1 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 1: Tech with Technology tex Stuff from Hey there, everybody, and 2 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: welcome to Tech Stuff. I'm your host, Jonathan Strickland, and 3 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:20,480 Speaker 1: today we're gonna do another classic look at tech Stuff. 4 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:23,280 Speaker 1: We're gonna pull up an episode from the archives, actually 5 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:25,760 Speaker 1: a pair of them. Today we're looking at the story 6 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:28,639 Speaker 1: of Nintendo. Part one. I bet you can guess what 7 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:31,159 Speaker 1: next week's episode is going to be. It's gonna be 8 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: Part two. But the reason why I'm doing this is 9 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 1: that in two weeks we're gonna have Part three, an update, 10 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:41,840 Speaker 1: brand new update to this story. Now, these first two 11 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:45,280 Speaker 1: episodes were recorded back in two thousand eleven, so it 12 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 1: has my original co host Chris Palette in there as well, 13 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 1: and we really had fun exploring how Nintendo transformed itself 14 00:00:54,800 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 1: from its origins into a video game giant. And uh, 15 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 1: you know that's not how it was all way back 16 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 1: in the early early days of Nintendo. So let's take 17 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:09,479 Speaker 1: a listen to this classic episode and find out how 18 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 1: things got started. All right, So today we are going 19 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 1: to talk about a company that is fairly well known 20 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 1: in tech circles, Nintendo, but did not start out as 21 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: a tech company as many a tech company has been, 22 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 1: especially the ones that have lasted as long as Nintendo. Yeah, 23 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:39,000 Speaker 1: some of the other you know, video game companies also 24 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:44,319 Speaker 1: have their origin in something other than video games. I'm 25 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 1: I'm thinking of Colico, Yeah, the Connecticut Leather Company. Yeah, 26 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:50,920 Speaker 1: Connecticut Leather Company that. Yeah, we've already made the joke 27 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: about games coming out of the Connecticut Leather Company. And 28 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 1: Tandy also. Yeah. So Nintendo is also one of those 29 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 1: companies that and now they have their stree in games, 30 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 1: but it wasn't video games because in nine when the 31 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:09,079 Speaker 1: company was founded, video games didn't exist yet because television 32 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 1: resolution was terrible as a non existent. Yeah, you had 33 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 1: to actually uh stop, draw the next picture, all right, 34 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:18,959 Speaker 1: and then you know, oh and this is what happened. 35 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 1: Hold on, it's time for this. It's kind of like 36 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:27,440 Speaker 1: Dragon's Layer, but at super slow speeds. Alright, So that's 37 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 1: a one nega hurt. Yeah. So so in order for 38 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: you guys to understand we we really actually have to 39 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 1: go back much further than even the founding of the company. 40 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 1: Um Chris um, yes, no, I'm kietting in that. Now. 41 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: You got to man, all right, the way back machine 42 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:48,680 Speaker 1: is ready to go. Go on in there. I'm right 43 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: behind you. Chris. Yeah, you know, sometimes I'm afraid he's 44 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 1: gonna shove me in here and then shut the door. 45 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:56,639 Speaker 1: But it's bigger on the inside anyway. All right, So 46 00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 1: let me just set this to U sixty thirty three Japan. 47 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:15,079 Speaker 1: Push the button, Frank, and here we are in sixteen 48 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 1: thirty three Japan. Uh. The samurai right over there, that's 49 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: UH watch out for the yakuza. Alright. So in sixty three, 50 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:31,360 Speaker 1: the Japanese, Uh, well, there was a decision made to 51 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: close the borders of Japan to be front away from 52 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 1: the outside world. And they shoved off and they pushed 53 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 1: themselves out in the middle of the ocean. I'm kidding. 54 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: It used to be Japan used to be located next 55 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: to New Jersey. Uh No, that's not true, not true 56 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 1: at all. Imagining thousands of people rowing paddles. Actually just 57 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:54,520 Speaker 1: one Godzilla pushing really hard. Um No. As it turns out, 58 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: Japan had made this decision, the Japanese government made the 59 00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 1: decision to to essentially ostracize themselves from everybody else. To 60 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:07,720 Speaker 1: to the very xenophobic era in Japan, where the Japanese culture, 61 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:11,839 Speaker 1: which was very much centered on UH concepts that were 62 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 1: UH based in things like family and honor and tradition. 63 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 1: They saw the outside world as threats to that, and 64 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 1: so a lot of contact was cut off from the 65 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:27,640 Speaker 1: outside world in Japan became inwardly focused. Well. At that time, 66 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:35,160 Speaker 1: the government banned the importation of all foreign playing cards. 67 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:38,920 Speaker 1: Part of the problem was that there was an issue 68 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: with gambling in Japan that will come up later too. 69 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:46,279 Speaker 1: So because of the issue of gambling, and the Japanese 70 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:51,640 Speaker 1: government decided to to ban the the the importation and 71 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 1: sale of foreign playing cards. Now, this actually created a 72 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:59,599 Speaker 1: market for domestic playing card companies um that were able 73 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 1: to within certain parameters produced playing cards. Now we've set 74 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:07,040 Speaker 1: the scene, all right. For the rest of this, we'll 75 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:08,800 Speaker 1: just tell it from the present day. So let's get 76 00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 1: back in the way back machine. Come on, all right, 77 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: assuming let me set this to present day, which was 78 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:20,679 Speaker 1: a late October, all right, and push the button, frank 79 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 1: and back into our cozy studio, all right. So seventeenth 80 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:38,680 Speaker 1: century Japan cuts off this these ties to the outside world. 