Nintendo of Europe Cuts 130 Jobs as German Headquarters Closes

BlameTheWizards

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Nintendo of Europe Cuts 130 Jobs as German Headquarters Closes



Nintendo's European wing will be consolidated into another German office in Frankfurt.

Nintendo of Europe's headquarters in Großostheim, Germany, has been closed with the loss of 130 jobs, according to an official company statement provided to Eurogamer. The building and warehouses have been sold off, with European operations to be consolidated and run out of Nintendo's Frankfurt office.

According to the statement provided to Eurogamer:

"Nintendo of Europe has entered into a consultation process on a number of changes it is intending to make to its European business which, in the long term, will better enable the European business to adapt to the rapidly changing business environment.

"The measures include the consolidation of the current European headquarters in Großostheim (Germany) to Frankfurt (Germany), the closure of the warehouse and office in Großostheim, as well as outsourcing and reorganising some functions.

"These intended measures have not been made lightly and have only been arrived at after thorough analysis and careful consideration. The intended measures will sadly have a direct effect on some of the employees based in the Großostheim and Frankfurt offices in Germany and would lead to the release of approximately 130 permanent employees.

"Nintendo of Europe is committed to a fair consultation process with the local Works Council in Germany with the objective of providing clarity and support for all affected employees as soon as possible."


It's a bit of bad news for Nintendo following the <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/134974-Mario-Kart-8-Is-the-Fastest-Selling-Wii-U-Game-Ever>runaway success of Mario Kart 8. Given the <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/134309-Nintendo-Reports-455-Million-Loss-But-Has-High-Hopes-For-Next-Year>dismal fiscal results provided by Nintendo last month, though, perhaps it isn't too surprising.

Here's hoping those out of a job find work again soon and that Nintendo can continue turning its fortunes at its upcoming E3 presentation next week.

Source: <a href=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-06-06-nintendo-europe-closing-grossostheim-headquarters-130-jobs-lost>Eurogamer.net

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Dec 14, 2009
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I doubt it will have the huge impact they'd hope for, but I'm sure Smash Bros will shift consoles.

I was actually talking about this with my girlfriend, we both came to the conclusion that if Nintendo got the stick our their arse about making a Pokemon game on consoles, and I mean a 'real' Pokemon game, not that Colosseum crap, Nintendo would probably get ALL the money.
 

Roxas1359

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Daystar Clarion said:
not that Colosseum crap
But...but Colosseum can be fun. :D

OT: Not too surprised by this to be honest, but hopefully Nintendo can turn it around more with Smash Bros. Also, if any of those employees happen to be ones that write the scripts for the European ads, please have them come to the Nintendo of America. Mainly because besides the Tropical Freeze and Mario Kart 8 ads, all Nintendo's ads here have been crap. Of course it seems both regions have a problem of actually playing those ads only like twice and then wondering why no one is buying the games or the system. :/
 

FillerDmon

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Neronium said:
Daystar Clarion said:
not that Colosseum crap
But...but Colosseum can be fun. :D

OT: Not too surprised by this to be honest, but hopefully Nintendo can turn it around more with Smash Bros. Also, if any of those employees happen to be ones that write the scripts for the European ads, please have them come to the Nintendo of America. Mainly because besides the Tropical Freeze and Mario Kart 8 ads, all Nintendo's ads here have been crap. Of course it seems both regions have a problem of actually playing those ads only like twice and then wondering why no one is buying the games or the system. :/
I'm with Neronium on both accounts. Another Pokemon would be good, but Colosseum was surprisingly solid to me. Smash Bros, Hyrule Warriors, Bayonetta, Project X, and whatever else they plan to show us for Christmas should help them out of this depression. And DEAR GOD, ADVERTISE! Christ, you can't sell games when no one knows you're still making them!

That said, I do hope for the best for all the employees who are losing jobs... that sucks, big time.
 

NuclearKangaroo

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das Nintendo is kaput?

i knew the sales generated by MK8 wouldnt be enough, then again, they might have planned to close the office regardless
 

Not Lord Atkin

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You know, Nintendo being so eager to shoot themselves in the foot with every step they take lately is all nice and well but it stops being funny when people start losing jobs due to the upper management's incompetence.

