Nintendo: Difference between revisions

From the Super Mario Wiki, the Mario encyclopedia
Jump to navigationJump to search
 
(459 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{articleabout|the Japanese company|the development team|[[Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development]]}}
{{about|the Japanese company|the console sometimes colloquially referred to as a Nintendo|[[Nintendo Entertainment System]]|the development team|[[Nintendo Entertainment Planning and Development]]}}
{{company-infobox
{{company infobox
|logo=Nintendo.png
|logo=New Nintendo red logo.svg
|width=300px
|width=300px
|founded=September 23, 1889
|founded=September 23, 1889
|firstgame=''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'' ([[List of Mario games by date#1981|1981]])
|first_release=''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'' ([[List of games by date#1981|1981]])
|lastgame=''[[Mario Kart Arcade GP DX]]'' ([[List of Mario games by date#2013|2013]])
|latest_release=''[[Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition]]'' ([[List of games by date#2024|2024]])
|president=[[Satoru Iwata]]
|president=[[Shuntaro Furukawa]]
}}
}}
'''[[nwiki:Nintendo|Nintendo]]''' (Japanese: 任天堂; Rōmaji: ''Nintendō'') is a company in Japan which develops and manufactures its own line of video games and consoles.  The name Nintendo means "leave luck to heaven" in Japanese. They are the creators of many popular series, including ''[[ZeldaWiki:The Legend of Zelda (Series)|The Legend of Zelda]]'', ''[[Bulbapedia:Pokémon|Pokémon]]'', as well as their most popular series, the ''[[Mario (series)|Mario]]'' series, plus many more. Nintendo also owns the [[wikipedia:Seattle Mariners|Seattle Mariners]] baseball team. Nintendo's mascot is [[Mario]] himself. Nintendo revived the North American video game industry after the [[wikipedia:North American Video Game Crash of 1983|Video Game Crash of 1983]].
 
[[File:NintendoHeadquartersInTheWorld.PNG|thumb|200px|left|Nintendo's regions (headquarters) in the world. In the Nintendo webpage's selector country (www.nintendo.com) appears the region and his countries' list.]]
'''{{wp|Nintendo}}''' is a Japanese video game company and the creator of many popular franchises, including the [[Super Mario (franchise)|''Super Mario'' franchise]], and the company's mascot is [[Mario]] himself.


==History==
==History==
The company was originally founded on September 23rd, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade [[wikipedia:Hanafuda|Hanafuda]] cards for use in a Japanese playing card game of the same name. Eventually, in 1929, the company was passed on to Yamauchi's son-in-law, Sekiryo Kaneda. He took up the Yamauchi name when he married Fusajiro's daughter, Tei Yamauchi. The company continued on to make Hanafuda cards. However, Kaneda decided to retire in 1949 and passed Nintendo down to his grandson, [[Hiroshi Yamauchi]]. Little did he know that Hiroshi would change the focus of Nintendo for the best. In the late 70's, Yamauchi decided to expand Nintendo into the United States, as arcade machines were becoming very popular. However, his plan did not go over as well as he had hoped. Many children in the U.S. did not show much interest in Nintendo's products, like ''Sheriff'' or ''Radar Scope''. Nintendo started to lose money, so in desperation, Yamauchi turned to one of his employees, [[Shigeru Miyamoto]], for help.  
{{multiple image|align=left|direction=vertical|image1=Nintendo - Obsolete logo.svg|image2=Nintendo Logo.svg|width=180|footer=The company's signature red logo from 1985 to 2008, used internationally outside Japan and East Asia (top), and gray logo from 2006 to 2016 (bottom). The gray logo is still used in corporate pages.}}
Originally founded as a {{wp|hanafuda}} playing card manufacturer in Kyoto, Japan, on September 23, 1889, Nintendo began exploring game-making after third president [[Hiroshi Yamauchi]] began diversifying the company's ventures. Nintendo entered the arcade industry in 1973 and the home console industry in 1977, simultaneously hiring [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] as a product designer. In 1978, Nintendo began making arcade video games, licensing titles to other companies for distribution outside Japan. In 1980, Nintendo established a North American division headed by {{wp|Minoru Arakawa}}, and the first game that would be distributed by the American division would be ''[[nwiki:Radar Scope|Radar Scope]]''. The game did not sell well in the United States, and a number of unsold cabinets remained in warehouses.


He called only Miyamoto in because he was the only employee who had any time on his hands. Yamauchi asked Miyamoto to make a product for the arcade machine that would become a best-seller. Shigeru Miyamoto worked on the project he was thinking of for a while: ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]''. When it entered the North American market, it became a best-seller. Nintendo started moving into video games and assigned Gunpei Yokoi to make a handheld console for enjoyment while traveling. Thus, Yokoi made the [[Game & Watch]], which became popular in both Japan and the United States. Nintendo then made the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]], which grew very popular among children, the most successful game being ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' The release of the system forever changed the focus of video game development from quantity to quality and cemented the company's place in history. Aside from video games, Nintendo is also the majority owner of the Seattle Mariners, a Major League Baseball team, which is now handled by Howard Lincoln. In 2002, Hiroshi Yamauchi stepped down from office, giving the position to [[Satoru Iwata]].
Arakawa asked Yamauchi if a new game could be developed and inserted into the unsold ''Radar Scope'' cabinets.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20191109000531/https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/09/14/ign-presents-the-history-of-super-mario-bros "IGN Presents: The History of Super Mario Bros."]</ref> Yamauchi went through Nintendo's entire talent pool to see who could head the designing of a potential ''Radar Scope'' replacement, and the result was Miyamoto designing ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]''. When ''Donkey Kong'' was released in 1981, it became a bestseller and marked the introduction of Mario. In 1983, Nintendo introduced the [[Family Computer]], distributing it abroad as the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] two years later. Its success in Japan and North America resulted in Nintendo becoming a dominant player in the video game industry and the revival of the industry in North America, which had been negatively affected by {{wp|video game crash of 1983|a crash in 1983}}. The most successful game for the NES, ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'', further cemented Nintendo's dominance in the industry. The ''Super Mario'' franchise has since become Nintendo's flagship franchise and one of the most well-known brands to originate from video games.


