When you think of Nintendo of America, the first thing that might come to mind is their well-known Redmond, Washington building, which effectively serves as the headquarters for that branch of the company and is where all the localizations take place. You might not have known that Nintendo also has a number of other buildings dotted around the United States and Canada, which serve as sales and marketing offices. In a sudden decision, however, Nintendo has closed two of those offices--the ones in Toronto, Ontario, and Redwood City, California specifically. The news appears to come as somewhat of a surprise, not just to the public, but also to the employees at those respective Nintendo locations, as an anonymous source at Kotaku claims that the now displaced staff--about 100 former employees--are upset at this decision. According to a statement from Nintendo, some of that staff will be kept on and instead moved to the Redmond and Vancouver locations.

The office closures also come with the resignation of Nintendo of America's SVP of Sales and Marketing, Nick Chavez, a role once held by the current president of NOA, Doug Bowser. An update to Chavez's LinkedIn profile shows that after years of working at Nintendo, he will be moving to Yum! Brands, where he'll be in the sales and marketing department for Kentucky Fried Chicken. With his departure, Devon Pritchard will be the new SVP of Sales and Marketing.

Nintendo of America headquarters are in Redmond, WA, and Vancouver, BC. We are moving more of our employees and operations into those headquarters and will be closing small satellite offices in Toronto, ON, and Redwood City, CA, over time.

Devon Pritchard, Executive Vice President, Business Affairs and Publisher Relations for Nintendo of America (NOA), will assume interim leadership of Sales, Marketing and Communications following the departure of Nick Chavez. Ms. Pritchard will oversee strategy and execution of sales, marketing and communications across the U.S. and Canada.

Source

 

[eyeliner]

So, they shut down marketing and localization offices.
Not sure about the marketing aspect, but localizations were barely existing for first party titles.
Possibly we'll get amazing translations like in the NES era, now.

 

[cearp]

Sad news.

You'd be surprised. Since the pandemic, some people have started secretly working multiple jobs from home - simultaneously! You can read more about it at overemployed.com. Not only are they able to rake in a lot more money by being double or even triple employed, but it also means it's not the end of the world if they lose one of their jobs. Rather than working on being proficient at a job skill, these people try to earn skills at acing job interviews and getting hired.

Your CV would look funny if you did it!
But it's a clever idea, for some situations. I wouldn't want to do it myself unless my job was really undemanding.
Taking days off would require 2x the work

 

[Xzi]

That's how businesses work

Yet employees are expected to give two weeks notice lmao.

+1 to this being a dick move. Ninty could double the salary of every low and mid-tier employee on their payroll and it would barely affect their bottom line. Sudden branch closures are usually only something you do when the business as a whole is doing poorly.

 

[Lazyt]

i guess switch is not selling well

 

[HellGhast]

Yet employees are expected to give two weeks notice lmao.

+1 to this being a dick move. Ninty could double the salary of every low and mid-tier employee on their payroll and it would barely affect their bottom line. Sudden branch closures are usually only something you do when the business as a whole is doing poorly.

Am sure they could double low level employees salary but Mega corporations would rather lay off those employees and use that money to give top level mofos an annual $ 20 million bonus in addition to the 100+ million they earn.

 

[HellGhast]

Hey this chick Kallie Plagge who used to do reviews on gamespot, controversial in that she sometimes gave bad scores to long Rpg games which she seems to have played for very few hours ala Days Gone and Cyberpunk.

She left gamespot and I think she went to work for Ninty. I hope Ninty did not fire her.

 

[Janschi]

Maybe in US. In most European countries shutting down office and because of that laying off at least some percentage of workers (depends on country) without heads up is punishable by law.

Exactly! I'm somewhat shocked by how American businesses operate. If you don't put in a notice when you wanna leave a company they can take you to court here, but it is also the other way around. Job Security really isn't a thing in North America I guess.

Sad news.


Your CV would look funny if you did it!
But it's a clever idea, for some situations. I wouldn't want to do it myself unless my job was really undemanding.
Taking days off would require 2x the work

You don't have to put everything into your CV. I have worked so many different areas and jobs that I only put things on the CV that are relevant for the position that I am applying for. But a CV is mostly common in the UK. Whereas in the US and Germany a resume (a summary) is used.

 

[Purple_Shyguy]

The small company Nintendo tightening it's belt it seems.

 

[JuanMena]

MY UNCLE WORKS AT NINTENDO

 

[Deleted member 546149]

Nintendo's reputation as a company has really gone down in the last few years.
As a Game Developer they still remain somewhat strong but they've really lost care on what's the best thing to do over money.
They even removed the Iwata tribute on the Switch
Just horrible

 

[FAST6191]

Exactly! I'm somewhat shocked by how American businesses operate. If you don't put in a notice when you wanna leave a company they can take you to court here, but it is also the other way around. Job Security really isn't a thing in North America I guess.

