Working for Nintendo...

Yuriko · Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 1:31 am Post subject: Working for Nintendo...

Well, it's been a few months since I started working at Nintendo and I've learned alot...

and before you ask, no, I don't test games.

Why is it whenever I tell someone I work for nintendo they automaticly asume I test games? There are other jobs involved in makeing games you know.

Like what I do, game pack assembly. Basicly I help package your games, controlers, and other nintendo products. I've been thinking about makeing a topic like this for a while now, but I've been a bit busy, and havn't really prepared anything long in regards to my job. So how about a q&a? Ask me anything(related to my job) you like and I will answer you to the best of my knowlage.

Cloud-kun · Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 1:43 am Post subject:

They likely assume you test games because not many people would even bother mentioning they work for Nintendo for any purpose other than being a promotional representative or a game tester, which can often be the same job.

I'm fairly skeptical as to exactly what of great interest can be learned from someone who simply packages things. Technically, you're not even involved in the game making process at all.

Unless there's some underground faction of nuclear weapon boxing for the UN going on at Nintendo.

Yuriko · Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 1:52 am Post subject:

It's mostly for those who are curious about how games/accesories are packaged. There is a great deal more to most packaging that you would think. Everything is handled a little differently depending on where it's going and if it's a recent game for DS, or and older GBA game going to Canada.

**Sol** · Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 2:34 am Post subject:

I'm more curious as to what the actual regulations are, to be honest. What happens when a game is mispackaged? How do you deal with delays along the lines?
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Musashi.EXE · Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 2:58 am Post subject:

You work for nintendo? COOL!!!
I'm hoping to get a job there as a Video Game Director one day(or anywhere for that matter)!
so you'll be packing MY games one day!
I honestly thought that the whole process was automated because technically thats over a MILLION games and controllers to let people pack by hand and it would be faster to use machines, exactly how many people work with you??
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Zippo · Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 7:03 am Post subject:

Dingo · Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 7:05 am Post subject:

Aw, here I thought you might have been an area rep for stores... I'd kinda like to do that job...

Anywho, my question for the day: Is packaging more of an assembly line job? It doesn't seem TOO thrilling, even though it is for the N.
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**Tabby** · Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 4:20 pm Post subject:

Do you get any freebies? Surprised

Like, t-shirt, keychains? that would be awesome.
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**Malik** · Local Prinny Deity Age: 34 Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 1179

How much are you paid?

Who would be responsible if you accidentally package a disease with a game?
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**Sketch** · Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 5:54 pm Post subject:

Like in that episode of the Simpsons? XD

I'd love to be a graphic designer for Nintendo...that's the dream, it is.
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SR · Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 7:04 pm Post subject:

Ever... you know... ever sneeze on someone's controller?
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NetOperator Wibby · Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 8:28 pm Post subject:

Shakai · Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 8:33 pm Post subject:

Here's a question.

Why is it that GBA cartridges have cardboard boxes, while DS games have really nifty plastic boxes?

(I don't actually have any GBA games, but when I go to my friend's house, those are the kind of boxes I see)
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**Izumi** · Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 8:51 pm Post subject:

I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that

a) Cardboard was and is still cheaper than plastic

b) When the GBA came out, it was standard for Nintendo's games to come in cardboard boxes

c) It was insensible for them to change the box style halfway through the product's run, but since they'd gone plastic between the N64 and GBC, it's safe to figure that the NDS would follow suit
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Yuriko · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007 2:53 pm Post subject:

Sol: The only time there are long delays is if one of the following happens: Shipment of parts/books are delayed/late, machinery breaks/malfunctions. If there is one in the middle of the day, normaly we might take a break or early lunch. As for what happens, it's simple, when one is found/the machine kicks one out, it's reworked. All the good parts are broken down into piles by hand, then put back in with the parts to be run through the line/machine.

Musashi.EXE: They are trying to automate as much as they can, but some things have no choice other than to do things manual-style (like with Wii-Play bundles). But we manage somehow. Let me put it in perspective, there are two shifts during peak season, day and swing, each shift typical runs two clamshell lines. When you concider that one pakages 13000 wii-motes, that's 52000 wii-motes a day. As for how many people work with me, there are about 50-80 associates hired each day per shift.

Zippo:All Nintendo employees have the ability to purchase games early, anywhere from 1-2 weeks before they hit store shelves. As for any unique perks? No. If anything those pampered Redmond workers have more perks, they have "mario cafe" they can go to durning lunch. I remeber once seeing the menu, it was sauteed mucsels and linguinee, and lots of other flowery things you only hear in rather fancy resturants. At North Bend we have vending machines... that's it. *no, I'm not bitter, not bitter at all*

Dingo:Reps, Game testers, they all get paied quite a bit less than us.
Some of it is, like the clamshell and manual lines. Perhaps not thrilling, but you can be alot more laied back than with other jobs, talk to coworkers for hours on end, listen to "Baby got back" at full blast, talk about games and stuff (though you'd be surprised how few people working there know ANYTHING about games). And it's fun to watch a heat sealer crush a GBA and break the battery in half.

Tabby: In fact we do, after the Wii did well, all employees got a "I survived the Wii launch." NOAs got a little Wii bag with a Wii shirt, coffee cup, notebook, and other neat stuff.

Malik:Associates (people hired by Kelly services) are paied about 11 bucks an hour, NOAs (people hired directly by nintendo) are paied substantualy better. I hear game testers (the job everyone wants) only pays about 8 bucks an hour.
As for that seconed part, I'm not sure. We haven't had anything that bad happen yet.

Sketch:I don't know, never saw it.

SR: Sadly it happens far too often. Lines going too fast to get your hands free.. you've got to sneeze...

NetOperator Wibby: No, nothing like that.

Shakai: It's all about how the game is packaged. GBA games were packaged by hand, the cardboard boxes worked for that purpose. The plastic cases are used to package games on the automated lines, it's easier for the machine to manupulate plastic than cardboard.
Also, if something goes wrong in the machine it's that much more likely that the game will survive.

Anime Master ZERO · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007 6:13 pm Post subject:

Wait a second. You work for Nintendo? FANTASTIC! My dream is to work in the gaming industry. Mine you, I'll likely be designing and programming games. Still, what's it like?
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Pyroman.EXE · Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 11:37 am Post subject:

I'd assume the game testers get paid a lot less due to supply and demand. Everybody wants to be a game tester. So, basically they weed out the lame ones by seeing who will work for the lowest pay available. Makes sense to me, anyways.

My question is how's the management? Are they a massive pain in the ass due to being a major corporation, or a little nicer due to your more simple position/type of company?

RollEXE · Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2007 2:05 pm Post subject:

Ohhh..... I would like to own the "I survived the Wii Launch" teeshirt and stuff.... :D, can you take picture of it and post it here maybe?

Yuriko · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 8:58 pm Post subject:

Anime Master ZERO: It's like working for a factory I suppose... I thought I had summed it up pretty well in my answer to Dingo.

Pyroman.EXE: It's got it's problem, just like every place does. The biggest one is one of the people hired for our upper management has never actually WORKED any of the production systems, IE has no idea how things actually work in the real world. All this person has, is a buisness education and digrams/directions as how things are to be run. This person dosn't listen to the people under them, nor do they even attemt to understand some causes for delays/product numbers not being made. This person... I loath, and the only person I loath at work.

RollEXE: As soon as I find my camera I will take pictures of the stuff.

whitefire · Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2007 8:01 pm Post subject:

must be sweet working for nintendo, hopefully I'll be working for a gaming company, or better yet have my own^^ (thats one of the things I'm working on I want to become a game designer)..
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