== Results of their work ==  
==Supported regions==
[[File:NintendoOld.png|thumb|The company's red logo from 1983 to 2006.]]
[[File:Regiones comerciales de Nintendo.svg|thumb|Regions with official Nintendo websites]]
Nintendo is the longest running company in the history of the video game console market and historically the most influential and best known console manufacturer. However, they do have business rivalry in Sony, Microsoft, and formerly their biggest rival, Sega (which is now reduced to third-party work). Nintendo, as a video game company, began in the Japanese market in 1983, the U.S. market in 1985, and the European market in 1986. Over time Nintendo has manufactured six TV consoles and nine handheld portables. They have also developed, and published well over 300 games, and have sold over 2 billion games worldwide.  
As a {{wp|Multinational corporation|multinational company}}, Nintendo has established various regional divisions dedicated to marketing and sales of its products outside Japan, including ''Super Mario'' games, merchandise, and licensing, located in different gaming markets around the world, and all of them are wholly owned. Two major subsidiaries, Nintendo of America and Nintendo of Europe, have the authority to publish games autonomously. As of August 2024, these divisions include:


Nintendo has also sold very well among other consoles. Yamauchi, when he announced the [[Nintendo GameCube]], stated that people don't buy a console for the console, they buy it for the game they want. He also believes that a video game console should be solely for video games, never anything else, in opposition to the PlayStation 2's built-in DVD Player. These things are why he always makes Nintendo's consoles the cheapest, compared to other consoles. If one watches the Wii games and compares them with the NES, one will see firsthand Nintendo's progression from a manufacturer of Hanafuda cards to one of the most successful video game companies in the world.
*'''Nintendo Co., Ltd.''' (NCL)
**[[File:Flag of Japan.png|25px]] Japan
*'''Nintendo of America, Inc.''' (NOA)
**[[File:Flag of Brazil.png|25px]] Federative Republic of Brazil
**[[File:Flag of Argentina.png|25px]] Argentine Republic
**[[File:Flag of Canada.png|25px]] Canada
**[[File:Flag of Chile.png|25px]] Republic of Chile
**[[File:Flag of Colombia.png|25px]] Republic of Colombia
**[[File:Flag of Mexico.png|25px]] United Mexican States
**[[File:Flag of Peru.png|25px]] Republic of Peru
**[[File:Flag of USA.png|25px]] United States of America
*'''Nintendo of Europe SE''' (NOE)
**[[File:Flag of South Africa.png|25px]] Republic of South Africa
**[[File:Flag of Switzerland.png|25px]] Swiss Confederation
**[[File:Flag of Europe.png|25px]] European Union (except Scandinavia, the Balkans, and some former Eastern Bloc states)
**[[File:Flag of UK.png|25px]] United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
*'''Nintendo Australia Pty. Limited''' (NAL)
**[[File:Flag of NZ.png|25px]] New Zealand
**[[File:Flag of Australia.png|25px]] Commonwealth of Australia
*'''Nintendo of Korea Co., Ltd.''' (NOK)
**[[File:Flag of South Korea.png|25px]] Republic of Korea
*'''Nintendo (Hong Kong) Ltd.''' (NHK)
**[[File:Flag of HK.png|25px]] Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
**[[File:Flag of ROC.png|25px]] Republic of China


All recent official Nintendo merchandise are marked with the [[Official Nintendo Seal]]. Originally, the seal was applied to only video games.
In addition to the above subsidiaries, over the years Nintendo has officially assigned various third-party distribution companies to represent Nintendo and its products (including ''Super Mario'' products) in certain markets. These partners may have the authority to handle marketing and sales, but they may vary and are overviewed by one of the three major divisions (NCL, NOA, NOE). As of September 2023, the following partners include:


