Former Nintendo boss reports conflict with Amazon

Amazon allegedly asked Nintendo for help in offering game consoles cheaper than competitors. In return, Amazon asked Nintendo for financial support, reports the former US head of Nintendo, Reggie Fils-Aimé, during a talk at New York University. He described Amazon's proposals as “illegal.” His statements offer an interesting insight into a relationship that is still considered difficult today.

According to Reggie Fils-Aimé, Amazon primarily wanted to beat the US retailer Walmart on price. An Amazon manager allegedly demanded an “obscene amount” of financial support in a phone call, Fils-Aimé explained at the university event. He rejected the proposal, stating that the action was illegal, Fils-Aimé explained. The former Nintendo manager did not provide further details on the nature of Amazon's demands.

Fils-Aimé does not specify exactly when the incident is said to have occurred. He states that the phone call took place “towards the end of the Wii and DS generation,” presumably in the late 2000s to early 2010s. According to Fils-Aimé, Amazon's demands led Nintendo to temporarily stop offering devices at the online retailer altogether. It was also about demonstrating to Amazon that they would not be pushed around.

Switch 2 not available at Amazon at launch

The relationship between Nintendo and Amazon is still considered difficult. The Switch 2 was also not available at Amazon at its market launch: According to a report by the business news service Bloomberg, Nintendo was annoyed that third-party providers on the Amazon marketplace undercut the recommended retail price of the mobile console. Both parties later resolved the conflict, and the Switch 2 can now also be purchased at Amazon.

Reggie Fils-Aimé had already relinquished his position as US head of Nintendo at this point: He left the company in 2019. His lecture at New York University can be watched in full on Twitch. The statements about Amazon's demands begin from minute 40.

(dahe)