France fined Nintendo 35 million euros for concealing Joy-Con drift between 2018 and 2020. The defect causes involuntary movements and affects millions of consoles. The penalty sounds like a victory, but the reality is different: the company had already accounted for this expense as an additional operating cost in its global financial statements.
Drift is not a defect, it's a design feature 🎮
Drift is a structural flaw: the carbon tracks of the potentiometer wear down with normal use, generating dust that blocks electrical contact. It's not a matter of external dirt, but a design that cannot withstand wear from thousands of cycles. Nintendo knew this and did not modify the components. The French fine does not require free repairs outside of warranty. The user continues to pay between 40 and 80 euros for a defect the company has known about since 2017.
35 million euros: the price of a Super Bowl ad 💰
Nintendo generated over 12 billion euros in revenue last year. The French fine amounts to 0.29% of its annual income, less than what it spends on a weekend of marketing. The funny thing about it is that the company already has the same Joy-Con ready for the next console, because drift does not hinder sales. Citizens celebrate the penalty, but Nintendo laughs all the way to the bank while the user keeps buying defective controllers as if they were collectibles.