81 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:43,240 Speaker 1: And then in eighteen fifty nine, a fellow by the 82 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 1: name of Fusa Giro Yamachi was born. And uh I 83 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:50,840 Speaker 1: would like to take this opportunity to apologize to any 84 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:53,920 Speaker 1: Japanese listeners for the way I will butcher names throughout 85 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 1: the entirety of this podcast because it's gonna happen. I 86 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 1: am non Japanese. I've never taken Japanese. So if you 87 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 1: will just extend me a a little slack, uh I 88 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 1: would owe you. And Agato um so in eighteen fifty nine, 89 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:13,359 Speaker 1: he's born, Machi is born, and uh and and he 90 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:16,240 Speaker 1: would found the company in eighteen eighty nine. He called 91 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:23,040 Speaker 1: it Nintendo Copai and the company was making special playing 92 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 1: cards uh out of out of bark actually for a 93 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 1: game called Hanna Fuda. Now do you know what Nintendo means? 94 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 1: What does Nintendo mean? It's it's it's translated frequently as 95 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 1: leave luck to Heaven, which sort of goes along with, 96 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 1: you know, playing cards, because you know, and you're talking 97 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:48,719 Speaker 1: about games, luck would be involved, sure, And the Hannafuda 98 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:52,360 Speaker 1: means flower cards. These were cards that instead of having 99 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:54,919 Speaker 1: numbers on them, which is what the gamblers were using, 100 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:59,440 Speaker 1: um had flowers on them, pictures of flowers hand painted. 101 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:02,359 Speaker 1: Actually they first came out and they became really really 102 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:05,960 Speaker 1: popular and uh and the company saw a lot of 103 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 1: early success. UH, and in eighteen eighteen eighty nine, the 104 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 1: same year that Nintendo was founded UH, the Japanese government 105 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 1: began to relax some of the restrictions that they had 106 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:20,880 Speaker 1: placed around the whole industry of playing cards in the 107 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 1: first place. So it was perfectly positioned, and so Nintendo 108 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:29,560 Speaker 1: CAPI began to UH to expand very quickly because everyone 109 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: thought that the artwork on the cards was really beautiful 110 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 1: and so they were desirable to have. And then the 111 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 1: restrictions at the same time, We're started to slack a bit. UH. 112 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:45,200 Speaker 1: The company saw a lot of early success, and that 113 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:48,600 Speaker 1: was really what it focused on, was producing playing cards. Now, 114 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:53,640 Speaker 1: in nineteen twenty nine, Fusagiro retired and he handed over 115 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:56,080 Speaker 1: the control of his company to his son in law, 116 00:07:56,600 --> 00:08:02,120 Speaker 1: UH Sakiro and UH, who then took the family name, 117 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 1: the Yamauchi family name. And in fact, all Nintendo CEOs 118 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:11,000 Speaker 1: with the exception of the current one, were related to 119 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:17,600 Speaker 1: U in some way, either by actual blood or by marriage. 120 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:20,520 Speaker 1: UM really by marriage when you get down to it. 121 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:24,200 Speaker 1: But in nineteen thirty three, that's when the company changed 122 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:27,440 Speaker 1: its name to Yamauchi Nintendo and Company. When they dropped 123 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 1: the Kapi at that point, and they created a a 124 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:37,280 Speaker 1: second company, a card game distributor company called Marafuku Company Limited, 125 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 1: and both of those companies at that time saw great success. 126 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: So again Nintendo is already doing really, really well. Uh 127 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:50,280 Speaker 1: And of course video games are not anywhere near the 128 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:55,280 Speaker 1: picture at this point. Yeah. So in nineteen forty nine, 129 00:08:56,000 --> 00:09:00,560 Speaker 1: Securio suffered a stroke and he was no longer able 130 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:04,840 Speaker 1: to control the company, and so he handed over the 131 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 1: company to his grandson, Hiroshi. Now this caused a lot 132 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:15,440 Speaker 1: of concern within Nintendo because Hiroshi was very young. He 133 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:17,680 Speaker 1: was twenty one at the time when he was given 134 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:20,920 Speaker 1: the company, and he was a law school student. He 135 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:24,160 Speaker 1: wasn't a business student. Yeah, so he was starting to 136 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:26,600 Speaker 1: become a lawyer. He dropped out of college, out of 137 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:30,360 Speaker 1: law school in order to to take over this company, 138 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:36,360 Speaker 1: and some of the the employees of Nintendo really objected 139 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:39,680 Speaker 1: to him becoming the new head of the company, so 140 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:44,040 Speaker 1: much so that there was actually a factory strike. As 141 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:46,040 Speaker 1: a matter of fact, he uh, he went down in 142 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:49,880 Speaker 1: history for firing a lot of those employees. That was 143 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:53,120 Speaker 1: not a popular move within the company. Yeah, Hiroshi was 144 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 1: he kind of showed everyone who was boss he took. 145 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:01,360 Speaker 1: He introduced a too corporate culture. He had the Darth 146 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:06,240 Speaker 1: Vader method of of management, and that if you if 147 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:10,240 Speaker 1: you thought that he was his decisions were not good ones, 148 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:13,680 Speaker 1: then he didn't want you working for him anymore. Yeah. Yeah, actually, 149 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:17,480 Speaker 1: uh I. Part of my research was done from a 150 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 1: book called All Your Baser Belonged to Us UM by 151 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 1: Harold Goldberg. He has a chapter on It's a it's 152 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 1: a history of video games, but he has a chapter 153 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:29,200 Speaker 1: on Nintendo, which is which is pretty fascinating. And they 154 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:32,040 Speaker 1: said that that he was a really serious guy. I 155 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:35,080 Speaker 1: mean they you know, watching him crack a smile, you'd 156 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:38,000 Speaker 1: have to wait because he didn't do it very frequently. 