From when Disney saved Nintendo from his greatest crisis: the greatest crossover of history

Nintendo is one of the companies that we owe more for their creativity and originality throughout history in the video game sector. But, like any other company, it has had ups and downs over the years. We must remember that we talked about a very longer signature, since the Great N was founded in 1889 by Fujiko Yamaguchi, dedicating themselves, mainly to the creation of Canada cards decks.

Now, we are going to dedicate it especially traveled to a stage that meant a turning point in Nintendo, after a somewhat delicate stage, in which it had to resort to another label mark to get out of the way. We talked, when Walt Disney boosted the Nintendo figures in low hours. How, after the Second World War, an American firm saved a Japanese.

Nintendo in low hours

After the death of Embryo Canada, the company becomes led by the grandson of him Hiroshi Yamaguchi. A decision that meant an authentic commotion between the company and its employees. Now, Yamaguchi is remembered as one of the most influential presidents of the brand, since he was 50 years old in office. But the beginning of him were difficult.

Yamaguchi began directing the brand with only 22 years and a lifetime for living. The hundreds of employees who already had Nintendo then, saw him as a placement for plug, and few were in favor of him. Also, he came with a style radically different from his grandfather. He sponsored by what they call as an arrogant and carefree character, he did not believe in the good employee's regulation and considered that life was seriously, it was a waste of time.

Come on, that he was not going to follow the road marked by his grandfather and that did not do much grace to the employees of him, who saw the company uncertain with these decisions. In fact, several unions organized a strike, in some cases of hunger, after Yamaguchi decided to expand the facilities and centralize the Kyoto manufacturing plants in one place. That made for the first time Nintendo had to resort to bank loans. Nintendo's mandalas, with a cheerful style, but with an iron hand, fired ruminatively to those who charged against the incompetence of him.

Salvation thanks to Disney

Nintendo was a company that worked well on the field of cards, but a delicate stage was passing. Actually, like all of Japan after defeat in World War II. Contents, for the assignment of the exploitation rights of the image of their characters.

IN They ranged between 300 and 400 yen. It would be the first time, in addition. That Nintendo was announced on television; The exceptional staging of those spots, with several professional magicians doing tricks with the letters, managed to be the perfect claim for children and older they would like them.

The enormous demand of the content caused the distribution network to be extended. If before Nintendo's letters were sold on stagnates, now they were also on stations, players and department stores. Thus, in its first year, sales multiplied by five. In 1959, 600,000 units were sold, and one year later the figure amounted to 1.5 million. The production of Nintendo did not reach 200 million billing in 1955, and figures of were reached more than 600 million after this agreement.

Then, these letters gave rise to another type of derived products, such as PG games, which are cards in a book of more than 100 pages, where other games or magic tricks are included. Thus began the transition from leaving a while on one side Canada letters to focus on another type of products and that Nintendo Co., Ltd, was born to shape and the first steps towards the Nintendo we know now.

Fuentes: The story of Nintendo, vol.1 of Florent Gorges