Famicom

From Falcom Encyclopedia

Maker: Nintendo

Releases:
1983: Famicom

Description:
Following a series of arcade game successes in the early 1980s, Nintendo made plans to produce their own console hardware. Designed by Masayuki Uemura and released in Japan on July 15, 1983, the Nintendo Family Computer (Famicom) was slow to gather momentum: during its first year, many criticized the system as unreliable, prone to programming errors and rampant freezing. Following a product recall and a reissue with a new motherboard, however, the Famicom's popularity soared, becoming the best selling gaming console in Japan by the end of 1984. Encouraged by their successes, Nintendo soon turned their attentions to the North American market.

In June 1985, Nintendo unveiled its American Famicom at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). With a completely redesigned chassis and a new name, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) proved to be just as popular in America as it was in Japan, and played a major role in revitalizing interest in the video game industry following the video game crash of 1983.

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