During the Nintendo DS era, the company stopped selling its consoles to Amazon after the e-commerce giant sought preferential treatment that could have harmed competitors and potentially broken the law, according to former Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aimé.
Fils-Aimé made the revelation during a recent lecture at New York University (NYU). He explained that Amazon’s aggressive expansion in the 2000s included undercutting major retailers like Walmart on price. The company also pushed for special deals that would have given it an unfair advantage over other sellers.
“Amazon wanted to undercut even Walmart,” Fils-Aimé stated, highlighting the retailer’s strategy to dominate the market by leveraging its size and pricing power. “They were looking for preferential treatment that would have hurt their relationship with other retailers and potentially broken the law.”
Nintendo’s decision to sever ties with Amazon during this period meant that its consoles, including the DS and Wii, were largely unavailable on the platform for years. However, the two companies have since reconciled. Today, Nintendo Switch consoles and games are available for purchase on Amazon.
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