History of Nintendo (Evolution of Nintendo) V1,2,3,4,5 and now 6!

Originally, Nintendo was a Japanese card company back in the late 1890's. Of course, over time this changed, becoming one of the most influencial and respected game developers in history.

In 1983, Nintendo released the Famicom in Japan. Ultimately, the system did well, and was later moved to North America around 3 years later.  However, after the big disaster that was Atari, Nintendo decided to test their system in 1985 in New York. Many analysts were not prepared for another failure move at the so called "fad" of video games, but were later proved wrong at a nationwide launch in the United States. In 1986 Nintendo launched the NES along with what would later become its most popular franchise of Super Mario Bros. This game set a huge standard for all other video game developers, and video games in general. To date, the Super Mario Bros. series has sold over 180 million copies (series games combined). No other video game franchise has competed with these numbers even compared to todays consoles. 

Nintendo has been considered the company that revived video games, considering Atari had just gone bankrupt, and the industry had pretty much died.  The NES is the top selling system for Nintendo, and will always remain the system that truly made Nintendo take off!

Interesting Fact- Nintendo means "Gateway to Heaven" in Japanese

History Lesson #2

On August 13, 1991 Nintendo launched the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). This launch took place nearly nine months after the japanese release of what is known there as the Super Famicom.  However, Nintendo was not alone in the market by the time it's system had successfully launched. The Sega Genesis, and Turbo Graphx-16 were already in the market and ready to compete. The SNES brought 16-bit graphics capable of 3D, something new to the market. The SNES however did not catch on very well in the US and Europe, for the Sega Genesis had already gotten a head start. There had also been some hardware problems with the SNES, some people claiming that it was not compatible with certain brands of televisions. In addition to this, people did not like the fact that it was not backward compatible with the NES.  Therefore, the unit won in Japan, but did not claim victory in the US and Europe until 1994 when Sega took a dive in the market.

The SNES had several designs. Some attractive, some not. There had been a Super Famicom design, an original Super NES design, and what is known as the Super NES 2 design.  Each one of course, had few differences and originally came with the game Super Mario World.  The SNES was indeed an unforgettable system. It continued the legacy of Mario and zelda with Super Mario World, Super Mario World 2, and The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past. The console also has a notorious reputation with its high quality RPG games such as Chrono Trigger.

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In 1996, the 16-bit era came to a close with the launch of the Nintendo 64, and of course the Playstation.  To be continued....

History Lesson #3

The Nintendo 64 is Nintendo's third addition to the home console market.  Originally called the Ultra 64 (changed due to the fact that Nintendo didnt want the word Ultra to be included in game titles, and the fact that it was trademarked of course), the N64 launched in North America on September 29, 1996 for a MSRP of $199.  Though many believe it to be technologically inferior, true gamers still see it as the host of some of the best games Nintendo has ever released.

                 Lets start this lesson with where most of the controversy lies, the infamous contract between Nintendo and Sony. In 1988 Sony and Nintendo signed a contract, which allowed Sony to create CD-Rom format for Nintendo's systems (SNES).  However, Hiroshi Yamauchi, Nintendo's president up til a few years ago, decided the contract was ridiculous, and cancelled the contract due to Sony's outrageous 25% of all profits.  After secretly signing with another company named Phillips, Sony decided to publicly announce the big news to the press. At the EXACT same time that Sony announced this, Nintendo was elsewhere promoting their new alliance with Phillips and not Sony.  Thus, after witnessing an angered Sony, the Playstation was built.

                  But now lets get to more of the Nintendo 64.  When Nintendo announced this system, and changed their system's name to Ultra 64 rather than Project Reality, they claimed just how innovative the system was. While it was innovative, the technology wasnt as new as they claimed.  Analog had been used before, and 4-player multiplayer had been seen before, but never to the popular extent Nintendo had brought it to.  A decision that seems to depress many however, still is pondered to this date. If Nintendo had already preached about new CD-add ons for the SNES, why would they create cartridges as their media format?  Although no one got a straight answer, many assume that it was to reduce loading times and to eliminate extra accessories like memory cards.  However, Nintendo lost a lot of third party support due to lower development costs for CD-roms.  The most obvious of these being Square-Soft (Enix) when they moved Final Fantasy VII to the Playstation.

                   Many may look at the failures of the N64, but also they forget the successes it had. Many games that ran on the console are the best games ever created, including Super Mario 64, Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time, and Goldeneye.  These games are considered to be the standards of 3D gaming, for they were the first entries to show off just how 3D gaming can be done, how they should be done, and how they will be done.  The Nintendo 64 may not have finished first in the console war, but they did finish second with 40% of the market share.

                    The Nintendo 64 was succeeded with the Nintendo Gamecube in 2001, which shall be the next topic of our weekly Evolution of Nintendo History Lesson.

