A story. When I was 13 years old (pictured), my family planned a road trip to Seattle. And all I wanted to do, more than anything else in the universe, was visit Nintendo in nearby Redmond. 
Nintendo was everything to me as a kid. Their games changed the way I looked at the world — they’re why I open every door and press every button and spot every detail. I couldn’t eat without having a Nintendo magazine to read while eating. And…… heck yes I was a Fun Club member
I also called Nintendo Customer Service… a lot. (1-800-422-2602. Still memorized, and still works.) So before our trip, I called them up to make sure they gave tours. "Uh, I'm sure someone can show you around!" the guy said. Awesome!
But when we got there, and the whole family walked into the customer service/repair depot…
Well, of course they didn't give tours. "It's Insurance risk," they said. "Sorry."
Well, of course they didn't give tours. "It's Insurance risk," they said. "Sorry."
I was devastated.
Two weeks ago, cleaning out the basement, I discovered something long forgotten: I was do devastated, apparently, that I wrote Nintendo a letter.
And, of course, Nintendo wrote back.
And, of course, Nintendo wrote back.
"We were pleased to receive your recent letter. First of all, let us apologize for not being able to give you a tour of our facilities. We understand that this must have been a great disappointment after you drove so far."
(Page two starts with this incredible sentence: "Your speculation on the relationship between Tengen and Atari was correct.")
I can still remember the feeling of getting this letter, the feeling of being taken seriously as a kid, of having my feelings addressed, and my nerdy questions answered. I felt so much better, and I loved this company even more.
Cut to 2018. My company is publishing Untitled Goose Game, and after a lot of discussions with a lot of nice people, we decided to debut the game on the Nintendo Switch. And when they showed our trailer in the Nindies Direct, and our logo followed theirs… it hit me hard.
And when I walked down to the Nintendo booth at PAX, turned a corner, and saw our game sitting right there… it also hit me hard.
And after nearly 30 years…
I finally got my tour.
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