Nintendo of America employee Samantha Robertson has revealed she's left the company after 11 years. If you've ever tuned into a Treehouse stream, you've likely seen Robertson on camera showcasing an upcoming release.
Samantha started out in 2011 as a localisation writer and editor (including product development & publishing) at Treehouse. In 2019, she went from assistant manager to manager of product marketing for the publisher and developer relations department of NoA.
In her goodbye message on Twitter, Robertson said it was an "honor to work with such wonderful people" and mentioned how she's ready for a new challenge - with future updates on the way. Here's her message in full:
Last week, I wrapped up at Nintendo. It’s been an honor to work with such wonderful people. But the pandemic has emphatically underscored that life is short and not to be taken for granted. I have roads yet to explore. And, cliché as it is, there’s no time like the present.
I recognize that being able to take this step back is a privilege, and it’s not a move I make lightly. I’m excited to share future updates with you as I figure out what comes next.
I’m going to recharge, spend time with friends and family, dig into projects and creative pursuits that’ve been languishing on the back burner far too long, and consider new ways to contribute to the industries and people I care about.
Video games and the gaming community remain a huge part of my life. This is an industry I am passionate about. I think it’s incredible. I think it can be even better. And I don’t think I’m done with it yet.
On behalf of the community here at Nintendo Life, we wish Samantha all the best in her future endeavors.
[source twitter.com, via gonintendo.com]
Comments 44
Since Reggie they've been dropping like flies.
Seems like quite a few long time employees are dropping out of NoA since Reggie left and Bowser took over. I don't know if its a good thing getting fresh blood and ideas in, or bad that the people who know NoA and the spirit of things like Treehouse Live are leaving. It does make one wonder why.
Aw, that's too bad. She always brought good energy to the treehouse.
@Highlar didn'r Reggie left years ago at this point? I don't think this has to be related.
Samantha was one of my favorite personalities during the E3 Treehouse segments. I'll miss seeing her at E3, but I respect her decision and wish her well in her future pursuits.
@Spoony_Tech people have been leaving Nintendo left and right since way before Reggie was even considered for the role.
I knew Sam through a mutual friend back when I lived out west. Really great person, I wish her all the best in her post-Nintendo career.
Thanks, Sam! Always did a good job on Treehouse Live.
I wish her the very best in whatever she decides to do.
Sam was always one of the most energetic and honestly happy looking people on the Treehouse broadcasts. I wish her the best.
I thought the sub title said "horror" not "honor" at first. Anyways, thanks for all of you hard work.
now she will become a youtuber to talk about her experience at nintendo and play non nintendo games
@Spoony_Tech @Highlar Nintendo has closed 2 offices and moved those employees to another offices, so, like krysta and kit, people have left because they dont want to be relocated.
They are closing satelite offices to in favor of keeping most of the people under fewer/bigger buildings
So much speculation in this comment section. Do all your uncles work at Nintendo? Lol
Always loved her.
@Spoony_Tech you know people get old and can't work forever right? 🤔
She was one of the better presenters on stream
I liked her. Bowser still seems like a bore.
I had no idea who she was as I don't watch or particularly like Nintendo Treehouse, but still I wish her the best.
Oh no, not Sammy Bobby!
I didn't as such know who she is...
Aww. She will be missed on Treehouse. Hope she manages to achieve what she's wanting.
(Waits patiently for Samantha Robertson joins XBox article...)
I think it was IGN did an article about the negatives of working for Nintendo and lack of advancement opportunities was top of the list. So I think people want to go higher need to leave Nintendo.
Y’all jump to conclusions like nothing else. A job’s a job, just because it’s at a game company you love doesn’t mean it’s a dream. People want to leave jobs for all sorts of reasons, doesn’t mean it’s down to a change in management and things having gone south as a result. Who knows how many people leave every year now and before Reggie left; the only time we see them getting reported is when the person in question has had some face time with the public in Treehouse Lives/Indie showcases etc.
