NTDOY is the ticker symbol for shares of the Japanese Nintendo Co., Ltd. at PNK (the American electronic stock market, the so-called Pink Sheets). The shares are traded in US dollars (USD).

Nintendo is the global leader in interactive entertainment that specializes in equipment and software for gaming consoles, video games, etc.

History of the company

Nintendo was founded in 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, initially to handcraft and sell traditional Japanese “hanafuda” playing cards. In 1933, the company registered its official name as Yamauchi Nintendo & Co. Ltd.

Japanese traditions added an oriental touch to the history of development of the Yamauchi family business: since Fusajiro had no sons, control of the company was transferred to his son-in-law, Sekiryo Kaneda, who had to adopt the wife’s last name. Sekiryo produced no male progeny either, and in the end, the title went to his grandson Hiroshi, then 22 years old. Only in 2002, for the first time since 1889, did the company’s presidency go to a person not related to the Yamauchi family.

The year 1956 became a turning point for the brand. Having visited the USA, Hiroshi concluded that there is no potential in the demand for playing cards.

In 1966, Nintendo produced Ultra Hand and entered Japan’s toy industry, and in 1974, the company began its journey in video games, first with the right to sell the Magnavox Odyssey gaming console in the country.

Nintendo’s headquarters is in Kyoto, Japan, with branches and offices in America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

In 1980, Nintendo of America was established in New York, and a Nintendo store was opened in 2005, renamed Nintendo New York after an overhaul in 2016.

Capital and achievements

In 1980, Nintendo developed the Donkey Kong game that became a bestseller in both Japan and the US.

A number of portable Game & Watch video games were released in 1980, the first of which – Ball – became a hit worldwide.

In 1983, the Family Computer/Famicom game console held 90% of the Japanese market, and in 1985, under the name NES, it left all competitors far behind in the US market, becoming an absolute bestseller.

The company was behind many brands that became famous in the global gaming industry: Donkey Kong and Mario, Zelda and Metroid, Pokemon, etc. It released such gaming consoles as Nintendo 3DS/DS/DSi, Nintendo Switch, Super NES, Game Boy (Advance) (sold half a million units in Europe just in the first week after the release), Nintendo 64 (half a million units sold in the first day of sales), GameCube, as well as software and equipment for Wii(U) and others.

Overall, Nintendo ES sold over 4.4 billion video games, and 700 million units.

According to Nintendo, its income in 2018 amounted to $5.59 billion, of which $958 million was the profit.

In Q1 of 2020, in the very beginning of the COVID-19 tumult, Nintendo’s profit was $260,000, but already in Q2 it soared to $1.4 billion, representing a staggering growth by 428%!

Nintendo’s financial results showcase the gaming industry’s flourish during the COVID-19 lockdown: the number of copies sold for Animal Crossing has exceeded $22.4 million (in retrospect, a similar game sold half that much in 2018).

The market capitalization of Nintendo Co., Ltd. is $74,195,247,104.