History Lesson #4

After leaving the 32/64 bit-era with around 40% of the market share, Nintendo was still fairly confident in themselves.  Nintendo unveiled their new system, what was then called the Blue Dolphin, in 2000.  The system was later renamed the Nintendo Gamecube, and launched in November of 2001 with hit games such as Luigi's Mansion, Pikmin, and soon after Super Smash Bros. Melee (#1 selling Gamecube game to date).  Although the launch went fairly smooth, they did face certain difficulties.  A large part of this problem was that Nintendo had launched their system within a few weeks of the Xbox's debut, which in my opinion, wasn't quite a smart decision.  This caused Nintendo to lose some sales, but still stay in the competition.  The purple lunch box later became known for core games such as Windwaker, Super Mario Sunshine, and their Resident Evil exclusivity. 

The Gamecube to this date has sold over 20 million units, which comparably, isn't a whole lot (Xbox= 50 mil, PS2= 100 mil).  However, the system is the only out of the three to maintain solid profits from sales.  How they can possibly get profits out of a price of $99, I will never know.  Nintendo owns 15% of the market share to date.

There are several reasons the Gamecube failed (arguably).  Number one, the Gamecube had a lot of third party support, just not enough exclusivity.  A majority of the third parrty developers brought only ports of existing games from other platforms to the Gamecube.  Not only did this turn people away, but Nintendo also caused quite a rouse by not supporting online gameplay. The system featured only one online game, which would be Phantasy Star Online.  Also, the system had sadly been labeled a "Kiddy" console.  While this is not entirely true, a majority of those who purchase a Gamecube are parents that buy it for their kids. While statistically the system failed, I'm sure most of us agree the system was a success as far as pleasure and sheer fun

In addition to the Gamecube, Nintendo also unveiled the GameboyAdvance in 1999.  The system was a 32-bit handheld capable of producing SNES

 style 2D graphics and low quality 3D graphics.  The system launched later in 2001 with hit games such as MarioKart SuperCircuit.  The system was a great success for Nintendo.  However, Nintendo realized there were some issues with their current model of the Gameboy Advance.  The main issue being the screen.  In March 2003 Nintendo launched the GameboyAdvance SP.  It featured a slightly bigger backlit screen and a compact fold down design.  It caught on drastically and too was a success.  In 2005,  Nintendo released another iteration of the Gameboy, the Gameboy Micro.  The Micro featured a sleek small design, and a brighter screen.  It caught on at first, but was not quite as successful as the original and SP.  Overall, the handheld has sold over 100 million units.  It continues to succeed even in the DS's wake.

Continue reading for more updates on the "Evolution of Nintendo"

Interesting Fact:  Profits from used games at all retailers do not go to Nintendo, Sony, or Microsoft, but go to the retailer instead.  This is why they market more used games than actual new ones.

History Lesson #5

Throughout the years we have seen many handhelds from the house that Mario built, but the one that seems to always stick in our minds is indeed the Gameboy!  The Nintendo Gameboy was released in the U.S. in August of 1989($99).  The system featured a black and green reflective screen, a portable design, and was the first handheld to have multiplayer gameplay (supported up to 4 players).  Notable games released on the system include Super Mario Land, Tetris, and of course the bestselling Pokemon games!  By the end of the system's lifecycle, there had been two redesigns, the Gameboy Pocket (lighter, used a different type of screen), and the Gameboy Light (backlit, Japan only).  Total sales by 1996 reached up to 100 million units sold.

But, of course, that was not the end of the Gameboy line.  Next to the plate was the GameboyColor, which featured colored graphics, back compatibility to previous Gameboy games, and twice as much processing speed.  The unit was indeed a success, a large facotr of its success being due to the backwards compatibility. Consumers enjoyed the fact that they would have a library of thousands as soon as the system released.  The GameboyColor continued the Gameboy's success leading into the GameboyAdvance.

The GameboyAdvance was released on June 11, 2001 for $99.99.  The system indeed was much different than previous Gameboy's, due to its significant graphical changes and abilities.  The system was a 32-bit, having the equivalancy and more of an SNES.  The system proved its success with hit games like Mario Kart Super Circuit, countless RPG's, and the Super Mario Bros. ports and remakes.  In March of 2003, the GBA was replaced with a redesigned unit named the GameboyAdvance SP.  The unit featured a completely new design, having a fold over design and, the most notable upgrade, the backlight.  The system sold even better than the original and was just as, if not more successful than the original design. The last redesign of the system was introduced last September when the Gameboy Micro hit stores.  While the system initially sold well, its success did not last long due to a new handheld hitting the industry.....the Nintendo DS.

