- What kind of contribution activities have been carried out recently?
- On the 6th of April 2009, there was a big earthquake (with a magnitude of 6.3) in Abruzzo, Italy. As a result of the earthquake, 308 people died, 65,000 people were displaced, 15,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed, and 49 different towns and cities were affected (L'Acquila, Onna, and surroundings). Through relief efforts by the Italian trade association AESVI, we donated Nintendo products to young earthquake victims who have to live in the disaster area.
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Corporate Information : CSR Report 2009
Bringing Smiles to the Community
The Nintendo Group endeavors to serve as a leading corporate citizen by always thinking of ways we can contribute to the community.
Nintendo's Unique Contributions
We believe that maintaining a wholesome society is an integral part of Nintendo's business. In recognizing that we must give back to society, we consider what kinds of contributions we can best offer, and through our activities endeavor to contribute to society as a corporate citizen.
Nintendo Game Seminar (internship program)
At Nintendo Co., Ltd., we wish to maintain Japan's truly world-class game culture. Since 2003, we have been offering Nintendo Game Seminar, an internship program which gives participants the opportunity to learn about game creation free of charge. During the Game Seminar, Nintendo developers, who are currently active at the forefront of game development, lecture and convey to participants the professional know-how necessary for game production.
Every year about 30 students are initiated into the game-development world for a 10-month period, where they learn practical skills from professional developers and work together to create games. In fiscal year 2008, 32 students participated in the Game Seminar, bringing the total number of students participating in the Seminar since its inception to 199. Many of these students go on to make creative contributions not only to Nintendo, but also to other companies in a variety of industries.
We distribute student-created game software to the general public through Wii "Nintendo Channel" (downloadable in Japan only) so that they can actually be played and enjoyed by a broad audience.
Contributing a Nintendo Character
In Japan, the "Children's Rights Hotline" is a helpline that children can call for assistance if they believe human rights have been violated. The hotline is operated by the Kyoto District Legal Affairs Bureau and others, to protect children from abuse and extreme cases of bullying. Since 1999, to support this cause, Nintendo Co., Ltd. has been providing our character Mario for the Children's Rights Hotline's campaign poster and mini-calendar, which are distributed to all elementary and middle schools in Kyoto Prefecture. They have been well received by everyone, especially children.
Support for a Game-based Learning Project
The government-funded Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS) has established the Consolarium, a center for games and learning, with the aim of updating the classroom curriculum and engaging young people through game-based learning. The center provides support and resources to teachers and education administrators who would like to integrate new media into their teaching, but don't always have the skills and/or tools to do so. Nintendo of Europe's UK branch donates Nintendo DS and software, such as Brain Training, to the scheme to aid in the progress and development of the project.
Supporting the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation
Nintendo of America, Nintendo Australia, and Nintendo of Europe's UK branch have been making contributions to the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation, a non-profit organization which provides support to seriously ill children undergoing treatment and their families.
Nintendo of America has aided these activities by creating and updating the Fun Center*1 program, which provides children with the opportunity to play their favorite Nintendo games from their hospital beds via a Fun Center, a portable gaming unit. Throughout the course of the partnership, more than 6,000 Fun Centers have been placed in hospitals across North America.
Nintendo Australia provides volunteers to help with Starlight Day, which is an important event for the foundation, and invites children and their families to spend a day at Nintendo Australia's head office.
These activities have been well received by everyone, especially by the ill children and their families. For us, the support for this organization is one of the activities that employees take pride in, and consequently, helps to raise staff morale.
- *1 Fun Center
- A mobile entertainment unit which includes a flat-screen TV, video game console (customized for hospital use), and a DVD player.
Support of the "Schnecke" Project
In February 2007, the German Ministry of Culture in the federal state of Hessen began a project, called "Schnecke - Bildung braucht Gesundheit," aimed at improving the physical balance of school-aged children. The Ministry had previously launched a scientific study to examine the sight, hearing, and balance of several thousand school children. The study revealed that many children lacked a proper sense of balance, and there was a strong correlation between poor balance and bad school grades.
In 2008, Nintendo of Europe decided to support the Ministry's proposal to use Wii Fit in its project. Nintendo of Europe donated Wii consoles and Wii Fit software for use in schools to help children train and improve their balance.
Although the project is presently limited to the German federal state of Hessen, it has great potential for expansion to schools in other German states.
Contribution to Research on Game Use by School Children
Nintendo Benelux contributed the use of Nintendo DS Lite and Brain Training for a research project that examined the effectiveness of the use of games by school children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder*2.
The project - conducted at Het Noorderlicht, a school for children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, tested two groups of youngsters who were provided with identical learning material. Group A received the learning material through use of the Nintendo DS Lite and Brain Training, and Group B through conventional teaching methods.
Research results revealed that the group utilizing the Nintendo DS Lite and Brain Training were more motivated to learn than the other group. In addition, the test results were significantly better in Group A than in Group B. It was concluded that games can be an alternative means to motivate and excite children to learn.
- *2 Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- A syndrome, usually diagnosed in childhood, characterized by a persistent pattern of impulsiveness, a short attention span, and often hyperactivity, which interferes especially with academic, occupational, and social performance.
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