Nintendo: The Company and its Founders - Sharyland ISD

NINTENDO
Life was not that much easier for Yoko in
Vancouver. Marubeni’s developments were struggling
financially, and Mino was gone all the time, trying
to turn things around. But at least her husband was
not thousands of miles
away. The couple also
NINTENDO OF
had a new baby girl,
AMERICA’S LAWYER
and Yoko struggled
Despite its humble beginnings, Nintendo
of America (NOA) would go on to gain its grip with the loneliness of
on US culture with the advent of Donkey Kong caring for an infant by
arcade games, the Nintendo Entertainment
herself. In addition,
System, Game Boy, and the Wii. However, this
success came with its own problems. Lawsuits she was still learning
filed by companies competing for the entertainment
dollar threw an occasional wrench
English, which made
it difficult for her
into the works. Howard Lincoln was the US
lawyer who helped NOA navigate through to feel a part of the
some very rough waters, in particular, a battle
with Universal Studios, who claimed that
community. She was
Donkey Kong infringed on their King Kong getting homesick for
film copyright. Nintendo had already licensed Japan.
the game to several other companies, and a In 1979, after
firestorm of fear was building: they could all
potentially lose their investments through the two years of living in
legal fallout. Universal Studios lost the case Vancouver, Yoko and
since they did not in fact own the copyright;
Mino went home to
King Kong was in the public domain. Lincoln
was eventually appointed the chairman of Japan for a visit. By
NOA in 1994. As of 2010, he was chief executive
officer of the Seattle Mariners baseball
this time, Yoko had
given birth to another
team, which is owned by Hiroshi Yamauchi.
daughter. When
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