Nintendo

Nintendo was founded in 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi in Kyoto, Japan, initially producing handmade hanafuda playing cards before pivoting into electronic toys and eventually becoming one of the world's most influential video game companies.

The company has sold over 5 billion video games and more than 800 million hardware units globally, with its Switch console becoming one of the best-selling gaming systems in history.

Headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, Nintendo trades on the Tokyo Stock Exchange under ticker 7974 today.

Nintendo History

• 1889
  Fusajiro Yamauchi founds Nintendo Koppai in Kyoto, Japan, handcrafting hanafuda playing cards and selling them to local card game clubs.
• 1977
  Nintendo enters the home video game market with its Color TV-Game series, beginning its transition from playing cards and toys into electronic entertainment.
• 1983
  Nintendo launches the Famicom (Family Computer) in Japan, selling 62 million units worldwide and reshaping the global video game industry after the 1983 market crash.
• 1989
  Nintendo releases the Game Boy in Japan, selling over 118 million units across its lifespan and establishing Nintendo as the dominant force in handheld gaming.
• 2017
  Nintendo launches the Switch, a hybrid home-and-portable console that sells over 143 million units, becoming the third best-selling game console in history.

FAQs

• Is Nintendo an American company?

  No. Nintendo is a Japanese company founded in 1889 and headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. Nintendo of America, based in Redmond, Washington, is its US subsidiary. The parent company trades on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
• Who made the Nintendo logo?

  Nintendo's iconic red oval logo with white lettering was developed in-house and has been refined over several decades. The current version has been in use since the early 1990s and appears on all Nintendo products and packaging worldwide.
• Who owns Nintendo?

  Nintendo is a publicly traded company on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The Yamauchi family, descendants of founder Fusajiro Yamauchi, hold a significant stake. Vanguard, BlackRock, and Japan Trustee Services Bank are major institutional shareholders.
• When did Nintendo come out?

  Nintendo was founded on September 23, 1889, by Fusajiro Yamauchi in Kyoto, Japan. It entered the video game market in 1977. Nintendo listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 1962 and launched the Famicom in 1983.