1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,960 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:08,880 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you get in touch with technology with 3 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 1: head stuff from how stuff works dot com. Hello everyone, 4 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 1: welcome to tech stuff. My name is Chris Polette, and 5 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: I am an editor at how stuff works dot com. 6 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 1: Sitting across from me, as always, is senior writer and 7 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 1: jumpman Jonathan Strickland. Up left up, right right right down 8 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:34,159 Speaker 1: left up up. That's actually a lyric. If you can 9 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 1: figure that one out, then you are a super fan. 10 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:39,240 Speaker 1: And if you can identify the problem with that lyric, 11 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:41,520 Speaker 1: you can tell us that too. Yeah. No, I'm sure 12 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 1: we'll get plenty of people telling us the problem with 13 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 1: that lyric if they figure out the source of it. Um. 14 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:48,839 Speaker 1: All right, So today we are going to talk about 15 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 1: a company that is fairly well known in tech circles, 16 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 1: the Nintendo, but did not start out as a tech 17 00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 1: company as many a tech company as especially the ones 18 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:04,880 Speaker 1: that have lasted as long as Nintendo. Yeah, some of 19 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: the other, you know, video game companies also have their 20 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:13,680 Speaker 1: origin in something other than video games. I'm I'm thinking 21 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 1: of Colico, Yeah, the Connecticut leather company. Yeah, Connecticut leather 22 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 1: company that we've already made the joke about games coming 23 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,840 Speaker 1: out of the Connecticut Leather Company and Tandy also. Yeah, 24 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:27,680 Speaker 1: so Nintendo is also one of those companies that and 25 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:30,479 Speaker 1: now they have their history in games, but it wasn't 26 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,839 Speaker 1: video games because in eight nine when the company was founded, 27 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:39,120 Speaker 1: video games didn't exist yet because television resolution was terrible 28 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 1: as a non existent. Yeah, you had to actually uh stop, 29 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,560 Speaker 1: draw the next picture, all right, and then you know, 30 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: oh and this is what happened next. Hold on, ye, 31 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 1: it's time for this kind of like Dragon's Layer, but 32 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: it's super slow speeds. Alright, So that's the one Nega hurt. Yeah. 33 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 1: So so in order for you guys to understand we 34 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 1: we really actually have to go back much further than 35 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 1: even the founding of the company. Um, Chris, um, yes, no, 36 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:13,960 Speaker 1: I'm getting in that now. You got to man, all right, 37 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 1: the way back machine is ready to go, going in there. 38 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:19,880 Speaker 1: I'm right behind you, Chris. Yeah. You know, sometimes I'm 39 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: afraid he's gonna shove me in here and then shut 40 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 1: the door. Yeah. Well it's bigger on the inside anyway. Alright, 41 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: So let me just set this to U sixteen thirty 42 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: three Japan. There were push the button, Frank, And here 43 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:46,359 Speaker 1: we are in sixteen thirty three Japan. Uh you say 44 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:50,799 Speaker 1: so the samurai right over there, that's uh watch out 45 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 1: for the yakuza. Alright. So in sixte yeah, the Japanese. Uh, well, 46 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 1: there was a decision may to close the borders of 47 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: Japan to be from away from the outside world. And 48 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 1: they shoved off and they pushed themselves out in the 49 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 1: middle of the ocean. I'm kidding. It used to be 50 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: Japan used to be located next to New Jersey. Uh No, 51 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: that's not true, not true at all, imagining thousands of 52 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:21,400 Speaker 1: people rowing pats. Actually it's just one Godzilla pushing really hard. 53 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:24,520 Speaker 1: Um No. As it turns out, Japan had made this 54 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:28,639 Speaker 1: decision to Japanese government made decision to to essentially ostracize 55 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:32,800 Speaker 1: themselves from everybody else to too. There was very xenophobic 56 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 1: era in Japan where the Japanese culture, which was very 57 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 1: much centered on UH concepts that were UH based in 58 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:45,760 Speaker 1: things like family and honor and tradition. They saw the 59 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 1: outside world as threats to that, and so a lot 60 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 1: of contact was cut off from the outside world in 61 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 1: Japan became inwardly focused. Well, at that time, the government 62 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: banned the uh importation of all foreign playing cards. Part 63 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 1: of the problem was that there was an issue with 64 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 1: gambling in Japan that'll come up later too. So because 65 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 1: of the issue of gambling, the Japanese government decided to 66 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:22,920 Speaker 1: to ban the the importation and sale of foreign playing cards. Now, 67 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:27,039 Speaker 1: this actually created a market for domestic playing card companies. 68 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 1: Um that we're able to within certain parameters produced playing cards. 69 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 1: Now we've set the scene, all right. For the rest 70 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:37,000 Speaker 1: of this, we'll just tell it from the present day. 71 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:40,039 Speaker 1: So let's get back in the way back machine. Come on, 72 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:43,599 Speaker 1: all right, assuming let me say this to present day, 73 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 1: which was a late October, all right, and push the 74 00:04:48,800 --> 00:05:00,600 Speaker 1: button rank and back into our cozy studio. Alright, so 75 00:05:01,279 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 1: cozy seventeenth century Japan cuts off this these ties to 76 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:11,359 Speaker 1: the outside world. And then in eighteen fifty nine a 77 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 1: a fellow by the name of Fusa Gio Yamachi was born. 78 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:19,200 Speaker 1: And I would like to take this opportunity to apologize 79 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 1: to any Japanese listeners for the way I will butcher 80 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:25,799 Speaker 1: names throughout the entirety of this podcast, because it's gonna happen. 