About

Our Characters

Corporate social responsibility

Our goal is to deliver smiles to our many Nintendo stakeholders, including our consumers, business partners, and employees throughout the Americas. That means advancing responsible business practices, supporting human rights, and ensuring we continue to reach ever-higher standards.

Global CEO

Shuntaro Furukawa (JP) (born January 10, 1972) is the current president of Nintendo. He is the 6th president overall, succeeding Tatsumi Kimishima. Furukawa stated in an interview that he bases his decisions on "the development leader's way of thinking" and that Nintendo's unique identity comes from its games, characters, and IP.

1973–1978: Early video games and Color TV-Gam

The Laser Clay Shooting System was released in 1973 and managed to surpass bowling in popularity. The growing demand for Nintendo's products led Yamauchi to further expand the offices, for which he acquired the surrounding land and assigned the production of cards to the original Nintendo building. Meanwhile, Yokoi, Uemura, and new employees such as Genyo Takeda, continued to develop innovative products for the company.

1979–1987: Game and Watch, arcade games, and Nintendo Entertainment System

Two key events in Nintendo's history occurred in 1979: its American subsidiary was opened in New York City, and a new department focused on arcade game development was created. In 1980, the first handheld video game systems, the Game & Watch, was created by Yokoi from the technology used in portable calculators.It became one of Nintendo's most successful products.

1988–1992: Game Boy and Super Nintendo Entertainment System

In 1988, Gunpei Yokoi and his team at Nintendo R&D1 conceived the Game Boy, the first handheld video game console made by Nintendo. Nintendo released the Game Boy in 1989. In North America, the Game Boy was bundled with the popular third-party game Tetris after a difficult negotiation process with Elektronorgtechnica.The Game Boy was a significant success.

2010–2016: Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, and mobile ventures

Following an announcement in March 2010, Nintendo released the Nintendo 3DS in 2011. The console produces stereoscopic effects without 3D glasses. By 2018, more than 69 million units had been sold worldwide. In 2011, Nintendo celebrated the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda with the orchestra concert tour The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses and the video game The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

2017–present: Nintendo Switch and expansion to other media

The Wii U's successor in the eighth generation of video game consoles, the Nintendo Switch, was released in March 2017. To expand its library, Nintendo entered alliances with several third-party and independent developers by February 2019, more than 1,800 Switch games had been released. Worldwide sales of the Switch exceeded 55 million units by March 2020.

Creating smiles for generations!

Our Characters

Corporate social responsibility

Global CEO