Reggie Fils-Aimé: Nintendo Stopped Amazon Sales Over Unlawful Demands

Former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé has disclosed that Nintendo ceased working with Amazon during the Nintendo DS era after an executive from the e-commerce company made a request that Fils-Aimé characterized as illegal.

Speaking during a guest lecture at the New York University Game Center, Fils-Aimé detailed a tense interaction with an Amazon executive that occurred in the late 2000s. According to Fils-Aimé, the company was attempting to aggressively expand its footprint in the video game market by undercutting competitors on pricing.

The conflict centered on Amazon’s desire to maintain the lowest possible prices for gaming hardware and software. Fils-Aimé stated that the executive’s request involved actions that would not only damage Nintendo’s relationships with other retail partners but would also violate legal standards.

Fils-Aimé indicated that the decision to stop selling systems, including the Nintendo DS and Wii, to Amazon was a direct result of this encounter. He noted that he was unwilling to comply with the demand, leading to a significant rift between the two companies.

Long-term Retail Implications

The historical dispute has provided context for more recent tensions between the two entities. Reporting indicates that the friction between Nintendo and Amazon has persisted into the current generation of hardware, contributing to a landscape where the companies have struggled to maintain a standard retail partnership.

This long-standing conflict has had tangible effects on the availability of Nintendo products on the Amazon platform. Most notably, reporting from June 30, 2025, indicated that Amazon lost the right to sell the Nintendo Switch 2 due to an ongoing sales dispute.

The absence of the latest hardware on the world’s largest retail platform marks a rare occurrence for a major console launch, reflecting a strategy by Nintendo to prioritize retail partners who adhere to their pricing and legal guidelines over the reach provided by Amazon.

Industry analysts suggest that Nintendo’s willingness to bypass Amazon highlights the company’s commitment to maintaining control over its distribution channels and protecting the value of its hardware through strict adherence to Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) policies and legal compliance.

While Amazon has since become a dominant force in consumer electronics, the rift described by Fils-Aimé suggests that the foundation of the relationship was compromised early on by a clash in corporate philosophy regarding competitive pricing and legal boundaries.