81 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:29,600 Speaker 1: I am non Japanese. I've never taken Japanese. Um So, 82 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: if you will just extend me a a little slack, 83 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:38,320 Speaker 1: uh I would owe you and rigato um So in 84 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 1: eighteen fifty nine, He's born, Machi is born and uh 85 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:44,720 Speaker 1: and and he would found the company in eighteen eighty nine. 86 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 1: He called it Nintendo Kopai and the company was making 87 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 1: special playing cards uh out of out of bark actually 88 00:05:55,839 --> 00:05:58,839 Speaker 1: for a game called Hanafuda. Now do you know what 89 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:03,840 Speaker 1: Nintendo means? What does Nintendo mean? It's it's it's translated 90 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:09,040 Speaker 1: frequently as leave luck to Heaven, which sort of goes 91 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 1: along with, you know, playing cards, because you know, and 92 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 1: you're talking about games, luck would be involved. Sure. And 93 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 1: Hamafuda means flower cards. And these were cards that, instead 94 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:23,240 Speaker 1: of having numbers on them, which is what the gamblers 95 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:27,600 Speaker 1: were using, um had flowers on them, pictures of flowers 96 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:30,240 Speaker 1: hand painted actually when they first came out, and they 97 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:34,279 Speaker 1: became really really popular and uh and the company saw 98 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:38,880 Speaker 1: a lot of early success. Uh And In eighteen eighteen 99 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:42,480 Speaker 1: eighty nine, the same year that Nintendo was founded, uh 100 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: the Japanese government began to relax some of the restrictions 101 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 1: that they had placed around the whole industry of playing 102 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:52,279 Speaker 1: cards in the first place, so it was perfectly positioned, 103 00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 1: and so Nintendo Capie began to UH to expand very 104 00:06:56,839 --> 00:06:59,839 Speaker 1: quickly because everyone thought that the artwork on the cards 105 00:06:59,880 --> 00:07:03,360 Speaker 1: was really beautiful and so they were desirable to have. 106 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:06,360 Speaker 1: And then the restrictions at the same time, we're started 107 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 1: to slack a bit. Uh the company saw a lot 108 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:15,240 Speaker 1: of early success, and that was really what it focused on, 109 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 1: was producing playing cards. Now, in nineteen twenty nine, Fusagiro 110 00:07:20,960 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 1: retired and he handed over the control of his company 111 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:29,400 Speaker 1: to his son in law, Uh SAKIROA and Uh, who 112 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 1: then took the family name, the Yamauchi family name. And 113 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:36,960 Speaker 1: in fact, all Nintendo CEOs with the exception of the 114 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:42,960 Speaker 1: current one, were related to UH Fusagro in some way, 115 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:47,800 Speaker 1: either by actual blood or by marriage. Um really by 116 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:50,080 Speaker 1: marriage when you get down to it. But in nineteen 117 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 1: thirty three, that's when the company changed its name to 118 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:56,840 Speaker 1: Yamauchi Nintendo and Company. So they dropped the KAPI at 119 00:07:56,880 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 1: that point and they created a a second company, a 120 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:06,880 Speaker 1: card game distributor company called Marofuku Company Limited, and both 121 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 1: of those companies at that time saw great success. So 122 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:15,720 Speaker 1: again Nintendo is already doing really really well. Uh, and 123 00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: of course video games are not anywhere near the picture 124 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:26,440 Speaker 1: at this point. Yeah. So in nineteen nine, Securio suffered 125 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 1: a stroke and he was no longer able to control 126 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:34,560 Speaker 1: the company, and so he handed over the company to 127 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:40,520 Speaker 1: his grandson, Hiroshi. Now this caused a lot of concern 128 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 1: within Nintendo because Hiroshi was very young. He was twenty 129 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:47,120 Speaker 1: one at the time when he was given the company, 130 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:50,080 Speaker 1: and he was a law school student. He wasn't a 131 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:53,760 Speaker 1: business student, so he was starting to become a lawyer. 132 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:56,560 Speaker 1: He dropped out of college, out of law school in 133 00:08:56,679 --> 00:09:00,679 Speaker 1: order to to take over this company, and some of 134 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:06,120 Speaker 1: the the employees of Nintendo really objected to him becoming 135 00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:09,280 Speaker 1: the new head of the company, so much so that 136 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 1: there was actually a factory strike m m. He. As 137 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:14,840 Speaker 1: a matter of fact, he uh, he went down in 138 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:18,520 Speaker 1: history for uh firing a lot of those employees. That 139 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:21,960 Speaker 1: was not a popular move within the company. Yeah, Hiroshi was. 140 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:25,880 Speaker 1: He kind of showed everyone who was boss. He took 141 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:30,680 Speaker 1: He introduced at corporate culture. He had the Darth Vader 142 00:09:31,559 --> 00:09:35,200 Speaker 1: method of of management, and that if you if you 143 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:39,080 Speaker 1: thought that he was his decisions were not good ones, 144 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:42,480 Speaker 1: then he didn't want you working for him anymore. Yeah. Yeah, actually, 145 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:46,280 Speaker 1: uh I. Part of my research was done from a 146 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:50,040 Speaker 1: book called All Your Base or Belonged to Us UM 147 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:53,120 Speaker 1: by Harold Goldberg. He has a chapter on It's a 148 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:54,760 Speaker 1: it's a history of video games, but he has a 149 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:57,880 Speaker 1: chapter on Nintendo, which is which is pretty fascinating. And 150 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:00,760 Speaker 1: they said that that he was a really serious guy. Yeah, 151 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 1: I mean they you know, watching him crack a smile, 152 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:06,880 Speaker 1: you'd have to wait because he didn't do it very frequently. 