Nintendo
Encyclopedia
is a multinational corporation
located in Kyoto, Japan
. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi
, it produced handmade hanafuda
cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel
.
Nintendo developed into a video game company, becoming what is arguably the most influential in the industry, and Japan's third most valuable listed company, with a market value of over US$
85 billion. Nintendo of America is also the majority owner of the Seattle Mariners
Major League Baseball
team.
The name Nintendo can be roughly translated from Japanese to English as "leave luck to heaven". As of October 18, 2010, Nintendo has sold over 565 million hardware units and 3.4 billion software units.
, Japan
, the business produced and marketed a playing card
game called Hanafuda
. The handmade cards soon became popular, and Yamauchi hired assistants to mass produce cards to satisfy demand. Nintendo continues to manufacture playing cards in Japan and organizes its own contract bridge
tournament called the "Nintendo Cup".
(grandson of Fusajiro Yamauchi) visited the U.S. to talk with the United States Playing Card Company
, the dominant playing card manufacturer there. He found that the world's biggest company in his business was only using a small office. This was a turning point when Yamauchi realized the limitations of the playing card business. He then gained access to Disney's characters and put them on the playing cards to drive sales.
In 1963, Yamauchi renamed Nintendo Playing Card Co. Ltd. to Nintendo Co., Ltd. The company then began to experiment in other areas of business using newly injected capital. During this period of time between 1963 and 1968, Nintendo set up a taxi
company, a love hotel
chain, a TV network, a food company (selling instant rice
, similar to instant noodles
) and several other things. All of these ventures eventually failed, and after the 1964 Tokyo Olympics
, playing card sales dropped, and Nintendo's stock price plummeted to ¥
60.
In 1966, Nintendo moved into the Japanese toy industry with the Ultra Hand
, an extendable arm developed by its maintenance engineer Gunpei Yokoi in his free time. Yokoi was moved from maintenance to the new "Nintendo Games" department as a product developer. Nintendo continued to produce popular toys, including the Ultra Machine
, Love Tester
and the Kousenjuu series of light gun games. Despite some successful products, Nintendo struggled to meet the fast development and manufacturing turnaround required in the toy market, and fell behind the well-established companies such as Bandai
and Tomy
.
In 1973, its focus shifted to family entertainment venues with the Laser Clay Shooting System
, using the same light gun technology used in Nintendo's Kousenjuu series of toys, and set up in abandoned bowling alleys. Following some success, Nintendo developed several more light gun machines for the emerging arcade scene. While the Laser Clay Shooting System ranges had to be shut down following excessive costs, Nintendo had found a new market.
video game console
in Japan in 1974. Nintendo began to produce its own hardware in 1977, with the Color TV Game
home video game consoles. Four versions of these consoles were produced, each including variations of a single game (for example, Color TV Game 6 featured six versions of Light Tennis).
A student product developer named Shigeru Miyamoto
was hired by Nintendo at this time. He worked for Yokoi, and one of his first tasks was to design the casing for several of the Color TV Game consoles. Miyamoto went on to create, direct and produce some of Nintendo's most famous video games and become one of the most recognizable figures in the video game industry.
In 1975, Nintendo moved into the video arcade game
industry with EVR Race, designed by their first game designer, Genyo Takeda
, and several more titles followed. Nintendo had some small success with this venture, but the release of Donkey Kong
in 1981, designed by Miyamoto, changed Nintendo's fortunes dramatically. The success of the game and many licensing opportunities (such as ports on the Atari 2600
, Intellivision
and ColecoVision
) gave Nintendo a huge boost in profit.
In 1980, Nintendo launched Game & Watch
—a handheld video game series developed by Yokoi where each game was played on a separate device—to worldwide success. In 1983, Nintendo launched the Family Computer (commonly shortened "Famicom"), known outside Japan as the Nintendo Entertainment System
(NES), home video game console in Japan, alongside ports of its most popular arcade titles. In 1985, the NES launched in North America, and was accompanied by Super Mario Bros.
, currently one of the best-selling video games of all time.
In 1989, Yokoi developed the Game Boy
handheld game console
.
The Nintendo Entertainment System was superseded by the Super Famicom, known outside Japan as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
(SNES). This was Nintendo's console of the 16-bit generation, following the Famicom of the 8-bit generation, whose main rival was the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. A fierce console war
between Sega and Nintendo ensued. The SNES eventually sold 49.10 million consoles, around 20 million more than the Mega Drive/Genesis.
During the dominance of the Game Boy line, its creator, Yokoi, designed the Virtual Boy
, a table-mounted semi-portable console featuring stereoscopic graphics
. Users view games through a binocular eyepiece and control games using a gamepad. Rushed to market in 1995 to compensate for development delays with the upcoming Nintendo 64, the Virtual Boy was a commercial failure due to poor third-party support and a large price point. Amid the systems's failure, Yokoi was asked to leave Nintendo.
The company's next home console, the Nintendo 64
, was released in 1996 and features 3D graphics
capabilities and built-in multiplayer for up to four players. The system's controller introduced the analog stick
. Nintendo later introduced the Rumble Pak
, an accessory for the Nintendo 64 controller that produced force feedback with compatible games. It was the first such device to come to market for home console gaming and eventually became an industry standard.
The Nintendo GameCube
followed in 2001 and was the first Nintendo console to utilize optical disc
storage instead of cartridges
. The most recent home console, the Wii
, uses motion sensing controllers and has on-board online functionality used for services such as Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
and Internet Channel (in contrast to GameCube's limited functionality on select games with an additional modem accessory). The Wii's success, as well as the success of the DS, introduced an expansion of audience to broader and non-traditional demographics, a business model with which Nintendo has had success. Contrarily, the new business model has also resulted in some long-time gamers abandoning the Nintendo console for its competitors.
Nintendo unveiled their newest home console, the Wii U, on June 7, 2011 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo.
, the Game Boy Pocket and Game Boy Color
, with the latter two differing in fairly minor aspects. The Game Boy, the best-selling handheld and third best-selling console of all time, continued for more than a decade until the release of the Game Boy Advance
, featuring improved technical specifications similar to those of the SNES. The Game Boy Advance SP
, a frontlit
(backlit
in later editions), flip-screen version, introduced a rechargeable, built-in battery, which ended the need for AA batteries
in previous consoles. The Game Boy Micro
was released in 2005, after the Nintendo DS's release, but did not sell as well as its predecessors.
The Nintendo DS
replaced the Game Boy line
sometime after its initial release in 2004, originally advertised as an alternative to the Game Boy Advance. It was distinctive because it had two screens and a microphone, in a clamshell design continuing on from the Game Boy Advance SP.
The Nintendo DS Lite
, a remake of the DS, improved several features of the original model, including the battery life and screen brightness. It was designed to be sleeker, more beautiful, and more aesthetically pleasing than the original, in order to appeal to a broader audience.
On November 1, 2008, Nintendo released, in Japan, the Nintendo DSi
, an improved version featuring smaller screens, improved sound quality, an AAC
music player and two cameras—one on the outside and one facing the user. It was released in North America, Europe, and Australia at the start of April, 2009.
The successor of the DSi, with an expanded screen, is the Nintendo DSi XL, which was released on November 21, 2009 in Japan and the first half of 2010 in other regions.
The successor to the Nintendo DS line, the Nintendo 3DS
, uses the process of autostereoscopy
to produce a stereoscopic three-dimensional effect (glasses-free) and was released in Japan on February 26, 2011, launched in Europe on March 25, 2011 and North America on March 27, 2011. The console got off to a slow start, initially missing many key features that were promised before the system launched. Nevertheless, the subsequent price cuts, the addition of a second joystick via an adaptor and the increase in third-party support renewed optimism in the system from investors causing Nintendo's shares to rise.
, Kyoto Prefecture
, Japan (34°58′11.89"N 135°45′22.33"E). Its pre-2000 office, now its research and development building, is located in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
, Kyoto Prefecture
, Japan (34°58′29.00"N 135°46′10.48"E). Its original Kyoto headquarters can still be found at (34°59′30.03"N 135°45′58.66"E).
Nintendo of America, Incorporated (NOA), its U.S. division, is based in Redmond, Washington
. It has distribution centers in Atlanta, Georgia (Nintendo Atlanta) and North Bend, Washington
(Nintendo North Bend
).
Nintendo of Canada, Ltd. (NOCL) is based in Vancouver, BC, with its distribution center in Toronto, Ontario
.
Nintendo Australia
Pty Ltd (NAL) is based in Melbourne, Victoria
. It handles the distribution, sales and marketing of Nintendo products in Australia and New Zealand. It also manufactures some of the Wii games locally.
Nintendo of Europe (NOE) is based in Großostheim
(established in 1990), close to Frankfurt
, Germany.
Nintendo UK is based in Windsor, Berkshire.
iQue, Ltd.
, a Chinese joint venture
between its founder, Doctor Wei Yen
, and Nintendo, manufactures and distributes official Nintendo consoles and games for the mainland Chinese market, under the iQue brand.
Nintendo also established Nintendo of Korea (NoK) on July 7, 2006.
of its video games and consoles, stating that it is the single largest threat to the intellectual rights of video game developers. Nintendo claims that copyright-like rights in mask works protect its games from the exceptions that United States copyright law
otherwise provides for personal backup copies. Nintendo uses the claim that emulators running on personal computer
s have no use other than to play pirated video games
, though a use that doesn't involve intellectual property
in this way is seen in the development and testing of independently produced "homebrew" software
on Nintendo's platforms. It is also claimed that Nintendo's claims contradict copyright laws, mainly that ROM image
copiers are illegal (they are legal if used to dump unprotected ROM images on to a user's computer for personal use, per (a)(1) and foreign counterparts) and that emulators are illegal (if they do not use copyrighted BIOS, or use other methods
to run the game, they are legal; see Console emulator for further information about the legality of emulators). This stance is largely apocryphal, however; Nintendo remains the only modern console manufacturer that has not sued an emulator manufacturer.