157 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:40,240 Speaker 1: It was a very very no nonsense sort of fellow, 158 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 1: but very business like exactly kind of like the cliche 159 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:47,360 Speaker 1: idea we have of the Japanese businessman, you know, very 160 00:10:47,559 --> 00:10:53,480 Speaker 1: formal and very serious. Um. And he also instituted a 161 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:58,760 Speaker 1: policy that would become something that sort of resonates throughout 162 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:02,840 Speaker 1: Nintendo for years to come, which was that he demanded 163 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:05,680 Speaker 1: that all products that Nintendo was going to produce be 164 00:11:05,800 --> 00:11:09,400 Speaker 1: cleared through him personally before the company would move on it. 165 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:11,800 Speaker 1: So you think about that. I mean, this is a 166 00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:14,920 Speaker 1: CEO of a company. Now, most companies, the CEO is 167 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:19,080 Speaker 1: directing the company, you know, since he's got a hands 168 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:23,000 Speaker 1: onto involvement with the company. But you don't necessarily have 169 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:27,360 Speaker 1: every single product cleared through your CEO and every company. 170 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:29,600 Speaker 1: There are a few companies that did you know, Apple 171 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:34,240 Speaker 1: being another famous company. So Apple is another famous company 172 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:37,800 Speaker 1: where that where the CEO had a real hands on approach. Well, 173 00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:40,719 Speaker 1: Hiroshi felt the same way, and and this is a 174 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:44,040 Speaker 1: strategy that would pay off for Nintendo further down the line. 175 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:47,200 Speaker 1: Not necessarily that the CEO had to clear everything before 176 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:51,200 Speaker 1: it went through, but Nintendo decided having this real focus 177 00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:55,560 Speaker 1: on product quality that would become very important when Nintendo 178 00:11:55,600 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 1: would enter the video game market. Now I'm sorry, company 179 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:03,720 Speaker 1: diversified quite a bit. Yeah. Well, first of all, nineteen 180 00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:06,960 Speaker 1: fifty three they started to produce plastic playing cards, which 181 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:10,480 Speaker 1: was that was the first big move as far as 182 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:13,679 Speaker 1: technologically speaking goes. Because but up to that point they 183 00:12:13,679 --> 00:12:17,760 Speaker 1: were using paper or wood cards. So in this case 184 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 1: they're they're moving to plastic cards. And they even started 185 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:23,319 Speaker 1: to practice with some other stuff. In nineteen fifty nine, 186 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:26,520 Speaker 1: they had they signed a big licensing agreement with another 187 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:29,000 Speaker 1: huge company. Do you know which company I'm talking about? 188 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:31,319 Speaker 1: Was it the one with the mouse with the big ears? Yes, 189 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:36,079 Speaker 1: it was Disney. So in nineteen fifty nine they company, uh, 190 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:40,640 Speaker 1: Nintendo and Disney form a partnership through licenses that allowed 191 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:44,280 Speaker 1: Nintendo to prevent playing cards with Disney characters on it, 192 00:12:44,480 --> 00:12:47,040 Speaker 1: which I don't know if you know this, if you're not, 193 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 1: if you've never been to Japan and you don't know 194 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:51,040 Speaker 1: a lot about Japanese culture, you may not be aware 195 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:56,320 Speaker 1: of this. But Disney was enormous in Japan, still is, 196 00:12:57,400 --> 00:12:59,640 Speaker 1: but you know, it was one of those things that 197 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:03,760 Speaker 1: really resonated with the Japanese people, and so these cards 198 00:13:03,800 --> 00:13:08,840 Speaker 1: were insanely popular. Um. And then they did try to 199 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:14,000 Speaker 1: diversify because the playing card business, even at that point, 200 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:18,680 Speaker 1: Nintendo could see that that the business was starting to 201 00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:22,360 Speaker 1: slow down, and so they started looking into other ways 202 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:25,000 Speaker 1: of making money. Now, you did you have a couple 203 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:28,240 Speaker 1: that you wanted to particularly mention, Um, there's one I'm 204 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:31,720 Speaker 1: sort of debating mentioning the hotel. Yes it was the hotel. 205 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:35,280 Speaker 1: It's a very special kind of hotel. Yes, it wasn't 206 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:38,360 Speaker 1: just a regular hotel. It was a hotel that didn't 207 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 1: have windows. Well, of course not, it's an intend Oh 208 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:44,360 Speaker 1: wait never mind, all right now, so while we're dancing 209 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:46,440 Speaker 1: around here, is that and is this was gonna be 210 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:48,640 Speaker 1: something that's shocking to people who think of Nintendo as 211 00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 1: this family friendly sort of video game company. Um, it 212 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:54,360 Speaker 1: was a hotel that didn't have windows. It was meant 213 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:58,760 Speaker 1: for people who wanted a discreet place to whisk away 214 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:02,480 Speaker 1: too and have a romantic interlude. Yes see, that's that 215 00:14:02,559 --> 00:14:06,679 Speaker 1: was very that was putting it. And they had a 216 00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:10,880 Speaker 1: taxi company, yeah yeah, which they it did have windows 217 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:12,520 Speaker 1: because it turned out that if you had a taxi 218 00:14:12,559 --> 00:14:14,440 Speaker 1: with no windows, it was very dangerous to drive on 219 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:18,480 Speaker 1: the road. Yes, so anyway, yeah, so they Nintendo, by 220 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:21,280 Speaker 1: the way, was not the only company that tried this 221 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:24,840 Speaker 1: whole hotel, this love nest hotel thing. Um, there were 222 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 1: many other companies that tried it as well. So Nintendo 223 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:31,000 Speaker 1: tried that and the taxi service, as well as producing 224 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:34,440 Speaker 1: foods essentially foods that you would buy it a supermarket. 