Japanese video game giant "Nintendo" announced on Wednesday that it is in the process of establishing a museum in Japan to showcase a large number of games produced over more than 130 years. This museum, which will not open before 2023 or 2024, is located just a few kilometers from downtown Kyoto, western Japan, where the company's headquarters is situated. It will be set in a former factory where Nintendo produced several games, most notably "Hanafuda," which are traditional Japanese playing cards that were central to its business when it was founded in 1889, long before it ventured into video games.
The project has temporarily been named the "Nintendo Gallery," according to a group statement in English, and it will include "a large number of products that Nintendo has launched throughout its history," serving as a means "to allow the public to learn about the history of product development and the company's philosophy." The statement also clarified that the museum will provide interactive experiences.
Nintendo took its first steps into video games in 1977 with the launch of the home consoles "TV Game 15" and "TV Game 6," along with several games, including "Donkey Kong" in 1981. It then achieved global success with the release of the "Famicom" console in Japan in 1983, known overseas by the abbreviated name "NES" (Nintendo Entertainment System). The company opened a special section dedicated to the "Nintendo" world in March at the massive "Universal Studios" amusement park in Osaka, western Japan, marking the first of its kind.
