Famicom & Nintendo Entertainment System
Developer: Nintendo
Year Released: 1983 and 1985
Generation: 3rd
Following a series of arcade games successes in the early 1980’s, Nintendo produced its own console hardware that had removable cartridges, a feature not included with its earlier Colour TV Games product. Designed by Masayuki Uemura, Nintendo created the Nintendo Family Computer, aso known as the Famicom. It became hugely successful, outselling domestic competitor Sega’s SG 1000 line of consoles.
After seeing the success in Japan, Nintendo wanted to take the Famicom over to the US. Hiroshi Yamauchi, then president of Nintendo, had heard stories that the U.S. video game industry was collapsing. Even so, he believed that the Famicom was different, and that it was the best video game console ever made. Yamauchi insisted that his son-in-law Minoru Arakawa, then President of American Nintendo, find a solution.
Nintendo dramatically redesigned the Famicom as they figured North American audiences would be wary about delving back into the home console market after the Crash. They initially avoided the term “Video Game” for its console and marketing. Arakawa also decided the NES needed some gimmicks so Nintendo came up with a Zapper light gun and a robot called R.O.B (Robotic Operating Buddy).
For the launch, Nintendo chose New Your City to release the NES. They offered money-back guarantees to retailers, spent millions on advertising and showed off the Zapper and R.O.B. to shoppers in malls across the city. When New York proved to be successful, Nintendo then set about doing the same throughout the U.S. When Nintendo released Super Mario Bros, NES sales skyrocketed. Millions of Super Mario Bros and NES consoles were sold and Nintendo claimed to have single-highhandedly revived the game business.