http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/16/tech/gaming-gadgets/congo-blood-phones-report/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

From the article:

'Nintendo is, I believe, the only company that has basically refused to acknowledge the issue or demonstrate they are making any sort of effort on it,' said Sasha Lezhnev, senior policy analyst at the Enough Project. 'And this is despite a good two years of trying to get in contact with them.'"

If you read further into the article Nintendo's position is that the manufacture and assembly of its hardware is outsourced and they're not involved in choosing the sources for the materials their products are made from. Both Sony and Microsoft are ranked by the same group, and they have considerably higher scores.

NO BLOOD FOR TOADS!

These ain't conflict minerals, is they Jacob? Don't lie to me mane.

Well that sucks. It would be nice if they made more of an effort.

BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD TOAD

Blood blood toad blood toad blood blood bload?

Eh.

Both Sony and Microsoft are ranked by the same group, and they have considerably higher scores.

Well that makes sense, they are bigger companies and are probably more involved with the manufacturing of their products- if not manufacturing alot of it themselves.

I'm not getting the blood for Toads thing.

NINTENDO! WHY YOU NO MAKE MARIO SOLVE ALL WORLD PROBLEMS!?!?!?!

This is dumb. Like Antoine Dodson dumb.

For real.

@familyphotoshoot said:

@DoctorWelch: Go back to Reddit, where that kind of unfunny shit is acceptable.

Someone's a little butt hurt.

Blatant whaling and blood minerals, way to go Japan! Continue being ignorant of everything outside your little island.

Can't we all just get along?

Bullet bills are too big to fail

@familyphotoshoot: Nintendo should... do what? They're a toy manufacturer. They make cheap inexpensive toys for children and now grandparents. I don't see how them outsourcing manufacturing somehow makes them responsible for Africans killing Africans.

@Oldirtybearon: Why is Nintendo incapable of doing what all the other companies covered by that report can do?

@familyphotoshoot said:

@Oldirtybearon: Why is Nintendo incapable of doing what all the other companies covered by that report can do?

Because it's not their job to fix that problem?

@Oldirtybearon: That's a pretty weak excuse.

This issue has been present for a while. It's a hard issue to address. These metals are difficult and more expensive to acquire elsewhere. However, the demand for those metals spurs civil conflict that causes the deaths of innocent people. If there were more initiative on the issue, the companies could demand that the metal suppliers work toward conflict resolution in their area or threaten to take their business elsewhere. It's hard to influence businesses when their bottom line could be affected though. Furthermore, efforts for conflict resolution may fall on deaf ears for the militant groups involved. It's bothersome, but the situation isn't likely to improve any time soon.

@familyphotoshoot: How so? I don't care that my iPhone came from a production facility that essentially uses slave labour. My Xbox came from there as well. If you want to go on a noble crusade to try and end conflict in the Congo (which is not what this Enough Project or this futile shaming exercise is about, mind you) then I would be the first to stand up and applaud you. You'd be doing something truly inspired. You'd probably fail, but you'd be standing up and doing something righteous.

You're not, though. Neither is this group that tries to brow-beat companies into conforming to their ideological mandates.

You know what would be great? Is if all of the people who care about "Conflict this" or "conflict that" got together and tried to figure out a way to end the conflict itself. Child exploitation is a real issue. Child soldiers are a real issue. Senseless murder, ethnic cleansing, atrocities committed against each other, those are real issues. Nintendo making a 3DS from minerals out of the Congo doesn't even register on the same scale. If it does to you, then you have seriously fucked up priorities.

The question I have in all of this is why the UN, specifically NATO, hasn't stepped in when it comes to all of the atrocities that have happened in central Africa? If any one organization had the authority and the mass to roll up their sleeves and go to work on a problem, you'd think it was them.

@Oldirtybearon: The issue isn't that the conflict is happening, it's that in this instance Nintendo is doing literally nothing. Other companies have made an effort to curb using these kinds of resources. Nintendo hasn't. The fact that you're trying to defend it kind of blows my mind.

@familyphotoshoot: I'm not defending it, I'm trying understand why people are wasting their time on this particular thing when there is a much, much bigger problem going on in central Africa.

If this is all about making sure you can buy your electronics without feeling guilty that somebody probably died somewhere in relation to that device, fine. Come out and admit as much. Don't hide behind some bullshit about this being a just cause if that's the case. Solve the real problem, which ain't exploitative douchebags taking advantage of an opportunity.

Their refusal to acknowledge their part in the issue is unsettling. I remember reading reports awhile back about Nintendo being an especially environmentally-unfriendly company as well. Though I barely buy any to begin with, I will be keeping this in mind when considering purchasing Nintendo products in the future.

@Oldirtybearon: People are 'wasting their time' on this because it's better than doing nothing about anything. You can list your priority list for making the world a better place but calling out this stuff is the pointless move here.

Non profits that do the stats tracking and engage multinationals about environmental, labour, or sourcing issues can't do much (with only the tools of public perception, which is why these reports exist as they are the 'sting' the non-profit uses to try and push the companies to implement their suggestions) when compared to what governments could do but it is doing more than nothing and helping to inform the public, whose money is being used in this way ultimately, isn't a waste of time.

Could they do more or pick more important fights? Sure, but they're at least one step up from doing nothing and as the report indicates, there is some traction in getting a verified supply chain established (just as there are some small movements about labour conditions fighting against the movement to get the lowest prices at any cost to people and the environment).

Huh.

Not surprising, unfortunately.

nintendo also kills whales for funsies

Whats wrong with killing whales, so long as they're not endangered?