Ten years ago, tough times had hit Nintendo with shrinking sales and profits, increasing demand for new products and growing pressure from competitors. What hope was there for a comeback from a tradition-bound company that had seemingly lost its way?
For Nintendo, the dire situation facing it in 2001 was just another hiccup in its long rise to the top of the video games world. As the same conditions reappear in 2011, confidence remains high in yet another revolutionary turnaround from the venerable 121-year-old Kyoto institution.
Admiration for Nintendo has been seen in recent works, including Nikkei Business journalist Osamu Inoue's "Nintendo Magic," which detailed insights from corporate insiders. While not benefiting from the same access, Daniel Sloan's "Playing to Wiin: Nintendo and the Video Game Industry's Greatest Comeback" offers another excellent case study in corporate reinvention.