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[[image:nintendo.jpg|right|thumb|Nintendo logo]] | [[image:nintendo.jpg|right|thumb|Nintendo logo]] | ||
'''Nintendo''' (Japanese: '''任天堂''' ''Nintendō'') is a video game and video game console company based in Kyoto, Japan, with other divisions in the USA, Canada, Australia, and Europe. It is well known for such giant franchises as [[wp:Super Mario|Mario]], [[wp:Legend of Zelda|Zelda]] and of course, [[Pokémon]]. It was founded in 1889 by [[wp:Fusajiro Yamauchi|Fusajiro Yamauchi]] producing playing cards. Its current president is [[wp:Satoru Iwata|Satoru Iwata]]. The longest running and historically most influential [[wp:video game console|video game console]] company, it is also | '''Nintendo''' (Japanese: '''任天堂''' ''Nintendō'') is a video game and video game console company based in Kyoto, Japan, with other divisions in the USA, Canada, Australia, and Europe. It is well known for such giant franchises as [[wp:Super Mario|Mario]], [[wp:Legend of Zelda|Zelda]] and of course, [[Pokémon]]. It was founded in 1889 by [[wp:Fusajiro Yamauchi|Fusajiro Yamauchi]] producing playing cards. Its current president is [[wp:Satoru Iwata|Satoru Iwata]]. The longest running and historically most influential [[wp:video game console|video game console]] company, it is also recognized as one of (if not the) largest producer of video games and has sold more than two billion video games worldwide. Over time, Nintendo has manufactured five home video game consoles: the Famicom/NES, the Super Famicom/Super NES, the [[Nintendo 64]], the [[Nintendo GameCube]], and [[Wii]]. They have also manufactured many handheld games, including six existing versions of the [[Game Boy]] and a seventh, the [[Nintendo DS]]. | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
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In 1969, Nintendo established a games division, selling multiple successful toys. In 1975 Yamauchi began research into video games, back then a new American trend. Seeing the success that [[wp:Atari|Atari]] was receiving, he decided that it was a good venture, and made a deal with [[wp:Mitsubishi|Mitsubishi]] to create and sell video game consoles (designed to play only one game). Until 1982, they sold many consoles, including the first handheld, the highly successful [[wp:Game & Watch|Game & Watch]] system, as well as arcade games, such as ''[[wp:Donkey Kong (arcade game)|Donkey Kong]]''. It was also at this time that [[wp:Shigeru Miyamoto|Shigeru Miyamoto]], then an art designer for arcade games, joined the company. | In 1969, Nintendo established a games division, selling multiple successful toys. In 1975 Yamauchi began research into video games, back then a new American trend. Seeing the success that [[wp:Atari|Atari]] was receiving, he decided that it was a good venture, and made a deal with [[wp:Mitsubishi|Mitsubishi]] to create and sell video game consoles (designed to play only one game). Until 1982, they sold many consoles, including the first handheld, the highly successful [[wp:Game & Watch|Game & Watch]] system, as well as arcade games, such as ''[[wp:Donkey Kong (arcade game)|Donkey Kong]]''. It was also at this time that [[wp:Shigeru Miyamoto|Shigeru Miyamoto]], then an art designer for arcade games, joined the company. | ||
Inspired by Atari and several other companies, Nintendo released their own multi-cartilage console, the [[wp:Famicom|Famicom]], in Japan. It became very successful, and soon Nintendo was selling games faster than they could make them. To ease this problem, Yamauchi divided his workers into Research & Development 1, 2, and 3 in 1984 in the hopes that Nintendo would still be able to create high-quality games while working faster. In 1985, the Famicom was released worldwide under a different name, the [[wp:Nintendo Entertainment System|Nintendo Entertainment System]], or "NES". In this same year, the highly successful [[wp:Super Mario Bros.|Super Mario Bros.]] was released as well. In 1989 Nintendo released the first [[Game Boy]]. | |||
In 1990, the [[wp:Super Famicom|Super Famicom]] was released in Japan and was extremely successful, and in the next two years was released in the rest of the world as the [[wp:Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super Nintendo Entertainment System]], also known as the "Super NES" or "SNES". In the mid-1990s, Nintendo contracted with [[wp:Sony|Sony]] to develop an add-on CD-ROM drive to the Super NES, but terminated the contract. Sony used the research and development of the | In 1990, the [[wp:Super Famicom|Super Famicom]] was released in Japan and was extremely successful, and in the next two years was released in the rest of the world as the [[wp:Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super Nintendo Entertainment System]], also known as the "Super NES" or "SNES". In the mid-1990s, Nintendo contracted with [[wp:Sony|Sony]] to develop an add-on CD-ROM drive to the Super NES, but terminated the contract. Sony used the research and development of the canceled deal and would eventually release it as the [[wp:PlayStation|PlayStation]]. In 1995, Nintendo released the [[wp:Virtual Boy|Virtual Boy]] console, however, this provided to be a disaster for the company, their first ever. Also, competitors [[wp:Sega|Sega]] and Sony released their new 32-bit consoles, the [[wp:Sega Saturn|Saturn]] and the PlayStation, cutting into Nintendo's market share. | ||
Between 1996 and 1997, Nintendo released the instantly popular [[Nintendo 64]] console worldwide, as well as the [[wp:Game Boy Pocket|Game Boy Pocket]]. In 1997, the first [[Pokémon]] [[Pokémon games|games]] were released (as ''Pocket Monsters'' in Japan), the [[Pokémon Red|Red]] and [[Pokémon Blue|Blue]] versions, which became hugely popular and spawned the | Between 1996 and 1997, Nintendo released the instantly popular [[Nintendo 64]] console worldwide, as well as the [[wp:Game Boy Pocket|Game Boy Pocket]]. In 1997, the first [[Pokémon]] [[Pokémon games|games]] were released (as ''Pocket Monsters'' in Japan), the [[Pokémon Red|Red]] and [[Pokémon Blue|Blue]] versions, which became hugely popular and spawned the mega-franchise that is known today. | ||
The [[GameCube]] home console and [[Game Boy Advance]] were released worldwide in 2001 and 2002. In 2002, the long-time President of Nintendo, Hiroshi Yamauchi, stepped down from his position, handing it off to Satoru Iwata. | The [[GameCube]] home console and [[Game Boy Advance]] were released worldwide in 2001 and 2002. In 2002, the long-time President of Nintendo, Hiroshi Yamauchi, stepped down from his position, handing it off to Satoru Iwata. | ||