The History of Nintendo

How did a humble card company from Kyoto survive wars, market crashes, and near bankruptcy to become one of the most powerful names in global entertainment? This book tells the full story of Nintendo, from its founding in 1889 as a Hanafuda card maker to the corporate battles and creative gambles that reshaped an entire industry. The early card business kept the company alive while Japan banned Western games. Hiroshi Yamauchi's ruthless leadership demanded innovation or termination. Embarrassing failures like a taxi company and love hotels preceded the breakthroughs that changed everything. A fake robot toy tricked American retailers into stocking the NES after the Atari crash destroyed consumer trust. Tetris was snatched from Soviet developers in a midnight deal. The PlayStation was born from a betrayal when Nintendo secretly partnered with Philips behind Sony's back. The Virtual Boy's $140 million failure nearly ended a legendary designer's career.