What do you know that they don't want us to know?

We can pretty much replace anything for free. Repairs can be discounted to almost nothing, etc. Stuff like that.

[deleted]

It's up to the rep and how much you put up a fuss. But be warned, if you're too much of a jackass, we won't got out of the way for you. Sob stories work better than anger.

By "repairs", do you mean software or hardware? If something is physically damaged, wouldn't it break the warranty? Like, now I'm tempted to buy a broken machine online and see of you'd fix it. What are my odds?

We'd charge you. XD

...can you also work magic and replace the battery in old game boy cartidges? Please tell me you do. I can't bear the thought that my pokemon red and gold games will just "die" one day! T_T

edit: Thanks to all the redditors giving me advice on the process! Unfortunately, there are very few game stores where I live, and I doubt that the employees there know how to handle vintage consoles or games (they literally just know all the "new" stuff). I'm also a bit of a klutz so I was afraid to try my luck with it so far, but in those tutorials it actually looks fairly easy. I might try it after all now! Thanks everyone!

Pretty sure we no longer have batteries for game boy :c

What is Nintendos break/lunch room like? Games as far as thee eye can see?

We have Cafe Mario which is pretty nice! It has different stations for food (like pizza/international/salad bar etc). The room itself is quite large. There are a few Wiis hanging around that we can play, as well as some super old arcade style stations. Really, we can only play these on our breaks. We're supposed to be WORKING after all. XD

Why did they take away gamecube support on the newer Wii systems :(?

It's sad, I know. :c

But Gamecube is entering the status of what we call "Legendary Systems"

Legendary or legacy? Well, could be both.

yeah, sorry, we kinda refer to them as either/or. Usually legacy.

The Gamecube was Nintendo's poorest selling console (non-handheld) so what is a 'Lengendary System'?

Basically systems that we are no longer making. DS Lite is on its way there too.

how ready is your body?

Uh..

how long did you work for nintendo, and why were you laid off?

Not too long.

I uh, spammed the chatroom with kittens :/

Please elaborate

We have a chatroom where employees of the same department are in together to help each other out. Towards the end of our shift we got kinda crazy and every night at 6:45PM was KITTEN TIME.

Everyone did it, seriously. I just got on someone's bad side (a manager) who then ended up reporting me.

This made me laugh out loud. Best reason to get fired ever!

T_T I miss having an income.

There're plenty of CS and tech support remote jobs you can get if you spend time at it. In the meantime, try /r/freelancewriters

Aw, how did you know I can write?

i bet Miyamoto would promote you for that.

Maybe the magic of reddit can make it happen.

C'mon Reddit. Let's get this gal her job back. I mean, it's probably our fault that everyone on the internet is addicted to cats, we made her a cat junkie. It's our responsibility!

EDIT: genda.

Actually, I want to start a new job...

I want to open a doggy day care O_O

What is the employees' opinion of the direction Nintendo has taken in their next gen console and handheld philosophies?

I'm an old-school Nintendo fan, but have considered most everything since the Wii as a REALLY friggin' dumb direction to go. It breaks my heart. With dollar games on cell phones becoming the norm for most people, and having a non-traditional controller design that makes playing some of the best selling genres impossible (or just weird), they are still heading in a crazy direction and will certainly be left behind next generation.

That being said, Nintendo still has the best tech support system I've ever experienced. I mean EVER. Thanks for being a part of that. I called a few years ago with a broken DS out of warrenty--the guy looked up my account and was able to see I had been in their system since 1988 when I got a Nintendo Power subscription as child. He said, "you've been in this computer longer than I've been alive. We'll fix that for free." And BAM it was done.

Edit: typo

My opinion is very different from other employees opinions.

Aha. Yup! Like I said, it's up to the rep how much of a discount they want to give.

THAT BEING SAID the WORST thing someone can do is go rep shopping. We keep notes on EVERYONE and we don't go against each other's notes.

So what is your opinion? :)

Well, I liked the 3DS and some aspects of the Wii U. That being said, I only own a PS3. XD

Nintendo employee owning only a PS3? Shit just got real in this thread.

SHHHH

my pokemon gold has run out of battery, can nintendo help with that?

Possibly--if we still have any batteries in stock.

do i just contact nintendo uk?

Yup!

All of my childhood friends were your nephews. How did that work out?

I'm very surprised, considering I never knew my brother had kids.

But weren't you the uncle who gave them the unreleased Nintendo 65?

I'm a girl.

In your cafeteria area, was there themed food? For example "Link's Lemonade" or "Mario's Milk"?

(I have no idea about themed beverages....) Edit: I am not a creative man. Edit 2: You guys are coming up with some pretty cool ideas, to say the least. Someone make a business.

No, nothing like that. But if we did have themes, I bet it would be Lon Lon Ranch Milk :3

Any perks from the job?

We can buy stuff from Nintendo World at a discounted price. Also, we get free repairs.

Didn't you just tell us we could pretty much get anything repaired for free anyways?

