Nintendo Thanks Fans After Topping Famitsu’s 40th Anniversary Survey

Nintendo has published a direct thank-you message to fans after being voted the No. 1 “Game Developer I Like” in Famitsu’s reader survey marking the Japanese magazine’s 40th anniversary. As reported by Nintendo Everything, the message was translated into English by SatsumaFS and Simon Griffin, giving overseas fans a rare, unfiltered look at how the company reflects on four decades of game development.

It’s not often that Nintendo addresses its audience so personally outside of a Nintendo Direct or investor briefing. This statement, tied specifically to Famitsu’s milestone survey, stands out because it isn’t marketing copy for a new release. It’s a reflective note about the company’s identity, written for readers who took the time to vote.

Famitsu’s 40th anniversary survey crowned Nintendo and its icons

According to Nintendo Everything, Famitsu marked its 40th anniversary by inviting readers to weigh in on a wide-ranging survey covering topics such as the most influential game of all time and their favourite character. When the results came back, Nintendo was named the top developer overall, with Mario and The Legend of Zelda also singled out as fan favourites among the characters and franchises polled.

Famitsu has tracked the pulse of Japan’s gaming audience since well before the era of Nintendo Switch 2, making its anniversary survey a genuine barometer of long-term fan sentiment rather than a snapshot tied to a single console cycle. For a company whose flagship characters date back to the Famicom era, topping a reader poll like this in 2026 carries extra weight.

What Nintendo’s statement actually says

The full message, as translated and shared by Nintendo Everything, reads in part: “Thank you for choosing Nintendo as the No. 1 ‘Game Developer I Like’. We are also extremely happy that Mario and The Legend of Zelda have been received favorably. Ever since the Famicom (NES) was released in 1983, we have created chances for many to give video games a try, and we are grateful to Famitsu for keeping customers excited and supporting us across those 40 years.”

Nintendo went on to frame its philosophy around a single guiding word: “During these 40 years, technology related to game development has evolved, and the environment has changed as well, but we have continued to keep ‘originality’ as our central theme, going through trial and error and learning many things while creating entertainment with the goal of putting smiles on customers’ faces.” The company added that it hopes the past four decades have become part of fans’ own memories, and pledged to keep chasing “unique entertainment that only we could produce.”

The statement closed by acknowledging Famitsu’s own milestone directly, with Nintendo saying it hopes to keep “developing a mutually beneficial partnership in keeping the gaming industry lively” as the outlet enters its fifth decade.

Why this vote lands differently in 2026

The timing is notable. Nintendo is currently mid-transition on Nintendo Switch 2, juggling ports like Rise of the Tomb Raider, remasters such as Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition’s Switch 2 Edition, and a steady eShop sales calendar that has recently included major Square Enix discounts. Amid all that commercial activity, a reader-driven popularity survey serves as a reminder that Nintendo’s biggest asset remains the emotional attachment fans have to characters first introduced on far older hardware.

It also arrives at a moment when Nintendo faces genuine competition for attention, from Switch 2 exclusives to third-party heavyweights and rumoured projects like Metroid Ravenous. A public vote of confidence from a 40-year-old institution like Famitsu, one of Japan’s most influential gaming publications, adds cultural weight that a sales chart alone doesn’t capture.

A rare direct line to fans

For Australian and New Zealand players who grew up importing Famicom and later NES cartridges long before official regional distribution caught up, this kind of statement underscores just how far Nintendo’s reach has travelled since 1983. The company’s decision to publish a personal note rather than route the acknowledgement through a press release or social post also suggests Nintendo wanted the message to feel less corporate and more like a genuine thank-you.

Fans wanting the full breakdown of Famitsu’s 40th anniversary survey, including the complete rankings for favourite characters and most influential titles, can find those results compiled by Nintendo Everything alongside the translated statement.

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