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==Career==
==Career==
[[File:Nintendo Gameboy.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Yokoi is best known for his creation of the [[Game Boy]].]]
[[File:Nintendo Gameboy.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Yokoi is best known for his creation of the [[Game Boy]].]]
In 1970, [[Hiroshi Yamauchi]], president of Nintendo at the time, came to a [[hanafuda]] factory Yokoi was working at and took notice of a toy, an extending [[arm]], which Yokoi made for his own amusement during spare time as the company's janitor and machine maintenance man. Yamauchi ordered Yokoi to develop it as a proper product for the Christmas rush. The [[Ultra Hand]] was a huge success, and Yokoi was asked to work on other Nintendo toys including the [[Nintendo tumbler puzzle|Ten Billion Barrel]] puzzle, a miniature remote-controlled vacuum cleaner called the Chiritory, a baseball throwing machine called the [[Ultra Machine]], and a "[[Love Tester]]". He worked on toys until the company decided to make video games in 1974,<ref name="powerplay">{{Cite book |title=Powerplay |last=Fleming |first=Dan |publisher=[[Manchester University Press|Manchester University Press ND]] |year=1996 |page=[http://books.google.com/books?id=U3u7AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA180&dq=%22color+tv+game%22 180] |isbn=978-0-7190-4717-6}}</ref> when he became one of its first game designers, only preceded by [[Genyo Takeda]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://us.wii.com/iwata_asks/punchout/vol1_page1.jsp |title=Proposition: Use Two Televisions |work=Iwata Asks: Punch-Out!! |publisher=[[Nintendo of America, Inc.]] |date=13 September 2009 |accessdate=23 September 2010}}</ref> Traveling on a [[Shinkansen|bullet train]], Yokoi saw a bored businessman playing with an [[LCD]] [[calculator]] by pressing the buttons. Yokoi then got the idea for a watch that doubled as a miniature game machine for killing time,<ref name="escapist">{{cite web|last=Varney |first=Allen |url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_87/490-Searching-for-Gunpei-Yokoi |title=The Escapist: Searching for Gunpei Yokoi |publisher=Escapistmagazine.com |date=2007-03-06 |accessdate=2011-06-01}}</ref> and went on to create [[Game & Watch]], a line of [[handheld electronic game]]s.
PIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE1970, [[Hiroshi Yamauchi]], president of Nintendo at the time, came to a [[hanafuda]] factory Yokoi was working at and took notice of a toy, an extending [[arm]], which Yokoi made for his own amusement during spare time as the company's janitor and machine maintenance man. Yamauchi ordered Yokoi to develop it as a proper product for the Christmas rush. The [[Ultra Hand]] was a huge success, and Yokoi was asked to work on other Nintendo toys including the [[Nintendo tumbler puzzle|Ten Billion Barrel]] puzzle, a miniature remote-controlled vacuum cleaner called the Chiritory, a baseball throwing machine called the [[Ultra Machine]], and a "[[Love Tester]]". He worked on toys until the company decided to make video games in 1974,<ref name="powerplay">{{Cite book |title=Powerplay |last=Fleming |first=Dan |publisher=[[Manchester University Press|Manchester University Press ND]] |year=1996 |page=[http://books.google.com/books?id=U3u7AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA180&dq=%22color+tv+game%22 180] |isbn=978-0-7190-4717-6}}</ref> when he became one of its first game designers, only preceded by [[Genyo Takeda]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://us.wii.com/iwata_asks/punchout/vol1_page1.jsp |title=Proposition: Use Two Televisions |work=Iwata Asks: Punch-Out!! |publisher=[[Nintendo of America, Inc.]] |date=13 September 2009 |accessdate=23 September 2010}}</ref> Traveling on a [[Shinkansen|bullet train]], Yokoi saw a bored businessman playing with an [[LCD]] [[calculator]] by pressing the buttons. Yokoi then got the idea for a watch that doubled as a miniature game machine for killing time,<ref name="escapist">{{cite web|last=Varney |first=Allen |url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_87/490-Searching-for-Gunpei-Yokoi |title=The Escapist: Searching for Gunpei Yokoi |publisher=Escapistmagazine.com |date=2007-03-06 |accessdate=2011-06-01}}</ref> and went on to create [[Game & Watch]], a line of [[handheld electronic game]]s.
In {{vgy|1981}}, Yamauchi appointed Yokoi to supervise ''[[Donkey Kong (video game)|Donkey Kong]]'', an arcade game created by [[Shigeru Miyamoto]].<ref name="Kent">Kent 158.</ref> Yokoi explained many of the intricacies of game design to Miyamoto at the beginning of his career, and the project only came to be approved after Yokoi brought Miyamoto's game ideas to the president's attention.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://us.wii.com/iwata_asks/nsmb/vol1_page1.jsp |title=Mario Couldn't Jump At First |work=Iwata Asks: New Super Mario Bros. Wii |publisher=[[Nintendo of America, Inc.]] |date=13 November 2009 |accessdate=23 September 2010}}</ref>
In {{vgy|1981}}, Yamauchi appointed Yokoi to supervise ''[[Donkey Kong (video game)|Donkey Kong]]'', an arcade game created by [[Shigeru Miyamoto]].<ref name="Kent">Kent 158.</ref> Yokoi explained many of the intricacies of game design to Miyamoto at the beginning of his career, and the project only came to be approved after Yokoi brought Miyamoto's game ideas to the president's attention.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://us.wii.com/iwata_asks/nsmb/vol1_page1.jsp |title=Mario Couldn't Jump At First |work=Iwata Asks: New Super Mario Bros. Wii |publisher=[[Nintendo of America, Inc.]] |date=13 November 2009 |accessdate=23 September 2010}}</ref>


