Nintendo boss claims it doesn’t have unions because of “high degree of job satisfaction”

Nintendo currently doesn’t have any kind of union, but according to Nintendo of America boss Doug Bowser, that’s apparently because of a “high degree of job satisfaction.”

Given the consistently turbulent state of the games industry at the moment, it isn’t any surprise to see more and more studios forming unions in an attempt to guarantee more job security. Nintendo, one of the biggest game developers in the world, notably does not have any kind of union, though it doesn’t mean no one has tried to form one before. But according to a recent interview between Inverse and Bowser (the NoA president, to be clear), it’s apparently because people are happy with their jobs there.

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“We don’t currently have unions at Nintendo of America, and part of that is driven by the employee feedback we see, which is a high degree of job satisfaction and engagement overall,” Bowser told Inverse. “You only have to look at our retention numbers, which are very, very high within the industry, and our obviously low turnover rate as a result. Our focus has always been on creating a culture that’s inclusive, has a work-life balance, and is focused on our singular mission of bringing smiles to faces.

“I think we’re on the right path in terms of ensuring we’ve got a work environment and culture that allows people to be productive, to have balance in their lives, and to grow within the company. Everyone has the right to form a union, and certainly in the future, wherever it takes us, we’ll respect that. But we’re very much focused right now on how to create the best work culture and environment we possibly can.”

Obviously, this is an incredibly corporate response, as it’s impossible from an outside perspective to gauge how happy Nintendo employees actually are without talking to them. Bowser might say “everyone has the right to form a union,” though who knows whether one would be recognised or not. Nintendo might not have layoffs on the horizon, but given just how many layoffs have happened across the industry, a union definitely shouldn’t be off the table.