FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Jan. 8, 2026
Contact: Ashwin Verghese, Communications Director, [email protected], 508-263-0289
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Fairplay released the following statement today.
Rachel Franz, Director of Fairplay’s Young Children Thrive Offline program, said: “‘My Mario‘ is an atrocious example of how companies like Nintendo make billions off of kids by building brand loyalty early through products marketed to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. It’s a careless marketing scheme designed to pad Nintendo’s pocket at the expense of young children’s learning and development, including their creative and problem-solving skills.
“With ‘My Mario,’ Nintendo is trying to dominate children’s imagination with its intellectual property, and it’s exploiting parents’ nostalgia for Nintendo characters to do so. Nintendo needs to stay out of early childhood and allow young kids to develop their imagination and creativity free from corporate profiteering.”
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About Fairplay
Fairplay is the leading nonprofit committed to helping children thrive in an increasingly commercialized, screen-obsessed culture, and the only organization dedicated to ending marketing to children. Fairplay works to enhance children’s well-being by eliminating the exploitative and harmful business practices of marketers and Big Tech. Learn more at www.fairplayforkids.org.