WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:08.240 Although the name Nintendo didn't become super wellknown in the Anglosphere until 00:00:05.359 --> 00:00:15.040 the mid 1980s, their history actually goes back a whole century before Mario 00:00:11.920 --> 00:00:17.600 became a worldwide phenomenon. Nintendo 00:00:15.040 --> 00:00:24.240 started as a small Kyoto-based business in 1989 where it made Hanafuda, a type 00:00:21.439 --> 00:00:29.679 of Japanese playing cards. They quickly found success and in fact the business 00:00:26.880 --> 00:00:35.120 did so well that Nintendo pretty much only made playing cards until the mid 00:00:32.239 --> 00:00:43.280 1960s when the company diversified into fields like toys, taxis, instant 00:00:38.160 --> 00:00:45.680 noodles, and even hourly rate hotels. H 00:00:43.280 --> 00:00:50.399 But these ventures didn't go so well for Nintendo. And by this time, folks in 00:00:48.239 --> 00:00:55.920 Japan weren't really buying playing cards much anymore. So, the company was 00:00:52.879 --> 00:00:59.120 suddenly in dire financial straits until 00:00:55.920 --> 00:01:02.079 employee Ge Yokcoy used his engineering 00:00:59.120 --> 00:01:07.840 background to develop a popular line of electronic toys, including light guns in 00:01:05.280 --> 00:01:12.400 the early 1970s that could be considered the forerunners of the Ness Zapper 00:01:10.400 --> 00:01:17.600 that's responsible for the deaths of millions of digital ducks. You can learn 00:01:15.119 --> 00:01:22.880 more about light guns in this episode. But why make light guns if you don't 00:01:19.840 --> 00:01:25.040 make a game console? Well, some of 00:01:22.880 --> 00:01:29.840 Nintendo's early light guns were used in game systems from other manufacturers 00:01:27.840 --> 00:01:36.720 because Nintendo wouldn't release its own console until 1977. 00:01:33.360 --> 00:01:40.079 The simply titled Color TV Game that was 00:01:36.720 --> 00:01:42.720 only marketed in Japan. Unlike most 00:01:40.079 --> 00:01:47.280 later systems, the Color TV game didn't use cartridges, but instead came in 00:01:45.119 --> 00:01:51.439 several variations that featured different games built in. And that 00:01:49.600 --> 00:01:56.960 wasn't the only primitive thing about it. The first version didn't even have 00:01:54.240 --> 00:02:01.680 true controllers. Instead, players controlled the game by fiddling with 00:01:58.960 --> 00:02:08.399 dials on the console itself, making gameplay a little awkward. But in spite 00:02:05.840 --> 00:02:13.520 of these limitations, the color TV game did fairly well. Though Nintendo's first 00:02:11.200 --> 00:02:18.879 real hit in the video game world came after Yokoy sat beside a passenger on a 00:02:16.560 --> 00:02:24.400 train who was fiddling with a calculator to pass the time. Suddenly he thought, 00:02:22.000 --> 00:02:30.400 "Hey, why can't people cure their boredom with handheld games instead?" 00:02:27.280 --> 00:02:34.080 With that, the Game and Watch was born 00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:37.200 in 1980. a line of simple LCD games with 00:02:34.080 --> 00:02:39.680 clocks built in, hence the name. 00:02:37.200 --> 00:02:44.560 Although each Game and Watch model only included one game due to their use of 00:02:42.239 --> 00:02:50.800 segment displays that could only show a limited number of images, it sold over 00:02:47.040 --> 00:02:53.760 43 million units worldwide before it was 00:02:50.800 --> 00:02:58.400 discontinued in 1991. Nintendo was also developing arcade 00:02:56.319 --> 00:03:04.879 games during this time, including the original Donkey Kong and Mario Brothers, 00:03:01.200 --> 00:03:07.360 released in 1981 and 83, respectively. 00:03:04.879 --> 00:03:12.560 But home consoles continued to gain popularity during the early 80s. So 00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:18.560 Nintendo came out with the Family Computer or Famicom in 1983. 