What Nintendo badly needs is a change of direction. They do not seem to know what they are aiming for with anything they do and have a history of ignoring consumer demand for no good reason. NONE of their recent steps - or refusal to take steps - can be justifiable on a basis other than tradition. Or denial. Or both.

I don't think it's in anyone's interest for Nintendo to do badly. Because this is what happens when they do. There is no way they are going to identify the issue at its root and as a result, people are going to lose jobs. I want Nintendo to do well. I think most people with common sense want them to do well. But they need to get their shit together and fast.

Oh, and I'll leave this article from Polygon just lying around here. It's a good read. Unrealistic but good:

http://www.polygon.com/2014/6/4/5777124/Nintendo-Sony-Microsoft-Mario-cross-platform-dreams
 

Mr.Mattress

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Jul 17, 2009
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... It's 130 Obviously Non-Essential Jobs. Yes, it sucks that those 130 people loose a job, but this is not a sign of Nintendo dying! The article even says they're consolidating their European Division, meaning that they're going to make it more streamlined and that they won't need that many Non-Essentials. This is not a sign of Nintendo Dying, and I find it a little weird everyone is treating it as such. If it where the whole European Division, yes, that would be a sign, but this is not, it's 130 non-essentials in Germany. This is not the end of Nintendo!

But no, Nintendo closes one store and it's their death! Meanwhile Sony's down to their Bare Basics, but they are completely fine!

Johny_X2 said:
Oh, and I'll leave this article from Polygon just lying around here. It's a good read. Unrealistic but good:

http://www.polygon.com/2014/6/4/5777124/Nintendo-Sony-Microsoft-Mario-cross-platform-dreams
Yeah, the Minute Mario goes on an XBox or a Playstation is the minute I stop buying Nintendo Products...
 

Aiddon_v1legacy

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Mr.Mattress said:
... It's 130 Obviously Non-Essential Jobs. Yes, it sucks that those 130 people loose a job, but this is not a sign of Nintendo dying! The article even says they're consolidating their European Division, meaning that they're going to make it more streamlined and that they won't need that many Non-Essentials. This is not a sign of Nintendo Dying, and I find it a little weird everyone is treating it as such. If it where the whole European Division, yes, that would be a sign, but this is not, it's 130 non-essentials in Germany. This is not the end of Nintendo!

But no, Nintendo closes one store and it's their death! Meanwhile Sony's down to their Bare Basics, but they are completely fine!

Johny_X2 said:
Oh, and I'll leave this article from Polygon just lying around here. It's a good read. Unrealistic but good:

http://www.polygon.com/2014/6/4/5777124/Nintendo-Sony-Microsoft-Mario-cross-platform-dreams
Yeah, the Minute Mario goes on an XBox or a Playstation is the minute I stop buying Nintendo Products...
That article, for lack of a better term, was a complete pile of flaming ass. Then again, it's a Ben Kuchera article and that guy has continually proven to be an idiot in terms of journalism.

Anyway, topic on hand; this is pretty much nothing. Furthermore, they're shifting people to their HQ in Germany and more than likely they will help those affected find new employment if need be. Heck, from what I understand Nintendo does this once in a blue moon and they don't do it in a dickish manner like most companies. This isn't like Sony laying off THOUSANDS in a desperate attempt to make the black.
 

Roxas1359

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Mr.Mattress said:
... It's 130 Obviously Non-Essential Jobs. Yes, it sucks that those 130 people loose a job, but this is not a sign of Nintendo dying!
And you do realize that no one in this thread is saying that "Nintendo is DOOOOMED" or "Nintendo is dying" really. People are just saying that it sucks for those people, and Nintendo's marketing needs improvement because right now it's not really that good, and from what I hear it's worse in Europe when it comes to making the advertisements visible.
 

Atmos Duality

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Aiddon said:
Heck, from what I understand Nintendo does this once in a blue moon and they don't do it in a dickish manner like most companies. This isn't like Sony laying off THOUSANDS in a desperate attempt to make the black.
I'm actually surprised they didn't pull this years ago after the Wii finally crashed.
For a company as large as Nintendo, this is a drop in the bucket. Trimming operating costs is normal in times of plenty or little, as it were.
 

