Sauce: wiiudaily.com
Iwata says Nintendo doesn’t fear failure
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata talks of challenging the status quo, how failures make a stronger company, and the success of Japanese games in the Western world.
President Satoru Iwata has been speaking at B Dash Camp Osaka 2013 about Nintendo’s outlook on its business models and where the company sees itself in the gaming industry. He also spoke briefly about making series like Pokemon successful in Western markets. It’s an interesting interview that provides a good insight into how the current president of Nintendo thinks of his own company.
“When we talk about Nintendo we cannot ignore (former president) Hiroshi Yamauchi who just recently passed away. He always said that if you have failure, you don’t need to be too concerned. You always have good things and bad, and this reflects the history of Nintendo.”
Iwata also spoke of innovation and finding their own path in the crowded gaming industry, which is something that has set Nintendo apart from the rest of the world for several years now.
“If you do the same thing as others, it will wear you out. Nintendo is not good at competing so we always have to challenge [the status quo] by making something new, rather than competing in an existing market.”
We’ve known for some time that Nintendo marches to the beat of its own drum, but even long time fans of the company are starting to become disillusioned with the long delay for Wii U games, even while the Nintendo 3DS continues to succeed. Speaking of bringing franchises like Pokemon to the Western world, Iwata says that’s a status quo that was challenged as well, since it was believed that Americans wouldn’t accept cute monsters.
“Will America accept cute monsters? No, they said. Some people even recommended to make Pikachu more muscular. If we followed their advice Pokémon would never have been the success that it was.”
Overall, it looks like Iwata has ideas for his company, but he’s continually challenged at every turn. What do you think of these statements. Do you agree? Iwata is a polarizing figure for many, since some believe he’s responsible for a lot of good within the company, but others feel he should be replaced. Let us know what you think.
