1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:08,240 Although the name Nintendo didn't become super wellknown in the Anglosphere until 2 00:00:05,359 --> 00:00:15,040 the mid 1980s, their history actually goes back a whole century before Mario 3 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:17,600 became a worldwide phenomenon. Nintendo 4 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:24,240 started as a small Kyoto-based business in 1989 where it made Hanafuda, a type 5 00:00:21,439 --> 00:00:29,679 of Japanese playing cards. They quickly found success and in fact the business 6 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:35,120 did so well that Nintendo pretty much only made playing cards until the mid 7 00:00:32,239 --> 00:00:43,280 1960s when the company diversified into fields like toys, taxis, instant 8 00:00:38,160 --> 00:00:45,680 noodles, and even hourly rate hotels. H 9 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:50,399 But these ventures didn't go so well for Nintendo. And by this time, folks in 10 00:00:48,239 --> 00:00:55,920 Japan weren't really buying playing cards much anymore. So, the company was 11 00:00:52,879 --> 00:00:59,120 suddenly in dire financial straits until 12 00:00:55,920 --> 00:01:02,079 employee Ge Yokcoy used his engineering 13 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:07,840 background to develop a popular line of electronic toys, including light guns in 14 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:12,400 the early 1970s that could be considered the forerunners of the Ness Zapper 15 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:17,600 that's responsible for the deaths of millions of digital ducks. You can learn 16 00:01:15,119 --> 00:01:22,880 more about light guns in this episode. But why make light guns if you don't 17 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:25,040 make a game console? Well, some of 18 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:29,840 Nintendo's early light guns were used in game systems from other manufacturers 19 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:36,720 because Nintendo wouldn't release its own console until 1977. 20 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:40,079 The simply titled Color TV Game that was 21 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:42,720 only marketed in Japan. Unlike most 22 00:01:40,079 --> 00:01:47,280 later systems, the Color TV game didn't use cartridges, but instead came in 23 00:01:45,119 --> 00:01:51,439 several variations that featured different games built in. And that 24 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:56,960 wasn't the only primitive thing about it. The first version didn't even have 25 00:01:54,240 --> 00:02:01,680 true controllers. Instead, players controlled the game by fiddling with 26 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:08,399 dials on the console itself, making gameplay a little awkward. But in spite 27 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:13,520 of these limitations, the color TV game did fairly well. Though Nintendo's first 28 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:18,879 real hit in the video game world came after Yokoy sat beside a passenger on a 29 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:24,400 train who was fiddling with a calculator to pass the time. Suddenly he thought, 30 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:30,400 "Hey, why can't people cure their boredom with handheld games instead?" 31 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:34,080 With that, the Game and Watch was born 32 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:37,200 in 1980. a line of simple LCD games with 33 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:39,680 clocks built in, hence the name. 34 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:44,560 Although each Game and Watch model only included one game due to their use of 35 00:02:42,239 --> 00:02:50,800 segment displays that could only show a limited number of images, it sold over 36 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:53,760 43 million units worldwide before it was 37 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:58,400 discontinued in 1991. Nintendo was also developing arcade 38 00:02:56,319 --> 00:03:04,879 games during this time, including the original Donkey Kong and Mario Brothers, 39 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:07,360 released in 1981 and 83, respectively. 40 00:03:04,879 --> 00:03:12,560 But home consoles continued to gain popularity during the early 80s. So 41 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:18,560 Nintendo came out with the Family Computer or Famicom in 1983. 42 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:23,680 This was their first console that resembles what we're used to today with 43 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:28,800 wired controllers and a cartridge system that allowed it to play lots of 44 00:03:25,599 --> 00:03:30,959 different games. The Famicom sold very 45 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:36,640 well, leading Nintendo to look at releasing it in the United States. But 46 00:03:33,519 --> 00:03:40,640 by this time, the infamous video game 47 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:43,120 crash of 1983 had happened. a huge 48 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:48,080 downturn in the video game industry that was caused in large part by the market 49 00:03:45,519 --> 00:03:53,440 being flooded with very poor quality games and consumer confusion that 50 00:03:50,879 --> 00:03:58,400 stemmed from dishonest box art and inconsistencies in the game experience 51 00:03:55,680 --> 00:04:04,720 between consoles even when playing the same game. So Nintendo redesigned the 52 00:04:01,599 --> 00:04:08,400 Famicom into the Nintendo Entertainment 53 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:11,760 System or NES, envisioning it as a 54 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:15,439 single ecosystem using proprietary terms 55 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:19,120 like control deck and game pack instead 56 00:04:15,439 --> 00:04:22,079 of console or video game cartridge. 57 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:27,120 Nintendo also introduced the seal of quality at this time to show that Nest 58 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:32,080 Games had passed Nintendo quality control in an attempt to convince 59 00:04:29,280 --> 00:04:37,600 consumers they were only licensing worthwhile games for their console. 60 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:43,520 Unlike competitors like Atari, the NES finally made it to market in 1986 61 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:48,240 and was a runaway hit, trouncing its competitors with games like Super Mario 62 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:53,120 Brothers, Metroid, and The Legend of Zelda, which became such enduring 63 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:58,240 franchises that they continue to this very day. So successful was the Nest 64 00:04:56,240 --> 00:05:03,520 that the company rolled out Nintendo Power magazine two years later, which 65 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:07,280 served to hype upcoming titles and hardware. 66 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:12,240 But Nintendo didn't forget about the handheld market, and Yokoy took his 67 00:05:09,759 --> 00:05:16,400 handheld game ideas to the next level when he designed the Game Boy, released 68 00:05:14,479 --> 00:05:21,440 in 1989. Although it was rather simple, featuring 69 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:25,360 a black and white nonbacklit screen with 70 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:28,160 a low 160x 144 resolution, it was 71 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:33,919 inexpensive and durable, allowing it to beat out more advanced rival handhelds 72 00:05:30,639 --> 00:05:36,479 like the Sega Game Gear. With that, the 73 00:05:33,919 --> 00:05:41,840 stage was set for a console war that would rage on for many more years. But 74 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:46,080 right now, we're out of time. So stay tuned for part two of our history of 75 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:52,639 Nintendo where we have a look at the Nintendo Sega conflict of the 1990s, 76 00:05:49,280 --> 00:05:55,199 ultra rare Charizard cards, and 3D 77 00:05:52,639 --> 00:06:00,720 without dorky glasses. Speaking of being out of time, fresh books. Are you a 78 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:05,600 freelancer, small business owner? Well, it can be very rewarding, but it can 79 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:10,560 also be a lot of work keeping track of boring stuff like accounting. With Fresh 80 00:06:08,319 --> 00:06:15,440 Books, you can make all of that stuff easier and faster, so you can spend your 81 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:20,240 time making money instead of spending your time counting it. And they've got 82 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:23,919 an allnew version of their cloud accounting software. 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