The secret to Nintendo's success (Encore)

Hey, everyone. Hope you're having a great holiday break. For the next week, we are running some of our favorite shows from this year. Today's episode is about how Nintendo became a gaming juggernaut. NPR. In the world of consumer electronics, being number one is usually an advantage. Like, if your product has the newest tech, the most features, the fastest processors, chances are people will line up to buy it. Sometimes though, it pays not to be number one. Take Nintendo. Earlier this month, it released its latest console, the Switch two. Now as a piece of video game machinery, the new Switch is nowhere near as powerful as its competitors, like the Sony PlayStation or the Microsoft Xbox. And yet, when the Switch two was released a little over a week ago Three, two, one, go. Gamers in New York camped out on the sidewalk outside a Nintendo store for hours just to snag one. She's been here since 12:30. Oh my god. So much longer than I thought. I've been here for now eighteen days, and me and my buddy, Chris and or Chicken Dog have been planning this for two years. Chicken Dog is such a great name. Anyway, despite the hype around this new product, today's episode is not about the Switch two because we think that the story of Nintendo itself is a lot more interesting. This is the indicator for Planet Money. I'm Adrienne Ma. And it's me, you Wei Lin Wong. Today on the show, the business strategy that transformed Nintendo from a tiny Japanese toy company to a global brand that includes games and movies and even theme parks. And how Nintendo reinvented the video game industry by not being number one. This message comes from LinkedIn ads. One of the hardest parts about b to b marketing is reaching the right audience. That's why you need LinkedIn ads. You can target your buyers by job title, company, role, seniority, and skills. All the professionals you need to reach in one place. Get a 250 credit on your next campaign so you can try it yourself. Just go to linkedin.com/nprpod. That's linkedin.com/nprpod. Terms and conditions apply only on LinkedIn ads. This message comes from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, connecting Americans to their shared maritime heritage for over twenty five years. The protection of important marine habitats and species, cultural heritage, and historic shipwrecks create strong marine economies for America's coastal communities. This giving season, please help keep the ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes clean, open, and accessible to all. Make your gift now at marinesanctuary.org/npr. This message comes from NPR sponsor Veeam. AI promised intelligence, but it also exposed everything people couldn't see, like scattered data and hidden risks. Now there's a new way forward where protection, governance, and AI trust move together. With Veeam plus Security AI, you can see your entire data estate in real time. Because when resilience, security, governance, and AI trust come together, innovation moves …