When they took the mini reveals away from the treehouse shows I lost interest in the format, maybe they are not so popular anymore.
wow I love these leaving statements people do nowadays, why? A bunch of politically correct comments with very little truth, when really her reasons for leaving have got nothing to do with anyone other than her.
@mlj11 Not any more. My uncle quit because he couldn’t bear to be part of a Reggieless Nintendo.
…Yup.
@dew12333 This comment section is full of baseless speculation.
Also politically correct has lost all it's meaning it seems.
@SwitchplayerJohn I wouldn't be surprised, since it is a Japanese company. And the culture of Japan largely dictates that people in senior roles are those who are older and/or have been with their company for many years. Ergo, it's not merit-based, like it is here in the West.
Then again, I have worked for Western companies where a lack of advancement was also a big problem. I worked for the largest grocery store chain in the United States for three years, got a single (minor) "promotion," but the duties I had when I first began were the same; the only difference was that I had to do it all by myself by the end of it, but not because of that "promotion." My former employer was just being cheap and decided to cut labor costs by taking away the team I worked with. I'm done with that place, fortunately.
Always liked what Sam brought to the Treehouse Live shows. Good luck to her!
I wish her the best in her future endeavors.
I'm sure she's a great person but I always stopped watching the E3 Treehouse stuff when she came on. I just didn't care for her presentations.
@Highlar it’s ALWAYS a good thing getting fresh blood and ideas. It’s always been a balance of using what works in a company culture while tweaking processes to reflect the times or simply to improve them.
I've always found Treehouse presentations boring & way too long. After seeing portions of the first few presentations that they've done, I quit watching them altogether.
@Magrane That's not what companies do though. They push out older established employees so they can pay new ones less. A statement like what Robertson made here sounds suspicious to me. It's full of vague language.
In light of the "great resignation" due to the pandemic and the consolidating of Nintendo offices forcing people to relocate or find work elsewhere, people sure are reaching for conspiracies, here!
Other companies are embracing more flexible office and home work options while Nintendo is moving everyone to one building. The response seems very natural.
I do think a reshuffling of the branding around Nintendo Switch is in order.
It was very solid when Iwata and Miyamoto were selling fun, creativity, and novelty. When their back was against the wall with Wii U, they worked so hard to remind everyone how Nintendo has a different perspective and it was pretty great.
While everything is going okay, the Switch is an interesting device that has drawn people that had been away from Nintendo or never really preferred their games.
I wonder if they need to have a parallel marketing scheme of sorts. Keep the "toy factory all ages" Nintendo brand going in one track, and have another for the core gamers of all kinds, the lovers of video games that take them into esoteric corners. Something like that.
Another one has left........ Nintendo are doomed now, I tell ye.
@jowe_gw That's actually the right usage of "politically correct", unlike what most people are thinking when they use the phrase. Politically correct literally means saying the things that won't get you in trouble or hurt your career. It does not refer to any specific idealogy.
@JasmineDragon well... You know the meaning pf politically correct. That's good actually. I'm tired of people using it as a buzzword and nothing else.
Which makes it all the more confusing when you said that people here were like that.
It seems like everyone is leaving...
I remember her face; didn't know her name. Hopefully, her future endeavors will be good.
Staying at the same company for 10+ years is a major commitment for a lot of people. I know people who love their jobs but leave after a few years because they desire new adventures and excitement. In the modern Western world having a career employee who stays with a company for 20-40 years is a rarity and just does not happen anymore. New opportunities come up, family and personal reasons, wanting to do something different, it just happens. Considering Nintendo's commitment to having a proper work-life balance for their employees I don't think this is a knock against the company. Rather this is just the natural progression of a company especially one in the process of relocating offices.
@Wexter Totally agree with you there, and I think it was pretty much the same story with Krysta and Kit. When the office you've been at for over a decade shuts down to relocate in a different state, it's kind of natural to pause and think about the other possibilities. Now add that to everything else that happened in 2020-2021.
A LOT of people have jumped jobs and even jumped careers in the last couple of years. This is hardly a sign of a crisis in Nintendo management.
Who knew middle schools were filled with so many industry analysts?
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