The secret to Nintendo's success (Encore)

<p dir="ltr">For the next week, we're running some of our favorite shows from this year. On today's show, a brief history of Nintendo and how a small playing card company in Japan became a gaming juggernaut. <p dir="ltr"><em>This piece originally aired June 16, 2025.</em><p dir="ltr"><strong>Related episodes:  <br /></strong><a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/05/08/1197958978/two-indicators-gaming-industry" target="_blank">Inside video game economics</a>  <br /><a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/04/22/1197963994/indicator-from-planet-money-live-service-games-warframe" target="_blank">Forever games: the economics of the live service model</a> <br /><a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/04/24/1197964043/the-boom-and-bust-of-esports" target="_blank">The boom and bust of esports</a> <br /><p dir="ltr"><em>For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at <a href="http://plus.npr.org/" target="_blank">plus.npr.org</a>. Fact-checking by <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez" target="_blank">Sierra Juarez</a>. Music by <a href="https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Drop Electric</a>. Find us: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney" target="_blank">TikTok</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money" target="_blank">Newsletter</a>.  </em><br /><br />See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">NPR Privacy Policy</a>