Nintendo has raised its employees base salary by 10%

Nintendo salary increase & timing

• Nintendo announced a 10% base salary increase in Japan; some note this was already implemented in April 2023, with further (smaller) increases in 2026, so the news may be partly recycling old information.
• Several commenters frame it as mostly an inflation catch‑up, not extraordinary generosity, but still better than many companies that give minimal or no cost‑of‑living raises.
• The raise appears to be Japan‑focused; Nintendo of America is repeatedly described as underpaying for the Redmond, WA market.

Compensation levels & regional comparisons

• Reported Nintendo salaries (e.g., via Levels.fyi) are seen by some as low for such a successful, cash‑rich global brand; others think ~$100k for entry roles in the US is acceptable.
• Multiple anecdotes from other industries: typical raises of 0–3%, often below inflation; many people say real raises mostly come from promotions or job‑hopping.
• Some highlight that Japanese wages are generally low and that even with raises, inflation and a very weak yen erode purchasing power.

Nintendo culture, strategy, and IP

• Nintendo is praised for prioritizing “play experience” over raw tech, and for stable, high‑quality first‑party games and hardware design.
• Historical examples (e.g., exec pay cuts after Wii U) are cited as evidence they try to avoid layoffs in Japan.
• Critics emphasize aggressive IP enforcement and “patent trolling,” including takedowns of non‑commercial fan projects and online tournaments.

Switch 2 and game ecosystem

• Several subthreads swap game recommendations: Donkey Kong Bananza, Pokémon Pokopia, Mario Tennis, upgraded Zelda/Kirby titles, and various indies.
• Backward compatibility and better performance for Switch 1 titles on Switch 2 are widely appreciated.
• Some disappointment with recent sports titles (e.g., Switch Sports vs Wii Sports).

Inflation, cost of living, and housing

• Long side‑discussion compares US vs Japan prices: US fast food seeming shockingly expensive, Japan relatively cheap to visitors but not to locals on yen salaries.
• Japan’s decades of low inflation/deflation, recent 2–3% inflation, and abundant housing construction are contrasted with US housing shortages.
• One anecdote describes building a house cheaply by avoiding inspections via legal loopholes, prompting debate over the value and cost of codes and regulation.