Nintendo of America Reviews

Pros

Great People
Excellent Benefits
Treated well
Team atmosphere
Location

Cons

Few promotions from within
Few training opportunities

Advice to Senior Management

Provide constructive criticism
Provide clear path for improvement
Provide performance expectations
Keep people who have integrity

Pros

Incompetent manager wouldn't want you to work hard, so if you're determined to sit back, relax, and collect check, there's no other place better.
Good benefit
Fun product
No layoffs

Cons

No layoffs means no change. Many of the management are there for 20+ year, and proud of it. Many of them joined Nintendo fresh out of college, or in some cases, high school. They do not know how the world outside Nintendo works. They do not know managers in the other successful companies are highly educated and competitive.

Because the old timers won't leave, there's no room for young talented people to move up. Many smart young people left. Those who get promotions are lazy workers who spend 50% of his day sucking up to management, lying about his achievements. Very disappointing for honest, hardworking, capable people.

Advice to Senior Management

The review in ONLY top down. No manager gets comments from subordinates. No use to complain to manager above, as they all protect themselves, knowing the limitation of their competencies. They really need 360 degree review process.

Pros

pay is okay
decent benefits
product is fun

Cons

treated like a child, lack of communication, favoritism, micromanaged accounting of time and lack of acknowledgement for positive results, no praise, low morale, no consequence for doing a great job versus doing just enough to get by, general feeling that employees are dispensable

Advice to Senior Management

If you treat your employees with respect, they will work better for you.

Pros

People are very good to work with; most people are experienced and know what they are doing; Most managers are good at what they do; very nice new headquarter; company gym, soccer field; good pay and bonus structure; longevity of employees

Cons

Culture is changing for the bad; many people are getting scared for their positions with the recent results; big lay off in IT; new systems going into place that people don't like; organization is run pretty lean

Advice to Senior Management

Invest in more man power; Pay attention to the mood of the company now that layoffs have occurred; pay attention to the competitors tactics or we could lose our market leadership

Pros

Fun Environment
good co-workers
good work-life balance

Cons

No Room for career advancement
Viewed as a resource to throw at a problem, you get slotted into your position without much chance to do anything else

Advice to Senior Management

Actually follow through and give employees a chance to develop their careers instead of just giving lip-service to them

Pros

Fun, active, all the people love your products

Cons

Few people, stressful, exhausting with a smile

Advice to Senior Management

ok

Pros

Great philosophy toward quality games and innovation. Great view of customer service.

Cons

Extremely hierarchical. Decisions are made in Japan and NOA employees are expected to execute. Initiative is not encouraged.

Advice to Senior Management

Focus more on career development. Some people stay in the same job for years and years.

Pros

Good training on upcoming products, good work environment.

Cons

They don't hire enough associates on as full time employees.

Pros

One of the best reasons for working at NOA is the culture. Our dress code was jeans and flip-flops. My coworkers had green and pink hair and had pokemon sprawled around their cubicles. There is opportunity for growth but the company is relatively small for a MNC that new opportunities aren't exactly cropping up constantly. If they are, they're contract positions and usually, there's already someone internal ready to change positions - the only difference is they have to post up the opportunity.

As for the contact center itself - you're required to go through 2 weeks of intensive training about everything NOA from all of the troubleshooting steps for Wii consoles to negotiation. Despite dealing with stupid people frequently on the phones, I enjoyed my peers very much and it was acceptable to throw out a "That's what she said" comment with my cohort without getting any criticism.

Cons

It can be stressful working in the contact center, especially during the holidays. You will not get a single moment's rest -- but that is the nature of working with phones.

Advice to Senior Management

Less contract positions

Pros

Nintendo is generous with salary and benefits. Employee store discounts to consoles and hardware. Departments work as a team which makes long hours manageable. Loyal employees.

Cons

Parent headquarters mico-manages most marketing tactics. Spend most of your time explaining and justifying actions, instead of being innovative and agressive in the competitive video game industry. No work/life balance. Headquarters want to be cooperative but has difficulty trusting and allowing US subsidiary to be proactive.

Advice to Senior Management

Let the US subsidiary do their work and market in the style appropriate to our consumers. Move beyond finger pointing and finding scapegoats to making the best video games possible.