Emulators have been used by Nintendo and licensed third party companies as a means to re-release older games (e.g. Virtual Console
).
in its video games, nudity and sexuality
were strictly prohibited. Former Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi
believed that if the company allowed the licensing of pornographic
games, the company's image would be forever tarnished. Nintendo of America and Nintendo of Europe went further in that games released for Nintendo consoles could not feature nudity, sexuality, profanity
(including racism
, sexism
or slurs
), blood, graphic or domestic violence
, drug
s, political messages or religious symbol
s (with the exception of widely unpracticed religions, such as the Greek Pantheon
). The Japanese parent company was concerned that it may be viewed as a "Japanese Invasion" by forcing Japanese community standards on North American and European children. U.S. Senator
Joe Lieberman
praised this zero tolerance
policy, but others criticized the policy, claiming that gamers should be allowed to choose the content they want to see. Despite the strict guidelines, some exceptions have occurred: Bionic Commando (though swastikas were eliminated in the US version), Smash TV
and Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode
contained human violence, the latter also containing implied sexuality
and tobacco use; River City Ransom
and Taboo: The Sixth Sense
contained nudity, and the latter also contained religious images, as did Castlevania II
and III
.
A known side effect of this policy was the Sega Genesis version of Mortal Kombat
selling over double the number of the Super NES version, mainly because Nintendo had forced publisher Acclaim
to recolor the red blood to look like white sweat and replace some of the more gory graphics in its release of the game, making it non-violent
. By contrast, Sega
allowed blood and gore to remain in the Genesis version (though a code was required to unlock the gore). Nintendo allowed the Super NES version of Mortal Kombat II
to ship uncensored the following year with a content warning on the packaging.
In 1994 and 2003, when the ESRB
and PEGI
(respectively) video game ratings systems were introduced, Nintendo chose to abolish most of these policies in favor of consumers making their own choices about the content of the games they played. Today, changes to the content of games are done primarily by the game's developer or, occasionally, at the request of Nintendo. The only clear-set rule is that ESRB AO-rated games will not be licensed on Nintendo consoles in North America, a practice which is also enforced by Sony
and Microsoft
, its two greatest competitors in the present market. Nintendo has since allowed several mature-content games to be published on its consoles, including: Perfect Dark
, Conker's Bad Fur Day
, Doom and Doom 64
, BMX XXX
, the Resident Evil series, killer7
, Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
, BloodRayne
, Geist
and Dementium: The Ward
. Certain games have continued to be modified, however. For example, Konami
was forced to remove all references to cigarettes in the 2000 Game Boy Color
game Metal Gear Solid (although the previous NES version of Metal Gear
and the subsequent Gamecube game Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
both included such references, as did Wii title MadWorld
), and maiming and blood were removed from the Nintendo 64 port
of Cruis'n USA
. Another example is in the Game Boy Advance game Mega Man Zero 3
, in which one of the bosses, called Hellbat Schilt in the Japanese and European releases, was renamed Devilbat Schilt in North America. localization
. In North America releases of the Mega Man Zero
games, enemies and bosses killed with a saber attack would not gush blood as they did in the Japanese versions. However, the release of the Wii has been accompanied by a number of even more controversial mature titles, such as Manhunt 2
, No More Heroes
, The House of the Dead: Overkill
and MadWorld
, the latter three of which are published exclusively for the console. The Nintendo DS also has violent games, such as Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
, Dementium: The Ward
, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
and Resident Evil: Deadly Silence.
, in addition to the above content guidelines:. Guidelines were enforced through the 10NES
lockout chip.
The last rule was circumvented in a number of ways; for example, Konami, wanting to produce more games for Nintendo's consoles, formed Ultra Games
and later Palcom
to produce more games as a technically different publisher. This disadvantaged smaller or emerging companies, as they could not afford to start additional companies. In another side effect, Square Co.
(now Square Enix
) executives have suggested that the price of publishing games on the Nintendo 64
along with the degree of censorship and control that Nintendo enforced over its games, most notably Final Fantasy VI
, were factors in switching its focus towards Sony
's PlayStation
console.
The gold starburst seal was first used by Nintendo of America, and later Nintendo of Europe. It is displayed on any game, system, or accessory licensed for use on one of its video game console
s, denoting the game has been properly licensed by Nintendo.
regions, this seal is an elliptical starburst titled "Official Nintendo Seal". Originally, for NTSC countries, the seal was a large, black and gold circular starburst. The seal read as follows: "This seal is your assurance that NINTENDO has approved and guaranteed the quality of this product." This seal was later altered in 1988: "approved and guaranteed" was changed to "evaluated and approved". In 1989, the seal became gold and white, as it currently appears, with a shortened phrase, "Official Nintendo Seal of Quality". It was changed in 2003 to read "Official Nintendo Seal".http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/licensed.jsp
regions, the seal is a circular starburst titled, "Original Nintendo Seal of Quality". Text near the seal in the Australian Wii
manual states:
's October 2010 "Guide to Greener Electronics" report ranks Nintendo last on a list of electronics manufacturers, with the same score (1.8 out of 10) as in the previous version of the guide (May 2010). The report cites increasing carbon dioxide
emissions (failed to be reduced per target) and a lack of waste management. Limited praise focuses on satisfactory energy efficiency of the DSi's AC adapter, the reduction of PVC
usage in wiring (and new chemical regulations) and the disclosure of carbon dioxide emissions.
In the January 2010 version of the ranking, Nintendo scored 1.4 points, at which, three days later, Nintendo issued a response that addressed primary concerns, highlighting a policy to indicate the materials used in each product, which makes end-of-life recycling of products easier.
Multinational corporation
A multi national corporation or enterprise , is a corporation or an enterprise that manages production or delivers services in more than one country. It can also be referred to as an international corporation...
located in Kyoto, Japan
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi
Fusajiro Yamauchi
Fusajiro Yamauchi was a Japanese entrepreneur who founded the company that is now known as Nintendo Company Limited...
, it produced handmade hanafuda
Hanafuda
are playing cards of Japanese origin that are used to play a number of games. The name literally translates as "flower cards". The name also refers to games played with those cards.-History:...
cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel
Love hotel
A love hotel is a type of short-stay hotel found around the world operated primarily for the purpose of allowing couples privacy for sexual activities...
.
Nintendo developed into a video game company, becoming what is arguably the most influential in the industry, and Japan's third most valuable listed company, with a market value of over US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
85 billion. Nintendo of America is also the majority owner of the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
team.
The name Nintendo can be roughly translated from Japanese to English as "leave luck to heaven". As of October 18, 2010, Nintendo has sold over 565 million hardware units and 3.4 billion software units.
History
As a card company (1889–1956)
Nintendo was founded as a card company in late 1889, originally named Nintendo Koppai. Based in KyotoKyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the business produced and marketed a playing card
Playing card
A playing card is a piece of specially prepared heavy paper, thin cardboard, plastic-coated paper, cotton-paper blend, or thin plastic, marked with distinguishing motifs and used as one of a set for playing card games...
game called Hanafuda
Hanafuda
are playing cards of Japanese origin that are used to play a number of games. The name literally translates as "flower cards". The name also refers to games played with those cards.-History:...
. The handmade cards soon became popular, and Yamauchi hired assistants to mass produce cards to satisfy demand. Nintendo continues to manufacture playing cards in Japan and organizes its own contract bridge
Contract bridge
Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...
tournament called the "Nintendo Cup".
New ventures (1956–1974)
In 1956, Hiroshi YamauchiHiroshi Yamauchi
is a Japanese businessman. He was the third president of Nintendo, joining the company in 1949 until stepping down on May 31, 2002, to be succeeded by Satoru Iwata. Yamauchi is credited with transforming Nintendo from a small hanafuda card-making company in Japan to today's multi-billion dollar...
(grandson of Fusajiro Yamauchi) visited the U.S. to talk with the United States Playing Card Company
United States Playing Card Company
The United States Playing Card Company, started in 1867, produces and distributes many brands of playing cards, including Bicycle, Bee, Hoyle, Kem, and others, plus novelty and custom cards, and other playing card accessories such as poker chips. The company was once based in Cincinnati, Ohio, but...
, the dominant playing card manufacturer there. He found that the world's biggest company in his business was only using a small office. This was a turning point when Yamauchi realized the limitations of the playing card business. He then gained access to Disney's characters and put them on the playing cards to drive sales.
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
company, a love hotel
Love hotel
A love hotel is a type of short-stay hotel found around the world operated primarily for the purpose of allowing couples privacy for sexual activities...
chain, a TV network, a food company (selling instant rice
Instant rice
Instant rice, also known as minute rice, is rice that has been precooked and dehydrated so that it cooks more rapidly. Regular rice requires 20-60 minutes to cook while instant rice needs anywhere between five and 10 minutes...
, similar to instant noodles
Instant noodles
Instant noodles are dried or precooked noodles and are often sold with packets of flavoring including seasoning oil. Dried noodles are usually eaten after being cooked or soaked in boiling water for 2 to 5 minutes, while precooked noodles can be reheated or eaten straight from the packet...
) and several other things. All of these ventures eventually failed, and after the 1964 Tokyo Olympics
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
, playing card sales dropped, and Nintendo's stock price plummeted to ¥
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
60.
In 1966, Nintendo moved into the Japanese toy industry with the Ultra Hand
Ultra Hand
The Ultra Hand was a toy manufactured by Nintendo in the late 1960s. It was created in 1966 by employee Gunpei Yokoi.The Ultra Hand consists of several criss-cross-connected latticework of plastic elements...
, an extendable arm developed by its maintenance engineer Gunpei Yokoi in his free time. Yokoi was moved from maintenance to the new "Nintendo Games" department as a product developer. Nintendo continued to produce popular toys, including the Ultra Machine
Ultra Machine
The Ultra Machine is a batting toy made by Nintendo and designed by Gunpei Yokoi in 1967. It is part of Nintendo's Ultra toy series, which includes the Ultra Hand and the Ultra Scope. It launches soft balls that are to be hit with a bat. It sold over a million units...