225 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:38,520 Speaker 1: But none of these lines of business really panned out, 226 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:41,760 Speaker 1: and these were all failures for Nintendo, and Hidroshi had 227 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:45,000 Speaker 1: sort of a black eye for kind of pushing the 228 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:49,280 Speaker 1: company into these areas. But as it turns out, um 229 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 1: it was important for for the company to try and 230 00:14:52,640 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 1: diversify because in nineteen sixty four, the the game card 231 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:02,640 Speaker 1: industry in Japan crashed. Just like you know, we've talked 232 00:15:02,680 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 1: about the video game crushure, we'll talk about it again 233 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:07,880 Speaker 1: in a in a little bit, but we've talked about 234 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:10,440 Speaker 1: that in the past. The same sort of thing happened 235 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:14,960 Speaker 1: in Japan with playing cards, and oddly enough, it was 236 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:18,760 Speaker 1: for the same reasons that are largely the same reasons, 237 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:22,200 Speaker 1: and one of the big reasons was saturation. Yeah, you know, 238 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 1: you got to a point where these cards were really 239 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:27,600 Speaker 1: really popular for a really long time, so everyone owned them. 240 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:29,600 Speaker 1: But if everyone owns them, why would you go out 241 00:15:29,640 --> 00:15:32,720 Speaker 1: and buy another one. You've already got them. You don't 242 00:15:32,760 --> 00:15:37,360 Speaker 1: need anymore. So because of that, the whole industry started 243 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:39,280 Speaker 1: to suffer because you know, no one needed to buy 244 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:42,320 Speaker 1: more cards. Uh. And this was right around the same 245 00:15:42,320 --> 00:15:45,760 Speaker 1: time that Tokyo was hosting the Olympics. So it was 246 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:48,280 Speaker 1: weird because you had this huge influx of money coming 247 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:50,880 Speaker 1: into the country, but you also had this industry failed. 248 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:56,320 Speaker 1: This this historically relevant industry failing, yes, at the same time, 249 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:04,040 Speaker 1: but Ninteno manages to um skirt the shoals of bankruptcy. 250 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 1: Uh to quote Monety Python. Um. Well they got into 251 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:11,320 Speaker 1: toys for a while too. Yeah. Well, in nine five 252 00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:16,000 Speaker 1: they hired a guy named gun Pay Yuki, and gun 253 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:21,880 Speaker 1: Pay was a fellow who was very inventive. Um. He 254 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:25,960 Speaker 1: worked in one of the playing card factories, and there 255 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:27,880 Speaker 1: he happened to be working there on a day when 256 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:32,480 Speaker 1: Hiroshi came through, and Hiroshi sees Gunna Pay playing around 257 00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:35,920 Speaker 1: with something that he had invented that was essentially do 258 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:39,480 Speaker 1: you remember those in in cartoons that happens all the time. 259 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:43,280 Speaker 1: There's a character that picks up a a boxing glove 260 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 1: that's on like an accordion hnt uh accordion sort of 261 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:49,760 Speaker 1: lattice thing. Then if you pull a trigger, it extends 262 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 1: out and punches someone who's twenty feet away. So one 263 00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:56,680 Speaker 1: of those at home, well, that's essentially what gun Pay 264 00:16:56,720 --> 00:16:59,280 Speaker 1: had invented. He had invented this thing that was a 265 00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:02,360 Speaker 1: claw on the end of one of those, so you would, uh, 266 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:04,879 Speaker 1: you know, you pull these two levers together and it 267 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:08,000 Speaker 1: would extend out this accordion arm and at the end 268 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 1: of the accordion arm was the claw, and the very 269 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:13,440 Speaker 1: last action is that claw would close, so it allow 270 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:16,560 Speaker 1: you to pick stuff up that was slightly inconvenient for 271 00:17:16,600 --> 00:17:19,560 Speaker 1: you to get up and pick up yourself. And Um 272 00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:23,520 Speaker 1: and Hiroshi came to the conclusion that perhaps what Nintendo 273 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:27,920 Speaker 1: could do is diversify and get into the toy business. Yes, 274 00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:33,359 Speaker 1: and that that invention became the ultra hand. That's, you know, 275 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:37,359 Speaker 1: very typical and in my head Japanese name for something 276 00:17:37,400 --> 00:17:40,240 Speaker 1: like that, I'm probably thinking of ultraman at that point. 277 00:17:40,280 --> 00:17:42,919 Speaker 1: So um. But yeah, it actually came with h with 278 00:17:43,040 --> 00:17:46,720 Speaker 1: some plastic balls that you could pick up. Um you know, 279 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:50,000 Speaker 1: well anything like that, you got to include the thing 280 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:52,720 Speaker 1: to pick up. So they did that for a little while. 281 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:55,720 Speaker 1: But that wasn't the only thing they didn't. They didn't really, 282 00:17:56,280 --> 00:18:00,280 Speaker 1: from my research, get into toys wholesale like where you know, oh, 283 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:02,040 Speaker 1: this is what we're gonna do in the future. It 284 00:18:02,119 --> 00:18:05,359 Speaker 1: was more like a um, a trial thing that they 285 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:08,560 Speaker 1: sort of experimented with for a little bit. Yeah, and 286 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:12,919 Speaker 1: there were other there were several examples of toys that 287 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:15,600 Speaker 1: they got into UM, some of which gave a hint 288 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:18,320 Speaker 1: at what they would be doing in the future, like 289 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:22,159 Speaker 1: they had a love tester. Ah, yes, the old the 290 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:24,679 Speaker 1: old love testers, which you know, just sort of measure 291 00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:29,320 Speaker 1: the um, the your compatibility with another person. Yeah, you 292 00:18:29,359 --> 00:18:32,720 Speaker 1: hold a little handle and it tells you how red hot, Yeah, exactly, 293 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:40,520 Speaker 1: or or a cold fish cold fish yeah, stuckies. Oh man, 294 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:43,920 Speaker 1: that's taking me back to a comedy album anyway. But yeah, 295 00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:46,879 Speaker 1: the the Yeah, I was just looking at looking it up, 296 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:48,959 Speaker 1: and it's a little slower to do this in uh, 297 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:52,199 Speaker 1: in a non electronic format. But Goldberg's got He's got 298 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:54,240 Speaker 1: the Dead Tree edition. Actually had the Dead Tree Edition. 