Working in the video game industry has not been the easiest time lately. We say this because there seems to always be a new story about a developer or publisher doing something wrong with its game or pushing its dev team too hard. There have also been numerous stories about very inappropriate things happening at various video game spaces that need to be stopped entirely for sanity to resume. So in this time of uncertainty, it’s always nice to hear a video game company doing good things. In this case, we’re talking about Nintendo increasing the pay for their workers in Japan.
The reveal came due to the financial results for Q3 2022, as reported by Reuters. Nintendo had a big final three months of 2022, but they slightly adjusted their profit goals for the fiscal year by reducing them by 4%. However, despite this, Nintendo will increase its workers’ wages by 10% soon. To be fair, this isn’t solely out of altruism. The Prime Minister of Japan recently noted that companies should increase worker wages due to the effects of worldwide inflation and the upcoming labor talks that are coming.
What’s more, the Big N noted that they are happy to do this because it might mean they’ll ensure their workforce stays with them in the coming years:
“It’s important for our long-term growth to secure our workforce,” Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said.
If you’re wondering if the Switch or its gaming lineup will see a price increase due to this pay raise for workers in Japan, the answer is no. That being said, Shuntaro Furukawa did say that they could examine in the future should things go in a different direction.
It’s always nice to see a company doing good for its workers, and hopefully, they’ll appreciate the 10% pay raise. The worldwide inflation wave has been hitting many people hard over the last several months, so having any relief is welcome.
As for The Big N, their financial briefing was full of positive news for their system and software. For example, the Switch is now the 3rd-best-selling console of all time, surpassing the PS4, which is still on the market.
Moreover, many of their first and third-party software titles were revealed to have done very well over the last three months of 2022. That includes Pokemon Scarlet and Violet hitting the 20 million mark.
With a Direct being announced for tomorrow, The Big N will have plenty of eyes on them for their 2023 lineup.