, Love Tester
Love Tester
The Love Tester is a novelty toy made by Nintendo in 1969. Designed "for young ladies and men", the device tries to determine how much two persons love each other...
and the Kousenjuu series of light gun games. Despite some successful products, Nintendo struggled to meet the fast development and manufacturing turnaround required in the toy market, and fell behind the well-established companies such as Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
and Tomy
Takara Tomy
is a Japanese toy, children's merchandise and entertainment company created from the March 2006 merger of two companies: Tomy and long-time rival, Takara...
.
In 1973, its focus shifted to family entertainment venues with the Laser Clay Shooting System
Laser Clay Shooting System
The Laser Clay Shooting System was a light gun shooting simulation game created by Nintendo in 1973. The game consisted of an overhead projector which displayed moving targets behind a background; players would fire at the targets with a rifle, in which a mechanism of reflections would determine...
, using the same light gun technology used in Nintendo's Kousenjuu series of toys, and set up in abandoned bowling alleys. Following some success, Nintendo developed several more light gun machines for the emerging arcade scene. While the Laser Clay Shooting System ranges had to be shut down following excessive costs, Nintendo had found a new market.
Electronic era (since 1974)
Nintendo's first venture into the video-gaming industry was securing rights to distribute the Magnavox OdysseyMagnavox Odyssey
The Magnavox Odyssey is the world's first home video game console. It was first demonstrated on May 24, 1972 and released in August of that year, predating the Atari Pong home consoles by three years....
video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
in Japan in 1974. Nintendo began to produce its own hardware in 1977, with the Color TV Game
Color TV Game
is a series of home dedicated consoles created by Nintendo. There were five different consoles in the series, all developed and released in Japan.-History:...
home video game consoles. Four versions of these consoles were produced, each including variations of a single game (for example, Color TV Game 6 featured six versions of Light Tennis).
A student product developer named Shigeru Miyamoto
Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
was hired by Nintendo at this time. He worked for Yokoi, and one of his first tasks was to design the casing for several of the Color TV Game consoles. Miyamoto went on to create, direct and produce some of Nintendo's most famous video games and become one of the most recognizable figures in the video game industry.
In 1975, Nintendo moved into the video arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
industry with EVR Race, designed by their first game designer, Genyo Takeda
Genyo Takeda
is the general manager of Nintendo's integrated research division, and has been working there since it was founded in 1981. He mostly works on improving hardware for home consoles and handhelds, but sometimes develops video games...
, and several more titles followed. Nintendo had some small success with this venture, but the release of Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong (video game)
is an arcade game released by Nintendo in 1981. It is an early example of the platform game genre, as the gameplay focuses on maneuvering the main character across a series of platforms while dodging and jumping over obstacles. In the game, Jumpman must rescue a damsel in distress, Lady, from a...
in 1981, designed by Miyamoto, changed Nintendo's fortunes dramatically. The success of the game and many licensing opportunities (such as ports on the Atari 2600
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
, Intellivision
Intellivision
The Intellivision is a video game console released by Mattel in 1979. Development of the console began in 1978, less than a year after the introduction of its main competitor, the Atari 2600. The word intellivision is a portmanteau of "intelligent television"...
and ColecoVision
ColecoVision
The ColecoVision is Coleco Industries' second generation home video game console which was released in August 1982. The ColecoVision offered arcade-quality graphics and gaming style, and the means to expand the system's basic hardware...
) gave Nintendo a huge boost in profit.
In 1980, Nintendo launched Game & Watch
Game & Watch
is a line of handheld electronic games produced by Nintendo from to . Created by game designer Gunpei Yokoi, each Game & Watch features a single game to be played on an LCD screen in addition to a clock and an alarm ....
—a handheld video game series developed by Yokoi where each game was played on a separate device—to worldwide success. In 1983, Nintendo launched the Family Computer (commonly shortened "Famicom"), known outside Japan as the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
(NES), home video game console in Japan, alongside ports of its most popular arcade titles. In 1985, the NES launched in North America, and was accompanied by Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros.
is a 1985 platform video game developed by Nintendo, published for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1983 game Mario Bros. In Super Mario Bros., the player controls Mario as he travels through the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Toadstool from the antagonist...
, currently one of the best-selling video games of all time.
In 1989, Yokoi developed the Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
handheld game console
Handheld game console
A handheld game console is a lightweight, portable electronic device with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are run on machines of small size allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place...
.
The Nintendo Entertainment System was superseded by the Super Famicom, known outside Japan as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
(SNES). This was Nintendo's console of the 16-bit generation, following the Famicom of the 8-bit generation, whose main rival was the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. A fierce console war
Console wars
"Console wars", also known as "System wars" is a term used to refer to periods of intense competition for market share between video game console manufacturers. The winners of these "wars" may be debated based on different standards: market penetration and financial success, or the fierce loyalty...
between Sega and Nintendo ensued. The SNES eventually sold 49.10 million consoles, around 20 million more than the Mega Drive/Genesis.
During the dominance of the Game Boy line, its creator, Yokoi, designed the Virtual Boy
Virtual Boy
The was a video game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was the first video game console that was supposed to be capable of displaying "true 3D graphics" out of the box. Whereas most video games use monocular cues to achieve the illusion of three dimensions on a two-dimensional...
, a table-mounted semi-portable console featuring stereoscopic graphics
Stereoscopy
Stereoscopy refers to a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by presenting two offset images separately to the left and right eye of the viewer. Both of these 2-D offset images are then combined in the brain to give the perception of 3-D depth...
. Users view games through a binocular eyepiece and control games using a gamepad. Rushed to market in 1995 to compensate for development delays with the upcoming Nintendo 64, the Virtual Boy was a commercial failure due to poor third-party support and a large price point. Amid the systems's failure, Yokoi was asked to leave Nintendo.
The company's next home console, the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
, was released in 1996 and features 3D graphics
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
capabilities and built-in multiplayer for up to four players. The system's controller introduced the analog stick
Analog stick
An analog stick, sometimes called a control stick or thumbstick, is an input device for a controller that is used for two-dimensional input. An analog stick is a variation of a joystick, consisting of a protrusion from the controller; input is based on the position of this protrusion in relation...
. Nintendo later introduced the Rumble Pak
Rumble Pak
The is a removable device from Nintendo which provides force feedback while playing video games. Games that support the Rumble Pak cause it to vibrate in select situations, such as when firing a weapon or receiving damage, to immerse the player in the game. Versions of the Rumble Pak are available...
, an accessory for the Nintendo 64 controller that produced force feedback with compatible games. It was the first such device to come to market for home console gaming and eventually became an industry standard.
The Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
followed in 2001 and was the first Nintendo console to utilize optical disc
Optical disc
In computing and optical disc recording technologies, an optical disc is a flat, usually circular disc which encodes binary data in the form of pits and lands on a special material on one of its flat surfaces...
storage instead of cartridges
ROM cartridge
A ROM cartridge, sometimes referred to as a cart, is a removable enclosure containing read-only memory devices designed to be connected to a computer or games console....
. The most recent home console, the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
, uses motion sensing controllers and has on-board online functionality used for services such as Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
The is an online multiplayer gaming service run by Nintendo to provide free online play in compatible Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS and Wii games. The service includes the company's Wii Shop Channel, DSi Shop, and Nintendo eShop game download services...
and Internet Channel (in contrast to GameCube's limited functionality on select games with an additional modem accessory). The Wii's success, as well as the success of the DS, introduced an expansion of audience to broader and non-traditional demographics, a business model with which Nintendo has had success. Contrarily, the new business model has also resulted in some long-time gamers abandoning the Nintendo console for its competitors.
Nintendo unveiled their newest home console, the Wii U, on June 7, 2011 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo.
Handheld console history
After the successful Game & Watch, the handheld development continued with the Game BoyGame Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
, the Game Boy Pocket and Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
, with the latter two differing in fairly minor aspects. The Game Boy, the best-selling handheld and third best-selling console of all time, continued for more than a decade until the release of the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
, featuring improved technical specifications similar to those of the SNES. The Game Boy Advance SP
Game Boy Advance SP
The , released in February 2003, is an upgraded version of Nintendo's Game Boy Advance. The "SP" in Game Boy Advance SP stands for Special. The SP was marketed at US$99.99 at launch. In September 2004, Nintendo lowered the price to US$79.99...
, a frontlit
Frontlight
A frontlight is a means of illuminating a display device, usually a liquid crystal display , which would otherwise be viewed in ambient light. This improves its performance in poor lighting conditions. Frontlights are inferior to backlights and are usually found as an auxiliary feature.An LCD...
(backlit
Backlight
A backlight is a form of illumination used in liquid crystal displays . As LCDs do not produce light themselves , they need illumination to produce a visible image...
in later editions), flip-screen version, introduced a rechargeable, built-in battery, which ended the need for AA batteries
AA battery
An AA battery is a standard size of battery. Batteries of this size are the most commonly used type of in portable electronic devices. An AA battery is composed of a single electrochemical cell...
in previous consoles. The Game Boy Micro
Game Boy Micro
is a handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in September 2005 in the market. The system is the last console of the Game Boy line...
was released in 2005, after the Nintendo DS's release, but did not sell as well as its predecessors.
The Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
replaced the Game Boy line
Game Boy line
The line is a line of battery-powered handheld game console sold by Nintendo. It is one of the world's best-selling game system lines with a combined 200+ million units sold worldwide....
sometime after its initial release in 2004, originally advertised as an alternative to the Game Boy Advance. It was distinctive because it had two screens and a microphone, in a clamshell design continuing on from the Game Boy Advance SP.
The Nintendo DS Lite
Nintendo DS Lite
The is a dual-screen handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It is a slimmer, brighter, and more lightweight redesign of the Nintendo DS, designed to be aesthetically sleeker, while taking styling cues from the Game Boy Advance SP, and to appeal to broader commercial audiences...
, a remake of the DS, improved several features of the original model, including the battery life and screen brightness. It was designed to be sleeker, more beautiful, and more aesthetically pleasing than the original, in order to appeal to a broader audience.
On November 1, 2008, Nintendo released, in Japan, the Nintendo DSi
Nintendo DSi
The is a handheld game system created by Nintendo and launched in 2008 and 2009 in Japan, North America, PAL territories, and other regions. It is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS, and its primary market rival is Sony's PlayStation Portable...