299 00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:57,880 Speaker 1: Wine checked it out from the library. Um, apparently they 300 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:03,200 Speaker 1: sold about one point two million Ultra hands. So and 301 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:06,239 Speaker 1: the the Love Tester came out in nine nine, but 302 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:11,760 Speaker 1: both of them we're going with uh with the company's 303 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:15,399 Speaker 1: philosophy of because Yo Koi apparently said, and this is 304 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:18,359 Speaker 1: a quote, the Nintendo way of adapting technology is not 305 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:20,159 Speaker 1: to look for the state of the art, but to 306 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:25,160 Speaker 1: utilize um mature technology that can be mass produced cheaply. Yeah. 307 00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 1: I feel like this is going to come up again. Um. 308 00:19:28,600 --> 00:19:30,320 Speaker 1: But yeah, that's that's a very it was a very 309 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:33,159 Speaker 1: responsible way of doing things because it enabled them to 310 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:37,639 Speaker 1: put something together using existing technology no R and D. 311 00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:42,320 Speaker 1: But at the same time it's sold very well, so 312 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:44,440 Speaker 1: that's that's a good way to make money. In fact, 313 00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:49,120 Speaker 1: the toys really turned Nintendo around. Without without that that 314 00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:56,119 Speaker 1: serendipitous uh discovery where Roshi saw Yokoi's work, really the 315 00:19:56,160 --> 00:19:59,600 Speaker 1: company may not have survived because that the playing card 316 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:02,520 Speaker 1: industry it was in such such a such dire straits, 317 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:06,800 Speaker 1: and uh the other attempts of Nintendo to diversify had 318 00:20:06,840 --> 00:20:10,440 Speaker 1: failed pretty dramatically that without that, it may not have 319 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:12,440 Speaker 1: been able to stay afloat long enough to get into 320 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:15,720 Speaker 1: the video game era. But moving ahead a couple of years, 321 00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:20,199 Speaker 1: in nineteen seventy three, Nintendo developed a technology called the 322 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:25,280 Speaker 1: Laser Clay Shooting System, which was clay. It was it 323 00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:27,240 Speaker 1: was a light gun game. Because I was trying to 324 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:29,680 Speaker 1: figure out what laser clay was, Well, you know, it's yeah, 325 00:20:30,560 --> 00:20:33,200 Speaker 1: it was a skeet shooting system, a skeet shooting game. 326 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:34,840 Speaker 1: Like if you've ever been to one of those giant 327 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:38,280 Speaker 1: arcades that has like the rifle that's really a light gun, 328 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:40,480 Speaker 1: and then you're you're firing at the image of a 329 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:45,120 Speaker 1: of a clay pigeon duck hunt. Yeah, yeah, like duck 330 00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:47,960 Speaker 1: Hunt eventually would become. But then this case, it was 331 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:50,359 Speaker 1: stuff that was projected on the wall. It wasn't necessarily 332 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:54,040 Speaker 1: it wasn't like a screen screen. Um, they installed these 333 00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:56,920 Speaker 1: and old bowling alleys that had gone out of business. 334 00:20:57,400 --> 00:21:00,280 Speaker 1: So this is kind of creating an entertainment destined nation. 335 00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:03,119 Speaker 1: It wasn't. It was still a little too early for 336 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:05,359 Speaker 1: the arcade era. We're talking nineteen seventy three here in 337 00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:08,000 Speaker 1: The arcade era really started to take off in the 338 00:21:08,119 --> 00:21:15,080 Speaker 1: late seventies. It was heading into that period though. The Yeah, 339 00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:16,960 Speaker 1: that's when you started seeing them pop up. And of 340 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:21,240 Speaker 1: course in Japan arcades are still incredibly popular. In in 341 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:25,080 Speaker 1: the United States, they are a rare breed. Uh So. 342 00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:30,280 Speaker 1: In nineteen seventy four, Nintendo formed a partnership and arranged 343 00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:33,720 Speaker 1: to become the distributor in Japan of the Magna Vox Odyssey. 344 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:38,560 Speaker 1: I yes, I remember it well, unfortunately. Yeah, so the 345 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:42,160 Speaker 1: Honesty was a a home video game console, very limited. 346 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:45,440 Speaker 1: We talked about it on our home video Games podcast, 347 00:21:45,440 --> 00:21:47,680 Speaker 1: The Crash of the Video Game. Yeah, so this is 348 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:50,520 Speaker 1: one of the first actually it was the first video 349 00:21:50,560 --> 00:21:53,639 Speaker 1: game home video game console that really reached wide distribution, 350 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:57,440 Speaker 1: and so Nintendo became the Japanese distributor for this. Now 351 00:21:57,600 --> 00:22:01,760 Speaker 1: Nintendo did not develop the Odyssey, but they the companies 352 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:06,760 Speaker 1: saw the the potential for that in Japan, and actually 353 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:10,880 Speaker 1: it did very well. And then in uh moving up, 354 00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:13,480 Speaker 1: over the next few years, Nintendo storty to market its 355 00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:17,040 Speaker 1: own game consoles. The game and Watch oh that was 356 00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:20,120 Speaker 1: one of them. Yeah, the game that was the first 357 00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:22,359 Speaker 1: portable system that was back in that that I officially 358 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:26,080 Speaker 1: launched the nineteen eighty but just before that, in the seventies, 359 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:29,359 Speaker 1: Nintendo had some game consoles that were similar to the Odyssey, 360 00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:31,639 Speaker 1: and that they were not. It wasn't the kind of 361 00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:33,399 Speaker 1: game console where you would put a cartridge in and 362 00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:37,159 Speaker 1: play a game. It was had had games hardwired onto 363 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:42,399 Speaker 1: the console, so you couldn't switch between games or you could, 364 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:44,479 Speaker 1: you know, if there were like multiple games on that console, 365 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:47,359 Speaker 1: you could, but you couldn't put a new game into it. Yes, 366 00:22:47,520 --> 00:22:52,560 Speaker 1: and and and that really endeared Nintendo to Magnavox. Yeah, 367 00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:57,960 Speaker 1: and by endeared, I mean completely ticked off and inspired lawsuits. Yeah, 368 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:01,840 Speaker 1: because again Nintendo had come the distributor of this device. 