The Nintendo DS (Dual Screen) was released in November of 2004.  Not only was this system much different than previous Nintendo handhelds, but it took on an entirely new meaning in how to control a game. The system truly is/was an all in one package, with a touch screen, microphone, two powerfully backlit LCD's, and 3D graphics (equivalancy of an N64).  The system launched as a success selling 500,000 untis in one week, and that was just North America!  While the system did seell for a more hefty price compared to it's Gameboy counterpart, it did not halt the system's success!  Games like Advance Wars, Mario Kart DS, New Super Mario bros., Nintendogs, and Brain Age have allowed the system to sell more than 16 million DS units worldwide.  Recently, the DS Lite launched in North America, Europe, and Japan.  The new redesigned unit features blindingly bright LCD screens, and a new Ipodish look (30% smaller).  The redesign also sold well, selling 136,500 units within just two days of its launch in the U.S.

Nintendo has yet to let any of us down in the handheld department, and isn't letting up anytime soon.  Nintendo has been #1 in the handheld industry for over 17 years now, and that title isnt about to be taken away from them anytime soon!

History Lesson #6

Wii, Nintendo's 5th home console, is perhaps one of the most unique offerings in modern technology.  It stands out from the rest as a more low powered, innovation driven piece of hardware.  And, truth be told, it has worked out flawlessly for Nintendo so far.Wii have not always known this little box as Wii, but as codename Revolution. 

The console was first announced as in development at E3 2005, at which time the Virtual Console and backwards compatibility with the Nintendo Gamecube was announced.  In addition to this, a prototype was shown in many different colors, that prototype would eventually be the basis of what Wii looks like today.  You will notice however by comparison, that the very first prototype shown, had the disc slot on the opposite side, and the reset and eject buttons were on the bottom of the console, not the top.  Otherwise, it appears that Nintendo had hammered down the design of the console very early on in its development. 

Strangely though, at E3 2005, Nintendo was the only one of the three hardware manufacturers that had not shown gameplay footage of their new lineup, and even more strange was the fact that there was not a trace of a controller to be seen.  This according to Nintendo, was and is the real revolution seen in the console.

 To your surprise, Wii was designed with the help of a very familiar face for Nintendo fans, Mr. Shigeru Miyamoto.  Miyamoto was perhaps the unseen mastermind behind Wii, and even the Nintendo DS.  Had it not been for him in all actuality, we would have recieved a console slightly different from Wii.  We would have seen a console priced somewhere around $100, with near exact Gamecube specifications with only a few new additions to the hardware.  Miyamoto however disagreed with what some other executives thought was necessary, and gave us a hardware upgrade and innovation as well.

From here, Nintendo moved onto TGS 2005 in September, and unveiled what has now been deemed the "Wii-mote" (formerly known as the revmote).  Satoru Iwata, Nintendo President, explained the controller's motion sensing abilities along with the attatchment known as the nunchuk.  Nintendo gave some hands-on time with a few game journalists at that time, and from here the media began to get even more interested in Nintendo's latest creation.

It wasn't until E3 2006 that we saw full hands-on coverage of the console.  At that time, Nintendo unveiled the console completely, informing us of WiiConnect24 and a large game lineup.  Fans then crowded around the convention center hoping to get a glimpse of Wii, and perhaps some hands on time.  Wii became the biggest attraction of E3 2006, and created the largest line ever seen in E3 history.  The media gave glowing impressions of the new console, and was satisfied for the most part with Nintendo's new approach to gaming.

After E3, things went silent for a few months until September 2006, when Nintendo held three major conferences around the world to announce pricing and a launch date for Wii.  In addition to that, they allowed more hands-on time for the media, and showed of the Wii interface and channels for the first time.

On November 19, 2006, Nintendo launched Wii in the America's for an MSRP of $249.99, selling 600,000 units in the first week of its release.  Roughly two weeks later, Nintendo got similar results in Japan with the December 2nd release, and similar results for a third time with the December 9th launch in Europe. To date, Nintendo has sold 4 million Wii units worldwide, perhaps one of the fastest selling game machines of all time.  The console has attracted new and old (in more than one meaning) audiences alike with games like Wii Sports, and has become a surprising hit for Nintendo.  Nintendo aims to sell 6 million units by the end of the fiscal year (March 2007) and is well on its way to doing so.  Nintendo's flagship launch title, the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, has already sold over 3 million copies (with GCN and Wii versions combined) worldwide, making it the most successful launch title since Super Mario 64.  Wii is expected to have a full year in 2007 as well, with hit titles like Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Mario Galaxy, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Ring of Fates, and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Nintendo is continually raising its forecasts for profits and sales, partially due to the growing success of Wii.  The console continues to sell out, and is rare to find sitting on shelves.  Nintendo's evolution will continue strongly, as long as Wii continues the legacy that Nintendo creates.

Interesting Fact: Satoru Iwata, Nintendo President, announced a new Super Smash Bros. for Revolution at E3 2005.  The strange thing is, Sakurai, the creator of Super Smash Bros., hadn't even planned to make another installment to the franchise.  Therefore, Iwata announced a game, knowing that it was not even planned to be in development.  However, we now know that game as "Super Smash Bros. Brawl."