Nintendo of America relocating?

[whitereflection]

A Game Informer article states that NOA is looking to relocate to New York or San Francisco:

http://gameinformer.com/News/Story/200705/N07.0504.0014.31335.htm

Sources close to Game Informer Online have leaked news that Nintendo of America plans on relocating their large sales and marketing force from their headquarters in Redmond, Washington this year. Both San Francisco and New York were pointed at as being the potential targets for new locations.

Employees of Nintendo of America were told on Thursday that they would have to decide by June 1st whether or not they would be willing to relocate or accept a severance package. Our sources indicated these new offices would be opened as early as this Fall.

Originally Nintendo of America was created in New York City in 1980, and then later merged its facilities in Redmond, Washington in 1982. The Nintendo of America offices in Redmond not only house the sales and marketing forces, they’re also home to localization, the Treehouse, testing, customer service, events and planning, human resources, the Nintendo Power magazine, North American product warehouses, and more. Nintendo also has a manufacturing plant in North Bend, which is about 30 minutes east of Redmond. How this will affect these divisions, or if other divisions will be forced to move is still unknown at this point.

It'd be great if Nintendo was coming back to New York. It'd be even better if the rest of the game industry would expand to the East Coast too.

[trunks982]

if they really moving to NY, i would like to work there.

[RAMSTORIA]

cmon SF!

[botticus]

I'm sort of doubting the rumor - if they're being asked to choose if they will relocate or quit, you'd think they'd know for sure whether it was New York or San Fran... that could be rather important in such a decision.

As long as the Redmond office remains, since that's where I've known them to be and would like to visit at some point, I don't think it will change much.

[dallow]

Move to Dallas!

We'll give you tax breaks!

[Strell]

As I asked over at NWR, I swear I read an article within the last 2 years saying that NoA was going to build a huge facility in Redmond down the street from their current HQ. If someone can find that article, I imagine it would put a dent in the validity of this rumor. Besides, I really doubt they want to uproot away from Digipen and NST, both of which are in Redmond.

Beyond that, I can only see them opening satellite offices at already established centers. I.e., NYC seems possible beacuse they've got their World Store there.

I do know that they consider Dallas a huge venue (that's where I was on the street team years ago), so coming there isn't totally out of the question, at least not for some kind of satellite office.

I guess we'll see.

If something appeared in Dallas, that would settle me trying to determine my next job.

[botticus]

As I asked over at NWR, I swear I read an article within the last 2 years saying that NoA was going to build a huge facility in Redmond down the street from their current HQ. If someone can find that article, I imagine it would put a dent in the validity of this rumor. Besides, I really doubt they want to uproot away from Digipen and NST, both of which are in Redmond.

Beyond that, I can only see them opening satellite offices at already established centers. I.e., NYC seems possible beacuse they've got their World Store there.

I do know that they consider Dallas a huge venue (that's where I was on the street team years ago), so coming there isn't totally out of the question, at least not for some kind of satellite office.

I guess we'll see.

If something appeared in Dallas, that would settle me trying to determine my next job.
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=nintendo17e&date=20060117&query=nintendo+land


The maker of such video-game icons as Mario and Luigi of Super Mario Bros. fame and Donkey Kong wants to add more than 550,000 square feet of building area on its property at the northeast corner of Northeast 51st Street and 148th Avenue Northeast, according to city planning documents.

It's in the midst of crafting an agreement with Redmond that will guide that development over the next 10 years and determine how it will ease the traffic impacts of that growth, as well as impacts on the environment and the surrounding community.
Perhaps they couldn't reach an agreement with Redmond on an expansion?

[gunm]

If it's only the sales/marketing force, I can understand if they were to move to a larger metro-area like SF or NY. I don't see them moving plant or even software applications as that is a larger resource drain and Nintendo is pretty stingy, operationally...

[Strell]

Thank you sir Botticus. That was the exact article I was thinking of.

Though from the sound of it, it might not really add much to the discussion.

[BULL_Ship]

I.e., NYC seems possible beacuse they've got their World Store there.

With all the hedge funds cleaning up in new york this year (and bidding up the real estate) I doubt nintendo will be moving into a substantial new york office anytime soon. San Francisco may be possible but I doubt they are moving outside of redmond.

[alongx]

nyc ftw

[carpwrist]

OH NOES! i live like an hour away and i've still never made a visit there. Don't abandon me Nintendo!!!

[62t]

It is true Nintendo does own unused property in the Redmond area but Microsoft had tried to buy that from Nintendo (although Nintendo refused)

[CoffeeEdge]

Tag for interest.

[H.Cornerstone]

I don't know why a company like Nintendo would move from somewhere where land is relatively cheap, to two places like SF and NYC where real estate is through the roof, doesn't make much sense to me, especially with Nintendo.

[MadFlava]

I would love to see them move to Northern Virginia. All we have around here it Mythic and Bethesda. A huge player like Nintendo could do wonders for attracting other developers to where ever they are headquartered.

[PyroGamer]

I fail to see why they'd move out of Redmond.

Though I suppose MS could expand into their property.

[botticus]

Sales, marketing, and advertising (about 80 employees) are being relocated, no destination given yet. Headquarters is staying put in Redmond.

http://gonintendo.com/?p=17503

[Moxio]

Haha. I've seen the gates of the Nintendo buildings in North Bend and Redmond but have never bothered going on a tour there.

Someday I may.

[joshingit]

Haha. I've seen the gates of the Nintendo buildings in North Bend and Redmond but have never bothered going on a tour there.

Someday I may.
If you get the chance; you ought to, their facilities are on par with MS. ;)