New From Nintendo: Super Mario Production Line
by John Paczkowski
Posted on September 17, 2008 at 4:02 AM PT
The word “Nintendo” literally translates as “leave luck to heaven,” but another translation might be “leave luck to your employees.” Because Nintendo’s are among the most productive in tech. In fact, the average Nintendo worker earns more for the videogame maker than average Google or Goldman Sachs workers earn for their respective employers.
Based on Nintendo’s latest earnings forecast, the Financial Times estimates each company employee will produce more than $1.6 million in profit this year. Meanwhile, the average Goldman (GS) employee is on track to generate roughly $1.24 million, the average Google (GOOG) employee upwards of $626,000.
Sadly for Nintendo’s bullet train-efficient workforce, that astonishing profit-per-employee metric doesn’t translate into profit-for-employee salaries. While the average Goldman worker banked $660,000 in compensation in 2007, the average Nintendo worker pocketed just $90,900. “We are not experiencing success,” said one Nintendo prole, “just increased overtime.”
