Trending Now - Nintendo Halts Amazon Sales Following Legal Compliance Request
WHO:
Kotaku - Reggie Fils-Aimé, former Nintendo of America President
Nintendo Everything - Reggie Fils-Aimé, former president of Nintendo of America
Kotaku - Amazon executive
WHAT:
Kotaku - Nintendo and Amazon have had a tumultuous relationship, with Nintendo stopping sales to Amazon during the Wii and DS era due to Amazon's request for "an obscene amount of support" to undercut Walmart.
Nintendo Everything - As recently as 2024, Nintendo and Amazon had stopped working together, but they patched things up for the Nintendo Switch 2 launch.
IGN - Nintendo games returned to Amazon in June 2025 after a year without first-party titles being available on the platform.
Kotaku - Nintendo stopped selling to Amazon after being asked to break the law.
Nintendo Everything - Amazon wanted an "obscene amount of support" to have the lowest price and beat Walmart.
Nintendo Everything - Nintendo stopped selling Wii and DS systems to Amazon.
WHERE:
Kotaku - NYU (New York University) lecture
WHEN:
Nintendo Everything - The conversation between Reggie Fils-Aimé and the Amazon executive occurred in the late 2000s.
Nintendo Everything - As recently as 2024, Nintendo and Amazon had stopped working together.
WHY:
Kotaku - Reggie Fils-Aimé stated, "I wasn’t going to do something illegal. I wasn’t going to do something that would put at risk the relationship we have with other retailers," explaining the rationale behind stopping sales to Amazon.
Kotaku - Amazon's request was deemed illegal by Reggie Fils-Aimé.
Nintendo Everything - Fils-Aimé stated, "I wasn’t going to do something illegal. I wasn’t going to do something that would put at risk the relationship we have with other retailers."
HOW:
Kotaku - Fils-Aimé emphasized that the decision to stop selling to Amazon was to maintain respect and business integrity, stating, "this is the way we do business."
Kotaku - Fils-Aimé communicated directly with an Amazon executive regarding the request.
Nintendo Everything - Fils-Aimé emphasized that the decision to stop selling to Amazon was to maintain respect and business integrity.
(UPDATED May 3, 2026 05:52 UTC)
Nintendo and Amazon have had a rocky history, with Nintendo halting sales to Amazon during the Wii and DS era due to Amazon's demands for excessive support to compete with Walmart. After a brief hiatus in their partnership, Nintendo games made a comeback on Amazon in June 2025, following a reconciliation for the Nintendo Switch 2 launch. Reggie Fils-Aimé explained that the decision to stop sales was rooted in a commitment to maintaining respect and integrity in business relationships, emphasizing that "this is the way we do business."
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(UPDATED May 2, 2026 23:11 UTC)
Reggie Fils-Aimé, the former president of Nintendo of America, revealed that Nintendo ceased selling its Wii and DS systems to Amazon after being asked to engage in illegal practices. During a lecture at New York University, Fils-Aimé explained that Amazon requested an "obscene amount of support" to secure the lowest prices and outdo Walmart, a demand he refused to meet in order to protect relationships with other retailers. He emphasized that maintaining business integrity was paramount, stating, "I wasn’t going to do something illegal."