There are upsides and downsides to the US approach, and we could also cover the right to work stuff as it pertains to the US. One of the upsides is it is easier to get a foot in the door where a lot of stuff in Europe where getting rid of someone is a nightmare task if you want to do it quickly so you wait until a proven track record type shows up.

That said companies in Europe are not magically better or anything in this regard. If they want to shut things down they just make the job untenable (bad practices*, no overtime, no promotions, no perks, hiring freeze, odd hours...), force you to travel, change the office location but give you the required notice knowing full well that nobody (or at least 95%) is going to upend their life to move to a new city (naturally one of the lesser ones in a given country/region you hired a run down office block for a few months or maybe have and existing operation in) and possibly off their own back or with the meagre relocation grant they offer that will barely cover a van rental. Marginally more annoying than "yeah don't turn up tomorrow" but this is why you pay the sub human slimes that make up the average HR department or consultancy. You don't even have to get everybody to quit, just enough of them that the location (which if your accountant/lawyer did their job properly is a separate entity after a fashion) becomes untenable and can go for more traditional methods.

*possibly even broaching into constructive dismissal territory knowing few will have the desire to make a case.

 

[Dud]

So, they shut down marketing and localization offices.
Not sure about the marketing aspect, but localizations were barely existing for first party titles.
Possibly we'll get amazing translations like in the NES era, now.

Or rely on the fans to do what Nintendon't.

 

[Foxi4]

”an anonymous source at Kotaku claims that the now displaced staff--about 100 former employees--are upset at this decision”.

Sounds kind of redundant. As someone who has been apart of a few company downsizings…I can’t remember a single displaced employee NOT being upset at losing his job!

It depends on your severance package - I personally know a guy who celebrated being laid off.

 

[The Catboy]

Iwata literally took pay cuts to prevent anyone from losing their job when Nintendo was struggling. Nintendo isn’t even struggling these days, this was just a dick move from a company drifting further from what everyone used love them for.

 

[Darth Meteos]

That's how businesses work

And that's bad.

 

[Janschi]

There are upsides and downsides to the US approach, and we could also cover the right to work stuff as it pertains to the US. One of the upsides is it is easier to get a foot in the door where a lot of stuff in Europe where getting rid of someone is a nightmare task if you want to do it quickly so you wait until a proven track record type shows up.

That said companies in Europe are not magically better or anything in this regard. If they want to shut things down they just make the job untenable (bad practices*, no overtime, no promotions, no perks, hiring freeze, odd hours...), force you to travel, change the office location but give you the required notice knowing full well that nobody (or at least 95%) is going to upend their life to move to a new city (naturally one of the lesser ones in a given country/region you hired a run down office block for a few months or maybe have and existing operation in) and possibly off their own back or with the meagre relocation grant they offer that will barely cover a van rental. Marginally more annoying than "yeah don't turn up tomorrow" but this is why you pay the sub human slimes that make up the average HR department or consultancy. You don't even have to get everybody to quit, just enough of them that the location (which if your accountant/lawyer did their job properly is a separate entity after a fashion) becomes untenable and can go for more traditional methods.

*possibly even broaching into constructive dismissal territory knowing few will have the desire to make a case.

You're right on this. Put my solution to being sent to an office 2h would be, to be sick for for 6 weeks and the company would still need you to pay for those 6 weeks. In those 6 weeks you'd have plenty of time to apply and go to interviews.

 

[raxadian]

No more exclusive Pokwmon stuff from going there I guess?

 

[stanleyopar2000]

Nintendo's reputation as a company has really gone down in the last few years.
As a Game Developer they still remain somewhat strong but they've really lost care on what's the best thing to do over money.
They even removed the Iwata tribute on the Switch
Just horrible

that's what happens when you have businessmen and shareholders directing the company instead of gamers at heart. Iwata was a gamer first, and a businessman second. That soul is gone and it's all about money, greed and taking advantage of their unlimited goodwill that their fans have how Nintendo can do no wrong.

 

[Deleted member 546149]

that's what happens when you have businessmen and shareholders directing the company instead of gamers at heart. Iwata was a gamer first, and a businessman second. That soul is gone and it's all about money, greed and taking advantage of their unlimited goodwill that their fans have how Nintendo can do no wrong.

Maybe someday
We could have what we had before

 

[eyeliner]

Iwata literally took pay cuts to prevent anyone from losing their job when Nintendo was struggling. Nintendo isn’t even struggling these days, this was just a dick move from a company drifting further from what everyone used love them for.

That was in Japan, quite a few years ago.

Also, the firings would send necessary people that would have to be (re) hired when the company would eventually recover. Which it did.

Iwata was no saint, he did what was sane at the time, and obviously had a plan to the company's recovery in sight. Paying severance packages at that time would probably hit a very deep financial hole. If the company folded, then it would happen like millions of companies there. People laid off without compensation. He was a good manager, I give him that.

Now,with the globalization, you can find good translators and marketers abroad. Or they will go to Tokyo. No need for an office.