Nintendo has named Tatsumi Kimishima (pictured left) as the new president and successor to Satoru Iwata.
Kimishima comes from a much more business oriented background than Iwata. He previously worked with Sanwa Bank. That being said he has an extensive knowledge of Nintendo where he worked as Chief Financial Officer at The Pokémon Company and headed Nintendo of America from 2002 – 2006.
This appointment comes at a crucial time for the Video Game Giant. Although the name Nintendo is still known worldwide, with the iconic characters and games still loved by young and old alike, the Wii U has had some issues reaching the high sales bars many expected. It is also hot on the heels of the recent mobile deal with DeNA that could be an exciting move into the mobile space for Nintendo.
In addition to appointing Tatsumi Kimishima as president, Nintendo has also implemented the new role of “Fellow” to support him. Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario and general manager of the creative division, will take the role of Creative Fellow. Genyo Takeda known for Punch-Out! and general manager of research and development will take the role of Technology Fellow.
This move was done at a hard time for the games industry. With much of the industry in a transitional phase, people are looking to mobile as the future of gaming. With the NX announced but still a while off, this is when Nintendo needs to show that it is in a position of strength. It needs to leverage the brands and IP’s it controls to ensure it has a solid base going into its next phase.
It will not be an easy tenure for Kimishima, but it will be an exciting time for the games industry as a whole. I for one am excited to see what Nintendo does next.