153 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:10,160 Speaker 1: Was a very very no nonsense sort of fellow, but 154 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:13,720 Speaker 1: very business like, exactly kind of like the cliche idea 155 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 1: we have of the Japanese businessman, you know, very formal 156 00:10:17,559 --> 00:10:22,960 Speaker 1: and very serious. Um. And he also instituted a policy 157 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:28,160 Speaker 1: that would become something that sort of resonates throughout Nintendo 158 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 1: for years to come, which was that he demanded that 159 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 1: all products that Nintendo was going to produce be cleared 160 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:38,240 Speaker 1: through him personally before the company would move on it. 161 00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 1: So you think about that, I mean, this is a 162 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:43,760 Speaker 1: CEO of a company. Now most companies, the CEO is 163 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 1: directing the company, you know, since he's got a hands 164 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:51,840 Speaker 1: on involvement with the company. But you don't necessarily have 165 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:56,160 Speaker 1: every single product cleared through your CEO and every company. 166 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:58,440 Speaker 1: There are a few companies that, did you know, Apple 167 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:02,760 Speaker 1: being another famous company. Yeah, so Apple is another famous 168 00:11:02,760 --> 00:11:05,680 Speaker 1: company where that where the CEO had a real hands 169 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 1: on approach. Well, Hiroshi felt the same way, and and 170 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:11,960 Speaker 1: this is a strategy that would pay off for Nintendo 171 00:11:12,040 --> 00:11:14,880 Speaker 1: further down the line. Not necessarily that the CEO had 172 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:17,640 Speaker 1: to clear everything before it went through, but Nintendo decided 173 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:22,839 Speaker 1: having this real focus on product quality that would become 174 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:28,240 Speaker 1: very important when Nintendo would enter the video game market. Now, uh, 175 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:33,560 Speaker 1: company diversified quite a bit. Yeah, well yeah, well, first 176 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 1: of all, ninety three they started to produce plastic playing cards, 177 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:40,760 Speaker 1: which was that was the first big move as far 178 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:43,800 Speaker 1: as technologically speaking goes, because but up to that point 179 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:47,920 Speaker 1: they were using paper or would cards. So in this 180 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:50,960 Speaker 1: case they're they're moving to plastic cards, and they even 181 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:53,760 Speaker 1: started to practice with some other stuff. In nineteen fifty nine, 182 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:56,960 Speaker 1: they had they signed a big licensing agreement with another 183 00:11:57,360 --> 00:11:59,480 Speaker 1: huge company. Do you know which company I'm talking about? 184 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:01,760 Speaker 1: Was it the on with the mouse with the big ears? Yes, 185 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:06,480 Speaker 1: it was Disney. So in ninety nine they become uh, 186 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:11,080 Speaker 1: Nintendo and Disney form a partnership through licenses that allowed 187 00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:14,679 Speaker 1: a Nintendo to print playing cards with Disney characters on it, 188 00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:17,440 Speaker 1: which I don't know if you know this, if you're not, 189 00:12:17,559 --> 00:12:19,320 Speaker 1: if you've never been to Japan and you don't know 190 00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:21,480 Speaker 1: a lot about Japanese culture, you may not be aware 191 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:26,720 Speaker 1: of this. But Disney was enormous in Japan, still is. 192 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:30,080 Speaker 1: But you know, it was one of those things that 193 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:34,160 Speaker 1: really resonated with the Japanese people, and so these cards 194 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:39,280 Speaker 1: were insanely popular. Um, and then they did try to 195 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:44,360 Speaker 1: diversify because the playing card business, even at that point, 196 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:49,120 Speaker 1: Nintendo could see that that the business was starting to 197 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:52,760 Speaker 1: slow down, and so they started looking into other ways 198 00:12:52,880 --> 00:12:55,400 Speaker 1: of making money. Now, you did you have a couple 199 00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:58,640 Speaker 1: that you wanted to particularly mention Um, there's one I'm 200 00:12:58,679 --> 00:13:01,679 Speaker 1: sort of debating mentioning was the hotel. Yes it was 201 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:04,920 Speaker 1: the hotel. It's a very special kind of hotel. Yes, 202 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:08,480 Speaker 1: it wasn't just a regular hotel. It was a hotel 203 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:11,960 Speaker 1: that didn't have windows. Well, of course not it's a Nintendo. 204 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:14,360 Speaker 1: Oh wait, never mind, all right, No, so while we're 205 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:16,760 Speaker 1: dancing around here, is that and is this was gonna 206 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:18,880 Speaker 1: be something that's shocking to people who think of Nintendo 207 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:22,560 Speaker 1: as this family friendly sort of video game company. Um, 208 00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:24,480 Speaker 1: it was a hotel that didn't have windows. It was 209 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:28,839 Speaker 1: meant for people who wanted a discreet place to whisk 210 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:32,720 Speaker 1: away to and have a romantic interlude. Yes see, that's 211 00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:36,440 Speaker 1: that was very that was that was way of putting it. 212 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:40,320 Speaker 1: And they had a taxi company, yeah, yeah, which they 213 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:42,280 Speaker 1: it did have windows because it turned out that if 214 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:44,000 Speaker 1: you had a taxi with no windows, it was very 215 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:47,560 Speaker 1: dangerous to drive on the road. Yes, so anyway, yeah, 216 00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:49,840 Speaker 1: so they Nintendo, by the way, was not the only 217 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 1: company that tried this whole hotel, this love nest hotel thing. Um, 218 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:56,880 Speaker 1: there were many other companies that tried it as well. 219 00:13:57,120 --> 00:14:00,559 Speaker 1: So Nintendo tried that and the taxi service, as well 220 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:04,160 Speaker 1: as producing foods essentially foods that you would buy at 221 00:14:04,160 --> 00:14:08,280 Speaker 1: a supermarket. But none of these lines of business really 222 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:11,320 Speaker 1: panned out, and these were all failures for Nintendo, and 223 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:14,720 Speaker 1: Hiroshi had sort of a black eye for kind of 224 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:19,720 Speaker 1: pushing the company into these areas. But as it turns out, um, 225 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:22,560 Speaker 1: it was important for for the company to try and 226 00:14:23,080 --> 00:14:29,000 Speaker 1: diversify because in nineteen sixty four, the the game card 227 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:33,080 Speaker 1: industry in Japan crashed. Just like you know, we've talked 228 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:35,680 Speaker 1: about the three video game question. We'll talk about it 229 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:38,080 Speaker 1: again in a in a little bit, but we've talked 230 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:40,560 Speaker 1: about that in the past. The same sort of thing 231 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:45,240 Speaker 1: happened in Japan with playing cards, and oddly enough, it 232 00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:49,200 Speaker 1: was for the same reasons are largely the same reasons, 233 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:52,600 Speaker 1: and one of the big reasons was saturation. Yeah, you know, 234 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:55,120 Speaker 1: you got to a point where these cards were really 235 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:58,000 Speaker 1: really popular for a really long time, so everyone owned them. 236 00:14:58,040 --> 00:14:59,960 Speaker 1: But if everyone owns them, why would you go out 237 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:03,880 Speaker 1: buy another one. You've already got them. You don't need anymore. 