==Appearances in the Mario Universe==
*'''Active Bokei K.K.'''<ref>{{cite|title=Active Bokei K.K.|url=https://www.activeboeki.com/|publisher=Active Bokei K.K.|language=English|accessdate=July 3, 2024|archive=https://web.archive.org/web/20240603051424/https://www.activeboeki.com/}}</ref>
**[[File:Flag of Indonesia.png|25px]] Republic of Indonesia
**[[File:Flag of Singapore.png|25px]] Republic of Singapore
**[[File:Flag of Thailand.png|25px]] Kingdom of Thailand
**[[File:Flag of Philippines.png|25px]] Republic of the Philippines
**[[File:Flag of Malaysia.png|25px]] Malaysia
**[[File:Flag of UAE.png|25px]] United Arab Emirates
**[[File:Flag of Oman.png|25px]] Sultanate of Oman
**[[File:Flag of Bahrain.png|25px]] Kingdom of Bahrain
**[[File:Flag of Kuwait.png|25px]] State of Kuwait
**[[File:Flag of Qatar.png|25px]] State of Qatar
*'''Advanced Initiative Company Trading'''<ref>{{cite|title=Advanced Initiative|url=https://advancedinitiative.com/|publisher=Advanced Initiative Co. Trdg.|language=English|accessdate=July 4, 2024}}</ref>
**[[File:Flag of Saudi Arabia.png|25px]] Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
*'''Bergsala AB'''<ref name=Skrebels_2019>{{cite|author=Joe Skrebels|date=December 9, 2019|url=www.ign.com/articles/2019/12/09/the-lie-that-helped-build-nintendo|title=The Lie That Helped Build Nintendo|publisher=IGN|language=English|archive=web.archive.org/web/20191221231714/https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/12/09/the-lie-that-helped-build-nintendo|accessdate=June 1, 2024}}</ref>
**[[File:Flag of Finland.png|25px]] Republic of Finland
**[[File:Flag of Denmark.png|25px]] Kingdom of Denmark
**[[File:Flag of Norway.png|25px]] Kingdom of Norway
**[[File:Flag of Sweden.png|25px]] Kingdom of Sweden
*'''CD Media S.E.'''<ref>{{cite|author=Enes K.|date=July 24, 2018|url=www.webtekno.com/nintendo-switch-turkiye-h50307.html|title=Resmi Açıklama Geldi: Nintendo Switch Türkiye'de Satışa Çıkıyor|publisher=Webtekno|language=Turkish|archive=web.archive.org/web/20181017002049/https://www.webtekno.com/nintendo-switch-turkiye-h50307.html|accessdate=June 5, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite|url=https://cdmediase.eu/partnerships.html|title=Partnerships|publisher=CD Media S.E.|language=English|archive=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329115020/https://cdmediase.eu/partnerships.html|accessdate=July 3, 2024}}</ref>
**[[File:Flag of Turkey.png|25px]] Republic of Türkiye
**[[File:Flag of Bulgaria.png|25px]] Republic of Bulgaria
**[[File:Flag of Cyprus.png|25px]] Republic of Cyprus
**[[File:Flag of Greece.png|25px]] Hellenic Republic
**[[File:Flag of Romania.png|25px]] Romania
**[[File:Flag of Albania.png|25px]] Republic of Albania
**[[File:Flag of Croatia.png|25px]] Republic of Croatia
**[[File:Flag of MK.png|25px]] Republic of North Macedonia
**[[File:Flag of Serbia.png|25px]] Republic of Serbia
**[[File:Flag of Slovenia.png|25px]] Republic of Slovenia
*'''ConQuest Entertainment A.S.'''
**[[File:Flag of Czech Republic.png|25px]] Czech Republic
**[[File:Flag of Hungary.png|25px]] Hungary
**[[File:Flag of Poland.png|25px]] Republic of Poland
**[[File:Flag of Slovakia.png|25px]] Slovak Republic
*'''Tencent'''<ref>{{cite|author=Takashi Moshizuki, Shan Li|date=April 18, 2019|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/nintendo-seeks-to-sell-the-switch-in-china-11555581221?mod=article_inline|title=Nintendo, With Tencent's Help, to Sell Switch Console in China|publisher=The Wall Street Journal|language=English|archive=https://web.archive.org/web/20191206201354/https://www.wsj.com/articles/nintendo-seeks-to-sell-the-switch-in-china-11555581221?mod=article_inline|accessdate=July 3, 2024}}</ref>
**[[File:Flag of China.png|25px]] People's Republic of China
*'''TorGaming, Ltd.'''<ref>{{cite|author=|date=March 12, 2019|url=il.ign.com/nintendo/40693/news/lrshvnh-byshrl-tvr-gyymyng-mshyqh-t-nyntndv-brts-bybv-rshmy|title=לראשונה בישראל – תור גיימינג משיקה את נינטנדו בארץ ביבוא רשמ|publisher=IGN Israel|language=Hebrew|archive=web.archive.org/web/20190515033409/https://il.ign.com/nintendo/40693/news/lrshvnh-byshrl-tvr-gyymyng-mshyqh-t-nyntndv-brts-bybv-rshmy|accessdate=June 5, 2024}}</ref>
**[[File:Flag of Israel.png|25px]] State of Israel
 