369 00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:04,360 Speaker 1: And then starts to come out with its own competing products, 370 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:10,119 Speaker 1: and Magnavox says, hey, but Nintendo didn't stump Nintendo. They 371 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:13,000 Speaker 1: had they lost the lawsuit and had to pay licensing, 372 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:16,200 Speaker 1: but they put out their own version of games like Pong. 373 00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:21,160 Speaker 1: Uh and this is also yeah Pong ninety seven. That's 374 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:26,000 Speaker 1: also when Nintendo hired a certain young artist who would 375 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:33,439 Speaker 1: become instrumental in the company's success, Shighetto Miyamotoomoto, Yes, a 376 00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:36,199 Speaker 1: famous name in video games. If you do not know 377 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:42,160 Speaker 1: who Miomotosan is, then you are not a known Nintendo fan. Yeah. 378 00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:45,840 Speaker 1: I think it's safe to say that if if there 379 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:51,080 Speaker 1: is a polar opposite to the company's CEO, Miyamoto San, 380 00:23:51,240 --> 00:23:54,560 Speaker 1: would have been that guy. Miyamoto is like a rock star, 381 00:23:55,119 --> 00:23:57,840 Speaker 1: and he really is treated like a rock star. Well, 382 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:00,920 Speaker 1: he wasn't at first see that. When he was first hired, 383 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:03,360 Speaker 1: he was just an artist, a no name artist. Yeah. 384 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:06,000 Speaker 1: And as a matter of fact, he uh he got 385 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:10,840 Speaker 1: the job because of his parents connections. Um. Yeah, this 386 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:15,400 Speaker 1: again is according to uh Goldberg's book. But apparently um 387 00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:17,760 Speaker 1: he he had his uh he he wanted to be 388 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:24,960 Speaker 1: a manga artist. Um and his parents happened to know. Well, 389 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:29,120 Speaker 1: you know, when your parents know the CEO of a company, um, 390 00:24:29,320 --> 00:24:31,600 Speaker 1: you know there, they may very well try to get 391 00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:34,159 Speaker 1: you a job, which is what happened in this case. 392 00:24:34,359 --> 00:24:36,919 Speaker 1: And uh it wasn't It wasn't like it was a 393 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:39,879 Speaker 1: high level job. Now he was a basic artist for 394 00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:43,920 Speaker 1: this company. Yeah, basically. Uh. During the interview process, you 395 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:47,800 Speaker 1: Wanta was asking him questions like why should I hire you? Um, 396 00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:49,960 Speaker 1: and and and told him, you know, if I hire you, 397 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:53,320 Speaker 1: it won't be because I know your parents, It'll be 398 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:56,919 Speaker 1: because you're good enough to work here. Uh here Again, 399 00:24:57,080 --> 00:24:59,080 Speaker 1: he's a no, no nonsense kind of guy. He's a 400 00:24:59,119 --> 00:25:02,320 Speaker 1: real business person. Um. But he said yeah, okay fine 401 00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:04,760 Speaker 1: uh and hired him after about a month of waiting 402 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:09,800 Speaker 1: and came on as a just as a uh card artist. 403 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:12,439 Speaker 1: He actually asked him if he had an idea for 404 00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:15,440 Speaker 1: a revolutionary card game. We're looking for something that's gonna 405 00:25:15,760 --> 00:25:18,800 Speaker 1: revolutionize the card game industry. What do you got? You 406 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:23,600 Speaker 1: got the next Pokemon? Well not yet, yeah, but at 407 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:25,280 Speaker 1: the time he was really looking for something big. And 408 00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:27,240 Speaker 1: he said, well, okay, fine, you can work as an artist. 409 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:28,920 Speaker 1: And that's what he did for a couple of years 410 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:33,359 Speaker 1: and and Miamoto is the guy who would eventually launch 411 00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:37,880 Speaker 1: some of Nintendo's most popular series, including the Mario series, 412 00:25:38,560 --> 00:25:42,080 Speaker 1: uh and the legend of Zelda Star Fox. Lots of those, 413 00:25:42,359 --> 00:25:47,440 Speaker 1: not all of them do a barrel role. Uh there, Yeah, 414 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:50,480 Speaker 1: a lot of the games that became the big, big 415 00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:52,679 Speaker 1: sellers and still the big names. I mean, you know 416 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:57,880 Speaker 1: Nintendo and Mario. That's that's Mario is like the Nintendo mascot. 417 00:25:58,480 --> 00:26:01,919 Speaker 1: So Miamoto is the the man who responsible for the 418 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:04,920 Speaker 1: creation of that character. And in fact, like I said, now, 419 00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:08,200 Speaker 1: when he appears at um at conferences and stuff, he's 420 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:11,359 Speaker 1: treated like like rock star, like they're standing ovations when 421 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:14,320 Speaker 1: he comes up on stage, which is a pretty phenomenal. 422 00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:17,600 Speaker 1: So so the question is, how does a guy from 423 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:19,800 Speaker 1: the mail room, not literally, how does a guy from 424 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:22,600 Speaker 1: the mail room end up being the rock star of 425 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:28,000 Speaker 1: the company? Please explain, Well, we've got the book. Well yeah, 426 00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:31,080 Speaker 1: that's because um they had started trying to get into 427 00:26:31,119 --> 00:26:34,960 Speaker 1: the arcade game business. Yeah. Uh, they're one of their earliest. 428 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:38,760 Speaker 1: In fact, their very first arcade game was the sexily 429 00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:44,040 Speaker 1: titled computer Othello, which never got outside of Japan. Um 430 00:26:44,359 --> 00:26:47,359 Speaker 1: I was produced in night but we loved those games 431 00:26:47,359 --> 00:26:51,760 Speaker 1: and saying that's not not not terribly exciting. Uh, And 432 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:54,719 Speaker 1: like Chris was saying, the Game and Watch portable games 433 00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:58,280 Speaker 1: came out and those were pretty popular. Yeah, those were 434 00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:01,280 Speaker 1: games that, like the video game consoles we were talking about, 435 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:04,320 Speaker 1: those played a specific game. It's not like a game 436 00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:08,360 Speaker 1: system where you could play multiple games. But some of them, 437 00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:11,480 Speaker 1: some of the Game and Watch actually looked like the 438 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:15,679 Speaker 1: later Nintendo DS system. So it's interesting because if you 439 00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:17,639 Speaker 1: look at some of those old Game and Watch games, 440 00:27:18,119 --> 00:27:20,400 Speaker 1: you can see where the design elements that would later 441 00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:23,560 Speaker 1: come into the Nintendo d S would come into play. 442 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:26,720 Speaker 1: And Yakoi, uh gonna pay Yukoi was the guy who 443 00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:29,679 Speaker 1: was responsible for those that line of games. So he 444 00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:33,639 Speaker 1: his influence lasted far beyond just the Game and Watch 445 00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:36,119 Speaker 1: series and uh, we'll talk more about him in a 446 00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:37,920 Speaker 1: in a later podcast. This is actually gonna be a 447 00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:40,320 Speaker 1: two partter by the way, because we're coming up on 448 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:44,119 Speaker 1: twenty seven minutes and we still haven't even introduced the 449 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:48,320 Speaker 1: first true video