238 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:08,200 Speaker 1: So because of that, the whole industry started to suffer 239 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:11,520 Speaker 1: because you know, no one needed to buy more cards. Uh. 240 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:13,960 Speaker 1: And this was right around the same time that Tokyo 241 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:16,800 Speaker 1: was hosting the Olympics. So it was weird because you 242 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:19,440 Speaker 1: had this huge influx of money coming into the country, 243 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:22,800 Speaker 1: but you also had this industry failed, this this historically 244 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:28,640 Speaker 1: relevant industry failing. Yes, at the same time, but not 245 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:35,080 Speaker 1: to know, manages to skirt the shoals of bankruptcy. Uh 246 00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:38,760 Speaker 1: to quote money python. Um, well, they got into toys 247 00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:41,880 Speaker 1: for a while too. Yeah, Well, in nineteen five they 248 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:46,440 Speaker 1: hired a guy named gun pay Ya Koi, and gun 249 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:52,320 Speaker 1: pay was a fellow who was very inventive. Um. He 250 00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:56,360 Speaker 1: worked in one of the playing card factories, and there 251 00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:58,320 Speaker 1: he happened to be working there on a day when 252 00:15:58,360 --> 00:16:02,920 Speaker 1: Hiroshi came through and Hiroshi sees gun pay playing around 253 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 1: with something that he had invented that was essentially do 254 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:09,920 Speaker 1: you remember those in in cartoons that happens all the time. 255 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:13,720 Speaker 1: There's a character that picks up a a boxing glove 256 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:17,600 Speaker 1: that's on like an accordion hand, uh, accordion sort of 257 00:16:17,680 --> 00:16:20,200 Speaker 1: lattice thing. Then if you pull a trigger, it extends 258 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:24,320 Speaker 1: out and punches someone who's twenty feet away. So one 259 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 1: of those at home, that's well, that's essentially what gun 260 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:29,240 Speaker 1: pay had invented. He had invented this thing that was 261 00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:31,720 Speaker 1: a claw on the end of one of those so 262 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:34,600 Speaker 1: you would, uh, you know, you pull these two levers 263 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:38,040 Speaker 1: together and it would extend out this accordion arm, and 264 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:40,000 Speaker 1: at the end of the accordian arm was a claw. 265 00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:42,840 Speaker 1: And the very last action is that claw would close, 266 00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:45,280 Speaker 1: so it allows you to pick stuff up that was 267 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:48,560 Speaker 1: slightly inconvenient for you to get up and pick up 268 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:52,360 Speaker 1: yourself and um and Hiroshi came to the conclusion that 269 00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:56,520 Speaker 1: perhaps what Nintendo could do is diversify and get into 270 00:16:56,960 --> 00:17:00,080 Speaker 1: the toy business. Yes, and that that invention should be 271 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:04,480 Speaker 1: came the ultra hand m that's uh, you know, very 272 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:08,160 Speaker 1: typical and in my head Japanese name for something like that, 273 00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:11,360 Speaker 1: I'm probably thinking of ultraman at that point, so UM. 274 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:14,040 Speaker 1: But yeah, it actually came with uh with some plastic 275 00:17:14,080 --> 00:17:17,600 Speaker 1: balls that you could pick up um. You know, well 276 00:17:18,119 --> 00:17:20,560 Speaker 1: anything like that you got to include the thing to 277 00:17:20,600 --> 00:17:23,160 Speaker 1: pick up. So they did that for a little while. 278 00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:26,120 Speaker 1: But that wasn't the only thing they didn't. They didn't really, 279 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:30,760 Speaker 1: from my research, get into toys wholesale, like where you know, oh, 280 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:32,480 Speaker 1: this is what we're gonna do in the future. It 281 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:35,760 Speaker 1: was more like a um, a trial thing that they 282 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:39,000 Speaker 1: sort of experimented with for a little bit. Yeah, and 283 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:42,879 Speaker 1: there were other I mean, there were several examples of 284 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:45,600 Speaker 1: toys that they got into, UM, some of which gave 285 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:47,920 Speaker 1: a hint at what they would be doing in the future. 286 00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:52,560 Speaker 1: Like they had a love tester, yes, the old the 287 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:55,120 Speaker 1: old love testers, which you know, just sort of measure 288 00:17:55,200 --> 00:18:00,000 Speaker 1: the um the your compatibility with another person you hold 289 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:03,160 Speaker 1: a little handle and it tells you how red hot, yeah, exactly, 290 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 1: or or a cold fish I remember cold Fish. Yeah, 291 00:18:07,240 --> 00:18:11,480 Speaker 1: used to have those stuckies. Stuckies. Oh man, that's taking 292 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 1: me back to a comedy album anyway. But yeah, the 293 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:17,320 Speaker 1: the Yeah, I was just looking at looking it up, 294 00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:19,399 Speaker 1: and it's a little slower to do this in uh, 295 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:23,120 Speaker 1: in a non electronic format. But Goldberg the Dead Tree. 296 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:25,200 Speaker 1: I actually had the Dead Tree edition. Whine checked it 297 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:29,120 Speaker 1: out from the library. Um. Apparently they sold about one 298 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:34,360 Speaker 1: point two million Ultra hands. So and the The Love 299 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:38,360 Speaker 1: Tester came out in nine nine, but both of them 300 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:43,960 Speaker 1: we're going with UH with the company's philosophy of because 301 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:47,080 