The secret to Nintendo's success

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 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