Nintendo/Iwata's Bias Against The West

[Scoobes]

Soundwave said:

Scoobes said:

Whilst some of the details in the OP is conjecture and assumption based on past events, I still think the conclusions he draws are sound.

Nintendo have reduced the amount of Western development studios they own and this has reduced the overall output from the West. Even second party Western output is low (in both new and established IP) even though the majority of the industry is based in the West. Even if Iwata wasn't responsible for the reduction in Western developers, he is responsible for not bringing more in.

The main points really aren't conjecture. 

Iwata was president when Rare was sold, it was one of the first big moves under his watch. I don't blame him solely for this. 

When Iwata joined Nintendo they have Rare, Factor 5, Angel Studios, Left Field, Silicon Knights, etc. as Western partners. By the end of 2004 (2 years into his presidency) not all were pretty much all these relationships defunct. I can buy maybe 1 studio partnership going sour ... but virtually all of them? After 2004 Nintendo basically downsized the once promising NST into a nothing studio too (just Mario Vs. DK games for like the last 10 years). 

Nintendo did pass on a Skylanders exclusivity deal. 

Nintendo has not allowed either Retro or Next Level Games to develop an original IP even after years of proving their worth, whereas Nintendo has no problem funding original projects from Japanese developers. 

Some people just don't like that I lay the vast majority of the blame at Iwata's feet, but to me he's the president with power and control over these situations, not some hapless passenger who's just a victim of poor coincidences. 

For the most part I agree with you. People are picking up on a few minor details and using it to argue your main point.

Overall though, I don't think people can argue against your conclusions.