Inspired by a salaryman playing with a calculator, Gunpei Yokoi’s Game & Watch series saved Nintendo from financial decline and pioneered portable gaming.
Key facts
- •Gunpei Yokoi joined Nintendo in 1965 when the company's stock had fallen from 900 yen to 60 yen.
- •The Game & Watch series launched in 1980 with the title Ball, which utilized a chip capable of displaying 72 segments.
- •Nintendo released 59 total Game & Watch titles between 1980 and 1991.
- •The Game & Watch series achieved over 43 million units in worldwide sales.
- •Yokoi’s philosophy of using older, proven technology influenced the design of the Game Boy and later Nintendo hardware.
Nintendo's transition into a gaming powerhouse was driven by employee Gunpei Yokoi, who joined the company in 1965. Yokoi conceived the Game & Watch after observing a commuter playing with a calculator on a train. This innovation helped stabilize Nintendo's finances and established the foundation for the company's future handheld devices.
By the numbers
From Toys to Digital Gaming
Before focusing on video games, Nintendo experimented with various ventures, including taxi services and instant noodles. Yokoi’s first major success was the 1966 Ultra Hand toy, which sold 1.4 million units. By the late 1970s, Nintendo shifted toward the video game market, launching home consoles and a coin-operated games division.
Lateral Thinking with Withered Technology
Yokoi pioneered a design philosophy called 'lateral thinking with withered technology,' which involves repurposing proven, affordable hardware for new applications. By collaborating with Sharp, Nintendo utilized existing calculator technology—specifically LCD screens and button cell batteries—to create the first Game & Watch title, Ball, in 1980. This approach allowed the company to produce 59 titles by 1991.
Lasting Impact on Handheld Design
The Game & Watch series sold over 43 million units worldwide and introduced design elements still used today, such as the D-pad and the clamshell format. According to the late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, the success of these devices was essential for the eventual development of the Game Boy and Nintendo DS systems.
Timeline
- 1889Nintendo was founded as a manufacturer of hanafuda playing cards.
- 1965Gunpei Yokoi joined Nintendo.
- 1966Yokoi created the Ultra Hand, a reach extender toy.
- 1977Nintendo released the TV-Game 6 and TV-Game 15 home consoles.
- 1979Nintendo opened a coin-operated games division and Yokoi conceived the Game & Watch.
- 1980The first Game & Watch title, Ball, was released.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Engadget.
