Nintendo in Japanese means, “Leave luck to heaven.” Shigeru Miyamoto, the first staff artist at Nintendo, had always idolized Walt Disney, and given his background in design, realized that in order to conceptualize his dream he need to utilize programming. By 1990, his creation of Mario had already become more recognizable than Mickey Mouse. The top 3 franchises at Nintendo were: Mario [$240 million], Pokemon [$200 million], and Zelda [$94 million]. Over 534 million games have been sold between Mario, Pokemon, and Zelda. In 2008, Nintendo earned $1.28 million dollars for every employee and during Thanksgiving week in 2009, Nintendo sold 2.5 systems every second. Nintendo is leading the gaming industry today, and as recognnizable as they are, there are numerous companies who lead various industries with individuals such as Shigeru. Although not an MBA grad, companies like Nintendo set a precedent in what MBA grads can learn outside of school. The enormous growth of this sector should interest any MBA candidate (as would many other high growth industries), as it demonstrates an innovative company to join in the future as well as the educational background needed for a position at Nintendo.

[Source: OnlineMBA.com]