Who makes it · Developer and publisher

Nintendo

Based in Kyoto, Japan Founded 1889

Nintendo is a Japanese company that makes the Switch family of game consoles and develops and publishes games such as the Mario, Zelda and Animal Crossing series; it also co-owns The Pokémon Company. Most of its money comes from selling consoles and full-price games, with smaller amounts from mobile games, its Nintendo Switch Online subscription and licensing its characters.

Track record WatchWorst badge: Worth knowing

On the record 8dated events, each with a source

In the guide 9games it made or published

Track-record badges

What stands out, worst first

Company facts

Makes: Developer and publisher
Based in: Kyoto, Japan
Founded: 1889
Ownership: Public company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (7974); Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund held 8.58% in September 2024 and has been moving its games holdings, including Nintendo shares, to Savvy Games Group.
Also credited as: Nintendo EPD, Nintendo R&D1, Nintendo R&D4, Nintendo Co., Ltd., Nintendo EAD, Nintendo SPD, Nintendo R&D2, Nintendo R&D3, Nintendo of America, Nintendo of Europe, Nintendo Australia

Official website · Wikipedia

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Hexagon badges describe a company's track record, using the same colours as the money ratings: Harmful for serious findings down to Fair for good practice. They attach to the company, not its games, and never change a game's money verdict or addictive-design score. All company badges

Track record

What's on the record, newest first

9 June 2026Court case
Brazilian first-instance court ordered R$5 million in loot-box damages, subject to appeal
In public civil actions brought by the child-rights group ANCED, the 1st Children and Youth Court of Brazil's Federal District ordered Nintendo to pay R$5 million in collective moral damages over loot boxes, according to a technical note from Brazil's Ministry of Justice. The ministry listed Nintendo among the game developers and publishers ordered to pay; its note does not name the games involved. It is a first-instance ruling: the ministry said the rulings are still subject to appeal, so the case is pending.
Brazil Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Technical Note 55/2026)
3 December 2024Game preservation
Nintendo replaced Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp with a paid offline version
Nintendo shut down the free-to-play Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, which had sold in-game currency and subscriptions, on 28 November 2024. On 3 December 2024 it released Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete as a one-off purchase (£18 or $20, half price for the first two months) with no in-app purchases and offline play; progress could be transferred until 2 June 2025, but online features shared with friends were removed.
Eurogamer
27 March 2023Game preservation
Nintendo closed the Wii U and 3DS eShops and later ended their online play
Nintendo stopped all purchases and free downloads, including demos, on the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS eShops on 27 March 2023, so digital games for those systems can no longer be bought. Nintendo said owners can still re-download games they already bought for the foreseeable future. Online play and other online features for 3DS and Wii U software ended on 8 April 2024.
Nintendo
13 October 2022Labour
Nintendo of America settled a labour complaint from a fired contract tester
A contract game tester filed a charge with the US National Labor Relations Board alleging that Nintendo of America and staffing agency Aston Carter fired them to discourage union activity; Nintendo said the dismissal was over a disclosure of confidential information. Under a settlement posted by the board, the tester was to be paid $25,910 through Aston Carter and Nintendo agreed to post notices of workers' right to organise. The allegations were not adjudicated.
Kotaku
28 October 2021Court case
German court ruled Nintendo must let buyers cancel digital pre-orders
In a case brought by the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv) after a complaint by the Norwegian Consumer Council, the Higher Regional Court of Frankfurt ruled that the 14-day right of withdrawal applies to eShop pre-orders that cannot yet be played. A lower court had dismissed the case; on appeal Nintendo of Europe accepted the claim for an injunction. Nintendo had already begun allowing pre-order cancellation up to seven days before release in September 2020.
Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv)
8 August 2019Good practice
Nintendo said it would require odds disclosure for paid random items on Switch
After an industry announcement at a US Federal Trade Commission workshop, Nintendo said Nintendo Switch games that sell randomised virtual items, such as loot boxes, would have to disclose drop rates. The requirement was to apply to all new games and to updates that add loot boxes to existing games.
Eurogamer
21 May 2019Monetisation
Withdrew two mobile games from Belgium over loot-box rules
Nintendo said Fire Emblem Heroes and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp would stop operating in Belgium on 27 August 2019, after Belgium's action against paid random items, and that future games with a similar payment model would not be released there. Players could keep using Orbs and Leaf Tickets until the closure.
Nintendo Life
30 October 2002Regulator action
European Commission fined Nintendo €149 million for blocking cross-border trade; cut to €119.2 million on appeal
The European Commission found that Nintendo and seven of its European distributors colluded from 1991 to 1998 to stop consoles and games being exported from cheaper to more expensive EU countries. It fined Nintendo €149 million, saying it was the driving force behind the arrangement and continued it after learning of the investigation; the fines on all eight companies totalled €167.8 million. On 30 April 2009 the EU Court of First Instance reduced Nintendo's fine to €119.2425 million, holding that Nintendo's cooperation in the investigation deserved the same 40% reduction the Commission had given distributor John Menzies; it dismissed the rest of Nintendo's appeal.
European Commission