Below is a list of our most frequently asked questions. If you have any further questions that are not answered on this list, feel free to reach out!
Who are you?
We are a collection of gamers based in Minneapolis who just love video gaming and helping others in need! Our events are run by a marathon team that is lead by event director Jared, with loads of support coming from the other event Attendees. We are supported by and operate as a part of the efforts of the online not-for-profit community Gaming for Global Change.
What is Gaming for Global Change?
Founded in 2013, Gaming for Global Change is an online community all about inspiring others to become charitable and make an impact in the crises and disasters that face the world today. Through various outreach efforts, our goal is to galvanize the ideals of change into the minds of youth and adults alike. Through building a community passionate about gaming and raising money for charity, we hope to not only show that adolescents and young-adults can have an impact in the world, but to also inspire and empower others to “game for global change“ as well.
To learn more, visit our website.
What is Nintendothon?
First broadcasting in December 2017, Nintendothon is a semi-annual marathon livestream of first-party Nintendo games for the benefit of charity. Our event is focused on highlighting a variety of games rather than speedrunning or completion. As such, each game has a set duration varying from 1 to 6 hours in length and many multiplayer games are put in the spotlight. Our events are typically hosted in July and December and we support different charities at each event. Our current event, Nintendothon Deluxe, is 5 days in length, supports charity: water, and begins on December 28th, 2023 at 2PM CT.
Are you affiliated with Nintendo?
No, Nintendothon is a fan-run, independent event that has no affiliation with Nintendo. We do appreciate their amazing systems and games however for making this event possible!
Do you receive a portion of the donations?
No, we utilize a service called Tiltify to process donations, which directly transfers your contributed funds to the charity we are supporting. Tiltify solely keeps track of what we fundraise and allows us to integrate challenges and goals. The funds never come to us, so you can rest assured that 100% of your donation will go straight to the charity we’re supporting.
What are Spincentives?
Spincentives are smaller-scale, quick incentives that are completed based upon the result of a Spincentive wheel found on stream. These are activated with any donation of $5 or more.
The Deluxe Wheel is a donation wheel full of larger-scale challenges that is activated with any donation of $25 or more.
What do you play these games on? Do you use emulation?
Nintendothon utilizes both a Nintendo Wii U and Nintendo Switch system. All of our games are either physical disk/cartridge releases or downloads from the Nintendo eShop. We do not emulate our games.
How do you keep this event going for so long?
We have a fantastic crew of event Attendees that volunteer their time to play games and raise money for charity! Different members of our awesome crew take shifts and play for all of you, while others take breaks or sleep. This keeps our action going constantly for days on end, and lets you meet an awesome cast of people when you watch at any time of day!
I can’t donate, is there any other way I can support your cause?
As we always say, spreading the word and enjoying our broadcast can be just as valuable as a contribution to the charity! Share the cause with friends, followers, and family, and use #Nintendothon on social media to spread the word. Additionally, just sit back and enjoy the stream, your viewership and engagement with our event helps a lot too!
Is your stream appropriate for younger viewers?
We strive to make Nintendothon a family friendly viewing experience, avoiding references and innuendo relating to alcohol, drugs, politics, and things sexual in nature, as well as limiting our use of profanity. We additionally moderate our chatroom to assist in minimizing these sorts of inappropriate comments from appearing. We cannot however promise that an event will go without a slip-up, nor can we promise that our community interactions within the chatroom will follow this same standard all of the time. Please do note that the Gaming for Global Change Discord server promoted within the stream is not family friendly in nature.
Can you play [INSERT GAME HERE]?
The schedule for Nintendothon events is organized and set multiple days prior to its commencement, and thus, we are unable to deviate from our schedule to play requested games. If there’s a game you’d really like to see at a future Nintendothon event, let us know! We always take community input for game suggestions in shaping future game lists and schedules. Just keep in mind, all titles must be titles published by Nintendo, and available on Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo Switch, or the Nintendo eShop.
Your suggested game may also be on the schedule for our current event! Be sure to check out the Schedule page to see what games are being played at our event and when, so you can tune in for your favorites!
Does cheering Bits or subscribing to GamingForGlobalChange on Twitch benefit the charity campaign?
The revenue that is generated from cheering or subscribing to our Twitch channel does not go towards charity, but rather is utilized to help our events operate, upgrade, and sustain. If you want to make a contribution to the charity, do so through the official donation page.
Can you support [INSERT CHARITY HERE] next time?
We are always looking for suggestions for new charities to support with Nintendothon! Send suggestions our way either via the Gaming for Global Change Twitter account, or via the organizations Discord Server. Here are a sample of some charities we’ve supported with marathon events:
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
- charity: water
- The Trevor Project
- Direct Relief
- No Kid Hungry