La Historia del Family Game en Argentina Cap.0 Presentación

Retro History Games

12 Sept 202305:04

Summary

TLDRThe video script delves into the history of the Family Computer, known as 'Family Game' in Argentina, which became a cultural icon after its 1983 launch. Despite facing numerous pirate clones, especially in Argentina, Nintendo's 8-bit console achieved massive success with games like Super Mario Bros and The Legend of Zelda. The script explores the console's origin, design, and impact, including its transition from cartridges to discs with the GameCube, and the nostalgia it evokes among generations who grew up with it.

Takeaways

🕹️ The Family Computer, originally known as 'family game' in Argentina, was a popular gaming console that faced numerous pirate clones in some countries.
🌐 It was first launched in Japan in 1983 and became a success in Asia, Europe, and the United States, despite the rise of pirate clones.
🎮 The console's popularity in Argentina led to the 'family game' becoming a generic term for similar gaming devices in the market.
💡 Hiroshi Yamauchi, Nintendo's president and grandson of the founder, wanted a more powerful and affordable version of the Cassette Vision, leading to the creation of the Family Computer.
🛠️ The development of the Family Computer utilized existing hardware and elements from products already in the market, such as the arcade Donkey Kong for image processing.
🎨 The name 'Family Computer' was suggested by the wife of Masayuki Uemura, inspired by personal computers or PCs, and it was designed to be user-friendly for non-tech enthusiasts.
📈 In Japan, the 8-bit console quickly became a commercial success, selling 2.5 million units by 1984 and supporting home versions of popular arcade games.
📚 Nintendo developed its own hits like Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid, which contributed to the console's success.
🇺🇸 In the United States, Nintendo faced a different reality with a video game industry crisis and a shift towards personal computers, leading to a cautious approach to launching the console.
📝 Nintendo established exclusivity and licensing agreements with game developers like Namco, Konami, and Capcom to create games for the console, ensuring a strong lineup.
🔒 The company also incorporated a chip in each machine to prevent the use of unofficial cartridges, protecting the quality and integrity of the gaming experience.
📚 The Family Computer continued to be produced and sold even after the introduction of 16-bit consoles like Sega's Mega Drive, and Nintendo continued to manufacture replacements and consoles until 1995.
🔙 Nintendo discontinued the Family Computer in America and Europe in 1995 and in Japan in 2003, marking the end of an era for the iconic console.

Q & A

What is the original name of the console known as 'Family Game' in Argentina?
-The original name of the console is 'Family Computer'.
In which country did the Family Computer make its debut?
-The Family Computer debuted in Japan.
What was the impact of the Family Computer's popularity on the market?
-Its popularity led to a flood of copies, some of which became generic in certain countries.
Why did Nintendo consider using cartridges for the Family Computer instead of discs?
-Nintendo chose cartridges due to cost considerations and to not alienate non-tech-savvy users.
Who was the leader of the project that developed the Family Computer?
-Masayuki Uemura led the project to develop the Family Computer.
What hardware did Nintendo use to create the image processing chip for the Family Computer?
-They used the arcade version of Donkey Kong to create the image processing chip.
Who suggested the name 'Family Computer' for the console?
-The name was suggested by the wife of Masayuki Uemura.
How did the Family Computer perform in the Japanese market after its debut in 1983?
-It quickly became a commercial success, with 2.5 million units sold in Japan by 1984.
What was Nintendo's strategy in the United States to prevent the Family Computer from being overshadowed by the personal computer boom?
-Nintendo introduced the Nintendo vs. System, a redesigned version of the Family Computer, and developed a new business model with exclusivity and licensing agreements with game developers.
What was the name of the chip incorporated in each Family Computer to prevent the reading of unofficial cartridges?
-The chip is referred to as the 'lock-out chip', but the specific name is not mentioned in the script.
How did the Family Game become a generic term in Argentina for similar consoles?
-The Family Game was so popular that its name became generic within the segment, registered by a local company called Electrolab.
When did Nintendo discontinue the Family Computer in Japan?
-Nintendo discontinued the Family Computer in Japan in 2003.

Outlines

00:00

🎮 The Rise of the Family Computer

This paragraph delves into the origins and success of the Family Computer, originally known as the 'family game' in Argentina. It discusses how the console, which first launched in Japan in 1983, achieved widespread popularity, leading to numerous pirate clones, particularly in Argentina. The paragraph also touches on Nintendo's history with arcades and how the Family Computer's launch propelled the company to become a giant in the video game industry. It mentions the creation of the console, the decision to use cartridges over discs, and the involvement of key Nintendo personnel, such as Masayuki Uemura and Hiroshi Yamauchi, in its development.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Family Game

Family Game is a term used in Argentina to refer to a popular gaming console that was originally named Family Computer. It is a key concept in the video as it represents the widespread adoption and imitation of the console in Argentina, turning it into a generic term for similar devices. The script mentions that despite its original Japanese debut, the Family Game became a household name in Argentina, overshadowing the original Family Computer.

