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Exclusive: Nintendo's Doug Bowser on San Francisco Expansion

by Aaron May 22,2025

Nintendo enthusiasts on the West Coast have a new reason to celebrate as the company opens its doors to its second official store in the United States today, May 15. Located at 331 Powell Street in the bustling Union Square of San Francisco, this new addition to the Nintendo family follows in the footsteps of the iconic New York location. Previously known as the Nintendo World Store, the New York outpost underwent renovations and a rebranding to become Nintendo NY, reopening its doors in 2016 to much fanfare.

IGN had the opportunity to visit the new San Francisco store and explore what Nintendo has in store for its fans. Additionally, we had an exclusive sit-down with Nintendo of America's president, Doug Bowser, to delve into the reasoning behind choosing this moment to open their first West Coast store.

Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser is preparing to launch the Switch 2. Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images. During our conversation, the buzz around the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 was impossible to ignore. Set to launch on June 5, the Switch 2 has been a hot topic, and we made sure to ask Bowser about its availability in the U.S. at launch and beyond, as well as the much-discussed Game-Key Cards and other details that fans are eager to know.