Exclusive: Nintendo President Doug Bowser on San Francisco Interview

Nintendo officially opened its doors today, May 15, in San Francisco’s bustling Union Square at 331 Powell Street. This new location marks Nintendo’s second official retail store in the United States, following the success of the rebranded Nintendo NY store, which originally opened as Nintendo World before undergoing renovations and relaunching in 2016.

IGN was on-site at the grand opening to explore what the Nintendo San Francisco store has to offer in terms of products, experiences, and exclusive merchandise. Additionally, we had the opportunity to sit down with Doug Bowser, President of Nintendo of America, to discuss the strategic timing of opening the company’s first West Coast flagship store.

Of course, with the upcoming launch of the [ttpp]Nintendo Switch 2[/ttpp] scheduled for June 5, we couldn’t resist asking Bowser about key details surrounding the new console. We asked about expected availability across the U.S., both at launch and in the months that follow. We also touched on the recently introduced Game-Key Cards—something that has sparked discussion among fans—and got Bowser’s take on how they fit into Nintendo’s broader vision for gaming accessibility and convenience.