The Japanese electronics and video game company Nintendo plans to convert one of its factories into the world’s first Nintendo museum, according to a statement. They have been planning to construct a gallery as a way to share both their product development history and philosophy with the public.
Tentatively named Nintendo Gallery, the museum will sit at the site of the Nintendo Uji Ogura Plant, one of Nintendo’s older factories. It was originally built in 1969 and was used to manufacture playing cards, later housing a customer service center for product repairs. The factory, however, has sat unused since 2016 after the opening of a newer facility.
Nintendo, which began as a producer of playing cards in 1889, has achieved success with its game consoles as well as with the Mario, Legend of Zelda, and Pokémon media franchises.
In 2020 Nintendo was named Japan’s richest company. The release of the new game Animal Crossing: New Horizons coincided with the pandemic lockdown, which contributed to record sales of the Nintendo Switch handheld gaming system. Profits increased by 34% as the company earned over $16 billion in sales.
Pokémon playing cards have also found renewed interest during the pandemic, with a rare sealed Pokémon card set fetching $408,000 at Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas.
The museum, tentatively titled the Nintendo Gallery, will showcase the company’s historic products as well as related exhibits and game experiences. It is slated to open in 2024.