CSR Report 2008
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CSR Report 2008 As a global corporate citizen, the Nintendo Group recognizes that it is our responsibility to consider the interests of society when conducting our business activities, and to be cognizant of how our actions impact consumers, business partners, employees, shareholders, communities, and the environment. For Nintendo, where our business is games and entertainment, we believe our ultimate responsibility is to “put smiles on the faces of everyone we touch.” The 2008 Nintendo Corporate Social Responsibility Report details how we are working to achieve this goal. Reporting Scope The scope of this report covers the activities and data of the Nintendo Group (Nintendo Co., Ltd., the parent company, and its consolidated subsidiaries). Any information which does not fall under this scope is explicitly stated. For purposes of this report, “Nintendo” refers to the Nintendo Group, and Nintendo Co., Ltd. itself is referred to by its complete name. Nintendo Co., Ltd. is ultimately in charge of planning, product development and production, while incorporating the opinions and legal advice of its subsidiaries. Especially regarding those sections relating to product development policies (Product Safety), production (CSR Procurement), and the Corporate Governance page, “we” and “Nintendo” refer to the Nintendo Group in light of this business model. Reporting Period Fiscal year 2007 (From April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2008), including some more recent activities as well as some activities prior to fiscal year 2007. Date of Publication March 2009 • For technical terminology or otherwise unfamiliar terms, please refer to the terminology boxes at the bottom of the relevant pages. • “Nintendo DS” includes Nintendo DS Lite. • For supplementary information to this report, please refer to the Nintendo website at the following URL: http://www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/en/csr/index.html Translation Note This document has been translated from the Japanese original for reference purposes only. In the event of any discrepancy between this translation and the Japanese original, the original shall prevail. Nintendo assumes no responsibility for this translation or for direct, indirect or any other forms of damages arising from this translation. Contents 05 • Interview with the President 07 • Pursuing our Goals through our Products 15 • Nintendo by the Numbers 17 • Everyone Nintendo Touches 19 • Bringing Smiles to our Consumers 23 • Working with our Business Partners 27 • Maximizing our Employees’ Strengths 31 • Bringing Smiles to Future Generations 35 • Bringing Smiles to the Community 37 • Reliable and Trustworthy Business Practices 41 • Message to Nintendo 42 • Nintendo Overview Interview with the President endeavor to communicate the positive influences regulations on chemical substances used in our Putting smiles on the faces of everyone that our games can provide, such as these new products according to considerably very strict opportunities for communication and smiles. European standards. In considering how we can Nintendo touches through our products Meanwhile, we sometimes receive comments that adapt our business activities to further safeguard the children become so involved in the fun of video environment, Nintendo is discussing the challenge of games that they can’t stop playing. Here at Nintendo addressing current environmental and social issues Nintendo recognizes the yet untapped potential of games to change society for the better. we take such comments very seriously. To make it in the development of our game products in a Putting smiles on the faces of everyone we touch is Nintendo’s Corporate Social Responsibility. easier for children and their parents to discuss this non-intrusive way. There are many ways that the best issue, we included an automatic play time recorder in features of games can be utilized for the benefit of Wii. Nintendo will continue to listen to and address society. Here at Nintendo, we continue to consider such issues in the future to ensure enjoyable and and implement such benefits as an integral part of appropriate entertainment experiences for everyone. our CSR activities. It has now been more than a year since Nintendo not to lose focus and spread ourselves too thin. How do you view Nintendo’s relationship with its Finally, what do you think Nintendo needs to do to inaugurated its CSR promotion project. What are Therefore, it is important for Nintendo to have our business partners including production partners? assure its continuing success in business and with your impressions so far? own policy and to make certain that our decisions are its CSR? based on sound strategy as we respond to society’s We place a great deal of importance on Nintendo’s Last year, we defined the Nintendo CSR concept as expectations. At Nintendo, we are planning to focus relationship with all of its partners, always keeping While the typical corporate life span may be about activities that put smiles on the faces of everyone we on two fundamental areas. foremost in our minds the meaning of our job, how our thirty years, Nintendo has managed to stay in touch; a phrase that we believe expresses the First, we plan to enhance our ability to effectively performance contributes to the good of society and business for more than a hundred. However, we also essence of Nintendo’s thinking in the clearest and communicate the new potential of video games and how it helps to bring happiness to the people we serve. know that the most dangerous thing a company can simplest way possible. We have communicated this the positive influence that games can have on Actually, on occasions such as the Financial Results do is to rest on its laurels. In order to avoid being expression of our CSR concept externally to society. Secondly, as a company that does not have Briefings, I usually show video clips of people around spoiled by our past accomplishments, we do not use encourage all our employees, including those at our its own production factories, we are working to the world smiling while playing our games, to let our the word “success” lightly at Nintendo. We must overseas subsidiaries, to share this common promote an understanding among our production business partners and employees know that we realize strive not to limit ourselves to what has worked in the perspective and heighten awareness of our position partners of the essence of our CSR, such as just how important our cooperation is to achieve the past, or else we risk falling behind changing times. I on CSR. consideration of the social and environmental smiles we see on the happy faces of Nintendo believe it is important for Nintendo to continuously aspects of our business activities, in order to consumers. We borrow our partners’ strengths in consider what we can do to put smiles on the faces enhance cooperation in maximizing the effectiveness specialized fields, and we realize the importance of of everyone we touch and to continue fulfilling our What did you see as issues for Nintendo? of our CSR. showing them our respect and gratitude. Corporate Social Responsibility. Although we had already been working on CSR in various respects before the CSR concept was Can you explain the new potential of video games I’m sure that consideration for the global environment formally established, we felt that our ability to and the specific influence that games can have on is an important part of putting smiles on the faces communicate our activities to society was society? of the next generation. What approaches does insufficient, and we needed to focus on gathering Nintendo take to preserve the environment? objective data that better communicated our Professor Kawashima, who supervised in the activities to society. Another issue that surfaced was development of “Brain Age” (U.S. market title, The threats posed by climate change and global the need to consider Nintendo CSR on an even more entitled “Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training” in Europe) warming have significantly influenced what society global scale, considering that 80% of our net sales for Nintendo DS expressed the new potential of perceives as its burden on the environment and the comes from overseas sales. We must also identify video games very well when he said, “I was very resulting need for positive change. Nintendo is no specific CSR goals that will allow Nintendo to move surprised that a game could prompt so much exception in recognizing this need. We consider forward to a higher level of CSR activities. communication across generations. Communication not only how much CO2 we produce through our across generations is a very good stimulus for the business activities but also the amount of electric brain.” We also researched Wii Fit users here in power that is consumed over the lifetime of our While CSR covers a wide range of areas, what areas Japan, and we found that this game has had a products. To lessen our impact on the environment, will you focus on in order to respond to the interests positive influence on users. Men in their 40’s told us Nintendo DS and Wii designs are based on more and expectations of society? that the best thing about Wii Fit was that it provided effective energy-saving concepts than existing game them with more opportunities to talk with their devices that feature high-power performance. In CSR certainly does encompass a wide range of children (19.8%), and men in their 50’s said that they addition, Nintendo recognizes the importance of areas which can be challenging. We must be careful enjoyed playing Wii Fit with their spouses (59.7%). We meeting global standards, and complies with Satoru Iwata, President, Nintendo Co., Ltd. 05 06 02 Procurement and Pursuing our Goals Production Since Nintendo does not own the facilities that manufacture our products, the production of through our Products products involves the cooperation of the countless factory workers.