Speaker 1: YOKOI apparently said, and this is a quote, the Nintendo 302 00:18:47,119 --> 00:18:49,320 Speaker 1: way of adapting technology is not to look for the 303 00:18:49,320 --> 00:18:53,240 Speaker 1: state of the art, but to utilize um, mature technology 304 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:56,359 Speaker 1: that can be mass produced cheaply. Yeah. I feel like 305 00:18:56,400 --> 00:18:59,400 Speaker 1: this is going to come up again. Um, but yeah, 306 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:01,560 Speaker 1: that's that's a very it was a very responsible way 307 00:19:01,560 --> 00:19:04,920 Speaker 1: of doing things because it enabled them to put something 308 00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:09,720 Speaker 1: together using existing technology, no R and D. But at 309 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 1: the same time it's sold very well, So that's that's 310 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:15,480 Speaker 1: a good way to make money. Yeah, in fact, the 311 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:20,680 Speaker 1: toys really turned Nintendo around. Without without that that serendipitous 312 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:26,959 Speaker 1: uh discovery where Hiroshi saw Yakoi's work, Really the company 313 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:30,520 Speaker 1: may not have survived because that the playing card industry 314 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:33,879 Speaker 1: was in such such a such dire straits, and uh, 315 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 1: the other attempts of Nintendo to diversify had failed pretty 316 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:41,200 Speaker 1: dramatically that without that, it may not have been able 317 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:43,320 Speaker 1: to stay afloat long enough to get into the video 318 00:19:43,359 --> 00:19:46,240 Speaker 1: game era. But moving ahead a couple of years, in 319 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:51,440 Speaker 1: nineteen three, Nintendo developed a technology called the Laser Clay 320 00:19:51,560 --> 00:19:55,720 Speaker 1: Shooting System, which was clay shooting system. It was it 321 00:19:55,760 --> 00:19:57,640 Speaker 1: was a light gun game. Okay, because I'm just trying 322 00:19:57,640 --> 00:19:59,399 Speaker 1: to figure out what laser clay was, Well, you know, 323 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:03,600 Speaker 1: it's it was a skeet shooting system. The skeet shooting game. 324 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:05,280 Speaker 1: Like if you've ever been to one of those giant 325 00:20:05,359 --> 00:20:08,720 Speaker 1: arcades that has like the rifle that's really a light gun, 326 00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:11,560 Speaker 1: and then you're firing at the image of a of 327 00:20:11,640 --> 00:20:15,800 Speaker 1: a clay pigeon. Duck hunt. Yeah, yeah, like duck Hunt 328 00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:18,760 Speaker 1: eventually would become, but in this case, it was stuff 329 00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:20,879 Speaker 1: that was projected on the wall. It wasn't necessarily it 330 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:24,600 Speaker 1: wasn't like a screen screen. Um, they installed these and 331 00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:28,000 Speaker 1: old bowling alleys that had gone out of business. So 332 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:31,280 Speaker 1: this was kind of creating an entertainment destination. It wasn't. 333 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:34,280 Speaker 1: There's still a little too early for the arcade era. 334 00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:36,440 Speaker 1: We're talking nineteen seventy three here. In the arcade era 335 00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:40,680 Speaker 1: really started to take off in the late seventies. It 336 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:45,960 Speaker 1: was heading into that period though. Yeah, that's when you 337 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:48,119 Speaker 1: started seeing them pop up. And of course in Japan 338 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:52,600 Speaker 1: arcades are still incredibly popular. In in the United States, 339 00:20:52,760 --> 00:20:57,000 Speaker 1: they are a rare breed. Uh So. In nineteen seventy four, 340 00:20:57,359 --> 00:21:02,000 Speaker 1: Nintendo formed a partnership and arranged to become the distributor 341 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:05,719 Speaker 1: in Japan of the Magna Vox Odyssey. I yes, I 342 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:10,040 Speaker 1: remember it well unfortunately. Yeah, so the Honesty was a 343 00:21:10,040 --> 00:21:13,480 Speaker 1: a home video game console, very limited. We talked about 344 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:16,320 Speaker 1: it on our home video Games podcast, The Crash of 345 00:21:16,359 --> 00:21:18,760 Speaker 1: the Video Game. Yeah, so this is one of the 346 00:21:18,760 --> 00:21:21,359 Speaker 1: the first actually it was the first video game home 347 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:24,679 Speaker 1: video game console that really reached wide distribution, and so 348 00:21:24,800 --> 00:21:28,480 Speaker 1: Nintendo became the the Japanese distributor for this. Now, Nintendo 349 00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:32,480 Speaker 1: did not develop the Odyssey, but they the company saw 350 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:37,280 Speaker 1: the the potential for that in Japan and actually it 351 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:41,520 Speaker 1: did very well. And then in uh moving up, over 352 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:44,120 Speaker 1: the next few years, Nintendo started to market its own 353 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:47,680 Speaker 1: game consoles. The game and Watch oh that was one 354 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:50,919 Speaker 1: of them. Yeah, the game that was the first portable 355 00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:53,200 Speaker 1: system that was back that that I officially launched the 356 00:21:53,280 --> 00:21:57,240 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty but just before that, in the seventies, Nintendo 357 00:21:57,359 --> 00:21:59,760 Speaker 1: had some game consoles that were similar to the Odyssey, 358 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:02,040 Speaker 1: and that they were not. It wasn't the kind of 359 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:03,840 Speaker 1: game console where you would put a cartridge in and 360 00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:07,520 Speaker 1: play a game. It was had had games hardwired onto 361 00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:12,840 Speaker 1: the console, so you couldn't switch between games or you could, 362 00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:14,919 Speaker 1: you know, if there were like multiple games on that console, 363 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:17,800 Speaker 1: you could, but you couldn't put a new game into it. Yes, 364 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:23,000 Speaker 1: and and and that really endeared Nintendo to Magnavox. Yeah, 365 00:22:23,359 --> 00:22:28,400 Speaker 1: and by endeared, I mean completely ticked off and inspired lawsuits. Yeah, 366 00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:32,240 Speaker 1: because again Nintendo had become the distributor of this device 367 00:22:32,359 --> 00:22:34,800 Speaker 1: and then starts to come out with its own competing products, 368 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:40,280 Speaker 1: and Magnavox says, hey, but Nintendo didn't stump Nintendo. They 369 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:43,680 Speaker 1: had lost the lawsuit and had to pay licensing, but 370 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:46,280 Speaker 1: they they put out their own version of games like 371 00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:51,119 Speaker 1: ponged uh and this is also yeah Pong and you 372 00:22:51,119 --> 00:22:54,679 Speaker 1: know in in nineteen seven, that's also when Nintendo hired 373 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:59,760 Speaker 1: a certain young artist who would become instrumental in the 374 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:07,200 Speaker 1: company's success, Shighetto Miyamoto. Yes, a famous name in video games. 