The term Nintendo Predecessor can be answered with the 5-letter word Atari. Atari was an American video game and home computer company founded in 1972. It is credited with pioneering the early home console market, and was the first company to release a console with interchangeable cartridges. Atari's most successful console was the Atari 2600, released in 1977. The company went bankrupt in 1984, but its legacy lives on in the gaming industry.