game console. But don't worry, we're gonna 450 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:50,480 Speaker 1: cover all of Nintendo we just we knew from the 451 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:52,719 Speaker 1: start was going to be a two partter U. So 452 00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:55,119 Speaker 1: now that they've introduced the computer Othello, they've decided that 453 00:27:55,160 --> 00:27:58,280 Speaker 1: they want to get into this. The arcade atmosphere is 454 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:01,840 Speaker 1: really exploding world. Why arcades are just that's the place 455 00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:06,199 Speaker 1: to be. So in nineteen eight one, Nintendo develops a 456 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:08,800 Speaker 1: video game that would become one of the most popular 457 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:11,480 Speaker 1: video games out there. It's right up there with Space 458 00:28:11,520 --> 00:28:15,280 Speaker 1: Invaders and pac Man. Yes, but the problem was in 459 00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:21,200 Speaker 1: nineteen eight and then this they're linked haha linked. Um. Sorry, 460 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:25,520 Speaker 1: it was a Nintendo Joe. Um. They came out with 461 00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:29,000 Speaker 1: a game in nineteen eighty that was just the opposite 462 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:32,520 Speaker 1: of a hit. It was called Radar Scope and it 463 00:28:32,560 --> 00:28:36,879 Speaker 1: did really, really badly. So if you don't know about it, 464 00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:40,920 Speaker 1: that's why there's a reason. Um. And the thing is, um, 465 00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:45,800 Speaker 1: watching knew that Miamoto had good ideas. He could see that, 466 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:47,640 Speaker 1: you know well, I mean, he wouldn't have hired him 467 00:28:47,640 --> 00:28:50,040 Speaker 1: if he didn't think he was he had promise. Um, 468 00:28:50,080 --> 00:28:52,480 Speaker 1: he was good at identifying talent and bringing it into 469 00:28:52,520 --> 00:28:55,240 Speaker 1: the company. Um, you could argue. And the thing is 470 00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:58,680 Speaker 1: he came up to uh, to Miamoto and said, what 471 00:28:58,760 --> 00:29:01,680 Speaker 1: do you do you like video game himes and he said, well, yeah, 472 00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:04,440 Speaker 1: you know, I've I've played Breakout and I've played Ponged 473 00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:07,920 Speaker 1: and uh, you know, I like him just fine. He's like, 474 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:10,320 Speaker 1: we'll do something with this because they had all this 475 00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:12,720 Speaker 1: this hardware and these cabinets that they had built for 476 00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:15,600 Speaker 1: Radar Scope, and they wanted to do something else. And 477 00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:17,840 Speaker 1: he said one of the problems was and again this 478 00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:20,920 Speaker 1: is gonna come up again. Miamoto said, there's no story here. 479 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:23,480 Speaker 1: The game needs a story. He wanted it to tell 480 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:26,800 Speaker 1: a story. See, he was fascinated with stories and it 481 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:30,760 Speaker 1: still is, and with nature and animals and plants and things, 482 00:29:30,760 --> 00:29:33,480 Speaker 1: and he said, this is this is something that will help. 483 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:37,560 Speaker 1: So um. The game that Jonathan was talking about, the 484 00:29:37,600 --> 00:29:41,560 Speaker 1: one that came out in was built on the failure 485 00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:44,720 Speaker 1: of Radar Scope. And they said, okay, well we've got 486 00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:47,720 Speaker 1: this hardware, let's what can we do with this. And 487 00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:51,360 Speaker 1: most of the people in Nintendo didn't like what Miamoto 488 00:29:51,440 --> 00:29:55,480 Speaker 1: sign came up with, which was, of course the classic 489 00:29:55,800 --> 00:30:00,120 Speaker 1: arcade game Donkey Kong. Oh man, and uh yeah, how 490 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:03,240 Speaker 1: many quarters. I don't know how much of my parents 491 00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:06,280 Speaker 1: money I squandered on Donkey Kong. Probably have bought a house. 492 00:30:06,920 --> 00:30:10,000 Speaker 1: Uh I probably did buy a house just for someone else. 493 00:30:10,560 --> 00:30:12,960 Speaker 1: But Donkey Kong, of course, was that The story is 494 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:17,160 Speaker 1: that our hero jump Man, yes, as he was known 495 00:30:17,160 --> 00:30:22,120 Speaker 1: at the time. Actually he was Mr Video to Mr Miamoto. Yeah. Uh, 496 00:30:22,640 --> 00:30:25,720 Speaker 1: he would eventually become Mario, but right now, the time 497 00:30:25,800 --> 00:30:27,560 Speaker 1: Donkey Kong came out, he was Jumped Man. A matter 498 00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:30,560 Speaker 1: of fact, it was in the instructions. He was the 499 00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:32,600 Speaker 1: hero who was rescuing his girlfriend. Do you know the 500 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:37,240 Speaker 1: girlfriend's name? It wasn't Princess Peach at the time, No, 501 00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:40,480 Speaker 1: I mean she's known that way now. Pauline. Pauline he 502 00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:44,680 Speaker 1: had to rescue from from Donkey Kong, who was, of 503 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:48,840 Speaker 1: course a giant ape gorilla my dreams, Donkey Kong essentially 504 00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:53,200 Speaker 1: means stubborn gorilla. Yeah that the name still doesn't make 505 00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:57,000 Speaker 1: a lot of sense. So take off a film studio, Yeah, 506 00:30:57,240 --> 00:31:01,120 Speaker 1: nothing like ticking off King Kong anyway. So yeah, Donkey Kong, 507 00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:03,880 Speaker 1: you know you your job was to try and rescue 508 00:31:03,920 --> 00:31:06,600 Speaker 1: Pauline from Donkey Kong, and Donkey Kong would try and 509 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:08,800 Speaker 1: stop you by throwing barrels at you. And it's a 510 00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:12,560 Speaker 1: very simple story. Climb to the top to rescue the 511 00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:15,280 Speaker 1: girl and as soon as you get to the top, 512 00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:19,160 Speaker 1: he the the gorilla gets angry, grabs her and takes 513 00:31:19,160 --> 00:31:21,600 Speaker 1: off for the next floor. So you're gradually climbing up 514 00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:25,960 Speaker 1: the construction of a giant building. Yeah, and which the 515 00:31:26,480 --> 00:31:29,480 Speaker 1: construction takes different forms to depending on the level. Yes, 516 00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:31,800 Speaker 1: and considering you take down part of the construction, it's 517 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:34,040 Speaker 1: amazing that he could still climb up get into that 518 00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:36,720 Speaker 1: ruining the magic. Also also weird that parts of the 519 00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:38,800 Speaker 1: upper part of the building are more complete than the 520 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:42,520 Speaker 1: lower parts. But that messing with it. This isn't This 521 00:31:42,560 --> 00:31:45,960 Speaker 1: isn't about shoddy construction practices. This is about it was 522 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:49,000 Speaker 1: a brilliant construction practice on the part of Nintendo. Now, 523 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:52,960 Speaker 1: they said, a lot of the Nintendo people, we're thinking 524 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:55,680 Speaker 1: that this would never sell the idea. This is just 525 00:31:55,760 --> 00:31:59,480 Speaker 1: too weird, especially for people in America. Yeah, how wrong 526 00:31:59,560 --> 00:32:03,560 Speaker 1: they were. Donkey Kong was an enormous hit everywhere, so 527 00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:06,640 Speaker 1: much so that Nintendo immediately saw the potential once the 528 00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:09,600 Speaker 1: the figures started coming in, and they then went on 529 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:12,120 Speaker 1: to develop Donkey Kong Junior, which came out in nineteen 530 00:32:12,160 --> 00:32:14,320 Speaker 1: eighty two. So just a year later. How much money 531 00:32:14,320 --> 00:32:16,520 Speaker 1: did I spend on that game. Yeah, this one, you're 532 00:32:16,520 --> 00:32:20,160 Speaker 1: playing Junior, and your your job is to rescue Donkey Kong. 533 00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:23,400 Speaker 1: At this point, Mario has captured Donkey Kong and has 534 00:32:23,480 --> 00:32:26,880 Speaker 1: in any age, Mario is Mario at this point, and 535 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:30,239 Speaker 1: so you have to rescue Donkey Kong from Mario. And 536 00:32:30,280 --> 00:32:34,560 Speaker 1: then three they introduced Donkey Kong three, which had the 537 00:32:34,560 --> 00:32:38,959 Speaker 1: other protagonist, Stanley the bug man oh and how much money? 