, an improved version featuring smaller screens, improved sound quality, an AAC
Advanced Audio Coding
Advanced Audio Coding is a standardized, lossy compression and encoding scheme for digital audio. Designed to be the successor of the MP3 format, AAC generally achieves better sound quality than MP3 at similar bit rates....
music player and two cameras—one on the outside and one facing the user. It was released in North America, Europe, and Australia at the start of April, 2009.
The successor of the DSi, with an expanded screen, is the Nintendo DSi XL, which was released on November 21, 2009 in Japan and the first half of 2010 in other regions.
The successor to the Nintendo DS line, the Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
, uses the process of autostereoscopy
Autostereoscopy
Autostereoscopy is any method of displaying stereoscopic images without the use of special headgear or glasses on the part of the viewer. Because headgear is not required, it is also called "glasses-free 3D" or "glassesless 3D"...
to produce a stereoscopic three-dimensional effect (glasses-free) and was released in Japan on February 26, 2011, launched in Europe on March 25, 2011 and North America on March 27, 2011. The console got off to a slow start, initially missing many key features that were promised before the system launched. Nevertheless, the subsequent price cuts, the addition of a second joystick via an adaptor and the increase in third-party support renewed optimism in the system from investors causing Nintendo's shares to rise.
Key Executives
- Satoru IwataSatoru Iwatais the fourth president of Nintendo, succeeding the long-standing previous president of the company, Hiroshi Yamauchi in 2002. He was responsible in great part for defining Nintendo's strategy both before and during the release of its Nintendo GameCube video game console in 2001, a vision which...
, President and Representative Director - Yoshihiro Mori, Senior Managing Director, General Manager of Corporate Analysis & Administration Division, and Representative Director
- Shinji Hatano, Senior Managing Director, General Manager of Licensing Division, and Representative Director
- Masaharu Matsumoto, Managing Director
- Shigeru MiyamotoShigeru Miyamotois a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
, Senior Managing Director and Representative Director
Offices and locations
Nintendo Co., Ltd. (NCL) is based in Minami-ku, KyotoMinami-ku, Kyoto
is one of the eleven wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Its name means "South Ward." It was established in 1955 when it was separated from Shimogyo-ku. As of April, 2008 the ward has an estimated population of 98,320 people. The Kamo River and the Katsura River flow through...
, Kyoto Prefecture
Kyoto Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Kyoto.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Kyoto prefecture was known as Yamashiro....
, Japan (34°58′11.89"N 135°45′22.33"E). Its pre-2000 office, now its research and development building, is located in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
' is one of the eleven wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. It was created in 1929 when it was split off from Shimogyō-ku. During the years 1931 to 1976 it also covered the area of present-day Yamashina-ku, which was an independent town until its merger into the city in 1931...
, Kyoto Prefecture
Kyoto Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Kyoto.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Kyoto prefecture was known as Yamashiro....
, Japan (34°58′29.00"N 135°46′10.48"E). Its original Kyoto headquarters can still be found at (34°59′30.03"N 135°45′58.66"E).
Nintendo of America, Incorporated (NOA), its U.S. division, is based in Redmond, Washington
Redmond, Washington
Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located east of Seattle. The population was 54,144 at the 2010 census,up from 45,256 in 2000....
. It has distribution centers in Atlanta, Georgia (Nintendo Atlanta) and North Bend, Washington
North Bend, Washington
North Bend is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The town was made famous by David Lynch's television series Twin Peaks Since the Weyerhaeuser sawmill closed, North Bend has become an upscale bedroom community for the Eastside of Seattle, Washington, with property values more than...
(Nintendo North Bend
Nintendo North Bend
Nintendo North Bend is the main North American production facility and one of the distribution centers for the video game console manufacturer Nintendo, located in North Bend, Washington, the United States of America. There is another distribution center, located in Atlanta, and usually handles...
).
Nintendo of Canada, Ltd. (NOCL) is based in Vancouver, BC, with its distribution center in Toronto, Ontario
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
Nintendo Australia
Nintendo Australia
Nintendo Australia Pty. Ltd. established in 1994, located in Victoria is Australia's local head office, sales, licensing and distribution centre for products and other Intellectual Properties created by Nintendo Co., Ltd of Kyoto, Japan and is owned by Nintendo Co., Ltd in Japan. Prior distribution...
Pty Ltd (NAL) is based in Melbourne, Victoria
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. It handles the distribution, sales and marketing of Nintendo products in Australia and New Zealand. It also manufactures some of the Wii games locally.
Nintendo of Europe (NOE) is based in Großostheim
Großostheim
Großostheim is a market community in the Aschaffenburg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany...
(established in 1990), close to Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Germany.
Nintendo UK is based in Windsor, Berkshire.
iQue, Ltd.
IQue
iQue, Limited is a Chinese joint venture with its founder, Wei Yen, and Nintendo. iQue also makes the iQue Player, which was the company's first product...
, a Chinese joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
between its founder, Doctor Wei Yen
Wei Yen
Dr. Wei Yen is a software developer and entrepreneur. He has been involved with several companies, including most recently as chairman and founder of AiLive. Dr...
, and Nintendo, manufactures and distributes official Nintendo consoles and games for the mainland Chinese market, under the iQue brand.
Nintendo also established Nintendo of Korea (NoK) on July 7, 2006.
First-party studios
- EAD Comprehensive Group –Super Mario 64 DSSuper Mario 64 DSis an enhanced remake of the 1996 Nintendo 64, platform game Super Mario 64, produced by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. The game was a launch title for the Nintendo DS, released in North America and Japan in 2004; it was later released in Europe and Australia in 2005.Nintendo...
, Star Fox 64 3DStar Fox 64, known in Australia and Europe as Lylat Wars, is a scrolling shooter video game for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It is a reboot of the original Star Fox, and the only game in the Star Fox series to be released on the Nintendo 64....
, - EAD Group 1 – Mario KartMario Kartis a series of go-kart-style racing video games developed by Nintendo as a series of spin-offs from its trademark Mario series of platformer adventure-style video games...
series, NintendogsNintendogsis a real-time pet simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It was first released in Japan, and was later released in North America, Australia, Europe, and other regions. It was originally released in three different versions:...
series, Luigi's MansionLuigi's MansionLuigi's Mansion, known as in Japan, is an action-adventure game published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube. It was released in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in Europe on May 3, 2002. The game was a launch title for the GameCube...
, - EAD Group 2 – Animal CrossingAnimal CrossingThe Animal Crossing games have garnered positive response. The first three games are among the best-selling for their respective consoles. Animal Crossing has sold 2.321 million copies; Wild World 10.79 million; and City Folk 3.38 million...
series, WiiWiiThe Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
-branded games - EAD Group 3 – The Legend of Zelda series
- EAD Group 4 – Pikmin series, New Super Mario Bros.New Super Mario Bros.is a side-scrolling platform video game published and developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. The game was released in North America and Japan in May 2006 and in Australia and Europe in June 2006...
, Big Brain AcademyBig Brain AcademyBig Brain Academy, known in Japan as , is a puzzle video game published and developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It was first released in Japan on June 30, 2005, and was later released in North America on June 5, 2006, in Australia on July 5, 2006, and in Europe on... - EAD Group 5 – Wii FitWii Fitis a video game developed by Nintendo for the company's home video game console, Wii, designed by Hiroshi Matsunaga. It is an exercise game consisting of activities using the Wii Balance Board peripheral...
, Steel DiverSteel DiverAs of June 2011, Metacritic's aggregate score is 58. IGN gave Steel Diver a 7.0/10, praising it for its addictive gameplay, but gave caution that the slow paced strategy is not for everyone...
with Vitei - EAD Tokyo – Donkey Kong Jungle BeatDonkey Kong Jungle Beatis a Nintendo GameCube video game featuring the ape Donkey Kong and played with the DK Bongos. It was released in Japan on December 16, 2002, in Europe on February 4, 2003, in North America on March 14, 2005, and in Australia on March 17, 2003. In 2008 and 2009, the game was re-released in the New...
, Super Mario GalaxySuper Mario Galaxyis a 3D platform game developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was released in most regions in November 2007, and is the third 3D original platformer in the Mario series, after Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. The game follows the protagonist, Mario, on a... - Nintendo SPD – WarioWare series, Friend Collection, Rhythm HeavenRhythm HeavenRhythm Heaven, known in Europe as Rhythm Paradise and in Japan as is a rhythm video game-exclusive for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It is the sequel/successor to the Japan-only release Game Boy Advance title Rhythm Tengoku...
series, Metroid: Other MMetroid: Other Mis an action-adventure video game for the Wii developed by "Project M", a team which consists of staff members from Nintendo, Team Ninja, and D-Rockets. A part of the Metroid series, it features gameplay in both first- and third-person perspectives, and is the first installment of the franchise to...
with Team Ninja - Nintendo NSD – Personal Trainer: WalkingPersonal Trainer: WalkingPersonal Trainer: Walking, known in PAL regions as Walk with me! Do you know your walking routine? and in Japan as , is an exergaming application developed by Nintendo NSD and Creatures Inc. for the Nintendo DS...
, - Nintendo SDD – Brain Age series
- Nintendo Software TechnologyNintendo Software TechnologyNintendo Software Technology Corporation is an American-based first-party developer for the Japanese video game corporation Nintendo. NST was created to specifically create games for Nintendo consoles for the North American market. Although Claude Comair was co-founder of NST, he retired from his...
- Mario vs. Donkey KongMario vs. Donkey KongMario vs. Donkey Kong is a Game Boy Advance spiritual sequel to the first Donkey Kong game for Game Boy. The game concept revolves around a combination of platform and puzzle elements, challenging Mario to find keys, reach a locked door, and rescue mini-Marios. This game revives Mario and Donkey...
