The secret to Nintendo's success
Jun 16, 2025•9 min
Episode description
Nintendo has been a titan in the video game industry for decades, but that wasn't always the case. At its very core, Nintendo sees itself as a toy company which is evident in its products from the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) to the Nintendo Switch 2.
Today on the show, we explore Nintendo's history and examine how a small playing card company in Japan became a multimedia giant.
Related episodes:
Forever games: the economics of the live service model
Designing for disability: how video games become more accessible
The boom and bust of esports
Work. Crunch. Repeat: Why gaming demands so much of its employees
Video Game Industry Week: The Final Level
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Today on the show, we explore Nintendo's history and examine how a small playing card company in Japan became a multimedia giant.
Related episodes:
Forever games: the economics of the live service model
Designing for disability: how video games become more accessible
The boom and bust of esports
Work. Crunch. Repeat: Why gaming demands so much of its employees
Video Game Industry Week: The Final Level
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
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