NuclearKangaroo

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Mr.Mattress said:
... It's 130 Obviously Non-Essential Jobs. Yes, it sucks that those 130 people loose a job, but this is not a sign of Nintendo dying! The article even says they're consolidating their European Division, meaning that they're going to make it more streamlined and that they won't need that many Non-Essentials. This is not a sign of Nintendo Dying, and I find it a little weird everyone is treating it as such. If it where the whole European Division, yes, that would be a sign, but this is not, it's 130 non-essentials in Germany. This is not the end of Nintendo!

But no, Nintendo closes one store and it's their death! Meanwhile Sony's down to their Bare Basics, but they are completely fine!

Johny_X2 said:
Oh, and I'll leave this article from Polygon just lying around here. It's a good read. Unrealistic but good:

http://www.polygon.com/2014/6/4/5777124/Nintendo-Sony-Microsoft-Mario-cross-platform-dreams
Yeah, the Minute Mario goes on an XBox or a Playstation is the minute I stop buying Nintendo Products...
well its a reasonable assumption after the WiiU's disastrous performance

obviously saying this is a sign nintendo is dying is too much, but i believe its a sign they arent doing good at all, which holds true for your Sony example, Sony is NOT doing well right now, its gaming division is doing great for sure, but the company as a whole, is not
 

WendelI

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yeah the wiiu is a gargantuan piece of gimmicky doo-doo but honestly i feel bad for Nintendo. they are the only ones who still make gaming consoles as apposed to half-assed gaming computers. Yeah yeah PC master race blah blah blah, but besides exclusives what the hell else does an XBone and PS4 give me over my computer.

What i don't understand is why the DS does well with the double screen catch and the WiiU cant.
 

Ephidel

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You know, now that the Wii U is, a thing, with a touch pad, they could make a DS Player for the Wii U.

I've just been playing through Castlevania : Order of Ecclesia and I can honestly say, it's a damn sight better than most of the garbage that crosses my path on the 360.

Plus, a DS Player would be an automatic addition of a huge library of games. It might actually tip me to make the purchase of a Wii U, especially considering how much the damn peripherals cost.
 

bluegate

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WendelI said:
honestly i feel bad for Nintendo. they are the only ones who still make gaming consoles as apposed to half-assed gaming computers.
So, what is, to you, the definition of a gaming console? What does the Wii-U have over the Xbox One and the PS4 that makes the Wii-U a gaming console and the Xbox One and PS4 half-assed computers?

WendelI said:
What i don't understand is why the DS does well with the double screen catch and the WiiU cant.
With your DS, both screens are within your field of vision and very close to each other, which means that you can look at both at the same time without much effort or switch between looking at them without much effort.

This isn't the case with a controller you hold in your hand and a television set which sits several feet away from you. Continuous switching between both screens gets tiresome, what with your eyes constantly having to refocus because of the distance difference and, depending on your position, having to move your head.

There is a difference in how both consoles can use their dual screens in their game design. With the DS developers can assume that people are looking at both screens at the same time, with the Wii-U, they have to consider that people can only look at one at a time.
 

Aiddon_v1legacy

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Dexterity said:
Ask yourselves though, what's the real benefit of having a mainline Pokemon game on home consoles? It'd be exactly the same as the handheld games but with limited trading functionalities?

I just don't see the point, I mean if the game's selling so well on the 3DS, then why do they need to release a home console version?

It really wouldn't make as much of a difference as you think it would.

Also, let's not forget that the only difference between Colosseum and mainline would be that the story involves 8 gyms, an elite four and a champion.

It'd be a lot more beneficial to the console to have the things people want but don't expect, like Earthbound, F-zero or hell, even reboot Ice Climbers.
Exactly; thee'd be no point. Gamefreak have REPEATEDLY stressed that they don't have any interest in putting a mainline Pokemon onto consoles. The series was designed for handhelds for a reason as they wanted people to actually socialize while trading or battling. And that philosophy hasn't changed. How many times do they need to keep saying it?

