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How Nintendo Pivoted From Playing Cards to Gaming Giant
In this episode of The Pivot Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how Nintendo, founded in 1889 as a playing card company, survived multiple near-death experiences and pivoted into the video game industry. They focus on the crucial 1960s-70s transition, when third-generation president Hiroshi Yamauchi bet on electronics and hired a young engineer named Gunpei Yokoi. Yokoi's 'lateral thinking with withered technology' philosophy led to the Game & Watch and ultimately the Game Boy, saving Nintendo from the collapse of its toy and arcade businesses. The hosts discuss how…
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