Nintendo Story

YouTube Long-Form | The Untold Truth of Nintendo
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Written by
Bora Ömeroğlu

Brief

Write a 4500+ word script on the History of Nintendo.
Provide the audience with interesting facts and controversies about the brand.
Take the audience on a journey. Be precise, specific and accurate.

For more of my script work, click HERE
For the Official YouTube Channel, click HERE

Script.

As the architect of several legendary icons like Donkey Kong, Super Mario, and Pokémon – no company had ever had a greater influence on the gaming industry than Nintendo.

But that’s not where Nintendo’s success truly laid.

Constantly reinventing itself over decades and shaping how people engage with video games – Nintendo became more than just a gaming company for many people. It became part of their childhood– it became part of their life.

But being the leader of a massive industry for over 30 years – certainly came with its share of controversies!

From facing major lawsuits on copyright infringements, to being accused of promoting violence, and bullying gaming developers – Nintendo has been through it all. Yet each time – found a way to live-on for the next generation.

So, buckle up for an insane story that will take you from 1889 – from a small shop in Kyoto, Japan – all the way up to the modern world of gaming and the brutal wars of game-consoles of today.

This is the story of how one company shaped and perfected the video game experience not only once – but over and over again, for generations.

This is the INSANE story of Nintendo.

CHAPTER 1 – Humble Origins

To tell the story of the video game giant we know today, we first have to go back to a very different time—back when Japan was still ruled by an emperor, before electricity was common, and before flight itself was invented. It all begins with Nintendo’s original founder, Fusajiro Yamauchi.

Fusajiro grew up interested in art and design, but as the eldest son, he was required to work to help support his family. From the age of 13, he worked tirelessly at a cement company. However, by the time he was 29 years old, Fusajiro had saved up enough money to start his own business—one where he could finally focus on his passion for art. In 1889, he opened a small shop in the ancient Japanese city of Kyoto, where he produced and sold hand-painted playing cards. He called his new business “Nintendo Koppai.”

This venture was more controversial than it sounds. For centuries, playing cards had been banned in Japan due to the country’s period of isolation from the rest of the world, which cut off foreign influences. Additionally, playing cards were often associated with gambling, which was strictly illegal in Japan. As a result, the playing card industry had almost disappeared, with most companies unwilling to take the risk of being shut down or linked to criminal gangs known as the Yakuza.

However, Fusajiro saw an opportunity. One type of playing card had not been banned by the Japanese government—Hanafuda, or “flower cards.” These cards featured traditional artistic designs instead of numbers, making them more like art rather than tools for illegal gambling. Fusajiro recognized this gap in the market and began handcrafting these cards in his home studio. He would grind mulberry tree bark into paste, mix it with clay, press it into molds, and use natural ink from flower petals and berries to stencil intricate symbols of flowers, moons, swords, mountains, and animals onto the cards.

Despite their artistic nature, Hanafuda cards could still be used for many different card games, including gambling. Soon, the Yakuza began using Fusajiro’s high-quality cards in their underground casinos. They appreciated Nintendo’s craftsmanship and preferred using a new deck for every game to prevent cheating, creating a lucrative business for Fusajiro. Some believe he had only intended to create artistic cards, while others argue he knew exactly who his primary customers would be. The name “Nintendo” is often interpreted to mean “leave luck to heaven,” which could have been a subtle nod to gamblers.

Regardless of his intent, Fusajiro’s business thrived. Demand for his cards grew so much that he could no longer keep up with production alone. To scale up, he hired a small team of workers to help him craft the cards under his supervision. Once this process was perfected, he sought to expand his reach across Japan. He struck a deal with the Japan Tobacco and Salt Company, which agreed to stock Nintendo’s cards in stores nationwide. This partnership gave Nintendo national distribution.

Nintendo’s success continued to grow, especially after Japan loosened its ban on playing cards in 1907. This allowed Nintendo to become the first Japanese company to produce Western-style playing cards, further cementing its dominance in the industry. By the time Fusajiro was 69, he had accomplished all he had set out to do and was ready to retire. However, there was one major problem—who would take over his company?

CHAPTER 2 – A New Vision

Fusajiro wanted to keep Nintendo in the family, but Japanese tradition dictated that a business should be passed down to a son, and he had no son. To solve this, he arranged for his daughter to marry a respected businessman named Sekiryo Kaneda. Upon marriage, Sekiryo took the Yamauchi surname and became the new president of Nintendo when Fusajiro retired in 1929.

Sekiryo was a capable leader who expanded Nintendo’s business further, building better production systems, forming new partnerships, hiring sales staff, and moving into larger headquarters.

However, years later history repeated itself—Sekiryo also had no son to inherit the company. Following the same custom as before, a son-in-law was expected to take over. But in 1932, Sekiryo’s chosen successor abandoned his wife and their five-year-old son, leaving them to fend for themselves.

That young boy was Hiroshi Yamauchi. At just 21 years old, Hiroshi had no real business experience but accepted the position without hesitation. However, he made one shocking request—every family member working at Nintendo had to be fired so that no one would challenge his authority.

Sekiryo had no choice but to comply. Hiroshi Yamauchi took full control of Nintendo, and with his leadership, the company was about to undergo a transformation unlike anything before.

From the moment he took charge, Hiroshi believed it was his destiny to make Nintendo a household name worldwide. He wanted to innovate and evolve the company beyond traditional playing cards. However, many employees resented him, believing he was too young and inexperienced to lead. Determined to prove them wrong, Hiroshi made a bold decision—he fired anyone who resisted change, making it clear that he was in charge.

Looking for ways to expand, Hiroshi took a pivotal trip to the United States in the 1950s. There, he observed the immense popularity of Disney characters. Seeing an opportunity, he negotiated Nintendo’s first licensing agreement to print Disney characters on their playing cards—a move that would take the company in a whole new direction.

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For the rest of the script and for more of my script work, please click HERE.