Revision as of 14:18, 22 December 2011

Gunpei Yokoi
Born(1941-09-10)September 10, 1941
Kyoto, Japan
DiedOctober 4, 1997(1997-10-04) (aged 56)
Japan
Alma materDoshisha University
OccupationGame designer
Years active1970-1997

Gunpei Yokoi (横井 軍平, Yokoi Gunpei, September 10, 1941 – October 4, 1997), sometimes spelt Gumpei Yokoi, was a Japanese video game designer. He was a long-time Nintendo employee, creator of the Game Boy and Game & Watch handheld systems, and producer of several long-running and critically acclaimed video game franchises. In 1997, he was killed after being struck by a car on the Hokuriku Expressway.

Early life

Gunpei Yokoi was born in 1941 and grew up in Kyoto. He graduated from Doshisha University with a degree in electronics. He was first hired by Nintendo in 1965 to maintain the assembly-line machines used to manufacture its Hanafuda cards.[1]

Career

Yokoi is best known for his creation of the Game Boy.

PIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE1970, Hiroshi Yamauchi, president of Nintendo at the time, came to a hanafuda factory Yokoi was working at and took notice of a toy, an extending arm, which Yokoi made for his own amusement during spare time as the company's janitor and machine maintenance man. Yamauchi ordered Yokoi to develop it as a proper product for the Christmas rush. The Ultra Hand was a huge success, and Yokoi was asked to work on other Nintendo toys including the Ten Billion Barrel puzzle, a miniature remote-controlled vacuum cleaner called the Chiritory, a baseball throwing machine called the Ultra Machine, and a "Love Tester". He worked on toys until the company decided to make video games in 1974,[2] when he became one of its first game designers, only preceded by Genyo Takeda.[3] Traveling on a bullet train, Yokoi saw a bored businessman playing with an LCD calculator by pressing the buttons. Yokoi then got the idea for a watch that doubled as a miniature game machine for killing time,[4] and went on to create Game & Watch, a line of handheld electronic games. In Template:Vgy, Yamauchi appointed Yokoi to supervise Donkey Kong, an arcade game created by Shigeru Miyamoto.[5] Yokoi explained many of the intricacies of game design to Miyamoto at the beginning of his career, and the project only came to be approved after Yokoi brought Miyamoto's game ideas to the president's attention.[6]