, Crosswords DS, Metroid Prime HuntersMetroid Prime HuntersMetroid Prime Hunters is a first-person shooter and adventure game for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It was developed by American video game developers Nintendo Software Technology, and was released by Nintendo in North America in March 2006, in Europe and Australia in May 2006, and... - Monolith SoftMonolith Softis a Japanese entertainment company that has created video games for the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Wii, Nintendo DS, and cell phones. The company was founded in 1999 by producer Hirohide Sugiura after he left Square Co. and accepted an investment from Namco...
– Disaster: Day of CrisisDisaster: Day of CrisisDisaster: Day of Crisis is a video game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo. It is an action-adventure survival game, where the player must survive through various natural disasters, all the while also battling terrorists and rescuing civilians...
, XenobladeXenobladeXenoblade Chronicles, known in Japan as , is a role-playing video game published by Nintendo and developed by Monolith Soft for the Wii console. The game was announced during E3 2009, when a trailer was released to media... - Retro StudiosRetro StudiosRetro Studios is an American video game developer based in Austin, Texas. The company was founded in October 1998 by the video game veteran Jeff Spangenberg after leaving Acclaim Entertainment, as an independent studio making games exclusively for Nintendo Company, Ltd.On May 2, 2002, Nintendo...
– Metroid Prime series, Donkey Kong Country ReturnsDonkey Kong Country ReturnsDonkey Kong Country Returns, known as in Japan, is a side-scrolling 2.5D platform game developed by Retro Studios and released by Nintendo for the Wii console on November 21, 2010, in North America, December 3, 2010, in Europe, and on December 9, 2010, in Japan... - Brownie BrownBrownie Brownis a Japanese Nintendo-funded and owned video game development studio opened on June 30, 2000 and based in Tokyo, Japan.- History :The company consists of many ex-Square Co., Ltd. 2D artists. At least two of its founders had previously worked on the award-winning Mana series on the Game Boy and...
– Mother 3Mother 3Mother 3 is a role-playing video game developed by Nintendo, Brownie Brown and HAL Laboratory, and published for the Game Boy Advance handheld game console. It has only been released in Japan, alongside a limited supply bundle. It is the third video game in the Mother series, following EarthBound...
, A Kappa's TrailA Kappa's TrailA Kappa's Trail, known in Japan as , is a puzzle-action video game developed by Brownie Brown and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DSi's DSiWare digital download service.-Gameplay:... - Intelligent SystemsIntelligent Systemsis a Japanese first-party video game developer and internal team of Nintendo Co., Ltd. It has its headquarters in the Nintendo Kyoto Research Center in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture....
– Paper MarioPaper MarioPaper Mario, known in Japan as , is a role-playing video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 game console. It was first released in Japan on August 11, 2000, in North America on February 5, 2001, and in Europe and Australia on October 5, 2001...
series with Nintendo, Fire Emblem series, Advance WarsNintendo WarsThe Advance Wars series, known as in Japan as , and often referred to as "Nintendo Wars" when referring to all the installments internationally, is a series of military turn-based and real-time strategy video games , usually developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. The series...
series, WarioWare series - Project SoraProject Sorais a Japanese video game developer founded by Nintendo Co., Ltd. president Satoru Iwata and former HAL Laboratory employee Masahiro Sakurai. It was formed in the year 2009 after the successful launch of Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii console. On formation of the new company, Nintendo is...
– Super Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
, Kid Icarus Uprising - Nd Cube – Wii PartyWii Partyis a party video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. The game heavily borrows game play elements from the Mario Party series, another Nintendo franchise. It is also the first game in the Wii series that Shigeru Miyamoto did not produce...
- HAL LaboratoryHAL Laboratoryis a Japanese video game developer that was founded on February 21, 1980. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Its name comes from the HAL 9000 computer in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. The company is most famous for its character Kirby, the protagonist of the eponymous game series, as well as...
– KirbyKirby (series)The series is a fantasy video game series developed by HAL Laboratory and Nintendo, and produced by Nintendo. The gameplay of a majority of the games in the series consists mainly of action, platform and puzzle-solving elements...
series, MotherEarthBound (series)EarthBound, known in Japan as Mother, is a role-playing game series created by Shigesato Itoi for Nintendo. The series started in 1989 with the Japan-only release of Mother for the Famicom, and was then followed up by a sequel, released in North America as EarthBound for the Super NES in 1995, and...
series, Super Smash Bros series,
Second-party studios
Since the 1980s, Nintendo has built up a large group of second-party partners, through publishing agreements or collaboration.- AlphaDreamAlphaDreamis a Japanese video game development company founded in 2000 by Tetsuo Mizuno in: Tokyo, Japan. It was formerly known as Alpha Star. In partnership with Nintendo, it has produced software for the Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo DS...
– Mario & Luigi: Partners in TimeMario & Luigi: Partners in TimeMario & Luigi: Partners in Time, known in Japan as , is a role-playing game developed by AlphaDream and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console in 2005. It is the second game in the Mario and Luigi RPG series, and is the sequel to Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga for the Game...
, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story - AmbrellaAmbrellaAmbrella is a Japanese video game development company that works under a publishing agreement with Nintendo best known for making spin-off games for the Pokémon video game franchise...
– Pokémon DashPokémon Dashis a racing video game developed by Ambrella for the Nintendo DS. It was a launch title in Japan and Europe. Dash was released in Japan on December 2, 2004; Europe on March 11, 2005; North America on March 13, 2005; and Australia April 7, 2005....
, Pokémon RumblePokémon RumblePokémon Rumble is a Pokémon video game for WiiWare. It was developed by Ambrella. Pokémon Rumble was rated "E10+" by the ESRB, making it the first Pokémon video game to be given an ESRB rating higher than "E" for Everyone...
, Pokémon ChannelPokémon ChannelPokémon Channel, released in Japan as is a virtual pet video game for the GameCube, developed by Ambrella. Its focus is the adventures the player has with Pikachu, most of them involving a new television network...
, My Pokémon RanchMy Pokémon Ranchis a Pokémon video game developed for the Wii by Ambrella. My Pokémon Ranch was released via the WiiWare download service on March 25, 2008 in Japan, in the Americas on June 9, 2008 and in Europe on July 4, 2008 for 1000 Wii Points....
, - ArikaArikais a Japanese video game developer. It was formed in 1995 by former Capcom employees. The name of the company itself is the reverse of the name of the company's founder, Akira Nishitani, who created Street Fighter II. Arika's first arcade game was Street Fighter EX...
- Endless Ocean series - Creatures Inc.Creatures Inc.is a subsidiary of the Japanese game development company Nintendo. It was founded by Tsunekazu Ishihara in November 1995, as a successor to Shigesato Itoi's company Ape Inc. Its current president is Hirokazu Tanaka. The company has its headquarters on the second floor of the in Chiyoda, Tokyo, in...
– EarthBound (Mother)EarthBound (series)EarthBound, known in Japan as Mother, is a role-playing game series created by Shigesato Itoi for Nintendo. The series started in 1989 with the Japan-only release of Mother for the Famicom, and was then followed up by a sequel, released in North America as EarthBound for the Super NES in 1995, and...
series - Camelot Software PlanningCamelot Software Planningis a Japanese video game developer established in 1990 under the name Sonic! Software Planning and to date is best known for partnering with Nintendo on many of Nintendo's spin-off franchise games such as Mario Tennis and Mario Golf, as well as the role-playing game series Golden Sun...
– Golden SunGolden Sun (series)is a series of fantasy role-playing video games developed by Camelot Software Planning and produced by Nintendo. Golden Sun follows the story of a group of magically-attuned "adepts" who are charged with preventing the potentially destructive power of alchemy from being released as it was in the...
series, Mario Power TennisMario Power TennisMario Power Tennis, known in Japan as , is a sports game developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube in 2004. The game is the sequel to the Nintendo 64 title Mario Tennis, and is the third game in the Mario Tennis series... - Eighting - Kuru Kuru Kururin series
- Game FreakGame Freakis a Japanese video game developer that currently creates games exclusively for Nintendo. It has developed the Pokémon series of role-playing games and several other games.-History:...
- Pokémon - Genius SonorityGenius Sonorityis a video game development studio, whose staff consists of programmers who have previously contributed their talents to the Dragon Quest and Pokémon series of video games.-History:...
– Pokémon ColosseumPokémon Colosseumis a role-playing video game developed by Genius Sonority and published by Nintendo as part of the Pokémon series. It was released exclusively for the Nintendo GameCube on November 21, 2003 in Japan; March 22, 2004 in North America; and May 14, 2004 in Europe...
, Pokémon XD: Gale of DarknessPokémon XD: Gale of DarknessPokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, released in Japan as , is the second console role-playing game from Nintendo's Pokémon franchise for the Nintendo GameCube. It is the successor of the GameCube game Pokémon Colosseum. The game takes place in Orre, the setting of Pokémon Colosseums adventure mode...
, Pokémon Battle RevolutionPokémon Battle Revolutionis the first Wii incarnation of the Pokémon video game franchise. It is also the first Wii game to use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection in North America and Japan and the first Wii game to wirelessly interact with the Nintendo DS handheld.... - Good-FeelGood-Feelis a Japanese video game developer. Good-Feel began in Hyogo, Japan in 2005 and soon opened a production facility in Tokyo. Their main focus has been educational games for the Nintendo DS, which have solely been released in Japan...
– Wario Land Shake It, Kirby's Epic YarnKirby's Epic YarnKirby's Epic Yarn, known in Japan as , is a platform video game developed for the Wii video game console by Good-Feel and HAL Laboratory, and published by Nintendo. It is the tenth installment of the Kirby video game series....
with HAL Laboratory - GrezzoGrezzoGrezzo is a Japanese video game developer. It was founded in December 2006. Koichi Ishii, known for his work on the Mana series of games by Square Enix, signed on as CEO and president of the company in April 2007...
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3DThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3DThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is an action-adventure video game co-developed by Grezzo and Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS handheld console. The game was released on June 16, 2011 in Japan, June 17, 2011 in Europe, June 19, 2011 in North America and June 30, 2011 in Australia; however, it... - Monster GamesMonster GamesMonster Games, Inc. is an independent video game development studio in Northfield, Minnesota, USA that specializes in racing games. The company was founded in 1996.-Games developed:*1998 - Viper Racing *2000 - NASCAR Heat...