538 00:32:39,040 --> 00:32:41,520 Speaker 1: Oh wait, I don't think I ever saw one of those. Man. 539 00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:44,800 Speaker 1: I love Donkey Kong three. I love Donkey Kong three 540 00:32:44,800 --> 00:32:46,800 Speaker 1: because it was a lot like Galagha. You know, instead 541 00:32:46,840 --> 00:32:49,320 Speaker 1: of shooting uh and shooting, instead of shooting spaceships, you 542 00:32:49,360 --> 00:32:52,280 Speaker 1: shot bugs that were coming down to steal flowers. And 543 00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:54,320 Speaker 1: at the same time, you had to manage how low 544 00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:57,000 Speaker 1: Donkey Kong was getting on these this pair of vines, 545 00:32:57,440 --> 00:33:00,040 Speaker 1: as Donkey Kong would gradually scoot lower and lower on 546 00:33:00,080 --> 00:33:02,920 Speaker 1: the vines, and your job was to spray Donkey Kong 547 00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:05,800 Speaker 1: frequently enough to push them up to the next level. 548 00:33:06,160 --> 00:33:08,320 Speaker 1: And meanwhile you're also trying to fend off the bugs. 549 00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:10,840 Speaker 1: They're trying to steal your flowers. And I loved this game. 550 00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:13,120 Speaker 1: I don't think I even saw it on Starcade, and yes, 551 00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:16,280 Speaker 1: I used to watch that. I was really good at it. Well, 552 00:33:16,360 --> 00:33:20,240 Speaker 1: right around three is when Nintendo's looking into getting into 553 00:33:20,320 --> 00:33:24,840 Speaker 1: another related market, which is the home video game system market. 554 00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:26,800 Speaker 1: Not just not just a console that can play a 555 00:33:26,840 --> 00:33:29,040 Speaker 1: game or two games or six games, but one that 556 00:33:29,120 --> 00:33:33,280 Speaker 1: can play and uh, indefinite number of games because you 557 00:33:33,280 --> 00:33:37,720 Speaker 1: can interchange cartridges with this system. Again, we covered this 558 00:33:37,760 --> 00:33:40,080 Speaker 1: in another podcast, but this was popular at this point. 559 00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:46,240 Speaker 1: Atari was going gangbusters. They had competition from Um, from Mattel, 560 00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:50,280 Speaker 1: they had competition from Colico, and in fact, Collico's launch 561 00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:56,200 Speaker 1: of the Colico Vision and game console came with Donkey Kong. Yeah. Um, 562 00:33:56,320 --> 00:33:59,960 Speaker 1: they had licensed Donkey Kong to the other game manufacturer. 563 00:34:00,280 --> 00:34:04,040 Speaker 1: I'm oversimplifying for the sake of hurrying this up, um, 564 00:34:04,080 --> 00:34:05,560 Speaker 1: but yeah, I mean it was a hit for them. 565 00:34:05,600 --> 00:34:09,640 Speaker 1: They they were realizing that this was possible and hey, 566 00:34:09,760 --> 00:34:12,600 Speaker 1: maybe we could make money on the consoles ourselves. Yep. 567 00:34:12,719 --> 00:34:15,640 Speaker 1: So that's when Nintendo decided to try and get into 568 00:34:15,640 --> 00:34:18,920 Speaker 1: the video game market. Uh. It was funny because just 569 00:34:18,960 --> 00:34:21,800 Speaker 1: as Nintendo was positioning itself to enter the video game market, 570 00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:24,799 Speaker 1: the video game was market was starting to crash. But 571 00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:27,040 Speaker 1: you know what. Originally I thought that we would get 572 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:29,839 Speaker 1: through a Nintendo Entertainment System and then pick up from there, 573 00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:31,760 Speaker 1: But I think this is a good place to stop 574 00:34:31,920 --> 00:34:34,120 Speaker 1: for our first episode. And what we'll do is in 575 00:34:34,200 --> 00:34:37,200 Speaker 1: the History of Nintendo Part two, we will pick up 576 00:34:37,239 --> 00:34:40,799 Speaker 1: with the debut of the Famicon also known as the 577 00:34:40,880 --> 00:34:45,759 Speaker 1: Nintendo Entertainment System, and walk through Nintendo's history with home 578 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:48,880 Speaker 1: video games. Yeah, and we've we've seen though the seeds 579 00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:51,880 Speaker 1: have been sown. People who who made a Nintendo and 580 00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:54,839 Speaker 1: in the name that we all know today are with 581 00:34:54,880 --> 00:34:58,880 Speaker 1: the company. They've realized, um that a story can propel 582 00:34:58,920 --> 00:35:03,400 Speaker 1: a video game to to stardom, and they've identified their 583 00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:06,799 Speaker 1: company mascot yep. So when we pick up, we will 584 00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:10,880 Speaker 1: start in Uh, well, I think July Fife is just 585 00:35:10,920 --> 00:35:13,400 Speaker 1: as good a day as any, So we'll pick up 586 00:35:13,440 --> 00:35:17,720 Speaker 1: and we'll explain the significance of that. Yes, so guys 587 00:35:18,239 --> 00:35:20,719 Speaker 1: be sure to tune into Part two, which we will 588 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:23,880 Speaker 1: be recording almost immediately after we finished this, and we 589 00:35:23,960 --> 00:35:27,799 Speaker 1: will complete the story of the history of Nintendo and 590 00:35:27,840 --> 00:35:29,800 Speaker 1: bring it up to present day and kind of explain 591 00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:33,200 Speaker 1: where the company is right now, which is a position 592 00:35:33,239 --> 00:35:36,160 Speaker 1: that it was then not you know, more than a 593 00:35:36,239 --> 00:35:39,919 Speaker 1: little bit more than fifty years ago. Uh. They're they're 594 00:35:39,960 --> 00:35:51,120 Speaker 1: back there again in some troubled times. I hope you 595 00:35:51,200 --> 00:35:53,840 Speaker 1: enjoyed that look back at Nintendo. That was obviously just 596 00:35:53,960 --> 00:35:56,319 Speaker 1: part one. We're going to continue with Part two next 597 00:35:56,320 --> 00:35:59,719 Speaker 1: week and talk more about some of its video games 598 00:35:59,719 --> 00:36:03,480 Speaker 1: system ums leading up to some of the most recent technologies. 599 00:36:04,080 --> 00:36:06,520 Speaker 1: And then of course the following week I will come 600 00:36:06,520 --> 00:36:09,120 Speaker 1: out with part three and we will talk about what 601 00:36:09,280 --> 00:36:12,399 Speaker 1: Nintendo has been up to since two thousand eleven. Uh, 602 00:36:12,480 --> 00:36:14,600 Speaker 1: And I hope you guys will join me for those 603 00:36:14,640 --> 00:36:17,120 Speaker 1: episodes as well. If you have any suggestions for future 604 00:36:17,200 --> 00:36:20,680 Speaker 1: episodes of tech Stuff, please let me know. My email 605 00:36:20,719 --> 00:36:23,879 Speaker 1: address is tech stuff at how stuff works dot com, 606 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:26,560 Speaker 1: or drop me a line on Facebook for Twitter, the 607 00:36:26,640 --> 00:36:29,360 Speaker 1: handle of both of those is text stuff H s W. 608 00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:36,960 Speaker 1: And I'll talk to you again really see for more 609 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:39,279 Speaker 1: on this and bathands of other topics. Is it how 610 00:36:39,320 --> 00:36:50,120 Speaker 1: staff works dot com.