==Appearances in the ''Super Mario'' universe==
{{multiple image
{{multiple image
|align=right
|align=right
|direction=horizontal
|direction=horizontal
|image1=MSM 1-1 Basketball.png
|footer=The Nintendo logo appearing on Diddy Kong's cap and on the walls at [[Nintendo GameCube (battle course)|Nintendo GameCube]] in ''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!''
|caption1=The Nintendo logo appearing next to a basketball at [[Mario Stadium (court)#Mario Sports Mix|Mario Stadium]] in ''Mario Sports Mix''.
|image1=Diddy Kong SSB4 - Artwork.png
|width1=260
|width1=170
|image2=NintendoGameCube-ShineSprite-MKDD.png
|image2=NintendoGameCube-ShineSprite-MKDD.png
|caption2=The logo appearing on the sides at [[Nintendo Gamecube (course)|Nintendo Gamecube]] in ''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!''.
|width2=230
|width2=195
}}
}}
*The ''[[WarioWare]]'' character [[9-Volt]] calls himself "Nintendo's biggest fanboy," and, in fact, his [[Microgame]]s are based on or around various Nintendo games and systems.
*The ''[[WarioWare (series)|WarioWare]]'' character [[9-Volt]] calls himself "Nintendo's biggest fanboy," and his [[microgame]]s are based on or around various Nintendo games and systems such as ''[[Dr. Mario (game)|Dr. Mario]]'' and ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]''.
*[[Diddy Kong]]'s red cap has the Nintendo logo on it.
*[[Diddy Kong]]'s red cap has the Nintendo logo on it.
*In the ''[[Mario Party (series)|Mario Party]]'' series, the Nintendo logo, along with the [[Hudson Soft]] logo, appears on banners in various [[minigame]]s.
*Nintendo [[Gallery:Sponsors in the Mario Kart series|sponsors]] can be seen in the background of various ''[[Mario Kart (series)|Mario Kart]]'' courses and battle arenas.
*In ''[[Donkey Kong 64]]'', Nintendo, along with [[Rareware]], sponsors the boxing match between the [[Kong]]s and [[King K. Rool]] as mentioned by the [[Microbuffer]]. 
*In the [[Mario Party (series)|''Mario Party'' series]], the Nintendo logo, along with the [[Hudson Soft]] logo, appears on banners in various [[minigame]]s.
*Nintendo [[List of Mario Kart Advertisement Signs|advertisements]] can be seen in the background of various ''[[Mario Kart (series)|Mario Kart]]'' race tracks and battle arenas.
*In ''[[Donkey Kong 64]]'', Nintendo, along with [[Rareware]], sponsors the boxing match between the [[Kong]]s and [[King K. Rool]] as mentioned by the [[Microphone]].  
*In ''[[Mario Power Tennis]]'', the Nintendo logo appears on the [[Peach Dome]] court.
*In ''[[Mario Power Tennis]]'', the Nintendo logo appears on the [[Peach Dome]] court.
*In ''[[Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour]]'' and ''[[Mario Power Tennis]]'', [[Wario]] holds up the Nintendo sign when the game boots up while stating the company's name, laughing.
*In ''[[Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour]]'' and ''Mario Power Tennis'', [[Wario]] holds up the Nintendo sign when the game boots up while stating the company's name, laughing.
*In ''[[Mario Hoops 3-on-3]]'', the Nintendo logo, along with the [[Square Enix]] logo, appears on the arch next to the basket at [[Peach Field]] and on the banner and a large screen on the [[Mario Stadium (court)#Mario Hoops 3-on-3|Mario Stadium]] court.
*In ''[[Mario Hoops 3-on-3]]'', the Nintendo logo, along with the [[Square Enix]] logo, appears on the arch next to the basket at [[Peach Field]] and on the banner and a large screen on the [[Mario Stadium (Mario Hoops 3-on-3)|Mario Stadium]] court.
*In the [[Mario Baseball (series)|''Mario Baseball'' series]], the Nintendo logo appears on some signs in [[Mario Stadium (baseball stadium)|Mario Stadium]].
*In the ''[[Mario Baseball (series)|Mario Baseball]]'' series, the Nintendo logo appears on some signs in [[Mario Stadium (baseball stadium)|Mario Stadium]].
*In ''[[Mario Sports Mix]]'', the Nintendo logo appears next to the sports equipment on the banners in [[Mario Stadium (court)#Mario Sports Mix|Mario Stadium]].
*In ''[[Mario Sports Mix]]'', the Nintendo logo appears next to the sports equipment on the banners in [[Mario Stadium (Mario Sports Mix)|Mario Stadium]].
*In ''[[Mario Tennis Open]]'', the Nintendo logo can be seen on the scoreboards in various courts.
*In ''[[Mario Tennis Open]]'', the Nintendo logo can be seen on the scoreboards in various courts.


==Home Consoles==
==Home consoles==
[[File:Todas_las_consolas.jpg|thumb|right|A variety of Nintendo consoles]]
[[File:Todas_las_consolas.jpg|thumb|A variety of Nintendo consoles and handhelds]]
*Color TV Game series (1977-1982)
*[[nwiki:Color TV-Game|Color TV-Game]] series (1977–1982)
*[[Nintendo Entertainment System]] (1985-1995)
*[[Family Computer]] (1983–2003) / [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] (1985–1995)
*[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] (1991-1999)
*Super Famicom (1990–2003) / [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] (1991–1999)
*[[Nintendo 64]] (1996-2003)
*[[Nintendo 64]] (1996–2003)
*[[Nintendo GameCube]] (2001-2008)
*[[Nintendo GameCube]] (2001–2009)
*[[Wii]] (2006-2011)
*[[Wii]] (2006–2013)
*[[Wii U]] (2012-)
*[[Wii U]] (2012–2017)
These consoles may have different names in different markets. The NES is known as Famicom in Japan, the SNES subsequently as Super Famicom. In China, the Nintendo 64 was released under the name iQue Player.
*[[Nintendo Switch]]{{footnote|main|1}} (2017–present)
 
===Attachments and remodels===
*[[Family Computer Disk System]] (1986–1994)
*[[Satellaview]] (1995–2000)
*[[Nintendo 64DD]] (1999–2001)
*[[Wii#Wii Family Edition|Wii Family Edition]] (2011–2013)
*[[Wii#Wii mini|Wii mini]] (2012–2017)
These consoles may have different names in different markets. The NES is known as the Family Computer (or Famicom) in Japan; the Super NES, subsequently as the Super Famicom. In 2003, a plug-in gamepad device called the iQue Player was released exclusively in China, and in simple terms, it is considered a variant of the Nintendo 64.
 