Yes, but we don't have to tell a sob story with it XD

Do they still service gameboys and stuff? I heard that the SNES was just stopped support.

They do, for the most part. If they can fix it they will. Most of the time though if it requires any replacement parts we can't fix it.

Fun fact: If your original DS is broken, we'll upgrade you to a DSLite.

So let's say that my DSLite has been broken for about 5-6 years now, can I get it replaced for free from Nintendo?

Well, yes and no.

1) is it registered? Did you buy it online? If it is not registered and you bought it online, chances are we don't have a date in the system when you purchased it. So, just say it is less than a year old.

2) If you say you'll send in a check in with your repair, but we do not get a check, we'll still repair it (assuming there is no physical damage). We'll send you a bill for the next 3 months but after that we just write it off.

...Or send the bill to a collections agency?

Shh, Nintendo does not do that.

What constitutes broken? For instance, mine is playable but the hinges are loose and a little wear and tear here and there...

That is considered physical damage. You'd have to pay for that.

How can I break mine in a way they would upgrade it fo free

Any way, really, since we don't have any more of its parts in stock.

Well whats the difference between it being considered physical damage that I'd have to pay for and whatever the other category is

Manufacturer Vs Physical Damage. If there is an internal competent that shorted out, it's considered manufacturer. Pretty much anything else is physical damage (liquid damage is THE MOST COMMON thing I see).

How can we get Nintendo to put Pokemon red, yellow and blue up on the Nintendo 3ds shop? I'm aching for a charmander

Wouldn't that be nice?

Any dark secrets about the company? I mean really dark.

xD I could tell you for a price.

Do they really keep Mario's head somewhere in a jar in the basement?

.... uh.. yes?

What is the future for Pokemon and Zelda? Also, anything after the 3DS you can tell us?

Well, I wasn't in game testing or product development. But I can assure you that pokemon and zelda are going to be around for a LONG time. Also, we're mostly focusing on the Wii U right now. I think, for the time being, the 3DS is here to stay. Now, that being said, we didn't find out about the 3DS or Wii U until a few months it was released to the public. :/

If you're a former employee, why do you continue to use the present tense?

I like to pretend.

I currently have 4 broken nintendo DS lites in my possession. How much will it cost me to fix them and are there any discounts I can ask or look out for? Will I be better off just replacing them?

Also, why is this not available outside Japan?

Edit: grammar

What's wrong with them and how long have you had them?

Also: Japan gets tons of perks that we never get to see in the US.

Sorry just going to latch on to this thread - the hinge on my DS lite cracked - the ds is fully functional - how much would that cost to repair?

Between 65-100 dollars.

Which Pokemon game is your favourite? What's the worst experience you've had with a customer and/or manager?

I prefer the original red/blue since that is what I grew up with.

Customer wise: This woman from New York who took her wedding photos on the DSi and then sent it in for repair. We tell them that there is a chance of their data getting lost etc so save any info prior to sending it in. Well, her DSi got lost in mail and she simply could NOT accept this. Ugh, I spent hours on the phone with her.

Manager wise: Most of them are pretty nice but there are a few catty girls. I hate the manager that got me fired for spamming the chatroom with kittens, since other employees were doing it too. But she decided to just report me and NO ONE ELSE. Then bam, I'm gone.

Yeah, she's a bitch.

She... she took her wedding photos with her ds? Wut?

Yeah, I know. LOL

The cat spam thing was wonderful though, yes?

Wasn't worth my job :c

How screwed am I if something happens to my wiiu tablet? The gentleman I bought it from told me I'd be better off buying a new system if it broke, which sounded stupid.

As I left, we were VERY MUCH behind on repairs regarding anything Wii U. So, he might be right for the time being. But I imagine Nintendo will catch up soon enough.

This question is a bit confusing... to clarify, you're saying if someone with a broken Wii U pad wants to play again within a reasonable amount of time, he might as well buy a new system; not that the repair will cost him so much, he might as well buy a new system.

Right?

Money wise you are better off with the repair. When I left we were taking up to four weeks to repair for the Wii U.

4 weeks and that's considered backed up? Not bad.

Usually it's 10 business days!

[deleted]

Most likely at some point.

Favorite Nintendo Character of all time?

Link.

Is there anything you can tell us about Animal Crossing: New Leaf? Release dates, progress on translating? I appreciate it. :)

Sadly, no. I didn't work in game testing or product development. :c

I work at Gamestop and I've had 3 customers with the same problem where their brand new 3ds doesnt read the games. I've called nintendo all 3 times and every time Nintendo says its physical damage and the customer will be charged to get it fixed. And of course, the customers always gets pissed at me. Can you explained to me why the manufacturer warranty does not cover this? And why the customer is being blamed that it was physical damage?

Do you recall the exact error message?

There were no error messages. The game just would never show up on the menu. And I would try multiple games just to rule out that it was just a defective game.

Psst: Water damage.

Who do you think is the worst Nintendo character, would you fight them, and who would win?

Tingle. Seriously. I'd feel badly for hurting him though.

