A new report including employee testimonials has been released, covering the full extent of the poor working conditions at Nintendo in the US.
Allegations of a toxic, oppressive workplace culture at Nintendo’s US branch have been raised recently. This is not the first time the popular game company has been accused of unethical or controversial business practices, with a former employee accusing Nintendo of America of undermining a workers union last month.
The past few years have enlightened many looking at the gaming industry. There have been many serious and disturbing allegations against major game companies like Ubisoft and Activision Blizzard, the latter of which are still embroiled in a class-action lawsuit surrounding an alleged culture of abuse, sexism, race and exploitation. Toxic work environments in the gaming world also seem to be rampant, as it seems that more AAA studios force employees to work overtime or enforce strict, absurd rules than studios do. other. Nintendo is a big company that has managed to maintain a healthier and more ethical image, with most of the recent controversy surrounding confusing or unpopular decisions like new Nintendo Switch Online features. was heavily criticized.
This may no longer be the case, as IGN recently published a full report that compiled numerous testimonials from current and former Nintendo employees in America. The problems outlined in these testimonials are many, but some of the most common patterns focus on the alleged company taking advantage of part-time and contract employees, enforcing policies Attendance books are too strict and form a corporate structure that promotes forgery, fraud, and confusion. Some of the more disturbing accounts detailed that temporary employees had been terminated for attending the funerals of loved ones and that employees would be discouraged from leaving their desks because of for any reason, even a short bathroom break.
The report from IGN was extensive and included comments from former NOA president Reggie Fils-Aimé, but overall, paints a picture of a toxic and unattractive work environment that conflicts with reputation by Nintendo. Companies like Nintendo are coming under increased scrutiny following the ongoing Activision Blizzard lawsuit and other game industry stinging stories, so this report can be seen as inevitable for some people. These allegations come from a variety of sources, some of whom no longer work for Nintendo, which makes them credible.
Time will tell if more charges are filed against Nintendo and whether the company has taken any steps to counter these claims. It’s clear that the gaming industry as a whole has a problem with the treatment of its employees, in studios globally, and unfortunately it’s not too hard that these allegations are true, despite the publicity of the image. how family-friendly and welcoming Nintendo can appear to consumers.
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