Everything Everywhere Daily The History of Nintendo
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Dec 3, 2025 Discover the fascinating origins of Nintendo, starting as a playing-card company in 1889. Learn about the cultural significance behind its name and early successes. Explore its evolution from arcade games to the creation of iconic characters like Mario and Donkey Kong. Hear how Nintendo navigated market challenges, including the 1983 video game crash, and developed beloved franchises like Zelda. Finally, uncover Nintendo's modern impact on culture, including theme parks and films.
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Origins As A Playing Card Maker
- Nintendo began in 1889 in Kyoto making traditional Japanese playing cards called Karuta.
- Founder Fusajiro Yamauchi grew the company by mass-producing cheaper cards and expanding across Japan.
Name Reflects Cultural Role Of Games
- Nintendo's name is commonly read as "leave luck to heaven," linking games to fate and chance.
- That cultural framing aligned the brand with tolerated forms of gambling, helping its market position.
Saved By A Tobacco Partnership
- During the Russo-Japanese War a playing-card tax nearly sank Nintendo, prompting a strategic partnership with Japan Tobacco.
- That deal put Nintendo's cards in stores nationwide and made it the largest card maker in Japan.