{{footnote|note|1|Although the Nintendo Switch can also function as a handheld console, it is primarily marketed as a home console by Nintendo.}}


==Handheld Consoles==
==Handheld consoles==
*[[Game & Watch]] (1980-1991)
*[[Game & Watch]] (1980–1991)
*[[Game Boy]] (1989-1999)
*[[Game Boy]] (1989–2003)
*[[Game Boy Color]] (1998-2002)
*[[Virtual Boy]] (1995–1996)
*[[Game Boy Advance]] (2001-2008)
*[[Game Boy Color]] (1998–2003)
*[[Nintendo DS]] (2004-2009)
*[[Game Boy Advance]] (2001–2009)
*[[Nintendo 3DS]] (2011-)
*[[Nintendo DS]] (2004–2013)
Releases of these consoles in China usually replace "Nintendo" in the name with "iQue". Examples are the iQue DS and the iQue 3DS.
*[[Nintendo 3DS]] (2011–2019)


==See Also==
===Remodels===
*Game Boy Play It Loud (1996)
*[[Game Boy#Game Boy Pocket|Game Boy Pocket]] (1996–1998)
*[[Game Boy#Game Boy Light|Game Boy Light]] (1997–2003)
*[[Game Boy Advance#Game Boy Advance SP|Game Boy Advance SP]] (2003–2009)
*[[Game Boy Advance#Game Boy Micro|Game Boy Micro]] (2005–2009)
*[[Nintendo DS#Nintendo DS Lite|Nintendo DS Lite]] (2006–2011)
*[[Nintendo DSi]] (2008–2013)
*[[Nintendo DSi#Nintendo DSi XL|Nintendo DSi XL]] (2009–2013)
*[[Nintendo 3DS#Nintendo_3DS_XL|Nintendo 3DS XL]] (2012–2015)
*[[Nintendo 3DS#Nintendo_2DS|Nintendo 2DS]] (2013–2020)
*[[Nintendo 3DS#New Nintendo 3DS|New Nintendo 3DS]] (2014–2017)
*[[Nintendo 3DS#New Nintendo 3DS|New Nintendo 3DS XL]] (2014–2019)
*[[Nintendo 3DS#New Nintendo 2DS XL|New Nintendo 2DS XL]] (2017–2020)
*[[Nintendo Switch#Nintendo Switch Lite|Nintendo Switch Lite]] (2019–present)
 
Between 2004 and 2018, Nintendo authorized the release of some of its portable consoles in the mainland Chinese market under the "[[iQue]]" brand. For example, the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo 3DS XL are referred to as the iQue DS and the iQue 3DS XL, respectively, in China.
 
==Gallery==
<gallery>
Nintendo-Blue logo.png|The blue Nintendo logo variant, used in Japanese versions of Nintendo games
Nintendo gold MK64 logo.png|The gold Nintendo logo from the start-up of ''[[Mario Kart 64]]''
Nintendo logo DKRDS.png|Sprite of a Nintendo logo variant, from ''[[Diddy Kong Racing DS]]''
MP1-3 Nintendo logo.png|The white Nintendo logo in a black background as seen in the first three ''[[Mario Party (series)|Mario Party]]'' titles
Nintendo's Logo in Super Mario Maker.png|The Nintendo logo recreated in the ''Super Mario Bros.'' game style in ''[[Super Mario Maker]]''
Bg-red.jpg|Background featuring characters of the [[Super Mario (franchise)|''Super Mario'' franchise]] created by Nintendo
Nintendo recruitment book Nintendo Headquarters.jpg|Artwork of Nintendo's Kyoto headquarters from its recruitment book, showing a [[Warp Pipe]] at the bottom left corner
</gallery>
 
==See also==
*[[Shigeru Miyamoto]]
*[[Shigeru Miyamoto]]
*[[Satoru Iwata]]
*[[Satoru Iwata]]
*[[Hiroshi Yamauchi]]
*[[Hiroshi Yamauchi]]
*[[Yoshiaki Koizumi]]
*[[Tatsumi Kimishima]]
*[[Koji Kondo]]
*[[Koji Kondo]]
*[[Gunpei Yokoi]]
*[[Gunpei Yokoi]]
*[[Reggie Fils-Aime]]
*[[Reggie Fils-Aimé]]
*[[Doug Bowser]]
 
==Names in other languages==
{{foreign names
|Jap=任天堂
|JapR=Nintendō
|Jap2=ニンテンドー
|Jap2R=Nintendō
|Jap3=ニンテンドウ
|Jap3R=Nintendō
|JapM=The formal name of the company; in {{wp|hiragana}} it is written as 「にんてんどう」, two {{wp|Kana|kanas}} or {{wp|Mora (linguistics)#Japanese|moras}} {{wp|furigana|per kanji}}. Each of the {{wp|kanji}} that make up its formal name mean the following:
*任 (''nin'') means "responsibility", "work", or "obligation".
*天 (''ten'') means "sky".
*堂 (''dō'') meaning "stately", "bless", or "sanctuary".
**天堂 (''tendō'') means "heaven".
|Jap2M=Rough katakana form used for the Japanese names of some consoles.
|Jap3M=Rough katakana form, written with the kana "u" (ウ) instead of the {{wp|chōonpu|long sound symbol}} (ー).
|JapN=This name comes from the Japanese saying 「運を天に任せる」 (''un o ten ni makaseru''), meaning "to leave one's luck to heaven".
|Jap3N=Only used in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'''s Japanese name.
|Kor=닌텐도
|KorR=Nintendo
|Chi=任天堂
|ChiR=Rèntiāntáng
|Fin=Nintendon
|FinN=''Captain N: The Game Master''
|Fin2=Nintendo
|Rus=Нинтендо
|RusR=Nintendo
|Heb=נינטנדו
|HebR=Nintendo
|Gre=Νιντέντο
|GreR=Ninténto
|Ara=نينتندو<ref>{{cite|title=نينتندو السعودية (الممثل الرسمي)|url=https://x.com/NintendoSaudi|publisher=X|language=Arabic|accessdate=July 6, 2024}}</ref>
|AraR=Nintendo
}}
 
