Motivations for nostalgia in the Nintendo fandom

Abstract

Nintendo's presence in games culture is pervasive and influential, with a history of success in the Eastern and Western markets and a fanbase that spans different generations of players. While works about the fandoms of Nintendo-owned franchises exist, less is known about those who are fans of the company itself, without a necessary attachment to a particular intellectual property (IP). The theoretical lenses of game studies, fan studies, retro gaming, and nostalgia help explore the Nintendo fandom to uncover the nostalgic motivations that fans develop and maintain toward the brand and how they are interrelated. Through a narrative analysis of eleven in-depth interviews with self-identified fans of Nintendo, we find that these motivations are sentimental, historical, and personal, as well as hierarchical according to their ease of attainment by those outside of the fandom. Furthermore, retro gaming acts as a Nintendo company strategy that aids the development of these motivations.