Welcome to another episode of MagnatesMedia. Today, we're delving into the vibrant history of one of the most iconic players in the gaming industry - Nintendo. An empire responsible for classics like Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda, but it's their journey, their story of metamorphosis, that keeps us glued. From making playing cards to pioneering video games, Nintendo's story is absolutely INSANE!

Our tale begins in the year 1889 in Kyoto, Japan. The name, 'Nintendo', loosely translates to 'Leave luck to heaven'. A fitting name for a company that would go on to define the gaming industry, but back then, games were a far cry from what Nintendo was doing. Their actual business? Well, buckle up and prepare to have your mind blown!

Nintendo started out as a humble venture known as 'Nintendo Koppai', founded by Fusajiro Yamauchi. Instead of consoles and cartridges, they were into the business of making 'Hanafuda', traditional Japanese playing cards. Yes, you heard it right, Nintendo was basically a card company when it started. It's a good reminder that not all companies find their true calling at the outset. Sometimes, you need decades...or even a century!

The Hanafuda cards became a massive hit, and Nintendo Koppai was the sole and leading manufacturer of these cards in Japan. The company saw an era of prosperity under Yamauchi, but little did he know that his humble card company was destined for greatness beyond his wildest visions. The gaming seeds were sown, quietly waiting to germinate.

Fast forward to the mid-20th century, the Yamauchi family still held the reins of Nintendo. Hiroshi Yamauchi, the great-grandson of Fusajiro, took control. Under his leadership, Nintendo ventured into new businesses like taxi services, 'love hotels', instant rice, and even ventured into the television network industry. Unfortunately, none of these forays were successful, and Nintendo was on the brink of bankruptcy. The future looked bleak.

But Hiroshi wasn't ready to throw in the towel just yet. Amidst the shadows of failure, an opportunity emerged, a beacon of hope. It was the dawn of the electronic era, and Hiroshi saw the potential of electronic games. In a daring move, he decided to shift Nintendo's focus from traditional businesses to becoming a video game company. And as they say, the rest is history. Or is it? We're just getting started!