Nintendo

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Shigeru Miyamoto GDC 2007

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Donkey Kong arcade at the QuakeCon 2005

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Reggie Fils-Aime - Game Developers Conference 2011 - Day 2 (1)

Nintendo Co., Ltd. is a multinational consumer electronics and video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It is one of the most influential and financially successful video game companies in the world, known for creating some of the most popular and best-selling gaming franchises.

Founded on September 23, 1889, by Fusajiro Yamauchi, Nintendo initially produced handmade hanafuda playing cards. Over the years, the company ventured into various lines of business including a taxi company, a TV network, and a love hotel chain, before finding its niche in the electronic entertainment industry in the 1970s. Nintendo's shift to video games came with the development of arcade games such as Donkey Kong, which was a huge success and introduced the world to Mario, who would become the company's mascot and one of the most recognizable characters in video game history.

The release of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in the mid-1980s marked Nintendo's definitive entry into the home video game market, reviving it from the video game crash of 1983. The NES was followed by a series of successful consoles, including the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), the Nintendo 64, the GameCube, and more recently, the Nintendo Switch. Each of these consoles was accompanied by landmark games that have left a lasting impact on the gaming industry and culture, including titles from the Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Pokémon franchises.

Nintendo has also been a pioneer in the handheld console market. The Game Boy, released in 1989, and its successors, including the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo 3DS, have been among the best-selling handheld gaming devices in the world. The Nintendo Switch, launched in 2017, has further blurred the lines between handheld and home gaming consoles with its unique hybrid design.

In addition to hardware, Nintendo is renowned for its software development. The company has created numerous iconic video game characters and franchises. Nintendo's approach to game design, focusing on fun and innovative gameplay, often accompanied by family-friendly content, has helped it maintain a significant presence in the industry despite the fierce competition.

Nintendo's business strategy includes the tight control over the production and distribution of its hardware and software, a strong emphasis on quality and innovation, and the expansion into related areas such as mobile gaming, theme parks, and merchandise. This strategy has allowed Nintendo to remain a major player in the global entertainment industry.