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Nintendo of America (NoA) is Nintendo's American branch, based in Redmond, WA, USA. Nintendo of America provides services for the creation and distribution/publishing/marketing of Nintendo products for the US market, as well as contributing game development work through their division Nintendo Software Technology and internal R&D through their division Nintendo Technology Development. NoA localizes Nintendo products by providing them with an American English translation and region-specific marketing and distribution material, then distributes them throughout the USA from their warehouses in North Bend, WA and Atlanta, GA.
Extent of NoA Operations
In addition to providing localization, publishing, marketing, repair, technical support and distribution services for Nintendo products in the US, NoA's Software Development Support Group also provides support to third-party developers based in the Americas through the Nintendo Developer Portal, including technical support and certification (Lotcheck). NoA also collaborates with Nintendo Company Limited, Nintendo's main branch based in Japan, to provide input on how Nintendo products are received by American audiences.
As part of NoA's marketing efforts, NoA has small offices in Redwood City, California and New York, NY, used for demos and special events. NoA runs the Nintendo Store in New York City, as well as an employees-only Nintendo Store at their Redmond headquarters.
In addition to the US market, NoA also negotiates with third-party distributors in Latin America to authorize the distribution of Nintendo products in those regions, as well as maintaining their regional eShops.
NoA's on-site cafeteria at their headquarters is known as Cafe Mario.
Employee Criticism
According to NoA's Glassdoor reviews, some current & former employees have a critical outlook on working at the company, claiming that there are few opportunities for career progression, worsened by NoA's tendency to hire contract and part-time employees which do not receive the same benefits as full-time employees and are looked down upon by others in the company. NoA has been accused of having a toxic corporate culture, with cliques of long-time employees forming which alienate newer employees and stifle the introduction of new ideas, worsened by NoA's requirement to respond to the demands of Nintendo Company Limited in Japan rather than making their own decisions.