What Can The Nintendo Gameboy Teach You In Your Business?

Quick History

The Nintendo Game Boy may somewhat restricted right now, but when released back in the late 1980’s it was so revolutionary, almost a step before it’s time. The Gameboy brought a handheld gaming experience to the masses, even with it’s green screen you still had the best time, playing title’s such as Tetris, Zelda and of course Mario.

It was the first nod to entertainment in your pocket and helped to shape the future for today’s apps, it also was a great evolution for Nintendo who have smashed out great consoles from the NES, SNES, Gameboy, WII and more recently the Switch. The Ninetendo Gameboy belongs on the list of important tech builds, that shaped the market and give us fantastic learnings to take into our own businesses.

Business Learning

The Game Boy didn’t come on the scene with a big fanfare, it didn’t have mad advertising campaigns. It simply piggybacked the Nintendo name and said - If you want it, come and buy it. It had the entire market because it created it, the static consoles and computers like the Amiga’s and Amstrads were confined to the TV, here you could take it anywhere, which along with ‘walkmans’ was slowly becoming the norm. The real lesson you need to think about is not about the actual tech but the audience habit something Apple got so right with the Ipod (but let’s save that for a rainy day).

By looking at what the audience needed, they were able to create a new market and be leaders in it, Nintendo have remained the best at handheld portable gaming devices since. It makes you appreciate companies like Dyson and Tesla who too took the market in a direction they wanted, rather than just adding yet another version of the tech.

Here’s a few key business learning pointers: -

1. The Nintendo Game Boy was first released on April 21, 1989, in Japan. It was created by Gunpei Yokoi and was designed to be a portable gaming device. The initial launch featured the now-classic grey, brick-shaped console.

Business Learnings: The console itself wasn’t that appealing but the concept is what we bought, portable, decent battery with plenty of different games. Sometimes in business we focus on polishing what we have, missing thousands of pounds worth of sales. If the concept is ready - Get out there and sell!

2. The Game Boy featured a monochrome screen, a directional pad, and the A and B buttons. It ran on AA batteries and had an impressive battery life. One of its most significant features was the ability to play games via interchangeable cartridges.

Business Learnings: Simply as it was, on it’s own it wouldn’t have been able to progress, Frogger did a great job but once you were bored of playing that was the end. So by having 3rd party businesses collab and sell into the system it assured the life of the Gameboy. Just as in your business, if you never change the menu, add new products or work with different businesses, then you run the risk of being stale and forgotton. Humans are loyal but often a shiny alternative can sway them quickly. Be that company that is always looking to advance.

3. "Tetris" was one of the launch titles for the Game Boy and became a huge success. It contributed significantly to the console's popularity.

Business Learnings: Whether by endless hours of market research or pure luck, the Gameboy launched with a great game, I would argue that it would have been slower growth without such a game. Tetris is the ultimate all rounder in that most people of all ages and gaming abilities are happy to play. Think about this in your business, what are the best products/ services that you have that you champion, you will always need a solid reason to exist, then you can evolve around that.

4. The Game Boy had an extensive library of games, including classics like "Super Mario Land," "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening," and "Pokémon Red and Blue." These titles helped establish the Game Boy as a dominant force in the handheld gaming market.

Business Learnings: As above they had the basics covered, but to rocket their sales they needed to give the user more reasons to keep using it. Enter bigger titles, longer games, brand titles that could stand up on their own, whilst enhancing the Gameboy’s experience. Sometimes you don’t need to own some of the products or services associated to your business, sometime you make profit as a consequence. For example… Being a guest on a podcast won’t line your pocket but it will let people know who you are (so you win) or Optimise Your Marketing gives away free website audits which shows value and trust.

5. In 1998, Nintendo introduced the Game Boy Color, an upgraded version of the original Game Boy that featured a colour screen. It was backward-compatible with Game Boy games.

Business Learnings: Nintendo found a way of re-selling the Gameboy, if you were already a super fan then to have the unit in colour not just green would blow your mind, it ensured a mass uptake in sales and kept the longevity. The same will be for your products or services, you have to keep evolving, look at what you have and see if you can improve it for the customer.

6. The Game Boy Advance, released in 2001, represented the next generation of handheld gaming. It featured more advanced graphics and a wider game library.

Business Learnings: When you have developed your core products and services to the best of your ability, it could be time to change it enough to charge a premium. Nintendo made a sharper graphics with larger games library, It was the obvious choice, the better the gameplay the more likely the customer would stay, it’s like an algorithm of it’s own! If you have an excellent business, start looking at what you could do today, in 5 years, 10 years etc. to keep right at the top of your market.

7. The Game Boy line eventually evolved into the Nintendo DS and 3DS, which continued the tradition of portable gaming. The Nintendo Switch, while a hybrid console, also incorporates elements from the Game Boy's legacy.

Business Learnings: Nintendo kept it’s audience alive and loyal with new developments, they lead the handheld market, evolving the technology as needed. The Switch for example can be handheld or streamed to a TV, they conquered the family friendly market and encourage titles that match their values. What will your product or service need to offer to keep people loyal to you?

8. The success of the Game Boy demonstrates the power of innovation and timing in the gaming industry. Nintendo identified a gap in the market for a portable gaming device and introduced the Game Boy at the right time, which gave them a competitive advantage.

Business Learnings: Every business has the same opportunities to develop something that is needed in the market, very few actually do! Instead they become a version of their competitors with slightly better pricing or more friendly customer service for example. You have to want to really get inside the customers head and help them with their business, then and only then will you be the chosen one in your industry.

9. The Game Boy's extended lifespan, with multiple iterations and compatibility with a vast library of games, showcases the value of creating versatile hardware. The ability to extend the life of a platform through backward compatibility and iterative improvements can be a profitable strategy.

Business Learnings: Nothing annoys a consumer more than when a purchase stops working, Nintendo recognised the importance that a game should work across multiple consoles. If you want proof how essential this is, think about buying music, you might have bought on LP, Cassette and CD, the same album multiple times, but now it’s probable that you don’t own any of those copies and instead fire up Spotify or Apple Music instead. People invest in the technology but only if the item they need the technology works on it, so yes evolve the product but always think about the user that has the older version (for around 10 years at least).

The Nintendo Game Boy's business success is a testament to a combination of innovative hardware, strong game development, brand recognition, and an understanding of the gaming market's evolving needs. These learnings continue to influence Nintendo's strategies in the gaming industry. It’s always good to think about successful companies and how they have achieved their greatness, it’s not a fluke, The gameboy was needed in the market, then it needed to evolve, keep watching with open eyes as if anyone can change the next chapter of handheld gaming systems Nintendo can.