00:03:16.560 --> 00:03:23.680 This was their first console that resembles what we're used to today with 00:03:21.120 --> 00:03:28.800 wired controllers and a cartridge system that allowed it to play lots of 00:03:25.599 --> 00:03:30.959 different games. The Famicom sold very 00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:36.640 well, leading Nintendo to look at releasing it in the United States. But 00:03:33.519 --> 00:03:40.640 by this time, the infamous video game 00:03:36.640 --> 00:03:43.120 crash of 1983 had happened. a huge 00:03:40.640 --> 00:03:48.080 downturn in the video game industry that was caused in large part by the market 00:03:45.519 --> 00:03:53.440 being flooded with very poor quality games and consumer confusion that 00:03:50.879 --> 00:03:58.400 stemmed from dishonest box art and inconsistencies in the game experience 00:03:55.680 --> 00:04:04.720 between consoles even when playing the same game. So Nintendo redesigned the 00:04:01.599 --> 00:04:08.400 Famicom into the Nintendo Entertainment 00:04:04.720 --> 00:04:11.760 System or NES, envisioning it as a 00:04:08.400 --> 00:04:15.439 single ecosystem using proprietary terms 00:04:11.760 --> 00:04:19.120 like control deck and game pack instead 00:04:15.439 --> 00:04:22.079 of console or video game cartridge. 00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:27.120 Nintendo also introduced the seal of quality at this time to show that Nest 00:04:24.880 --> 00:04:32.080 Games had passed Nintendo quality control in an attempt to convince 00:04:29.280 --> 00:04:37.600 consumers they were only licensing worthwhile games for their console. 00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:43.520 Unlike competitors like Atari, the NES finally made it to market in 1986 00:04:40.800 --> 00:04:48.240 and was a runaway hit, trouncing its competitors with games like Super Mario 00:04:45.680 --> 00:04:53.120 Brothers, Metroid, and The Legend of Zelda, which became such enduring 00:04:50.560 --> 00:04:58.240 franchises that they continue to this very day. So successful was the Nest 00:04:56.240 --> 00:05:03.520 that the company rolled out Nintendo Power magazine two years later, which 00:05:00.960 --> 00:05:07.280 served to hype upcoming titles and hardware. 00:05:04.880 --> 00:05:12.240 But Nintendo didn't forget about the handheld market, and Yokoy took his 00:05:09.759 --> 00:05:16.400 handheld game ideas to the next level when he designed the Game Boy, released 00:05:14.479 --> 00:05:21.440 in 1989. Although it was rather simple, featuring 00:05:18.400 --> 00:05:25.360 a black and white nonbacklit screen with 00:05:21.440 --> 00:05:28.160 a low 160x 144 resolution, it was 00:05:25.360 --> 00:05:33.919 inexpensive and durable, allowing it to beat out more advanced rival handhelds 00:05:30.639 --> 00:05:36.479 like the Sega Game Gear. With that, the 00:05:33.919 --> 00:05:41.840 stage was set for a console war that would rage on for many more years. But 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 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:52.639 Nintendo where we have a look at the Nintendo Sega conflict of the 1990s, 00:05:49.280 --> 00:05:55.199 ultra rare Charizard cards, and 3D 00:05:52.639 --> 00:06:00.720 without dorky glasses. Speaking of being out of time, fresh books. Are you a 00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:05.600 freelancer, small business owner? Well, it can be very rewarding, but it can 00:06:03.600 --> 00:06:10.560 also be a lot of work keeping track of boring stuff like accounting. With Fresh 00:06:08.319 --> 00:06:15.440 Books, you can make all of that stuff easier and faster, so you can spend your 00:06:13.360 --> 00:06:20.240 time making money instead of spending your time counting it. And they've got 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:23.919 an allnew version of their cloud accounting software. It's been 00:06:21.520 --> 00:06:28.400 redesigned for the way you work. 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