==References==
<references/>
 
==External links==
{{NIWA|ARMSWiki=1|Bulbapedia=1|FZeroWiki=1|FireEmblem=1|GoldenSun=1|HardDrop=Category:Nintendo|Icaruspedia=1|Inkipedia=1|LylatWiki=1|MetroidWiki=1|NWiki=1|Nookipedia=1|Pikipedia=1|SmashWiki=1|StarfyWiki=1|StrategyWiki=Category:Nintendo|WarsWiki=1|WiKirby=1|WikiBound=1|ZeldaWiki=1}}
*[https://www.nintendo.com/jp Official Japan website]
*[https://www.nintendo.com/us Official United States website]
*[https://www.nintendo.com/en-ca Official Canada (English) website]
*[https://www.nintendo.com/fr-ca Official Canada (French) website]
*[https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb Official UK & Ireland website]
*[https://www.nintendo.com/es-mx Official Mexico website]
*[https://www.nintendo.com/pt-br Official Brazil website]
*[https://www.nintendo.com/es-co Official Colombia website]
*[https://www.nintendo.com/es-ar Official Argentina website]
*[https://www.nintendo.com/es-cl Official Chile website]
*[https://www.nintendo.com/es-pe Official Peru website]
*[https://www.nintendo.com/eu Official Europe website]
*[https://www.nintendo.dk Official Denmark website]
*[https://www.nintendo.fi Official Finland website]
*[https://www.nintendo.no Official Norway website]
*[https://www.nintendo.se Official Sweden website]
*[https://www.nintendo.hu Official Hungary website]
*[https://www.nintendo.pl Official Poland website]
*[https://mojenintendo.cz Official Czechia website]
*[https://www.nintendo.sk Official Slovakia website]
*[https://www.nintendo.co.il Official Israeli website]
*[https://www.active-gulf.com/index.php Official U.A.E. website]
*[https://www.nintendo.sa/en Official Saudi website]
*[https://www.nintendo.com/au Official Oceania website]
*[https://www.nintendo.co.kr Official South Korea website]
*[https://www.nintendo.com.hk Official Hong Kong website]
*[https://www.nintendo.tw Official Taiwan website]
*[https://www.nintendo.com/sg Official Singapore website]
*[https://www.nintendo.com/my Official Malaysia website]
*[https://www.nintendo.com/ph Official Philippines website]
*[https://www.nintendo.com/th Official Thailand website]
*[https://www.nintendo.com/en-za Official South Africa website]
*[https://www.nintendoswitch.com.cn Official mainland China website]
*[https://www.nintendo.gr Official Greek website]
*[https://www.cdmedia.gr/nintendo-support/?ln=hr Official Croatian website]
*[https://www.cdmedia.gr/nintendo-support/?ln=bg Official Bulgarian website]
*[https://www.cdmedia.gr/nintendo-support/?ln=sl Official Slovenian website]
*[https://www.cdmedia.gr/nintendo-support/?ln=ro Official Romanian website]
*[https://www.cdmedia.gr/nintendo-support/?ln=sr Official Serbian website]


==External Links==
{{NIWA|NWiki=1|SmashWiki=1|WiKirby=1|Bulbapedia=1}}
*[http://www.nintendo.com/ Official American website]
*[http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ Official Japanese website]
*[http://www.nintendo.com.au/ Official Australian website]
*[http://www.nintendo.co.uk/ Official European website]
*[http://www.nintendo.co.kr/ Official Korean website]
*[[wikipedia:Nintendo|Wikipedia]]
{{BoxTop}}
{{Companies}}
{{Companies}}
[[de:Nintendo]]
[[de:Nintendo]]
[[it:Nintendo]]
[[it:Nintendo]]
[[Category:Companies]]
[[Category:Companies]]
[[Category:Nintendo|*]]

Latest revision as of 22:54, September 5, 2024

This article is about the Japanese company. For the console sometimes colloquially referred to as a Nintendo, see Nintendo Entertainment System. For the development team, see Nintendo Entertainment Planning and Development.
Nintendo
Current Nintendo logo (2016-present): On May 11, 2016, several months after when Tatsumi Kimishima took the company helm, Nintendo's logo was changed to white-on-red.
Founded September 23, 1889
First Super Mario game Donkey Kong (1981)
Latest Super Mario game Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition (2024)
Current president Shuntaro Furukawa

Nintendo is a Japanese video game company and the creator of many popular franchises, including the Super Mario franchise, and the company's mascot is Mario himself.

History

The company's signature red logo from 1985 to 2008, used internationally outside Japan and East Asia (top), and gray logo from 2006 to 2016 (bottom). The gray logo is still used in corporate pages.
The company's signature red logo from 1985 to 2008, used internationally outside Japan and East Asia (top), and gray logo from 2006 to 2016 (bottom). The gray logo is still used in corporate pages.
The company's signature red logo from 1985 to 2008, used internationally outside Japan and East Asia (top), and gray logo from 2006 to 2016 (bottom). The gray logo is still used in corporate pages.

Originally founded as a hanafuda playing card manufacturer in Kyoto, Japan, on September 23, 1889, Nintendo began exploring game-making after third president Hiroshi Yamauchi began diversifying the company's ventures. Nintendo entered the arcade industry in 1973 and the home console industry in 1977, simultaneously hiring Shigeru Miyamoto as a product designer. In 1978, Nintendo began making arcade video games, licensing titles to other companies for distribution outside Japan. In 1980, Nintendo established a North American division headed by Minoru Arakawa, and the first game that would be distributed by the American division would be Radar Scope. The game did not sell well in the United States, and a number of unsold cabinets remained in warehouses.