💡Family Computer

Family Computer, also known as Famicom, is the original name of the gaming console launched by Nintendo in Japan in 1983. It is central to the video's theme as it discusses the console's success and the subsequent creation of clones and generic versions like the Family Game in Argentina. The script highlights its popularity in Asia, Europe, and the United States, and its role in transforming Nintendo into a giant in the video game industry.

💡Clones

Clones in the context of the video refer to unauthorized copies or imitations of the original Family Computer. They are significant as they represent the impact of the console's success, leading to a flood of copies in some countries. The Family Game in Argentina is mentioned as the most well-known of these clones, illustrating the global reach and influence of the original console.

💡Yoshi Yamaguchi

Yoshi Yamaguchi is identified in the script as the number one at Nintendo and the grandson of the founder. His desire for a more powerful and affordable version of the gaming console led to the development of the Family Computer. His role is crucial as it shows the company's internal drive for innovation and improvement, which contributed to the console's design and success.

💡Game & Watch

Game & Watch is a series of portable gaming devices that inspired the controls of the Family Computer. The script mentions this to illustrate the evolution of Nintendo's product design, drawing from their existing successful products to create the user interface for the new console.

💡Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong is an arcade game used by Nintendo to create the chip for processing images in the Family Computer. It is a classic example of how existing successful intellectual properties were leveraged to enhance the capabilities of the new console, as mentioned in the script when discussing the development of the hardware.

💡Casset Vision

Casset Vision is mentioned in the script as the most sold console in Japan at the beginning of the 1980s. It provides a historical context for the Family Computer's release, showing the market conditions and competition that the new console had to overcome to achieve its success.

💡Super Mario Bros

Super Mario Bros is one of Nintendo's own hits developed for the Family Computer. The script highlights it as part of the home versions of arcade games that boomed in the world of gaming, demonstrating the console's ability to create iconic and successful game titles that contributed to its popularity.

💡Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)

The Nintendo Entertainment System, or NES, is the name under which the Family Computer was known in the United States. The script discusses the challenges and strategies Nintendo used to launch the console in the U.S. market, including the creation of the Nintendo vs. System and the development of a new business model with exclusive agreements and licensing.

💡SNES/Super Famicom

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), or Super Famicom in Japan, is the successor to the Family Computer mentioned in the script. Its release in the late 1980s and early 1990s shows the continued evolution of Nintendo's gaming consoles, even as the original Family Computer was still being manufactured and sold.

💡GameCube

The GameCube is Nintendo's gaming console that followed the SNES and marked the end of the cartridge era for Nintendo, as it used optical discs instead. The script mentions this to illustrate the technological advancements and changes in the gaming industry, as well as Nintendo's adaptation to these changes.

💡Nostalgia

Nostalgia is a sentiment that the video aims to evoke among viewers who had the Family Computer as their first gaming console. The script refers to the Family representing a cultural icon for several generations, indicating the emotional connection and memories associated with the console.

Highlights

In Argentina, the Family Computer is widely known as the Family Game, despite its original name and Japanese debut.

The Family Computer's popularity led to a flood of copies, some becoming generic in certain countries.

Nintendo had been successfully involved in the arcade business before the launch of the Family Computer in 1983.

The Family Computer became a success in Asia, Europe, and the United States.

In Argentina, the most known pirate clone was the Family Game.

Many of Nintendo's main characters originated from the Famicom.

The Cassette Vision was the best-selling console in Japan in the early 1980s.

Yoshi Yamaguchi, Nintendo's number one and the founder's grandson, wanted a more powerful and cheaper version of the Cassette Vision.

The Gamecom project was led by Masayuki Uemura and Nintendo's development department.

Nintendo considered using discs but Yamauchi preferred a cartridge-based console for cost and user-friendliness.

The Family Computer's hardware was designed using existing market products, such as the arcade Donkey Kong for image processing.

Uemura's wife suggested the name 'Family Computer', inspired by personal computers.

The 8-bit Nintendo console debuted in the Japanese market in 1983 and quickly became a commercial success.

By 1984, 2.5 million units of the Famicom were sold in Japan.

Nintendo developed its own hits like Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid.

In the US, Nintendo created its subsidiary in 1980 and faced a crisis in the gaming industry in 1983.

Nintendo introduced the Nintendo vs. System, an arcade cabinet with several Famicom games, before launching the Family Computer in the US.

Nintendo signed exclusivity and licensing agreements with developers like Namco, Konami, and Capcom for game development.

A chip was incorporated in each machine to prevent the reading of unofficial cartridges.

The Family Game became so popular in Argentina that it turned into a generic name within the segment.

Nintendo continued to manufacture replacement parts and consoles until discontinuation in 1995.

Nintendo abandoned cartridges in 2003 with the introduction of the GameCube, which used optical discs.

In 2004, Nintendo released a vintage hit with a group of NES games for the Game Boy Advance, selling nearly 3 million copies in the first six months.

The Family represents a cultural icon for several generations and generates nostalgia among those who had this console as their first.