– ExcitebikeExcitebikeis a motocross racing video game franchise made by Nintendo. It first debuted as a game for the Famicom in Japan in 1984 and as a launch title for the NES in 1985. It is the first game of the Excite series, succeeded by its direct sequel Excitebike 64, its spiritual successors Excite Truck and...
series, Pilotwings ResortPilotwings Resortis a flight simulation video game for the Nintendo 3DS handheld game console, developed by Monster Games and published by Nintendo. It is a sequel to the 1990 Super Nintendo Entertainment System game Pilotwings and the 1996 Nintendo 64 game Pilotwings 64. Similarly to its predecessors, it was... - n-Space, Inc. - GeistGeist (video game)Geist is a video game for the Nintendo GameCube video game console, released on August 15, 2005, in North America, on October 7, 2005, in Europe, and on November 3, 2005, in Australia...
- Next Level GamesNext Level GamesNext Level Games Inc. is an independent video game developer based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in October 2002, Next Level Games specializes in creating console video games. Its first project was NHL Hitz Pro, which was published by Midway Games. Since then, it has worked with...
– Super Mario StrikersSuper Mario StrikersSuper Mario Strikers, known as Mario Smash Football in Europe and Australia, is a five-a-side football game developed by Next Level Games for the Nintendo GameCube. The game was released in Europe and North America in late 2005, and in Japan and Australia in 2006...
, Punch-Out!! (Wii)Punch-Out!! (Wii)Punch-Out!! is a boxing video game for the Wii. It is the latest game in the Punch-Out!! series. It was developed by Canadian developer Next Level Games. Game designer Shigeru Miyamoto served as the game's producer. It was first revealed at Nintendo's conference on October 2, 2008...
, Luigi's Mansion 2Luigi's Mansion 2Luigi's Mansion 2, known as in Japan, is an upcoming video game currently being developed by Next Level Games for the Nintendo 3DS, and is the sequel to the 2001 game Luigi's Mansion... - NoiseNoise (company)is a video game development company that works in partnership with Nintendo, developing games for the Custom Robo series.-History:Noise was founded with a staff of 10 people on September 2, 1996 for the original purpose of developing games for PCs...
– Custom Robo series - PaonPaonis a video game development company based in Japan. Through a partnership with Nintendo, the company has developed DK: King of Swing, DK: Jungle Climber and Donkey Kong Barrel Blast...
– Donkey Kong Barrel Blast, DK Jungle Climber, DK King of Swing - Suzak - Wario: Master of DisguiseWario: Master of DisguiseWario: Master of Disguise, known in Japan as , is a platforming video game developed by Suzak, and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. The game was released on January 18, 2007 in Japan, and was released on March 5 in North America. The game's Japanese title...
, F-Zero: ClimaxF-Zerois a futuristic racing video game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . The game was released in Japan on November 21, 1990, in North America on August 23, 1991, and in Europe on June 4, 1992...
, F-zero: GP LegendF-Zerois a futuristic racing video game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . The game was released in Japan on November 21, 1990, in North America on August 23, 1991, and in Europe on June 4, 1992... - Tose - The Legendary Starfy series, Game & Watch GalleryGame & Watch Gallery seriesThe Game & Watch Gallery series, known in Japan and Australia as the series, is a series of compilations of some of Nintendo's original Game & Watch titles in two styles: original and remade with characters from the Super Mario Bros. series....
series, Super Princess PeachSuper Princess Peachis a platform video game published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It was released in Japan in October 2005, the United States in February 2006, Australia in March 2006, and Europe in May 2006.... - Skip Ltd.Skip Ltd.Skip is a Japanese video game developer that has a close relationship with Nintendo of Japan. Nintendo has published all of their Japanese releases; with the only notable exception being LOL , which Skip Ltd. published independently. The company's staff includes prominent developers from Square...
– Chibi-Robo!Chibi-Robo!, fully titled Chibi-Robo! Plug Into Adventure!, is a platform-adventure video game for the Nintendo GameCube console. It was developed by Skip Ltd. with collaboration from Nintendo. The game was first released in Japan on June 23, 2005, in North America on February 6, 2006, and in Europe on May...
series - syn Sophia – Style SavvyStyle SavvyStyle Savvy, known in the PAL region as Nintendo presents: Style Boutique and in Japan as , is a fashion video game developed by syn Sophia and published by Nintendo...
- Vitei - Steel DiverSteel DiverAs of June 2011, Metacritic's aggregate score is 58. IGN gave Steel Diver a 7.0/10, praising it for its addictive gameplay, but gave caution that the slow paced strategy is not for everyone...
with EAD Group 5 - Treasure - Sin & Punishment, Sin & Punishment: Star Successor
Former affiliates
- Rare - Donkey Kong CountryDonkey Kong CountryDonkey Kong Country is a side-scrolling platformer video game developed by Rare, featuring the character Donkey Kong. It was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. Following an intense marketing campaign, the original SNES version sold over 8 million copies worldwide, making...
, GoldenEye 007, Star Fox AdventuresStar Fox AdventuresStar Fox Adventures is an action-adventure video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube as part of the Star Fox series. It was released in North America on 23 September 2002, Japan on 27 September 2002, Australia on 15 November 2002 and Europe on 22 November 2002...
, Diddy Kong RacingDiddy Kong RacingDiddy Kong Racing is a 1997 racing game for the Nintendo 64 developed by Rareware. 800,000 copies were ordered in the two weeks before Christmas 1997, making it the fastest selling video game at the time, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. It is the first game to spin off from the...
- Sold to Microsoft Game StudiosMicrosoft Game StudiosMicrosoft Studios is the video game production wing for Microsoft, responsible for the development and publishing of games for the Xbox, Xbox 360, Games for Windows and Windows Phone platforms. They were established in 2002 as Microsoft Game Studios to coincide with the release of the Xbox, before...
in 2002.
- Sold to Microsoft Game Studios
- CingCingwas an independent video game developer based out of Fukuoka, Japan. The company, a small development house employing only 29 people, was founded in April 1999, and was run by Takuya Miyagawa, who served as President and CEO. Miyagawa also acted as the producer on all of Cing's titles. The company...
– Hotel Dusk: Room 215Hotel Dusk: Room 215Hotel Dusk: Room 215, released in Japan as , is a graphic adventure game for the Nintendo DS. Originally announced on October 5, 2005 as Wish Room, the game made its first public appearance on May 9, 2006 at that year's E3 convention. It was released in North America on January 22, 2007, before...
, Another Code: Two Memories- Filed for bankruptcy in 2010.
- Silicon KnightsSilicon KnightsSilicon Knights is a Canadian video game developer. Founded in 1992 by Denis Dyack, the company is headquartered in St. Catharines, Ontario, Dyack's hometown....
– Eternal Darkness: Sanity's RequiemEternal Darkness: Sanity's RequiemEternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem is a psychological horror action-adventure video game released for the Nintendo GameCube. Developed by Canadian developer Silicon Knights and originally planned for the Nintendo 64, it was first released and published by Nintendo on June 24, 2002 in North America...
- Publishing contract with Nintendo ended in 2004.
- Factor 5Factor 5Factor 5 GmbH is an independent software and video game developer. The company was originally co-founded by five former Rainbow Arts employees in 1987 in Cologne, Germany, which served as the inspiration behind the studio's name....
- Closed in 2009.
- Left Field ProductionsLeft Field ProductionsLeft Field Productions is an independent video game development studio located in Ventura, California, USA. Founded in 1994 by industry veterans John Brandwood, Jeff Godfrey and Mike Lamb, Left Field is probably best known for their time spent as a Nintendo third-party developer, during which they...
– Kobe Bryant in NBA CourtsideKobe Bryant in NBA CourtsideKobe Bryant in NBA Courtside is a basketball simulation game for the Nintendo 64. It was released in 1998 and received a Player's Choice designation after selling one-million copies...
series- Bought out Nintendo's stake in the company in 2002.
- Marigul ManagementMarigul Management-Company Profile:Marigul was a company created and jointly owned by Nintendo and Japanese company Recruit . Its name is a combination of Mario and Seegul . Although Marigul was liquidated in May, 2003, Ambrella and Noise continue to make games.Marigul was founded because the Nintendo 64 was not...
- Closed in 2003.
- St.GIGASt.GIGAis the name of a defunct satellite radio company that was formed as a subsidiary of satellite television company WOWOW and later became semi-independent, forming a keiretsu with its parent. Using the BS network to broadcast digital radio via direct broadcast satellite as a test on November 30,...
- Games for the SatellaviewSatellaviewThe is a satellite modem add-on for Nintendo's Super Famicom system that was released in Japan in 1995. Available for pre-release orders as early as February 13, 1995, the Satellaview retailed for between ¥14,000 and 18,000 and came bundled with the BS-X Game Pak and an 8M Memory Pak.The...
- Stopped making games for Nintendo when the Satellaview was discontinued. Eventually, they went out of business.
- Radical EntertainmentRadical EntertainmentRadical Entertainment is a video game developer based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in 1991 and previously developed games for game publishers such as THQ, Microsoft and Fox Interactive. It is now an entirely owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard after being acquired by...
- Mario's Time MachineMario's Time MachineMario's Time Machine is an educational video game developed by The Software Toolworks for DOS and the Super NES and by Radical Entertainment for the NES release. All versions were published by Mindscape. It was first released in 1993 for DOS, and was later released for the Super NES in December of...
, Mario is Missing- Stopped making games for Nintendo after the Mario Discovery series ended. Now a fully owned subsidiary of Activision BlizzardActivision BlizzardActivision Blizzard, Inc., formerly Activision, Inc. is the American holding company for Activision and Blizzard Entertainment. The company is majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA and was created through the merger of Activision and Vivendi Games, announced on December 2, 2007, in a...
.