This reminds me of something I heard recently at a con. One of the guests put it best: "People don't KNOW what they want, the exception being that they want you to be brilliant." And that's true; people CONSTANTLY change their minds on what they want. Heck, Yahtzee also mentioned this and basically said it's not about giving people what they "want" it's about making something they didn't even KNOW they wanted in the first place. So that's why it seems everyone has a good idea for Nintendo, Nintendo should do either the exact opposite of it or just something out of left field. It's why suggestions for, say, the Zelda series would probably end in disaster.
 

Racecarlock

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You gotta love all the people who think nintendo needs to go in a more mature and gritty direction, because it's like asking fisher price to make sex toys.

I don't know. Maybe I prefer someone pushing feel as opposed to graphics but does nintendo really need to start turning towards games like the witcher, which seem to be aiming for not only being tedious but pointlessly dark (at least according to yahtzee)?

Remember when games didn't need 37 women being raped, 97 torture references, and someone having a depression induced mental breakdown to be relevant? I miss those days, and if nintendo goes too I might just go straight up retro gamer.
 

Something Amyss

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NuclearKangaroo said:
das Nintendo is kaput?

i knew the sales generated by MK8 wouldnt be enough, then again, they might have planned to close the office regardless
Hasn't Mario Kart 8 been a pretty dominant force thus far?
Racecarlock said:
You gotta love all the people who think nintendo needs to go in a more mature and gritty direction, because it's like asking fisher price to make sex toys.
Or it would be, if Fisher Price used to be where you went for quality sex toys, which were licensed by them and published with their "seal of approval."

Face it, Nintendo used to be the place you went for third party titles of all stripes as well as a decent serving of first part titles. Nintendo may have had some censorship issues on occasion, but the problem is more that the market changed and they didn't, rather than people expecting them to do something completely antithetical. I'd call modern Nintendo more akin to Fisher Price than classic Nintendo was.

Even still, this is closer to Fisher Price wanting to be competitive with the sex toy industry. I mean, Nintendo wants to court core gamers, and core gamers want the equivalent of sex toys in this example....

Frankly, I'd settle for Nintendo releasing the games people want within a year of launch, which I think is probably one of their biggest failings.

Remember when games didn't need 37 women being raped, 97 torture references, and someone having a depression induced mental breakdown to be relevant?
Yeah, I do. I'm pretty sure that applies to most modern games, even if you scale back the hyperbole a touch.

Remember when Nintendo was a primary platform for games where you shot the hell out of things?
 

NuclearKangaroo

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Zachary Amaranth said:
NuclearKangaroo said:
das Nintendo is kaput?

i knew the sales generated by MK8 wouldnt be enough, then again, they might have planned to close the office regardless
Hasn't Mario Kart 8 been a pretty dominant force thus far?
Racecarlock said:
You gotta love all the people who think nintendo needs to go in a more mature and gritty direction, because it's like asking fisher price to make sex toys.
Or it would be, if Fisher Price used to be where you went for quality sex toys, which were licensed by them and published with their "seal of approval."

Face it, Nintendo used to be the place you went for third party titles of all stripes as well as a decent serving of first part titles. Nintendo may have had some censorship issues on occasion, but the problem is more that the market changed and they didn't, rather than people expecting them to do something completely antithetical. I'd call modern Nintendo more akin to Fisher Price than classic Nintendo was.

Even still, this is closer to Fisher Price wanting to be competitive with the sex toy industry. I mean, Nintendo wants to court core gamers, and core gamers want the equivalent of sex toys in this example....

Frankly, I'd settle for Nintendo releasing the games people want within a year of launch, which I think is probably one of their biggest failings.

Remember when games didn't need 37 women being raped, 97 torture references, and someone having a depression induced mental breakdown to be relevant?
Yeah, I do. I'm pretty sure that applies to most modern games, even if you scale back the hyperbole a touch.

Remember when Nintendo was a primary platform for games where you shot the hell out of things?
well i dont know how many consoles it moved, i simply think it wasnt enough, and in japan the number of consoles this game moved is a bit underwhelming, tough the game itself sold very well

http://www.destructoid.com/not-even-mario-kart-8-can-get-people-to-buy-the-wii-u-275925.phtml

none of the other "killer apps" from nintendo has managed to move enough WiiU units to save the console, tough admitedly, Mario Kart might be their best bet yet, i still think it wont save the console