Satoru Iwata: Hubris versus Western Culture

" Promises, Promises, Promises "


Every generation, Satoru Iwata tells investors, gamers, and retailers that they will avoid major software droughts because these can kill a platform’s momentum after launch.  Satoru Iwata never learns from anything.  He always says he has learned from past mistakes, but his actions never show it.  Instead, every single generation, all we get from him is a whole bunch of “Please understand” and “I apologize for the inconvenience”."

 

[...]

" Thanks to the success of  ”Nintendo Direct” and “Iwata Asks,” Nintendo fans have grown attached to Satoru Iwata as Nintendo’s president.  It’s very difficult to dislike Iwata because the man comes off as a very charming person with a good sense of humor.   Iwata has had a long history in game development before becoming a CEO, and this is why Nintendo fans and game developers tend to show Iwata a lot of respect. I’ve seen many Nintendo fans call him a genuine, good-hearted, hard working man.  While most of us have never met Iwata, I would assume these are all fair things to say about him.  Satoru Iwata is one of the most likable CEO’s in the video game industry. And that’s part of the problem. "

 

[...]

"I’ve been asking myself how would I summarize Satoru Iwata’s legacy?  Would I call his legacy a success or a failure?  His legacy can be defined by a lot of things.  Is his legacy defined by the GameCube’s failures or the Wii/DS’s successes?  Is it defined by the fact that he fumbled both the 3DS and Wii U launches?"

->    Link: Notenoughshaders.

 

 

 

The article can sum up by saying that Nintendo's main problem right now is Iwata. Do you agree with this? Check the link and read the whole page before commenting. I do agree with some points, but differ in others. I'd like to hear a good, reasonable discussion, without entering the realms of flamming and everything like that. Be cool, people :3

Well, it's the investors meeting shortly. Who knows what will happen there (remember its where they announced the Wii U in the first place)...

*awaits the response of Nintendo haters and supporters alike*

I think you should add more of the article to the OP. it's quite detailed and I bet people will skip over most of it @ the link.

he needs to go

Sal.Paradise said: I think you should add more of the article to the OP. it's quite detailed and I bet people will skip over most of it @ the link.

Feedback is very much appreciated, thank you! :D

Iwata certainly is one of the problems. He was great back when he took the job because instead of letting people like Miyamoto and others make the hardware and games he specifically designed them with the Blue Ocean Strategy (DS) and The Innovator's Dilemma (Wii) in mind. This paid of a lot but unfortunately the "old" way of thinking (better graphics, more buttons, 3D > 2D) is still ingrained in Nintendo's DNA - which is something that's actually described as a big threat in the strategy Nintendo used for the Wii. And as the CEO it's Iwata's job to make sure Nintendo doesn't fall back into "old" habits. This is where Iwata failed.

He also failed at making Nintendo a more modern company. They're still stuck in the last decade. Slow servers, the slow releases of Virtual Console games (again! The same games being released as a slow trickle with the start of each new console), no full account system, etc.

So yes, I think Iwata is partly responsible for this. It's not all his fault but he's the CEO and he's supposed to make people work on proper things and put their working hours into things that actually sell and make Nintendo successful.

Very Well-written article. I agree with it completely.

They should have invested heavily in overseas studios, and let Retro do more than just Nintendo IP. It worked for Sega, it worked for Sony, and it worked for Microsoft. But it seems Nintendo only wants to sell Japanese games these days.

I miss the likes of Turok and Perfect Dark :/

So... what exactly IS the problem with Iwata and Nintendo? This is a really vague topic and it looks you just want something to complain about...

1: Iwata really tries to get content at and after launch. They paid for Rayman (which failed recently) Lego and Monster Hunter (published to be released in Europe) exclusivity. Pikmin and Deus Ex are coming soon. Wii U has had the second most successful console-launches after Wii. Wii U is only selling bad NOW because Rayman was delayed at the last moment and not many more games are coming, although the console sells significantly more with the release of Monster Hunter and Lego. Also keep in mind Nintendo will ALWAYS have difficulty getting third party multiplatform support. Even with third party support they won't make money at all (Gamecube).

@ UncleScrooge
I don't understand your first paragraph at all... What's the problem lol.

What is the definition of a 'modern' company? Name me one console/handheld that has good virtual console support at launch... PS3/PS4 aren't even backward compatible and Vita hasn't that many PS1 games available. At least not so much virtual console as on WiiWare. I don't even bother to begin about Microsoft.

So any other companies has fast servers? PS Store is TERRIBLY SLOW right now with a boring background made by a 8-year old... Windows 8 is a joke, Origin destroys gaming overall (not able to play offline games at launch?). I've to pay for Xbox Live to play online... and pay to pay for DLC and indie games?

 Iwata made the DS and Wii a huge success. We'll see what happens with Wii U. 3DS is already doing very good and with Monster Hunter 4 exclusivity (because of Iwata) and Pokemon releasing this year... it will drop the biggest bomb in Japan since Fukushima.

No matter what, no company can have a solid release schedule without third party support. Can you say that Nintendo should be actively pursuing 3rd parties more strongly? I don't know, and neither does anyone but the people directly involved in those companies. I feel like Nintendo gave 3rd parties something they could use with the Wii U but eveen still, there were an abundance of "its just not feasible for us right now" or "we want to do something more with the Gamepad". Who do you blame for this? Nintendo for making unique hardware or third parties for shafting Nintendo before they give it a chance? This is up for debate.

Is Iwata the problem though? I would say no. Not because he is perfect or doesn't make mistakes but because he keeps the company true to itself. The one thing I can rely on as long as Iwata is president of Nintendo is that they will keep making great games like you can find nowhere else in gaming. With so many others adapting to the norm, I think its healthy for the industry to see someone doing something different and taking risks, not all of which work out.