How did Donkey Kong get his name?
Myth:
The commonly accepted reason for this peculier nomenclature is that the game was actulally supposed to be called Monkey Kong, but through some combination of bad telephone lines, inattentive listening and unfamiliarity with the Japanese accent the name Donkey Kong was born and printed up on arcade machines across the world before you could say. "but that doesn't make any sense". does it? well that right there is a Myth.
Truth:
Of course it's not true. Nintendo are hardly going to leave the name of one of there best games ever. known as Donkey Kong. at the time.. to some colth-eared gajin at the end of a broken telephone line. The actual reason for the name of the game was that the japanese- english dictionary. Nintendo were using at the time managed to convinced Miyamoto and the others that "donkey" was actually the English translation for the Japanese word meaning stupid or goofy. Quite why somebody with the better grasp of the English didn't point the truth out. but the name stuck and the good old DK is still going strong today. (Although we do wish we can go back to drawing him the way the great Miyamoto did. Instead of using the RARE horror version.) this is how Donkey Kong got his name. The truth? you bet it is.
DID MICROSOFT TRY TO BUY NINTENDO?
Myth:
It's pretty simple this one. Back when the Xbox was still at the edge of it's design stage. Microsoft's initial approach to dominating the industry was the supposed to be simply buying every company in sight that could possibly complete with them. Top of the list was SEGA and when they saidno (or Microsoft got a look at their bank balance.) Nintendo were next on there buying list. Since the is largely propagated by Nintendo haters. the reason for the deal not going through is not clearly drawn, eith the vague talk about Microsoft deciding they weren't worth asking for the price. this is also another Myth that is not true.
Truth:
Surprisingly this is all true. forget what I said above. so far as it goes. As detailed in the book Opening the Xbox : inside Microsoft's bigplan to unleash an Enterainment Revolution. Microsoft did indeed chair a number of meetings with Nintendo about there possible purchase. There was really only surprised curiosity from Nintendo's side though, with Yamauchi, predictably, being dead set about the idea. As current President Minoru Arakawa put's it, "We didn't need the money. I thought it was a joke." And to be honest if someone like the ne'er-do-well SEGA ( that ended up getting bought by a pachinko manufacturer) turns you down. That should have enough proof that money can't buy you love.
Was Nintendo really going to buy Sega?
MYTH:
Ever since Sega announce that the company was going to third party publisher. That gave Nintendo an idea to buy out the company. since the dreamcast didn't last that long. So Nintendo was telling every magazine and company that Sega will be bought. After years of fighting back and fourth in the console wars. Sega finally gave up.
TRUTH:
Yes Sega was going to a third party publisher. But with some rumor that started it all. Got everyone thinking that Nintendo was going to buy Sega. But Sega was Never for sale. and they decided to design games for all three home consoles. But the best part of this is. Nintendo got the Sonic adventure DX and Sonic adventure 2 battle only for the Nintendo gamecube.
Was Atari really given the chance to import the NES to USA?
MYTH:
According to a rumor Nintendo aproached Atari to see if they'd distribute the NES outside of Japan so the United States can play more video games. After intense negotiations a deal was made upon, only to be scuppered at the last second by Atari getting funny about the small print and then deciding that Nintendo and it's machine were good and they'd get along fine with the Atari 7800.
TRUTH:
The real fact of the truth of this matter is that Atari weren't being morons at all, far as it goes from it. If anything it was Nintendo who were being a bit funny, as they were offering up world-wide rights and exclusive software support. They were in essence offering to become second party developers on their own console. Thery were asking for a big royalty percentage sure enough. But in all of there respect they were gifting the whole video game industry to Atari. The thing is though at the times of Atari's financial fiddle wasn't quite as fit as they used to be. They were just trying to string Nintendo along in negotiations, keeping them from signing a deal with anyone elese or breakingout their own, while they tried to make a go with Atari 7800 without any competition in their way. They failed. You can bet Yamauchi wasn't to happy about it when he found out.