Well, the 'so called' game developers has no idea why Nintendo allowed them to be part of their development team considering the above mentioned factors...but likewise, Nintendo has no idea why they hired these guys neither :)
Say what you will about Nintendo's "outdated/ignorant" practices and policies in some areas right now, but if what I just said isn't an indication of just how open they're becoming towards indie/garage developers, then I don't know what is.