Rumor: Marketing Staff Leaves Nintendo of America

Perrin Kaplan, Beth Llewelyn and George Harrison are some of the names rumored to be departing from Nintendo of America.

GameInformer reports that 90 percent of Nintendo of America’s 80-person marketing staff will leave the company after refusing to relocate to San Francisco or New York. High-profile executives included in the losses feature Senior Director of Public Relations Beth Llewelyn, Vice President of Marking and Corporate Affairs Perrin Kaplan and Senior Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communications George Harrison. A departure date for those listed has not been announced, but is speculated to be after this year’s E3 expo. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Tatsumi Kimishima and President and Chief Operating Officer Reggie Fils-Aime are the only members of NOA’s upper echelon that will remain at the company.

Nintendo has commented to GamesIndustry.biz that, while Nintendo of America is opening new offices, the word about management is purely speculation.

A spokesperson stated, “I can confirm that Nintendo will be opening regional offices in Silicon Valley and New York City this autumn. To ensure we are poised to drive our business forward and remain an industry leader, we will be better positioned by expanding our US presence to the hotbed of technology in Silicon Valley and to the world-wide media centre in the heart of New York City.

“In terms of the execs leaving we have not heard anything regarding that speculation – and it remains speculation. We are not commenting further on those rumours at this time. … The decision is an NOA-NCL management decision. We all believe this is the best move to ensure we raise the bar as we live, work and breathe in the centre of technology over the next decade and beyond. We are hoping employees will see the benefit and in fact, increase morale as we show everyone how you can take it up a notch even in different locations.”