- Stopped making games for Nintendo after the Mario Discovery series ended. Now a fully owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard
Emulation
Nintendo, particularly Nintendo of America, is known for a "no tolerance" stance for emulationVideo game console emulator
A video game console emulator is a program that allows a computer or modern console to emulate a different video game console's behavior. Emulators are most often used to play older video games on personal computers and modern video game consoles, but they are also used to play games translated...
of its video games and consoles, stating that it is the single largest threat to the intellectual rights of video game developers. Nintendo claims that copyright-like rights in mask works protect its games from the exceptions that United States copyright law
United States copyright law
The copyright law of the United States governs the legally enforceable rights of creative and artistic works under the laws of the United States.Copyright law in the United States is part of federal law, and is authorized by the U.S. Constitution...
otherwise provides for personal backup copies. Nintendo uses the claim that emulators running on personal computer
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
s have no use other than to play pirated video games
Copyright infringement of software
Copyright infringement of software=The copyright infringement of software refers to several practices which involve the unauthorized copying of computer software. Copyright infringement of this kind varies globally...
, though a use that doesn't involve intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
in this way is seen in the development and testing of independently produced "homebrew" software
Homebrew (video games)
Homebrew is a term frequently applied to video games or other software produced by consumers to target proprietary hardware platforms not typically user-programmable or that use proprietary storage methods...
on Nintendo's platforms. It is also claimed that Nintendo's claims contradict copyright laws, mainly that ROM image
ROM image
A ROM image, or ROM file, is a computer file which contains a copy of the data from a read-only memory chip, often from a video game cartridge, a computer's firmware, or from an arcade game's main board...
copiers are illegal (they are legal if used to dump unprotected ROM images on to a user's computer for personal use, per (a)(1) and foreign counterparts) and that emulators are illegal (if they do not use copyrighted BIOS, or use other methods
High-level emulation
High-level emulation is an approach for construction of emulators, especially for video game consoles, which attempts to simulate the response of the system rather than accurately recreating its internal design....
to run the game, they are legal; see Console emulator for further information about the legality of emulators). This stance is largely apocryphal, however; Nintendo remains the only modern console manufacturer that has not sued an emulator manufacturer.
Emulators have been used by Nintendo and licensed third party companies as a means to re-release older games (e.g. Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
).
Content guidelines
For many years, Nintendo had a policy of strict content guidelines for video games published on its consoles. Although Nintendo of Japan allowed graphic violenceGraphic violence
Graphic violence is the depiction of especially vivid, brutal and realistic acts of violence in visual media such as literature, film, television, and video games...
in its video games, nudity and sexuality
Nudity and sexuality
In most societies and cultures, human nudity is often associated with sexuality. Many people are sexually attracted to nudity, which they find to be erotic and sexually arousing...
were strictly prohibited. Former Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi
Hiroshi Yamauchi
is a Japanese businessman. He was the third president of Nintendo, joining the company in 1949 until stepping down on May 31, 2002, to be succeeded by Satoru Iwata. Yamauchi is credited with transforming Nintendo from a small hanafuda card-making company in Japan to today's multi-billion dollar...
believed that if the company allowed the licensing of pornographic
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
games, the company's image would be forever tarnished. Nintendo of America and Nintendo of Europe went further in that games released for Nintendo consoles could not feature nudity, sexuality, profanity
Profanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
(including racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, sexism
Sexism
Sexism, also known as gender discrimination or sex discrimination, is the application of the belief or attitude that there are characteristics implicit to one's gender that indirectly affect one's abilities in unrelated areas...
or slurs
Hate speech
Hate speech is, outside the law, any communication that disparages a person or a group on the basis of some characteristic such as race, color, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, or other characteristic....
), blood, graphic or domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
, drug
Drug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
s, political messages or religious symbol
Religious symbolism
Religious symbolism is the use of symbols, including archetypes, acts, artwork, events, or natural phenomena, by a religion. Religions view religious texts, rituals, and works of art as symbols of compelling ideas or ideals...
s (with the exception of widely unpracticed religions, such as the Greek Pantheon
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
). The Japanese parent company was concerned that it may be viewed as a "Japanese Invasion" by forcing Japanese community standards on North American and European children. U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Joe Lieberman
Joe Lieberman
Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
praised this zero tolerance
Zero tolerance
Zero tolerance imposes automatic punishment for infractions of a stated rule, with the intention of eliminating undesirable conduct. Zero-tolerance policies forbid persons in positions of authority from exercising discretion or changing punishments to fit the circumstances subjectively; they are...
policy, but others criticized the policy, claiming that gamers should be allowed to choose the content they want to see. Despite the strict guidelines, some exceptions have occurred: Bionic Commando (though swastikas were eliminated in the US version), Smash TV
Smash TV
Smash TV is a 1990 arcade game created by Eugene Jarvis and Mark Turmell for Williams. Home versions were developed for various platforms and most were published by Acclaim Entertainment.-Description:...
and Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode
Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode
is an action video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System , which was released in 1988.In this game, based on a popular Japanese manga, the player takes on the role of Golgo 13 , an assassin whose objective is to destroy the leader of the Drek group...
contained human violence, the latter also containing implied sexuality
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
and tobacco use; River City Ransom
River City Ransom
River City Ransom, released as in Japan and as Street Gangs in PAL regions, is a video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System . It was developed by Technōs Japan and originally released in Japan on April 25, 1989. It is the third game in Technos' Kunio-kun series released for the console,...
and Taboo: The Sixth Sense
Taboo: The Sixth Sense
Taboo: The Sixth Sense is a video game developed by Rare and published by Tradewest for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1989 that gives users a tarot reading where the "dealer" automatically shuffles the cards...
contained nudity, and the latter also contained religious images, as did Castlevania II
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, known in Japan as , is an action-adventure role-playing platform game produced by Konami. It was originally released for the Family Computer Disk System in Japan 1987 and for the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America in 1988. It is the second Castlevania...
and III
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
-Reception and legacy:Nintendo Power listed it as the ninth best Nintendo Entertainment System video game, praising it for its strong improvements over previous entries in the series.A 1991 Captain N episode was based on this game....
.
A known side effect of this policy was the Sega Genesis version of Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat (video game)
Mortal Kombat is a 1992 fighting-game developed and published by Midway for arcades. In 1993, home versions were released by Acclaim Entertainment. Released in the Fall of 1994, the Microsoft Windows 3.1x version was released by Activision Interactive. It is the first title in the Mortal Kombat...
selling over double the number of the Super NES version, mainly because Nintendo had forced publisher Acclaim
Acclaim Entertainment
Acclaim Entertainment was an American video game developer and publisher. It developed, published, marketed and distributed interactive entertainment software for a variety of hardware platforms, including Sega's Mega Drive/Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast, and Game Gear, Nintendo's NES, SNES, Nintendo...
to recolor the red blood to look like white sweat and replace some of the more gory graphics in its release of the game, making it non-violent
Nonviolent video game
Nonviolent video games are video games characterized by little or no violence. The term "nonviolent" as applied to video games is objectively ambiguous as virtually any game with conflict contains violence in some form, however minor. The apparent vagueness of the term is resolved by examining the...
. By contrast, Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
allowed blood and gore to remain in the Genesis version (though a code was required to unlock the gore). Nintendo allowed the Super NES version of Mortal Kombat II
Mortal Kombat II
Mortal Kombat II is a competitive fighting game originally produced by Midway Games for the arcades in . It is the second game in the Mortal Kombat series. Like its predecessor, various home versions were produced...
to ship uncensored the following year with a content warning on the packaging.
In 1994 and 2003, when the ESRB
Entertainment Software Rating Board
The Entertainment Software Rating Board is a self-regulatory organization that assigns age and content ratings, enforces industry-adopted advertising guidelines, and ensures responsible online privacy principles for computer and video games as well as entertainment software in Canada, Mexico and...
and PEGI
Pan European Game Information
Pan European Game Information is a European video game content rating system established to help European parents make informed decisions on buying computer games with logos on games boxes. It was developed by the Interactive Software Federation of Europe and came into use in April 2003; it...
(respectively) video game ratings systems were introduced, Nintendo chose to abolish most of these policies in favor of consumers making their own choices about the content of the games they played. Today, changes to the content of games are done primarily by the game's developer or, occasionally, at the request of Nintendo. The only clear-set rule is that ESRB AO-rated games will not be licensed on Nintendo consoles in North America, a practice which is also enforced by Sony
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
and Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, its two greatest competitors in the present market. Nintendo has since allowed several mature-content games to be published on its consoles, including: Perfect Dark
Perfect Dark
Perfect Dark is a first-person shooter video game developed by Rare for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It is considered the spiritual successor to Rare's earlier first-person shooter GoldenEye 007, with which it shares many gameplay features...
, Conker's Bad Fur Day
Conker's Bad Fur Day
Conker's Bad Fur Day is an action-platform video game developed and published by Rare. It was released for the Nintendo 64 in 2001 and was Rare's last game published for the console. The game was in development for four years; it was originally intended for a young audience, but was redesigned and...
, Doom and Doom 64
Doom 64
Doom 64 is a video game for the Nintendo 64 released by Midway Games in April 4, 1997. It is part of the Doom first-person shooter video game series.-Features:Key differences from the computer games in the series include:*32 exclusive new levels....
, BMX XXX
BMX XXX
BMX XXX is a video game published by Acclaim Entertainment for the Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, and PlayStation 2 and developed by Z-Axis. While primarily a BMX-based action sports title, it earned most of its notoriety for containing nudity, foul language and adult humor...
, the Resident Evil series, killer7
Killer7
is an action-adventure video game for the Nintendo GameCube and PlayStation 2. It was developed by Grasshopper Manufacture and published by Capcom. The game was written and directed by Goichi Suda, also known by the nickname Suda51, and produced by Hiroyuki Kobayashi...
, Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem is a psychological horror action-adventure video game released for the Nintendo GameCube. Developed by Canadian developer Silicon Knights and originally planned for the Nintendo 64, it was first released and published by Nintendo on June 24, 2002 in North America...