375 00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:09,560 Speaker 1: If you do not know who Miyamoto San is, then 376 00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:13,879 Speaker 1: you are not a not a Nintendo fan. Yeah, I 377 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:17,639 Speaker 1: think it's safe to say that if if there is 378 00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:23,200 Speaker 1: a polar opposite to the company's CEO, Miyamoto San would 379 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:26,240 Speaker 1: have been that guy. Miyamoto is like a rock star, 380 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:29,520 Speaker 1: and he really is treated like a rock star. Well, 381 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:32,600 Speaker 1: he wasn't at first thing. When he was first hired, 382 00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:35,119 Speaker 1: he was just an artist, a no name artist. And 383 00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:37,760 Speaker 1: as a matter of fact, he uh he got the 384 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:43,000 Speaker 1: job because of his parents connections. Um yeah, this again 385 00:23:43,119 --> 00:23:47,400 Speaker 1: is according to uh Goldberg's book. But apparently, um, he 386 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:49,879 Speaker 1: he had his uh he he wanted to be a 387 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:56,640 Speaker 1: manga artist. Um, and his parents happened to know. Well, 388 00:23:56,720 --> 00:24:00,879 Speaker 1: you know, when your parents know the CEO of a company, yeah, um, 389 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:03,080 Speaker 1: you know there they they may very well try to 390 00:24:03,119 --> 00:24:05,840 Speaker 1: get you a job, which is what happened in this case. 391 00:24:06,040 --> 00:24:08,600 Speaker 1: And Uh, it wasn't. It wasn't like it was a 392 00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:11,560 Speaker 1: high level job. Now he was a basic artist for 393 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:15,600 Speaker 1: this company. Yeah, basically. Uh. During the interview process, you 394 00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:18,400 Speaker 1: Mantu was asking him questions like why should I hire you? 395 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:21,199 Speaker 1: Um and and and told him, you know, if I 396 00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:24,120 Speaker 1: hire you, it won't be because I know your parents, 397 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:28,080 Speaker 1: It'll be because you're good enough to work here. Uh 398 00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:30,399 Speaker 1: here Again, he's a no, no nonsense kind of guy. 399 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:33,440 Speaker 1: He's a real business person. Um. But he said, yeah, 400 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:35,960 Speaker 1: okay fine, uh and hired him after about a month 401 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:39,200 Speaker 1: of waiting, and uh came on as a just as 402 00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:42,720 Speaker 1: a uh card artist. He actually asked him if he 403 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:46,000 Speaker 1: he had an idea for a revolutionary card game. We're 404 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:49,560 Speaker 1: looking for something that's gonna revolutionize the card game industry. 405 00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:53,120 Speaker 1: What do you got? You got the next Pokemon? Well 406 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:56,360 Speaker 1: not yet, but at the time he was really looking 407 00:24:56,440 --> 00:24:58,080 Speaker 1: for something big. He said, well, okay, fine, you can 408 00:24:58,119 --> 00:24:59,879 Speaker 1: work as an artist, and that's what he did for 409 00:24:59,920 --> 00:25:01,920 Speaker 1: a couple of years. And and Miamoto is the guy 410 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:07,520 Speaker 1: who would eventually launch some of Nintendo's most popular series, 411 00:25:07,560 --> 00:25:11,840 Speaker 1: including the Mario series UH and the legend of Zelda, 412 00:25:12,119 --> 00:25:16,199 Speaker 1: Star Fox. Lots of those, not all of them. Do 413 00:25:16,280 --> 00:25:19,720 Speaker 1: a barrel roll. Uh, there's yeah, a lot of the 414 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:23,320 Speaker 1: games that became the big, big sellers and still the 415 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:26,040 Speaker 1: big names. I mean, you know Nintendo and Mario. That's 416 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:31,439 Speaker 1: that's Mario is like the Nintendo mascot. So Miamoto is 417 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:34,679 Speaker 1: the man who responsible for the creation of that character. 418 00:25:35,119 --> 00:25:37,760 Speaker 1: And in fact, like I said, now, when he appears 419 00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:40,959 Speaker 1: at UM at conferences and stuff, he's treated like like 420 00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:43,520 Speaker 1: rock star, like they're standing ovations when he comes up 421 00:25:43,640 --> 00:25:47,159 Speaker 1: on stage, which is a pretty phenomenal. So so the 422 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:49,880 Speaker 1: question is, how does a guy from the mail room, 423 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:52,080 Speaker 1: not literally, how does a guy from the mail room 424 00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:58,000 Speaker 1: end up being the rock star of the company. Please explain, Well, 425 00:25:58,040 --> 00:26:01,159 Speaker 1: we've got the book. Well yeah, that's but because um 426 00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:05,320 Speaker 1: they had started trying to get into the arcade game business. Yeah, uh, 427 00:26:05,359 --> 00:26:07,960 Speaker 1: they're one of their earliest. In fact, their very first 428 00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:13,800 Speaker 1: arcade game was the sexily titled computer Othello, which never 429 00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:16,840 Speaker 1: got outside of Japan. Um I was produced in nine 430 00:26:17,640 --> 00:26:21,000 Speaker 1: But we know that love those games and saying not 431 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:24,680 Speaker 1: not not terribly exciting. Uh, And like Chris was saying, 432 00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:28,040 Speaker 1: the game and watch portable games came out and those 433 00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:31,119 Speaker 1: were pretty popular. Yeah, those were games that, like the 434 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:34,040 Speaker 1: video game consoles we were talking about, those played a 435 00:26:34,119 --> 00:26:37,080 Speaker 1: specific game. It's not like a game system where you 436 00:26:37,119 --> 00:26:40,320 Speaker 1: could play multiple games. But some of them, some of 437 00:26:40,359 --> 00:26:44,120 Speaker 1: the game and watched actually looked like the later Nintendo 438 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:47,639 Speaker 1: DS system. So it's interesting because if you look at 439 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:50,040 Speaker 1: some of those old game and watch games, you can 440 00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:53,000 Speaker 1: see where the design elements that would later come into 441 00:26:53,359 --> 00:26:56,000 Speaker 1: the Nintendo d S would come into play. And Yakoi, 442 00:26:56,560 --> 00:26:59,199 Speaker 1: uh Gonna pay Yukoi was the guy who was responsible 443 00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:02,679 Speaker 1: for those the line of games, so he his influence 444 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:06,280 Speaker 1: lasted far beyond just the game and Watch series and um, 445 00:27:06,359 --> 00:27:08,800 Speaker 1: we'll talk more about him in a in a later podcast. 446 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:10,480 Speaker 1: This is actually gonna be a two parter, by the way, 447 00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:14,359 Speaker 1: because we're coming up on twenty seven minutes and we 448 00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:17,800 Speaker 1: still haven't even introduced the first true video game console. 