How do you feel about the Wii U?

What was the oddest complaint you recieved?

Also proof.

Our training for the Wii U was fucking terrible. Whenever someone called in regarding issues with it I automatically dreaded it. It was released too early if you ask me. Of course, they wanted to make xmas sales, so...

Oddest? Hm. Once had a person claim that a Nintendo employee stole their land. >.> I did file this one under CRAZY.

Was the pay good?

Decent. 13-15.00 an hr.

Does anyone ever call in for help with old gameboys? Mine is an original that I still play time to time, because damnit pokemon is the only game I was ever good at...

LOL yes, they do <3

Proof would be nice. (:

Most ridiculous question you got from a customer?

Not sure how to offer proof anymore, since I got laid off. :c

Most of our consumers are actually pretty smart, so there aren't too many silly questions. Of course, we get the kids requesting to speak to Mario every now and again.

How did you handle those? That sounds cute. :)

Depends who you get. Sometimes the first line consumer reps will pretend. But I was an advanced tier, so by the time you got to me you had some serious business that needed handling.

My Pokemon Black and SoulSilver both gave an error message saying the save data could not be accessed. If I sent it in, do you know if they'd attempt to save my data, or if they'll simply toss it out and ship me a new one?

They will ALWAYS attempt to save your data to the best of their ability

I just haven't sent them in yet because I wanted to try to failsafe it with a USB to DS cart adapter, if they couldn't, but I haven't found the money for it yet. I have some Pokemon from my original Sapphire save 10 years ago, and every event-only Pokemon from the last 6 years, so I really don't want to lose them.

aw, yeah <3 There is always a chance you could lose it, but we do try to save it.

What was the nicest thing you did for someone who called or asked for help, that pushed the boundaries of what you were allowed to do?

There's a couple... 1) Supposedly this consumer's Wii had water damage and somehow caused a spark. He kept playing the angle that we almost burnt his house down. In the end, we ended up sending him brand new---well, pretty much everything.

2) The woman I mentioned earlier who was a nightmare to work with because she lost her DSi, I sent her a brand new one.

3) There was a woman who was continually trying to make payments on her repair but her card kept getting declined. I just wrote off the repair as a one time exception.

You got the first guy a new wii AND a house?

Damn nintendo, chill out!

it's 7AM TT

3 was so sweet. Thank you kind sir (Ma'am?).

Ma'am. XD

Yeah, she cried over the phone with happiness. Hit me right in the feels.

I still have my N64 from when I was a kid. I love it, but the controllers' joysticks are god awful. Do you have any advice for how I can keep it in good working condition and possibly fix my controller situation without buying new ones?

We don't have anymore of those in stock, really. I'm not even sure where you could buy NEW ones. That being said, I have no advice to offer. lol, sorry.

mario kart for the wii u. anything?

Probably, eventually. It's one of our most popular. But again I am not on product development.

Did you ever do any work with people regarding the original nintendo system? I'm talking OLD school rectangle controller.

Yep. We call them legacy systems. The only system I haven't worked with is Virtual Boy.

Why did they lay you off?

I spammed the Nintendo chatroom with kittens this ONE TIME. e.e

I see that Nintendo is against cats...smh.

This is true. Another co worker was spamming puppies. He still works there.

It's NintenDOGS, the one for cats was a cheap cash in, right?

LOL, I suppose.

Does anyone still ask for customer service on the N64?

I had one person ask once.

Why didn't Nintendo renew the license on Nintendo Power?

It was not selling as well as it used to.

Did you ever meet anyone from NOJ or Reggie? Also how did you end up working for Nintendo?

Nah, no one super famous. I had a friend who worked for Nintendo so that's how got in!

Is there any hope for a non-handheld, non-motion controlled Nintendo system ever again?

No idea. :c

Any advice for getting my N64 to display properly on a newer LCD tv? The brightness is extreme.

Tech support might be able to help. I didn't do tech :c

What's your all-time favorite Nintendo game?

Pokemon Red

do you own nintendo stock and what do you think about the future of the company?

with the poor sales of the new console and the 3ds(3ds is doing ok but not in america)

I don't own any stock. I know gaming systems in general are losing money but Nintendo has a way of adapting.

Where do you live, and where was your office located? How did you go about getting this job? How much money did you make? Did you enjoy your job?

Washington State, office is located in Redmond, WA. I had a friend refer me. I made about 14 an hr. I loved my job.

Hi. As you can see by my name I'm kind of a Kingdom Hearts fanboy. So I was wondering if you knew anything about the WiiU and what games are coming out for it that the public doesn't know already. (Kingdom Hearts 3 :) I only say this because Square Enix has made ALMOST EVERY SINGLE MOBILE GAME ON A NINTENDO SYSTEM.

I don't know, I'm sorry. :c For the record, Nintendo's consumer services don't know much more than the public.

Is there anyway to get my DSlite upgraded to a 3DS for free in any way??

Nope. The only upgrade we do is DS to DSlite.