Reports that electronics manufacturer Foxconn hired underage teenagers in its factories (where Nintendo Wii U consoles are being assembled) have urged Nintendo to release an statement. Today the Japanese manufacturer confirmed this as fact, denouncing the practice as a violation of the company’s guidelines.
Nintendo of America senior director of Corporate Communications Charlie Scibetta said, “Nintendo investigated the incident and determined that this was a violation of the Nintendo Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Procurement Guidelines that all Nintendo production partners are required to follow, based on relevant laws, international standards and guidelines.”
Scibetta also said that Nintendo staff will continue to carry out inspections at the factories to make sure that conditions remain acceptable. “As one of many companies that work with Foxconn to enhance CSR along the whole supply chain, we take this issue very seriously,” he said.
This isn’t the first time that Nintendo has been forced to investigate Foxconn’s assembly facilities. Back in 2010, a string of Chinese worker suicides made the company to re-examine labor conditions at the Wii console factories.
As the highly anticipated November 18, 2012 Nintendo Wii U release date approaches, the laws of supply and demand appear to be showing up both in-store and online retailers. Most online and in-store pre-order options are closed up and not in-stock, leaving one with dwindling options to secure the latest offering from the Big N. Folks can camp out at release day stores in hopes of grabbing one from the first batch, or simply buying from opportunistic 3rd party sellers on Yahoo Auctions HK or Taobao.
With the Wii U launch, Nintendo is offering 2 models with unique options and pricing. The Wii U price for the 8GB Basic Set is $299.99 and includes the white 8GB console, GamePad (white), two AC adaptors, sensor bar and an HDMI cable. The price for the 32GB Deluxe Set is $349.99 and includes the black 32GB console, GamePad (black), two AC adaptors, sensor bar a sensor bar, an HDMI cable, GamePad cradle, GamePad stand and console stand. The prices for the local Hong Kong market are still unknown.