449 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:21,199 Speaker 1: But don't worry, we're gonna cover all of Nintendo. We 450 00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:22,879 Speaker 1: just we knew from the start it was gonna be 451 00:27:22,880 --> 00:27:25,480 Speaker 1: a two parter um. So now that they've introduced the 452 00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:27,520 Speaker 1: computer Othello, they've decided that they want to get into 453 00:27:27,520 --> 00:27:32,560 Speaker 1: this the arcade atmosphere is really exploding. Worldwide arcades are 454 00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:36,160 Speaker 1: just that's the place to be. So in nineteen eighty one, 455 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:39,520 Speaker 1: Nintendo develops a video game that would become one of 456 00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:42,000 Speaker 1: the most popular video games out there. It's right up 457 00:27:42,040 --> 00:27:46,040 Speaker 1: there with Space Invaders and Pac Man. Yes, but the 458 00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:49,520 Speaker 1: problem was in eight and then this if they're linked 459 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:56,440 Speaker 1: haha linked? Um, Sorry, it was a Nintendo Joe Zelda choke. Um. 460 00:27:56,560 --> 00:27:58,399 Speaker 1: They came out with a game in nineteen eighty that 461 00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:01,600 Speaker 1: was just the opposite of a hit. It was called 462 00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:07,719 Speaker 1: Radar Scope and it did really, really badly. So if 463 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:11,239 Speaker 1: you don't know about it, there's a reason. Um. And 464 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:16,640 Speaker 1: the thing is, um Yamachi knew that Miamoto had good ideas. 465 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:18,520 Speaker 1: He could see that you know well, I mean, he 466 00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:20,000 Speaker 1: wouldn't have hired him if he didn't think he was. 467 00:28:20,119 --> 00:28:23,439 Speaker 1: He had promise. Um, he was good at identifying talent 468 00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:26,240 Speaker 1: and bringing it into the company. Um, you could argue. 469 00:28:26,280 --> 00:28:28,560 Speaker 1: And the thing is he came up to, uh, to 470 00:28:28,680 --> 00:28:31,919 Speaker 1: Miamoto and said, what do you do you like video games? 471 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:34,639 Speaker 1: And he said, well, yeah, you know I've I've played 472 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:38,320 Speaker 1: Breakout and I've played Ponged and uh, you know, I 473 00:28:38,360 --> 00:28:40,920 Speaker 1: like him just fine. He's like, we'll do something with this, 474 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:43,680 Speaker 1: because they had all this this hardware and these cabinets 475 00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:46,240 Speaker 1: that they had built for Radar Scope, and they wanted 476 00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:47,920 Speaker 1: to do something else. And he said one of the 477 00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:50,480 Speaker 1: problems was, and again this is gonna come up again. 478 00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:54,320 Speaker 1: Miamoto said, there's no story here. The game needs a story. 479 00:28:54,440 --> 00:28:56,160 Speaker 1: He wanted it to tell a story. See, he was 480 00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:59,760 Speaker 1: fascinated with stories and it still is, and with nature 481 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:03,400 Speaker 1: and animals and plants and things, and he said, this 482 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:07,680 Speaker 1: is this is something that will help. So um. The 483 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:09,600 Speaker 1: game that Jonathan was talking about, the one that came 484 00:29:09,600 --> 00:29:14,320 Speaker 1: out in was built on the failure of Radar Scope. 485 00:29:14,960 --> 00:29:17,240 Speaker 1: And they said, okay, well we've got this hardware, let's 486 00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:20,600 Speaker 1: what can we do with this? And most of the 487 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:24,640 Speaker 1: people in Nintendo didn't like what Miamoto sign came up with, yeah, 488 00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:29,240 Speaker 1: which was of course the classic arcade game Donkey Kong, 489 00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:33,720 Speaker 1: oh man, and uh yeah, how many quarters? I don't 490 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:35,800 Speaker 1: you know how much of my parents money I squandered. 491 00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:39,120 Speaker 1: Our Donkey Kong probably have bought a house. Uh I 492 00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:42,360 Speaker 1: probably did buy a house just for someone else. But 493 00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:44,760 Speaker 1: Donkey Kong, of course, was that the story is that 494 00:29:45,840 --> 00:29:49,320 Speaker 1: our hero jump Man as he was known at the time. 495 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:54,160 Speaker 1: Actually he was Mr Video to Mr Miamoto. Yeah. Uh, 496 00:29:54,320 --> 00:29:57,200 Speaker 1: he would eventually become Mario. But right now, at the 497 00:29:57,240 --> 00:29:59,000 Speaker 1: time Donkey Kong came out, he was jumped Man. A 498 00:29:59,120 --> 00:30:01,920 Speaker 1: matter of fact, it was in the Ends instructions. He 499 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:04,120 Speaker 1: was the hero who was rescuing his girlfriend. Do you 500 00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:07,880 Speaker 1: know the girlfriend's name. It wasn't Princess Peach at the time. 501 00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:12,160 Speaker 1: I mean she's known that way now. Pauline Pauline he 502 00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:16,360 Speaker 1: had to rescue from from Donkey Kong, who was, of 503 00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:20,520 Speaker 1: course a giant ape gorilla my dreams, Donkey Kong essentially 504 00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:24,840 Speaker 1: means stubborn gorilla. Yeah that the name still doesn't make 505 00:30:24,880 --> 00:30:27,440 Speaker 1: a lot of sense. So of course to take off 506 00:30:27,440 --> 00:30:31,600 Speaker 1: a film studio, yeah, nothing like taking off King Kong anyway. 507 00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:34,760 Speaker 1: So yeah, Donkey Kong, you all you Your job was 508 00:30:34,800 --> 00:30:37,560 Speaker 1: to try and rescue Pauline from Donkey Kong, and Donkey 509 00:30:37,600 --> 00:30:39,800 Speaker 1: Kong would try and stop you by throwing barrels at you. 510 00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:42,640 Speaker 1: And it's a very simple story. Climbed to the top 511 00:30:42,760 --> 00:30:46,440 Speaker 1: to rescue the girl and as soon as you get 512 00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:50,000 Speaker 1: to the top, he the the gorilla, gets angry, grabs 513 00:30:50,040 --> 00:30:52,040 Speaker 1: her and takes off for the next floor. So you're 514 00:30:52,120 --> 00:30:56,960 Speaker 1: gradually climbing up the uh construction of a giant building. Yeah, 515 00:30:56,960 --> 00:31:00,520 Speaker 1: and which the construction takes different forms too, depending on 516 00:31:00,560 --> 00:31:02,720 Speaker 1: the level. Yes, and considering you take down part of 517 00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:04,840 Speaker 1: the construction, it's amazing that he could still climb up 518 00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:07,760 Speaker 1: and get into that ruining the magic. Also also weird 519 00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:09,640 Speaker 1: that parts of the upper part of the building are 520 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:13,560 Speaker 1: more complete than the lower parts. But that messing with it. 521 00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:16,360 Speaker 1: This isn't This isn't about shoddy construction practices. This is 522 00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:19,840 Speaker 1: about it was a brilliant construction practice on the part 523 00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:22,960 Speaker 1: of Nintendo. Now, they said, a lot of the Nintendo people, 524 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:27,000 Speaker 1: we're thinking that this would never sell the idea. This 525 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:30,080 Speaker 1: is just too weird, especially for people in America. Yeah, 526 00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:35,080 Speaker 1: how wrong they were. Donkey Kong was an enormous hit everywhere, 527 00:31:35,160 --> 00:31:37,960 Speaker 1: so much so that Nintendo immediately saw the potential once 528 00:31:38,040 --> 00:31:41,280 Speaker 1: the figure started coming in, and they then went on 529 00:31:41,320 --> 00:31:44,440 Speaker 1: to develop Donkey Kong Junior, which came out in so 530 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:46,440 Speaker 1: just a year later. How much money that I spent 531 00:31:46,520 --> 00:31:49,680 Speaker 1: on that game? Ye, this one. You're playing Junior and 532 00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:52,720 Speaker 1: your your job is to rescue Donkey Kong at this point, 533 00:31:52,760 --> 00:31:56,000 Speaker 1: Mario has captured Donkey Kong and had in a cage. 534 00:31:56,120 --> 00:31:58,560 Speaker 1: Mario is Mario at this point, yes he is, and 535 00:31:58,640 --> 00:32:01,920 Speaker 1: so you have to rescue Donkey Kong from Mario. And 536 00:32:01,960 --> 00:32:06,200 Speaker 1: then three they introduced Donkey Kong three, which had the 537 00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:10,640 Speaker 1: other protagonist, Stanley the bug man oh and how much Money? 