After the worldwide success of Donkey Kong, Yokoi continued to work with Miyamoto on the next Mario game, Mario Bros.[7] He proposed the multiplayer concept and convinced his co-worker to give Mario some superhuman abilities, such as the ability to jump from higher places unharmed.[7]

After Mario Bros., Yokoi produced several R&D1 games such as Kid Icarus and Metroid. He also designed ROB and the Game Boy, the latter of which became a worldwide success. Another of his creations, the Virtual Boy, was a big failure, but was not why he left Nintendo soon after. According to his colleague Yoshihiro Taki, "Yokoi had originally decided to retire at 50 to do as he pleased. His retirement had simply been a bit later than planned." According to David Sheff's book Game Over, Yokoi never actually intended for the console to be released in its present form. However, Nintendo pushed the Virtual Boy to market so that it could focus development resources on the Nintendo 64.[8]

Amid the failure of the Virtual Boy, Yokoi left Nintendo on August 15th, 1996 after 31 years at the company. However, he did not leave before completing the more successful Game Boy Pocket as a going-away present in July of that year. Leaving with several of his subordinates to form a new company called Koto, Yokoi led the development of the Bandai WonderSwan handheld gaming machine.[9]

Death

On October 4, 1997, while driving on the Hokuriku Expressway with his associate Etsuo Kiso, Yokoi rear-ended a truck driven by Takashi Okushima.[10][11] After the two men had left the car to inspect the damage, Yokoi was hit and fatally injured by a passing car. Contrary to urban legends of foul play, the driver of the passenger car that hit Yokoi in the second accident was Gen Tsushima, a member of the tourism industry.[11] Yokoi was pronounced dead two hours later.[12][4]

Impact

In 2003, Yokoi posthumously received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the International Game Developers Association.[13] GameTrailers placed him on their lists for the "Top Ten Game Creators".[14]

References

  1. ^ "Forgotten Giant: The Brilliant Life and Tragic Death of Gunpei Yokoi". Game Informer. 12 (105): 116. 2002. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  2. ^ Fleming, Dan (1996). Powerplay. Manchester University Press ND. p. 180. ISBN 978-0-7190-4717-6.
  3. ^ "Proposition: Use Two Televisions". Iwata Asks: Punch-Out!!. Nintendo of America, Inc. 13 September 2009. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
  4. ^ a b Varney, Allen (2007-03-06). "The Escapist: Searching for Gunpei Yokoi". Escapistmagazine.com. Retrieved 2011-06-01.
  5. ^ Kent 158.
  6. ^ "Mario Couldn't Jump At First". Iwata Asks: New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Nintendo of America, Inc. 13 November 2009. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
  7. ^ a b "The Reason Mario Wears Overalls". Iwata Asks: New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Nintendo of America, Inc. 13 November 2009. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
  8. ^ Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children by David Sheff, 1993, Random House.
  9. ^ Geemu no Chichi, Yokoi Gunpei Den: Nintendo no DNA wo Souzou Shita Otoko by Takefumi Makino, 2010, Kadokawa Shoten.
  10. ^ "Game Boy Inventor Dies in Car Crash". IGN. IGN Entertainment, Inc. October 6, 1997. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  11. ^ a b Brian Ashcraft (2011-04-07). "The Father of the Game Boy Was Not Killed By Yakuza". Kotaku.com. Retrieved 2011-06-18.
  12. ^ "IGN: Gunpei Yokoi Biography". Stars.ign.com. Retrieved 2011-06-01.
  13. ^ "Game Boy Creator Gunpei Yokoi to Receive IGDA'S Lifetime Achievement Award At The 3rd Annual Game Developers Choice Awards". 20 February 2003. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
  14. ^ "Top Ten Game Creators". Gametrailers.com. Retrieved 2010-02-28.

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