As it takes time to change mentality, the video game industry suffers the same shortcomings as many others, as demonstrated by the lack of women in decision-making positions. Despite its often assumed conservatism, Nintendo intends to internalize a certain idea of modernity.
It is an understatement to say that the entire video game industry has been living for several months with (sad) exposures of harassment or sexist practices that have been going on in many studios, especially the largest, for years. As the twists and turns of the “Activision Blizzard Affair” continue to lift the veil on long-standing practices to management, the President of Nintendo of America recently spoke up to “denounce the toxicity that goes against the values, beliefs and rules of Nintendo “. Today the company seems to be under discussion.
The booster dose
On its official website (and in Japanese by the way) Nintendo has just updated the “Basic Corporate Governance Standpoints” and is fully reminiscent of the rules that govern the hiring process within the company:
Nintendo respects human rights in its recruitment process, selects employees based on their skills and abilities regardless of gender, age, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity, and conducts fair appraisal and treatment of employees in accordance with those of the employees.
Please understand
So much for the official speech. But if Nintendo doesn’t want to discriminate against anyone, neither does the company intend to put in place mechanisms to ensure greater diversity, oh no. If the change takes place, it will undoubtedly be gradual:
The company has no specific goals for filling management positions with women or foreigners. However, as a global company dedicated to the entertainment industry, harnessing the talent of a diverse workforce is important. We therefore undertake to respect the personality and strengths of every employee, including those of our foreign subsidiaries, and to create an environment in which employees from different backgrounds can achieve their full potential.
And because there is nothing colder than a statistic that testifies to the cruel reality, Nintendo, without saying so, remembers the abyssal divide that separates Western culture from Japanese, not without reminding between the lines that the way up At the beginning it will be (very) long rebalancing of the male / female ratio in the company:
We intend to increase the proportion of women in management positions compared to the current proportions in the main Nintendo Group offices worldwide (23.7% as of March 31, 2021) and at Nintendo Co., Ltd. in Japan (4.2%) to increase.
While you wait for fairer days, a quick rundown of the images that illustrate the (fabulous) interviews “Iwata Demande“Reminds us that Animal Crossing New Horizons director Aya Kyogoku is the exception, not the rule.
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