538 00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:13,200 Speaker 1: Oh wait, I don't think I ever saw one of those. Man. 539 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:16,480 Speaker 1: I love Donkey Kong three. I love Donkey Kong three 540 00:32:16,480 --> 00:32:18,479 Speaker 1: because it was a lot like Galaga. You know, instead 541 00:32:18,480 --> 00:32:21,000 Speaker 1: of shooting uh in shooting, instead of shooting spaceships, you 542 00:32:21,040 --> 00:32:23,960 Speaker 1: shot bugs that were coming down to steal flowers. And 543 00:32:24,040 --> 00:32:26,000 Speaker 1: at the same time you had to manage how low 544 00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:28,640 Speaker 1: Donkey Kong was getting on these this pair of vines, 545 00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:31,760 Speaker 1: as Donkey Kong would gradually scoot lower and lower on 546 00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:34,640 Speaker 1: the vines, and your job was to spray Donkey Kong 547 00:32:34,880 --> 00:32:37,480 Speaker 1: frequently enough to push them up to the next level. 548 00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:39,960 Speaker 1: And meanwhile you're also trying to fend off the bugs 549 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:42,520 Speaker 1: they're trying to steal your flowers. And I loved this game. 550 00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:44,800 Speaker 1: I don't think I even saw it on Starcade. And yes, 551 00:32:44,840 --> 00:32:47,960 Speaker 1: I used to watch that. I was really good at it. Well, 552 00:32:48,080 --> 00:32:51,320 Speaker 1: right around nine eight three is when Nintendo's looking into 553 00:32:51,360 --> 00:32:54,600 Speaker 1: getting into another related market, which is the home video 554 00:32:54,680 --> 00:32:58,040 Speaker 1: game system market. Not just not just a console they 555 00:32:58,040 --> 00:32:59,960 Speaker 1: can play a game, or two games or six games, 556 00:33:00,360 --> 00:33:04,240 Speaker 1: but one that can play and uh indefinite number of 557 00:33:04,240 --> 00:33:08,840 Speaker 1: games because you can interchange cartridges with the system. Again, 558 00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:11,200 Speaker 1: we covered this in another podcast, but this was popular 559 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:15,280 Speaker 1: at this point. Atari was going gangbusters. They had competition 560 00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:19,480 Speaker 1: from um, uh, from Mattel. They had competition from Colico, 561 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:23,800 Speaker 1: and in fact, Collico's launch of the Colico Vision game 562 00:33:23,800 --> 00:33:28,840 Speaker 1: console came with Donkey Kong. Yeah. Um, they had licensed 563 00:33:28,960 --> 00:33:33,240 Speaker 1: Donkey Kong to the other game manufacturers. I'm oversimplifying for 564 00:33:33,280 --> 00:33:36,240 Speaker 1: the sake of hurrying this up, um, but yeah, I 565 00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:37,960 Speaker 1: mean it was a hit for them. They they were 566 00:33:38,320 --> 00:33:42,000 Speaker 1: realizing that this was possible and hey, maybe we could 567 00:33:42,040 --> 00:33:44,960 Speaker 1: make money on the consoles ourselves. Yep. So that's when 568 00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:48,800 Speaker 1: Nintendo decided to try and get into the video game market. Uh. 569 00:33:48,880 --> 00:33:52,160 Speaker 1: It was funny because just as Nintendo was positioning itself 570 00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:54,440 Speaker 1: to enter the video game market, the video game was 571 00:33:54,840 --> 00:33:57,840 Speaker 1: market was starting to crash. But you know what, Originally 572 00:33:57,920 --> 00:33:59,800 Speaker 1: I thought that we would get through a Nintendo in 573 00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:01,680 Speaker 1: tainment system and then pick up from there. But I 574 00:34:01,760 --> 00:34:03,880 Speaker 1: think this is a good place to stop for our 575 00:34:03,920 --> 00:34:06,360 Speaker 1: first episode, and what we'll do is in the History 576 00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:09,319 Speaker 1: of Nintendo Part two, we will pick up with the 577 00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:14,080 Speaker 1: debut of the Famicon, also known as the Nintendo Entertainment System, 578 00:34:14,160 --> 00:34:19,000 Speaker 1: and walk through Nintendo's history with home video games. Yeah, 579 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:21,320 Speaker 1: and we've we've seen though the seeds have been sown. 580 00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:24,000 Speaker 1: People who who made a Nintendo and in the name 581 00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:28,440 Speaker 1: that we all know today are with the company. They've realized, 582 00:34:28,680 --> 00:34:31,960 Speaker 1: um that a story can propel a video game to 583 00:34:31,960 --> 00:34:36,840 Speaker 1: to stardom, and they've identified their company mascot yep. So 584 00:34:37,080 --> 00:34:40,239 Speaker 1: when we pick up, we will start in Uh, well, 585 00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:43,120 Speaker 1: I think July fifte is just as good a day 586 00:34:43,160 --> 00:34:45,960 Speaker 1: as any, So we'll pick up and we'll explain the 587 00:34:46,080 --> 00:34:50,680 Speaker 1: significance of that. Yes, so guys, be sure to tune 588 00:34:50,719 --> 00:34:53,760 Speaker 1: into Part two, which we will be recording almost immediately 589 00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:58,320 Speaker 1: after we've finished this, and we will complete the story 590 00:34:58,360 --> 00:34:59,960 Speaker 1: of the history of Nintendo and bring it up to 591 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:02,080 Speaker 1: to present day and kind of explain where the company 592 00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:05,239 Speaker 1: is right now, which is a position that it was 593 00:35:05,280 --> 00:35:08,399 Speaker 1: in not you know, more than a little bit more 594 00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:12,360 Speaker 1: than fifty years ago. Uh, they're they're back there again 595 00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:14,960 Speaker 1: in some troubled times, but we'll get to that in 596 00:35:15,040 --> 00:35:17,880 Speaker 1: the next episode. And if you guys have suggestions for 597 00:35:17,920 --> 00:35:20,440 Speaker 1: our specific topics you would like us to tackle, including 598 00:35:20,719 --> 00:35:23,640 Speaker 1: companies that you think we should profile. Let us been 599 00:35:23,719 --> 00:35:25,920 Speaker 1: a popular series, Yeah, we've had. We've had quite a 600 00:35:25,920 --> 00:35:30,040 Speaker 1: few people, right and we know the HPS on our list, um, 601 00:35:30,080 --> 00:35:32,719 Speaker 1: and we've got several other companies on our list as well. 602 00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:34,719 Speaker 1: So if you have a specific company you think we 603 00:35:34,719 --> 00:35:38,160 Speaker 1: should focus on, let us no, you can let us 604 00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:40,920 Speaker 1: know an email. Our addresses tech Stuff at how stuff 605 00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:43,880 Speaker 1: Works dot com or tell us on Twitter or Facebook 606 00:35:44,120 --> 00:35:46,640 Speaker 1: are handled. There is tech stuff hs W and Chris 607 00:35:46,640 --> 00:35:50,759 Speaker 1: and I will taught to you again really soon. Be 608 00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:53,480 Speaker 1: sure to check out our new video podcast, Stuff from 609 00:35:53,520 --> 00:35:56,360 Speaker 1: the Future. Join How Stuff Work staff as we explore 610 00:35:56,400 --> 00:36:01,040 Speaker 1: the most promising and perplexing possibilities of tomorrow. The House 611 00:36:01,080 --> 00:36:04,760 Speaker 1: Efforts iPhone app has arrived. Download it today on iTunes, 612 00:36:09,320 --> 00:36:11,920 Speaker 1: brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve camera. 613 00:36:12,239 --> 00:36:13,359 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you