Nintendo Once Cut Off Amazon's Supply Over Illegal Demands

Former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé revealed in a recent interview that around the late 2000s to early 2010s—during the tail end of the DS and Wii era—Amazon executives demanded Nintendo provide substantial financial support to undercut Walmart on pricing. Reggie deemed the request illegal and refused outright. Nintendo stopped supplying Amazon entirely.

The move still reads as bold today. Amazon wanted Nintendo's money to fund a price war. Reggie's response: "You know what, that's actually illegal, and I can't do that." Nintendo cut off supply immediately, no negotiation.

Consider the context—DS and Wii were printing money at the time. Nintendo clearly didn't need Amazon badly enough to bend. Most publishers would've caved for the sales volume. Amazon likely expected compliance.

The standoff lasted until 2017, when Amazon rejoined as a partner for the Switch launch. Nearly a decade of frozen relations. Reggie's framing was blunt: "You can't force me—that's how we do business." No ambiguity there.

In hindsight, Nintendo set a precedent for the industry. Retailers don't dictate terms unilaterally; manufacturers have lines they won't cross. The Switch's commercial success validated the stance—Nintendo never needed rule-breaking tactics to claim market share.