Hot Take: Furukawa Is FAR Superior To Iwata (in his leadership of Nintendo)

[Mnementh]

Hmm, I don't know. So far Furukawa inherited a console preparation (Switch) and followed it with a somewhat safe and predictable predecessor (Switch 2, is it the first numbered console in Nintendo history?). I am all for making a successor console, to a successful console, that doesn't shake up too much but fixes and improves the design. Intel had once a tick-tock plan, where one generation they shrinked the die-size, and the other the redesigned the architecture. I wish something like this for Nintendo. So I am not averse to Switch 2, it is the refinement step of an successful console. But I fear Furukawa will go on to Switch 3, Switch 4 and so on. I think the next step should be an innovative design with new ideas.

I also don't know how Furukawa handles failures. As I said, Switch was practically ready when he took over and it was successful. He has not shown how he persists throughout a failed generation like WiiU. Handling failures may be the more important job of a CEO than handling success. Because no matter what you do, some things will go wayside.

Also I don't see much in regards to new IPs. Don't get me wrong, I love that we see now revisiting old IPs: Tomodachi Life, Kirby Air Riders, Donkey Kong, Wii/Switch Sports, Starfox. But what really came about in regards to new IPs? Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour was fine as an interactive tour, but I feel PS5s Astro's Playroom was a better introduction to the hardware. We have (and I have to look up the name now because I already forgot) DragxDrive — which got mixed reception and as I see no update on sales which probably means low sales. And Pokopia, which is a big success — but the design is derived from Dragon Quest Builders 2 (with the team of DQB working on Pokopia) with Pokemon IP and elements of Animal Crossing sprinkled in. This is a great game and I hope Nintendo will follow it up someday, but I also feel like this kinda fell into Nintendo's laps, as Square abandoned the DQB series and the team was available.

So I don't know. Furukawa had nothing done to prove himself as an outstanding CEO. If in his leadership we see a new innovative console design, if we see him handling a crisis, a big failure well, or if we see new ideas in form of game IPs, when my opinion might solidify. But so far he is a fair weather captain that doesn't stray from the well known route. He does this well, no question, but without a challenge we don't know his capabilities.