Embarking on a journey into Nintendo's past unveils a compelling narrative of diverse ventures preceding their mastery in the world of video games. Hailing from Kyoto, Japan, in 1889, Nintendo's inception involved crafting playing cards under the stewardship of Fusajiro Yamauchi. This narrative unfolds against the backdrop of meticulous research, content crafting, and editorial design—a project encapsulating the evolution of a company that transitioned through various industries before etching its name as a gaming powerhouse.
While researching Nintendo, some very fascinating visuals surfaced. Experimenting with businesses like manufacturing vacuum cleaners, love hotel chains, toys for children, playing cards, gambling clubs, and designing products like love meters. As someone who does not identify with gaming in particular, this seemed like an exciting opportunity to explore and dive deep into the unseen history of Nintendo.
"Nintendo's philosophy is never to go the easy path; it's always to challenge ourselves and try to do something new."
- Shigeru Miyamoto, Japanese video game designer, producer, and game director at Nintendo
Locating credible sources for content about these businesses posed a challenge, given that much of this information had been withdrawn from the internet. Through collaboration with diverse online communities, utilizing indirect sources, and navigating through a web of links, the creation of visually contrasting elements for the book emerged as a particularly enjoyable and engaging process. The book now serves as a portal into Japan's socio-economic landscape, offering insights into the enigmatic history of the Nintendo brand.
This project was featured in the graduation exhibition of Ecole Intuit Lab, Mumbai in 2017. As a cohort, we created a 'Nintendo Gaming Room' experience for guests to feel immersed in the Nintendo universe.
This project was done under the mentorship of Minal Nairi at Ecole Intuit. Lab, Mumbai.
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