Arakawa asked Yamauchi if a new game could be developed and inserted into the unsold Radar Scope cabinets.[1] Yamauchi went through Nintendo's entire talent pool to see who could head the designing of a potential Radar Scope replacement, and the result was Miyamoto designing Donkey Kong. When Donkey Kong was released in 1981, it became a bestseller and marked the introduction of Mario. In 1983, Nintendo introduced the Family Computer, distributing it abroad as the Nintendo Entertainment System two years later. Its success in Japan and North America resulted in Nintendo becoming a dominant player in the video game industry and the revival of the industry in North America, which had been negatively affected by a crash in 1983. The most successful game for the NES, Super Mario Bros., further cemented Nintendo's dominance in the industry. The Super Mario franchise has since become Nintendo's flagship franchise and one of the most well-known brands to originate from video games.

Supported regions

Nintendo's commercial zones, divided by colors and according to Nintendo's region selector (https://www.nintendo.com/regionselector/)
Regions with official Nintendo websites

As a multinational company, Nintendo has established various regional divisions dedicated to marketing and sales of its products outside Japan, including Super Mario games, merchandise, and licensing, located in different gaming markets around the world, and all of them are wholly owned. Two major subsidiaries, Nintendo of America and Nintendo of Europe, have the authority to publish games autonomously. As of August 2024, these divisions include:

  • Nintendo Co., Ltd. (NCL)
    • Flag of Japan, used officially since August 13, 1999 and in a de facto capacity since February 27, 1868. For Japanese release dates. Japan
  • Nintendo of America, Inc. (NOA)
    • Flag of the Federative Republic of Brazil since May 11, 1992. For Brazilian release dates. Federative Republic of Brazil
    • Flag of Argentina. For Argentine release dates. Argentine Republic
    • The flag of Canada since February 15, 1965. For Canadian {{release}} dates. Canada
    • Flag of Chile Republic of Chile
    • Flag of the Republic of Colombia since November 26, 1861. For Colombian release dates. Republic of Colombia
    • Flag of the United Mexican States since 1975, for Mexican {{release}} dates. United Mexican States
    • Flag of the Republic of Peru since March 31, 1950. For Peruvian release dates. Republic of Peru
    • Flag of the United States of America since July 4, 1960. For North American (and sometimes South American) release dates. United States of America
  • Nintendo of Europe SE (NOE)
    • Flag of the Republic of South Africa since April 27, 1994. For South African release dates within this time frame. Republic of South Africa
    • Flag of the Swiss Confederation. For Swiss release dates. Swiss Confederation
    • Flag of the European Union (previously the European Economic Community). For European release dates. European Union (except Scandinavia, the Balkans, and some former Eastern Bloc states)
    • Flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from January 1, 1801 to December 6, 1922 and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland since the latter date. For British release dates. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
  • Nintendo Australia Pty. Limited (NAL)
    • Flag of New Zealand since March 24, 1902. For New Zealander release dates. New Zealand
    • Flag of the Commonwealth of Australia since December 8, 1908. For Oceanian release dates. Commonwealth of Australia
  • Nintendo of Korea Co., Ltd. (NOK)
    • Flag of the Republic of Korea since May 30, 2011. For South Korean release dates. Republic of Korea
  • Nintendo (Hong Kong) Ltd. (NHK)
    • Flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China since July 1, 1997, for Hongkonger {{release}} dates within this timeframe. Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
    • Flag of the Republic of China since 1928, used as the flag of Taiwan since 1949. For Taiwanese release dates. Republic of China

In addition to the above subsidiaries, over the years Nintendo has officially assigned various third-party distribution companies to represent Nintendo and its products (including Super Mario products) in certain markets. These partners may have the authority to handle marketing and sales, but they may vary and are overviewed by one of the three major divisions (NCL, NOA, NOE). As of September 2023, the following partners include:

  • Active Bokei K.K.[2]
    • Flag of the Republic of Indonesia since August 17, 1945. For Indonesian release dates. Republic of Indonesia
    • Flag of the Republic of Singapore. For Singaporean release dates. Republic of Singapore
    • Flag of the Kingdom of Thailand since September 30, 2017. For Thai release dates. Kingdom of Thailand
    • Flag of the Republic of the Philippines since February 12, 1998. For Filipino release dates. Republic of the Philippines
    • Flag of Malaysia since 1964. Malaysia
    • Flag of the United Arab Emirates since December 2, 1971. For Emirati release dates. United Arab Emirates
    • Flag of the Sultanate of Oman since April 25, 1995. For Omani release dates. Sultanate of Oman
    • Flag of the Kingdom of Bahrain since February 14, 2002. For Bahraini release dates. Kingdom of Bahrain
    • Flag of the State of Kuwait since September 7, 1961. For Kuwaiti release dates. State of Kuwait
    • Flag of the State of Qatar since July 9, 1971. For Qatari release dates. State of Qatar
  • Advanced Initiative Company Trading[3]
    • Flag of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. For Saudi release dates. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  • Bergsala AB[4]
    • Flag of the Republic of Finland since May 28, 1918. For Finnish release dates. Republic of Finland
    • Flag of the Kingdom of Denmark since 1625. For Danish release dates. Kingdom of Denmark
    • Flag of the Kingdom of Norway since July 13, 1821. For Norwegian release dates. Kingdom of Norway
    • Flag of the Kingdom of Sweden since June 22, 1906. For Swedish release dates. Kingdom of Sweden
  • CD Media S.E.[5][6]
    • Flag of the Republic of Türkiye since May 29, 1936. For Turkish release dates. Republic of Türkiye
    • Flag of the Republic of Bulgaria since November 27, 1990. For Bulgarian release dates. Republic of Bulgaria
    • Flag of the Republic of Cyprus since April 24, 2006. For Cypriot release dates. Republic of Cyprus
    • Flag of the Hellenic Republic since December 22, 1978. For Greek release dates. Hellenic Republic
    • Flag of Romania (not to be confused with the flag of Chad) since December 27, 1989. For Romanian release dates. Romania
    • Flag of the Republic of Albania since July 22, 2002. For Albanian release dates. Republic of Albania
    • Flag of the Republic of Croatia since December 21, 1990. For Croatian release dates. Republic of Croatia
    • Flag of the Republic of North Macedonia since October 5, 1995. For North Macedonian release dates. Republic of North Macedonia
    • Flag of the Republic of Serbia since 2004. For Serbian release dates since the nation achieved independence on June 5, 2006. Republic of Serbia
    • Flag of the Republic of Slovenia since June 25, 1991. For Slovenian release dates. Republic of Slovenia
  • ConQuest Entertainment A.S.
    • Flag of Czechoslovakia from March 30, 1920 to December 31, 1992 and of the Czech Republic since the latter date. For Czech release dates. Czech Republic
    • Flag of the Hungarian People's Republic from May 23, 1957 to October 23, 1989 and of Hungary since the latter date. For Hungarian release dates. Hungary
    • Flag of the Polish People's Republic from January 31, 1980 to December 31, 1989 and of the Republic of Poland since the latter date. For Polish release dates. Republic of Poland
    • Flag of the Slovak Republic since September 3, 1992. For Slovak release dates. Slovak Republic
  • Tencent[7]
    • Flag of the People's Republic of China since October 1, 1949. For Mainland Chinese release dates. People's Republic of China
  • TorGaming, Ltd.[8]
    • Flag of the State of Israel. For Israeli release dates. State of Israel

