Nintendo CEO Seen Missing Profit Target as Wii U Founders

[DanneSandin]

Jumpin said:

DanneSandin said:
If Iwata can't get some high profile games out this holiday, and is unable to sell Wii U and turn a profit, it's simply time to go. But replacing him would be hard! I'd like to see someone else from inside Nintendo take over, but someone younger (40-ish) whom understands Nintendo.

There is a fallacy here where people seem to think simply having a different CEO will magically increase game production and make Nintendo more popular among consumers. This just imply isn't the case.

Considering Iwata was a highly successul programming lead at Nintendo, and also the most successful producer/manager in the company's history - I don't think replacing him would offer any sort of a benefit to Nintendo. There isn't anyone who knows the company better than he does.

Rather, if Iwata left Nintendo, it would most certainly be bad for the company.

With another CEO maybe Nintendo would have been able to give the Wii U some much needed games, instead of continuously pushing Pikmin3.... They started production of that game in 2008... That's 5 years in the making, and was planned to be a launch game, and then a Spring title, and now it's almost pushing Fall?

Thing is though, the seed for Wii and DS was sown during Hiroshi Yamauchi's turn as President, so those successes can not fully be attributed to Iwata. During his time as President 3DS and Wii U has launched, and both have/are stumbled right after launch, and the company has posted its first annual loss in over 30 years. Granted, he managed to turn around 3DS, but it's still not selling great in the West, "only" good. So that's why I said "give him another year to turn around Wii U and post a profit".

But I do agree with you that letting Iwata go could be very hurtful to Nintendo, so I really really hopes he can turn this around, that Wii U sells 10m this holiday and that they make a $1.1bn profit next year.