Nintendo, known for the Wii and popular characters such as Mario and Donkey Kong, was actually founded back in 1889.
Although the company is a major player in the video game industry today, it began by selling playing cards in late 1889 under the name Nintendo Koppai, based in Tokyo, Japan. Nintendo still makes playing cards to this day.
Prior to their entry into the electronics field, Nintendo owned a taxi service, produced instant noodles, and ran a hotel chain.
It wasn’t until 1974 that Nintendo had its first success in the video game market, as it became a distributor of the Magnavox Odyssey that year. By the late 1970’s, Nintendo was creating its own video games, and found international success with the 1981 release of Donkey Kong.
Sources
- History of Nintendo Worldwide 1889-1979 (Nintendo UK)
- History of Nintendo (Wikipedia)