Appearances in the Super Mario universe

The Nintendo logo appearing on Diddy Kong's cap and on the walls at Nintendo GameCube in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
The Nintendo logo appearing on Diddy Kong's cap and on the walls at Nintendo GameCube in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
The Nintendo logo appearing on Diddy Kong's cap and on the walls at Nintendo GameCube in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

Home consoles

A collage of Nintendo consoles
A variety of Nintendo consoles and handhelds

Attachments and remodels

These consoles may have different names in different markets. The NES is known as the Family Computer (or Famicom) in Japan; the Super NES, subsequently as the Super Famicom. In 2003, a plug-in gamepad device called the iQue Player was released exclusively in China, and in simple terms, it is considered a variant of the Nintendo 64.

1 - Although the Nintendo Switch can also function as a handheld console, it is primarily marketed as a home console by Nintendo.

Handheld consoles

Remodels

Between 2004 and 2018, Nintendo authorized the release of some of its portable consoles in the mainland Chinese market under the "iQue" brand. For example, the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo 3DS XL are referred to as the iQue DS and the iQue 3DS XL, respectively, in China.

Gallery

See also

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese 任天堂[?]
Nintendō
The formal name of the company; in hiragana it is written as 「にんてんどう」, two kanas or moras per kanji. Each of the kanji that make up its formal name mean the following:
  • 任 (nin) means "responsibility", "work", or "obligation".
  • 天 (ten) means "sky".
  • 堂 () meaning "stately", "bless", or "sanctuary".
    • 天堂 (tendō) means "heaven".
This name comes from the Japanese saying 「運を天に任せる」 (un o ten ni makaseru), meaning "to leave one's luck to heaven".
ニンテンドー[?]
Nintendō
Rough katakana form used for the Japanese names of some consoles.
ニンテンドウ[?]
Nintendō
Rough katakana form, written with the kana "u" (ウ) instead of the long sound symbol (ー). Only used in Super Smash Bros.'s Japanese name.
Arabic نينتندو[9]
Nintendo
-
Chinese 任天堂[?]
Rèntiāntáng
-
Finnish Nintendon[?] - Captain N: The Game Master
Nintendo[?]
Greek Νιντέντο[?]
Ninténto
-
Hebrew נינטנדו[?]
Nintendo
-
Korean 닌텐도[?]
Nintendo
-
Russian Нинтендо[?]
Nintendo
-

References

  1. ^ "IGN Presents: The History of Super Mario Bros."
  2. ^ Active Bokei K.K.. Active Bokei K.K. (English). Retrieved July 3, 2024. (Archived June 3, 2024, 05:14:24 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  3. ^ Advanced Initiative. Advanced Initiative Co. Trdg. (English). Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  4. ^ Joe Skrebels (December 9, 2019). The Lie That Helped Build Nintendo. IGN (English). Retrieved June 1, 2024. (Archived December 21, 2019, 23:17:14 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  5. ^ Enes K. (July 24, 2018). Resmi Açıklama Geldi: Nintendo Switch Türkiye'de Satışa Çıkıyor. Webtekno (Turkish). Retrieved June 5, 2024. (Archived October 17, 2018, 00:20:49 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  6. ^ Partnerships. CD Media S.E. (English). Retrieved July 3, 2024. (Archived March 29, 2023, 11:50:20 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  7. ^ Takashi Moshizuki, Shan Li (April 18, 2019). Nintendo, With Tencent's Help, to Sell Switch Console in China. The Wall Street Journal (English). Retrieved July 3, 2024. (Archived December 6, 2019, 20:13:54 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  8. ^ March 12, 2019. לראשונה בישראל – תור גיימינג משיקה את נינטנדו בארץ ביבוא רשמ. IGN Israel (Hebrew). Retrieved June 5, 2024. (Archived May 15, 2019, 03:34:09 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  9. ^ نينتندو السعودية (الممثل الرسمي). X (Arabic). Retrieved July 6, 2024.

External links