Former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé is revealing fresh details about a long-simmering clash between Nintendo and Amazon—one that, according to him, started with what he describes as “illegal demands” and later escalated into disputes over pricing, third-party sellers, and product availability.
The story surfaced after Fils-Aimé appeared at the NYU Game Center Lecture Series and the discussion was later shared by attendees online. During the interview, he talked about how he approached partnerships with major retailers and why keeping a balanced, fair relationship across the market mattered to Nintendo. That context made his most surprising claim stand out: Amazon allegedly pushed for support that crossed a legal line.
Fils-Aimé said the moment happened near the end of the Wii and Nintendo DS era, when Amazon was aggressively trying to grow its influence in video games. In his telling, an Amazon executive asked for an “obscene amount” of support—specifically financial backing—so Amazon could offer the lowest prices and beat Walmart. Fils-Aimé responded bluntly, warning that the request was illegal.
He also explained why he chose not to play along. Meeting those demands could have damaged Nintendo’s relationships with other key partners, including brick-and-mortar competitors such as GameStop. Instead, he opted to protect Nintendo’s broader retail ecosystem, and the result was significant: Nintendo stopped providing Amazon with stock. Fils-Aimé suggested this was only one example of friction between the two companies, and he noted that other suppliers have accused Amazon of similarly heavy-handed tactics.
Even after that early breakdown, Nintendo products eventually returned to Amazon listings around the launch of the original Switch in 2017. But the relationship didn’t exactly smooth out. Concerns grew around used game sales and the role of third-party marketplace sellers, including complaints that some vendors had questionable reputations. Over time, shoppers reportedly saw fewer consoles and games sold directly by Amazon itself, with more listings coming from outside sellers instead.
The tension became impossible to ignore when Nintendo’s next system arrived in 2025. Many players noticed that Amazon in the U.S. didn’t support the launch in the way they expected—an unusual situation for a major console release. Rumors swirled that Nintendo objected to third-party sellers undercutting suggested prices, and there were also worries that international scalpers might exploit regional price differences. Nintendo later denied parts of the speculation, but the absence at launch left many fans unconvinced that everything was normal behind the scenes.
Now, the situation appears to have stabilized again. A broad selection of first-party Switch 2 games and the console itself are currently available, and after Nintendo announced lower prices for digital releases, Amazon began matching those price points on physical editions. Still, given the history laid out by Fils-Aimé—spanning allegations of improper pricing demands, marketplace disputes, and repeated disagreements—more clashes over pricing and selling policies wouldn’t be surprising.
For Nintendo, the bigger takeaway may be that physical games and retail partnerships still matter. Even as digital grows, the company continues to rely on a strong retail presence, and it has shown it’s willing to push back when it believes a partner’s tactics threaten pricing stability, customer trust, or its relationships across the broader market.
