Fils-Amie and Shibata have an additional job title.
Nintendo's financial results included a change to the makeup of the company that could see international branches gain a larger voice in the company.
In a change announced in the financial statements (page 17, PDF link)Nintendo announced that Reggie Fils-Amie and Satoru Shibata would join a new internal board focused on product development.
The statement on Nintendo's investor site indicates that several external parties are slated to join Nintendo's Board of Directors following a vote at the annual shareholder's meeting on June 27. Nintendo will also appoint a slate of Executive Officers, including Shibata and Fils-Amie, at the same meeting.
With any luck, the new Executive Officer titles to Fils-Amie and Shibata aren't made of paper.
I am not thrilled by this news. Maybe it'll end up well, but I have vague memories of Reggie talking about how he didn't like RPGs and not being keen to see any released during the Wii generation. He also seems keen to push digital-only content, especially if it's not a major franchise that can be relied on to push millions of units.Considering Xenoblade Chronicles X and Tokyo Mirage Sessions have been slated as large releases for the Wii U and the original Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story, and Pandora's Tower received huge localization movements towards the end of the Wii's life, I would think Reggie at least acknowledges that RPGs serve a role in the library of a console. Plus, niche titles like the Souls games with rabid fanbases have helped support console launches and generate buzz in the West.
Giving him more power to decide what games NoA runs with isn't a thrilling concept to me.
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Considering Xenoblade Chronicles X and Tokyo Mirage Sessions have been slated as large releases for the Wii U and the original Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story, and Pandora's Tower received huge localization movements towards the end of the Wii's life, I would think Reggie at least acknowledges that RPGs serve a role in the library of a console. Plus, niche titles like the Souls games with rabid fanbases have helped support console launches and generate buzz in the West.
Considering Xenoblade Chronicles X and Tokyo Mirage Sessions have been slated as large releases for the Wii U and the original Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story, and Pandora's Tower received huge localization movements towards the end of the Wii's life, I would think Reggie at least acknowledges that RPGs serve a role in the library of a console. Plus, niche titles like the Souls games with rabid fanbases have helped support console launches and generate buzz in the West.I'm pretty sure I read the Rainfall games only came out after the head of Monolith Soft was contacted by a Japanese twitter user and realized there was demand for it in NA. Reggie did his damnedest to keep them out. Which would make sense, Reggie is obsessed with low-cost high-profit casual games. Prestige titles are not something he cares about. Worked well with the Wii and DS until 2010, not so much since.
I think the idea of giving the different branches more say in Nintendo's overall strategies is a great idea. Too often NCL has shot themselves in the foot by making decisions for the world market based entirely on what's going on in Japan. It's a challenge to make a product that will appeal to all markets so you need to take input from multiple markets.
The problem is that NOA have been the shitty branch since Reggie came along. This strategy only works if I trust NOA, which I don't. NCL doesn't know American culture, but Reggie doesn't know videogames.
... During Reggie's time at NoA it went from far better than NoE to good grief, I wish NoE was in charge here. ...
Jeez, tough crowd for Reggie here.
I can not follow given the utter lack of public knowledge of the inner workings of Nintendo of America. I would rather not lay the failings and disappointments in Nintendo's North American efforts always on one person or the local branch. But I can't say the ire is undeserved or misplaced.
Reggie would turn localization into americanization.
Actually, maybe Nintendo of Canada will hit the ball out of the park. There are good game developers in Canada.
2DS was a purely Western joint for a while, they could have called that whatever they wanted. I actually like it myself but I don't speak for everyone.
NOA also barred the petite New 3DS entry to the US apart from a few willy nilly bundles here and there. I think the issues lie with the decisions that were made rather than not having the power to make decisions at all.
