Nintendo has announced that Tatsumi Kimishima will assume the role of President and Representative Director for the company.
Kimishima's appointment as the new head of Nintendo comes two months after the sudden death of former president Satoru Iwata from a cancerous bile duct growth. Iwata was 55.
Previously, Kimishima served as the chief financial officer of The Pokemon Company Inc. until 2001. After that, he became the first president of Pokemon USA until 2002 - it would eventually grow and be renamed as The Pokemon Company International. Kimishima replaced Minoru Arakawa as president for Nintendo of America in 2002. He was later succeeded by current president Reggie Fils-Aime in May 2006.
At that time, Kimishima became CEO and chairman of the board for NoA until he relinquished the position to Satoru Iwata in April 2013. Kimishima held a number of positions Nintendo including managing director, general manager of Corporate Analysis & Administration Division, and head of Human Resources Division.
While I don't think he'll have the same welcoming presence that Iwata had, I'm glad he is someone who seems to understand Nintendo's general principles.
Kimishima says there won’t be changes in the basic strategy set up by former president Iwata. The challenge is now to identify new projects and cultivate the right human resources to reach Nintendo-like profits again.
Genyo Takeda says the aim is to establish a future-proof group leadership system inside Nintendo.
Definitely sounds like the plan is to keep the same direction and make more people accountable for it going forward, not just the President. Good.
Nintendo-like profits are almost sure to come back as soon as these mobile games start raking in the dough... that's my biggest fear.
But seriously, he seems like a great choice.
What does Takeda mean by that exactly do you think? All work together to make sure nobody can fuck everything up like all the other once great Japanese publishers, I hope? Haha. Well, it's clear how much they all truly care about the company and not just selling out in a short sighted manner for a quick buck.
Now he's suddenly like the happy Japanese grandpa I never had.
You know, I take some of my worst pictures when it's forced... I look like a straight up sex offender sometimes even when that's not why my picture is being taken this time.
Aint read the thread yet as it's 5am thanks to Mario Maker but does he speak English?
Honestly never heard of this guy. I really doubt he'll be the face of Nintendo in any shape of form though, which leaves us with I'm not sure. Maybe they'll just all take turns sharing the spotlight now? There was just too much focus on Iwata, for better or worse.
@Infinitywave You call that a smile? Uh-uh. I call that the De Niro smirk which roughly translates to "I probably won't kill you right this second" but you KNOW he's thinking about it. We need more photos.
Also wouldn't hurt to have some of @Hinph's mug shots... just to be sure.
I'll be pleasantly surprised if he ends up being good humored enough for Directs. But if those end with Iwata or they decide to put somebody more comfortable on camera, I get it.
If he is uncomfortable I meant. We don't know anything about him, of course. The guy could be an improv comedy teacher who sings onstage in the local opera performances since he got too old for televised figure skating.
I'm betting he at least speaks pretty damn good English since he was president of NoA.
