Today on War Stories, Ars Technica is joined by Gail Tilden, the visionary marketing mind behind Nintendo of America's triumphant launch of the NES in 1985. 35 years ago, Nintendo knew they had a winner on their hands with the revolutionary Nintendo Entertainment System. However, following the early-1980’s collapse of the U.S. video game market, skeptical retailers and consumers alike would prove a difficult obstacle in bringing their product to the masses. Learn surprising details about the ups and downs Gail and her band of colleagues overcame in making the NES the cultural icon it is today, the methodology and partnerships that went into convincing doubtful retailers, and how Nintendo ultimately persuaded millions of families to open their living rooms to more than "just the next fad." If Gail's interviews for "High Score" on Netflix left you wanting more, this episode has you covered. -- 00:00 Introduction 00:58 A Famicom For The U.S. 05:54 Convincing America That This Was New 10:52 The NES - Fun For The Whole Family 19:44 Now You’re Playing With Power -- Footage used in this video: News Report: Nintendo's Revival of the Video Game Industry. December 1988 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59JesM8mIFQ The Best NINTENDO Arcades https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmsFh77b53o Game & Watch - Flagman (c)1980 Nintendo [MAME emulation footage] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6S3D068zuc Nintendo - Mario's Cement Factory Video Game Commercial - 1983 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkveNFgB0zo Very first Nintendo Family Computer Commercial [1983] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0q1A08LDMY Famicom commercials https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKXr_DbqHsU NES TV Commercials (1986-1994) - NintendoComplete https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD3cgdLKeyA NUTS FOR NINTENDO special on ABC news 2020 from 1988 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt4KG9ib8S4 16 Minutes of Atari 2600 Commercials from the 70s / 80s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5-h-sEpYj8 Excavating the Atari E.T. Video Game Burial Site-GameLife-WIRED https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHXK2mKtu20 Early NES Nintendo Commercial featuring ROBtherobot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrUMC84GFZE Nintendo Zapper Commercial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dieaJefeU9I Duck Hunt (NES) Playthrough - NintendoComplete https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3sfsP9W048 Golf (NES) Playthrough - NintendoComplete https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K93xjNrh9Xw Clu Clu Land - NES Gameplay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QitNp1YjmPk Ice Climber - NES Gameplay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nzBivwWI4A Parents Upset Over New Nintendo Console - Super Nintendo - Circa 1991 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTzyz2TgGls Ninja Kid - NES Gameplay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxR6U8KP99s Baseball (NES) Playthrough - NintendoComplete https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_hETp0pAuU Mario Bros. (Nintendo, 1986) - NES Gameplay HD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRberxzvAIc 1980s Electrical store 1980s Dixons British Retail British Shops TV Eye 1986 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nmy4RscESUg Nintendo-Published NES Games (1985-1986) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zpcek_Hge6Q RealSports Tennis for the Atari 8-bit family https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xI8QnHi_Vc The Console Wars -- XMas 1990 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_E2lh1lgmk Teddy Ruxpin Commercial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EshrR-xk2E Punch-Out!! - NES Gameplay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPooTVA45SQ My Top 10 BEST Issues of Nintendo Power https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3muhl-cIPE 1990 Nintendo Power Commercial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SFt0MdTTSA Connect with Ars Technica: Visit ArsTechnica.com: http://arstechnica.com/ Follow Ars Technica on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arstechnica Follow Ars Technica on Google+: https://plus.google.com/+ArsTechnica/videos Follow Ars Technica on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arstechnica How The NES Conquered A Skeptical America In 1985 | War Stories | Ars Technica