, BloodRayne
BloodRayne
BloodRayne has received mostly mixed to positive reviews. Aggregating review websites GameRankings and Metacritic gave the Xbox version 73.53% and 76/100, the GameCube version 68.88% and 73/100, the PlayStation 2 version 68.87% and 75/100 and the PC version 65.78% and 65/100.-External links:*...
, Geist
Geist (video game)
Geist is a video game for the Nintendo GameCube video game console, released on August 15, 2005, in North America, on October 7, 2005, in Europe, and on November 3, 2005, in Australia...
and Dementium: The Ward
Dementium: The Ward
Dementium: The Ward is a Nintendo DS survival horror first-person shooter game developed by Renegade Kid and published by Gamecock. Dementium was released in North America on October 31, 2007.-Gameplay:...
. Certain games have continued to be modified, however. For example, Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
was forced to remove all references to cigarettes in the 2000 Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
game Metal Gear Solid (although the previous NES version of Metal Gear
Metal Gear
Metal Gear is a series of video games.Metal Gear may also refer to:*Metal Gear , bipedal tanks appearing in the Metal Gear series-Metal Gear video game series:...
and the subsequent Gamecube game Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes is a stealth action video game developed by Silicon Knights and Konami that was published in for the Nintendo GameCube video game console...
both included such references, as did Wii title MadWorld
MadWorld
is a video game developed by Platinum Games and published by Sega. It was released for the Wii on March 10, 2009 in North America, on March 20 in Europe, March 26 in Australia, and February 10 in Japan...
), and maiming and blood were removed from the Nintendo 64 port
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
of Cruis'n USA
Cruis'n
Cruis'n is a series of racing video games developed by Eugene Jarvis for American based company Midway Games, and published by Nintendo. The series debuted in North America, and Europe in 1994. Initially, the series was exclusive to the fifth generation consoles and was brought back later in the...
. Another example is in the Game Boy Advance game Mega Man Zero 3
Mega Man Zero 3
Mega Man Zero 3, known in Japan as , is a video game developed by Inti Creates and published by Capcom for the Game Boy Advance handheld game console. It is the third video game in the Mega Man Zero series of Mega Man video games....
, in which one of the bosses, called Hellbat Schilt in the Japanese and European releases, was renamed Devilbat Schilt in North America. localization
Internationalization and localization
In computing, internationalization and localization are means of adapting computer software to different languages, regional differences and technical requirements of a target market...
. In North America releases of the Mega Man Zero
Mega Man Zero
The Mega Man Zero series, known as in Japan, is the series succeeding the Mega Man X story-line, and the fifth series in Capcom's Mega Man video game franchise, co-produced by Keiji Inafune, and directed by Mega Man Legends series director Yoshinori Kawano...
games, enemies and bosses killed with a saber attack would not gush blood as they did in the Japanese versions. However, the release of the Wii has been accompanied by a number of even more controversial mature titles, such as Manhunt 2
Manhunt 2
Manhunt 2 is an action/adventure video game developed by Rockstar Games and the sequel to 2003's Manhunt. The game was released in North America for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii on October 29, 2007....
, No More Heroes
No More Heroes (video game)
, is an action video game for the Wii video game system. It was directed by Goichi Suda , developed by Grasshopper Manufacture and published by Marvelous Entertainment Inc., Ubisoft and Rising Star Games...
, The House of the Dead: Overkill
The House of the Dead: Overkill
The House of the Dead: Overkill is a first-person rail shooter video game developed by Headstrong Games and published by Sega. It is the fifth game developed in the The House of the Dead series, a prequel to the original House of the Dead chronologically and the first in the series to be released...
and MadWorld
MadWorld
is a video game developed by Platinum Games and published by Sega. It was released for the Wii on March 10, 2009 in North America, on March 20 in Europe, March 26 in Australia, and February 10 in Japan...
, the latter three of which are published exclusively for the console. The Nintendo DS also has violent games, such as Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is a video game for Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, and iOS, developed by Rockstar Leeds in conjunction with Rockstar North. It is the thirteenth game in the Grand Theft Auto series, and the very first for Nintendo DS and iOS.-Gameplay:Chinatown Wars has a...
, Dementium: The Ward
Dementium: The Ward
Dementium: The Ward is a Nintendo DS survival horror first-person shooter game developed by Renegade Kid and published by Gamecock. Dementium was released in North America on October 31, 2007.-Gameplay:...
, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 is a fighting game in the Mortal Kombat series, released in arcades in 1995. It is an update of Mortal Kombat 3 and was later updated again into Mortal Kombat Trilogy...
and Resident Evil: Deadly Silence.
License guidelines
Nintendo of America also had guidelines before 1993 that had to be followed by its licensees to make games for the Nintendo Entertainment SystemNintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
, in addition to the above content guidelines:. Guidelines were enforced through the 10NES
10NES
The 10NES system is a lock-out system designed for the American version of the Nintendo Entertainment System video game console. Various companies found ways to bypass the authorization chip.-Design:...
lockout chip.
- Licensees were not permitted to release the same game for a competing console until two years had passed.
- Nintendo would decide how many cartridges would be supplied to the licensee.
- Nintendo would decide how much space would be dedicated for articles, advertising, etc. in the Nintendo PowerNintendo PowerNintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
magazine. - There was a minimum number of cartridges that had to be ordered by the licensee from Nintendo.
- There was a yearly limit of five games that a licensee may produce for a Nintendo console. This rule was created to prevent market over-saturation, which had caused the North American video game crash of 1983.
The last rule was circumvented in a number of ways; for example, Konami, wanting to produce more games for Nintendo's consoles, formed Ultra Games
Ultra Games
Ultra Software Corporation was a spinoff company created in 1988 as a subsidiary of Konami of America, in an effort to get around Nintendo of America's strict licensing rules for the North American Konami release games for Nintendo consoles. One of these rules was that a third-party company could...
and later Palcom
Ultra Games
Ultra Software Corporation was a spinoff company created in 1988 as a subsidiary of Konami of America, in an effort to get around Nintendo of America's strict licensing rules for the North American Konami release games for Nintendo consoles. One of these rules was that a third-party company could...
to produce more games as a technically different publisher. This disadvantaged smaller or emerging companies, as they could not afford to start additional companies. In another side effect, Square Co.
Square Co.
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
(now Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
) executives have suggested that the price of publishing games on the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
along with the degree of censorship and control that Nintendo enforced over its games, most notably Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VI
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square , released in 1994 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a part of the Final Fantasy series. Set in a fantasy world with a technology level equivalent to that of the Second Industrial Revolution, the game's story focuses on a...
, were factors in switching its focus towards Sony
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
's PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
console.
Seal of Quality
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
s, denoting the game has been properly licensed by Nintendo.
NTSC regions
In NTSCNTSC
NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as...
regions, this seal is an elliptical starburst titled "Official Nintendo Seal". Originally, for NTSC countries, the seal was a large, black and gold circular starburst. The seal read as follows: "This seal is your assurance that NINTENDO has approved and guaranteed the quality of this product." This seal was later altered in 1988: "approved and guaranteed" was changed to "evaluated and approved". In 1989, the seal became gold and white, as it currently appears, with a shortened phrase, "Official Nintendo Seal of Quality". It was changed in 2003 to read "Official Nintendo Seal".http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/licensed.jsp
PAL regions
In PALPAL
PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system...
regions, the seal is a circular starburst titled, "Original Nintendo Seal of Quality". Text near the seal in the Australian Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
manual states:
This seal is your assuranace that Nintendo has reviewed this product and that it has met our standards for excellence in workmanship, reliability and entertainment value. Always look for this seal when buying games and accessories to ensure complete compatibility with your Nintendo product.
Environmental record
GreenpeaceGreenpeace
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
's October 2010 "Guide to Greener Electronics" report ranks Nintendo last on a list of electronics manufacturers, with the same score (1.8 out of 10) as in the previous version of the guide (May 2010). The report cites increasing carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
emissions (failed to be reduced per target) and a lack of waste management. Limited praise focuses on satisfactory energy efficiency of the DSi's AC adapter, the reduction of PVC
PVC
Polyvinyl chloride is a plastic.PVC may also refer to:*Param Vir Chakra, India's highest military honor*Peripheral venous catheter, a small, flexible tube placed into a peripheral vein in order to administer medication or fluids...
usage in wiring (and new chemical regulations) and the disclosure of carbon dioxide emissions.
In the January 2010 version of the ranking, Nintendo scored 1.4 points, at which, three days later, Nintendo issued a response that addressed primary concerns, highlighting a policy to indicate the materials used in each product, which makes end-of-life recycling of products easier.
See also
- Lewis Galoob Toys, Inc. v. Nintendo of America, Inc.Lewis Galoob Toys, Inc. v. Nintendo of America, Inc.Lewis Galoob Toys, Inc. v. Nintendo of America, Inc. was a court case which established the rights of users to modify copyrighted works for their own use....
- List of divisions of Nintendo
- List of video games published by Nintendo
- Lists of Nintendo characters
- Lists of Nintendo games
- Nintendo World Store
- Nintendo development teamsNintendo Development TeamsNintendo is one of the world's biggest video game developing companies, having created multiple successful franchises. Because of its storied history, the developer employs a methodical system of software and hardware development that is mainly centralized within its offices in Kyoto and Tokyo, in...
- Player's ChoicePlayer's ChoiceNintendo Selects is a marketing label used by Nintendo to promote video games on Nintendo game consoles which have sold well; Nintendo Selects titles are sold at a lower price point than other games...
- Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd.Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd.Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd. was a case heard by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York by Judge Robert W. Sweet. In their complaint, Universal Studios alleged that Nintendo's video game Donkey Kong was a trademark infringement of King Kong, the...
- Video games censored by Nintendo of AmericaVideo games censored by Nintendo of AmericaNintendo of America has gained notoriety for its formerly strict ban policy, particularly with regard to video games bearing religious symbols , references to widely practiced religions, violence, profanity, death references, political propaganda, copyright issues and so forth...
External links
(country selector)- Nintendo Software Development Support Group
- Nintendo Australia
- Nintendo Power
- Official Nintendo Magazine (UK)
- NinDB
- The History of Nintendo at Jap-Sai.com
- Nintendo in Depth Archive by The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...