During the early years of the Nintendo Switch and throughout the Wii U and 3DS era, the term "Nindies" was a familiar keyword for Nintendo fans and industry followers alike.
This clever portmanteau of "Nintendo" and "indies" became the official moniker for indie games released on Nintendo platforms, frequently surfacing in marketing materials, Nintendo Direct presentations, and dedicated eShop spotlights.
The Nindies branding played a significant role in highlighting independent developer achievements, helping both innovative game creators and players discover standout titles on the Nintendo Switch and other Nintendo hardware. However, in recent years, the once-prominent 'Nindies' term has quietly disappeared from Nintendo's public communications.
This change raised questions among longtime fans and the indie development community.
During a recent podcast episode, former Nintendo of America representatives Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang offered an inside look at the decision to retire the Nindies brand. As they explained, the disappearance of 'Nindies' was not due to a lack of enthusiasm from developers or even a negative response from fans — in fact, the term was broadly embraced both internally and externally.
According to Krysta Yang, the main reason for phasing out 'Nindies' stemmed from legal considerations within Nintendo.
She clarified that, from the perspective of the company's legal department, combining the 'Nintendo' brand with another word could weaken the strength and protectability of the Nintendo trademark.
"If there were a legal dispute down the road, it could be challenging to defend the brand," she summarized. Kit Ellis elaborated, describing how the internal PDR (Publisher & Developer Relations) team was responsible for championing the Nindies label.
They enthusiastically promoted the brand, even creating t-shirts and distinctive logos, only for the legal department to intervene.
"They got a tap on the shoulder from legal with the message, 'You can’t do this,'" Ellis recalled.
The legal team pointed to examples like 'Wiimote'—another unofficial term merged from 'Wii' and 'remote'—to reinforce that breaking apart the Nintendo brand or combining it with other words risked diluting its trademark value. Despite pushback from the passionate team that invented the Nindies brand, Nintendo's legal stance ultimately prevailed.
As Ellis noted, "You can’t beat that." While 'Nindies' may no longer feature in Nintendo public-facing campaigns, the company continues to internally use creative brand mashups, such as 'Nsite' and 'Nbassador.' However, these terms remain within the company and are not publicized like Nindies once was. The removal of 'Nindies' marks the end of a unique era that celebrated indie game developers on the Nintendo Switch, Wii U, and 3DS, but highlights the ongoing importance of brand protection for a company as storied as Nintendo.
As of 2024, indie games remain a vibrant and critical part of the Nintendo Switch ecosystem.
The eShop continues to feature a rotating selection of standout titles from independent creators, ensuring that the spirit behind the Nindies brand lives on—even if the term itself is now a fond memory.
This clever portmanteau of "Nintendo" and "indies" became the official moniker for indie games released on Nintendo platforms, frequently surfacing in marketing materials, Nintendo Direct presentations, and dedicated eShop spotlights.
The Nindies branding played a significant role in highlighting independent developer achievements, helping both innovative game creators and players discover standout titles on the Nintendo Switch and other Nintendo hardware. However, in recent years, the once-prominent 'Nindies' term has quietly disappeared from Nintendo's public communications.
This change raised questions among longtime fans and the indie development community.
During a recent podcast episode, former Nintendo of America representatives Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang offered an inside look at the decision to retire the Nindies brand. As they explained, the disappearance of 'Nindies' was not due to a lack of enthusiasm from developers or even a negative response from fans — in fact, the term was broadly embraced both internally and externally.
According to Krysta Yang, the main reason for phasing out 'Nindies' stemmed from legal considerations within Nintendo.
She clarified that, from the perspective of the company's legal department, combining the 'Nintendo' brand with another word could weaken the strength and protectability of the Nintendo trademark.
"If there were a legal dispute down the road, it could be challenging to defend the brand," she summarized. Kit Ellis elaborated, describing how the internal PDR (Publisher & Developer Relations) team was responsible for championing the Nindies label.
They enthusiastically promoted the brand, even creating t-shirts and distinctive logos, only for the legal department to intervene.
"They got a tap on the shoulder from legal with the message, 'You can’t do this,'" Ellis recalled.
The legal team pointed to examples like 'Wiimote'—another unofficial term merged from 'Wii' and 'remote'—to reinforce that breaking apart the Nintendo brand or combining it with other words risked diluting its trademark value. Despite pushback from the passionate team that invented the Nindies brand, Nintendo's legal stance ultimately prevailed.
As Ellis noted, "You can’t beat that." While 'Nindies' may no longer feature in Nintendo public-facing campaigns, the company continues to internally use creative brand mashups, such as 'Nsite' and 'Nbassador.' However, these terms remain within the company and are not publicized like Nindies once was. The removal of 'Nindies' marks the end of a unique era that celebrated indie game developers on the Nintendo Switch, Wii U, and 3DS, but highlights the ongoing importance of brand protection for a company as storied as Nintendo.
As of 2024, indie games remain a vibrant and critical part of the Nintendo Switch ecosystem.
The eShop continues to feature a rotating selection of standout titles from independent creators, ensuring that the spirit behind the Nindies brand lives on—even if the term itself is now a fond memory.
