conditions) or over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service via a standard WiFi access point (Internet Browser sold separately)

The letters "DS" in the name stand for Developers' System, which refers to the features of the handheld designed to encourage innovative gameplay ideas among developers. Nintendo stated that it can also stand for Dual Screen.[17] The system was known as Project Nitro during development.

On March 2, 2006, Nintendo released the Nintendo DS Lite, a redesigned model of the Nintendo DS, in Japan. It was later released in North America, Australia and Europe.

The Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite have sold 47.27 million units as of June 2007.[18] In Japan, the sales ratio of the Nintendo DS to the Sony PSP is about four or five to one, a figure maintained on a weekly basis.

Other hardware

  • Game Boy Camera — A monochrome camera cartridge for the original version of the Game Boy, includes a simple picture editor and ability to print pictures via Game Boy Printer.
  • Broadcast Satellaview — Only released in Japan, an add-on for the Super Famicom (Japanese SNES) that allowed anyone to download games by a satellite.
  • Game & Watch — A series of handheld games made by Nintendo from 1980 through 1991.
  • Game Boy Player — An adapter for playing Game Boy games on the GameCube.
  • Game Boy Printer — An adapter designed for printing things from the Game Boy. For example, it was used for printing out Pokémon information from the Pokédex in the Game Boy Pokémon games.
  • iQue Player — A version of the Nintendo 64, with double the clock speed and downloadable games, released only in China.
  • iQue DS — A version of the Nintendo DS, released only in China.
  • Nintendo 64DD — Only released in Japan, this add-on system's games are on rewritable magnetic disks. Games released include a paint and 3D construction package, F-Zero X Expansion Kit, for creating new F-Zero X tracks, a sequel to the SNES version of SimCity, SimCity 64 and a few others. A complete commercial failure, many speculated that Nintendo released it only to save face after promoting it preemptively for years.[citation needed]
  • Pokémon Mini — Unveiled in London at Christmas 2000, the Pokémon Mini was Nintendo's cheapest system ever produced; with games costing £10 ($15) each, and the system costing £30 ($45). This remains the smallest cartridge-based games console ever made. Sales of this system were rather poor, but, unlike the Virtual Boy, Nintendo made a profit on every game and system sold.[citation needed]
  • Mobile System GB — Released in Japan, December 14, 2000. The Mobile System is an adapter to play Game Boy Color games on the cell phone. Pokémon Crystal was the first game to take advantage of the Mobile System. Someone can hook an adapter to their Game Boy and connect it to a mobile phone which people can receive news, trade, and battle with other players across Japan.
  • Pokémon Pikachu — A handheld device similar to the popular Tamagotchi toy that allowed the user to take care of Pikachu in the manner of a pet.
  • Super Game Boy — Adapter for playing Game Boy games on the Super NES, which would be displayed in color.
  • Triforce – An arcade system based on Nintendo GameCube hardware, developed in partnership with Sega and Namco.
  • Virtual Boy – The Virtual Boy used an array of red LEDs combined with two motor-driven mirrors to display graphics in 3D. The resulting images were displayed in varying shades of red and black. Fewer than two dozen games were released for it in the United States. It is the only Nintendo game system to be a commercial failure.
  • Yakuman — A handheld Mah-jong game released in 1983.
  • GameCube Microphone — Used in Mario Party 7 and in Odama for the Nintendo GameCube. Recognizes basic sounds, and incorporates them into gameplay.

Offices and locations

The exterior of Nintendo's main headquarters in Kyoto, Japan

Nintendo Company, Limited (NCL), the main branch of the company, is based in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan (34°58'11.89"N 135°45'22.33"E). Nintendo of America (NOA), its American division, is based in Redmond, Washington, a suburb of Seattle. It has distribution centers in Atlanta, Georgia, and North Bend, Washington. Nintendo of Canada (NOC) is based in Richmond, British Columbia, with its own distribution centre in Toronto, Ontario. Nintendo of Australia, its Australian division, is based in Melbourne, Victoria, and Nintendo Europe, the European division, is based in Großostheim, Germany. Nintendo of Europe use a system to separate different language versions. On European releases, retail boxes have a triangle printed at the bottom corner of the paper insert sleeve side. The colour of the triangle can be used to identify which country/region the particular title is intended for and which manual languages are included. There are 49 different coloured triangles used and all Nintendo GameCube, Wii and DS games use the system. iQue, Ltd., a Chinese joint venture with its founder, Doctor Wei Yen, and Nintendo, manufactures and distributes official Nintendo consoles and games for the mainland Chinese market, under the iQue brand. Nintendo also established Nintendo of Korea (NoK) on July 7, 2006.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nintendo.

References

  1. ^ "Company History" (in Japanese). Nintendo of Japan. Retrieved 2006-07-29. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |month=, |curly=, |accessyear=, and |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ "Company History". Nintendo of America. Retrieved 2006-06-04. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |month=, |curly=, |accessyear=, and |coauthors= (help)
  3. ^ "Nintendo History Lesson: The Lucky Birth". N-sider. Retrieved 2006-06-04. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |month=, |curly=, |accessyear=, and |coauthors= (help)
  4. ^ http://www.reuters.com/article/companyNewsAndPR/idUST30751820071015
  5. ^ Golden Joysticks]
  6. ^ "Squirl:Chiritory". Retrieved 2007-06-14.
  7. ^ "Nintendo Entertainment System". Classic Systems. Nintendo. Retrieved February 11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ "Super Nintendo Entertainment System". Classic Systems. Nintendo. Retrieved 2007-06-14.
  9. ^ Nintendo Co. Ltd (2005). "Nintendo Annual Report 2005" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-06-14.
  10. ^ Co., Ltd., Nintendo (2007-10-25). "Consolidated Financial Statements" (PDF). Nintendo. Retrieved 2007-10-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ Hans Griemel (2006-12-15). "Nintendo to replace 3.2 million straps". ABC News. Retrieved 2007-06-14. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ Nick Wingfield and Yukari Iwatani Kane, Wii and DS Turn Also-Ran Nintendo Into Winner in Videogames Business, Wall Street Journal, April 19, 2007
  13. ^ Nintendo Profits Up 77 Pct. on Wii Sales, Associated Press, April 26, 2007.
  14. ^ http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=171452
  15. ^ "Game Boy gets pretty in pink on March 27". Nintendo. 2006-03-15. Retrieved 2007-06-14. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ Co., Ltd., Nintendo (2007-04-26). "Consolidated Financial Highlights" (PDF). Nintendo. Retrieved 2007-06-16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ "Nintendo DS Frequently Asked Questions". Nintendo. Retrieved 2006-04-02.
  18. ^ "Consolidated Financial Highlights" (PDF). Nintendo Co., Ltd. 2007-07-25. p. 8. Retrieved 2007-07-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

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