Nintendo Europe to cut 320 jobs by end of August

Nintendo of Europe will cut 320 jobs by August, the firm has announced.

This includes the 130 positions announced in June along with 190 temporary employees - some of which have worked for Nintendo for years - at the firm's Germany-based department.

All 320 jobs will be made redundant by August 31.

Nintendo issued the following statement to Kotaku:

"As previously communicated in June 2014, approximately 130 permanent employees will be released by Nintendo of Europe (Germany) at the end of August 2014 as part of a set of measures to better enable the European business to adapt to the rapidly changing business environment.

"As a separate measure, Nintendo of Europe is reorganizing its European Localization Development (ELD) department, where it currently uses a number of temporary agency workers in translation and testing activities, in order to increase flexibility and cost-efficiency in the long-term.

"It is intended that there will be an increase in outsourcing future translation and test activities to third-party companies on an as-needed basis, and very sadly this has meant having ended the contracts of 190 temporary agency workers, who were formally notified of this decision in June 2014."

Nintendo said in June closing up its headquarters in Großostheim, Germany would help its European arm to better “adapt to the rapidly changing business environment.”

The firm said at the time its Frankfurt office will handle the European market in the future, and the Großostheim building and warehouse would be sold.