200°

It’s Time for Satoru Iwata to Step Down

Gamnesia: "I struggled writing the title for this piece due to one major factor: I personally really like Mr. Iwata. I haven’t met the man, but from what we have seen publicly he is just very likable. He’s a CEO that cut his own pay when sales dipped. He’s very honest in an industry where many talk out their ass. He does developer interviews in Iwata Asks and spurred the Nintendo Directs – both of which I thoroughly enjoy and have been nice additions for the fans.

However, in many ways Iwata has a bit too much of Miyamoto in him. He’s a fine idea man with some nice concepts, but too often he finds himself apologizing for mistakes he has made. Grant it, he is pretty good at rectifying his own mistakes over time, but the fact he has continually made them is certainly a problem."

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dedicatedtogamers4028d ago (Edited 4028d ago )

It's not so much Iwata who needs to step down. Nintendo's veteran development heads (Miyamoto, Aonuma, etc) need to step down or at least be put in their place. Iwata put Nintendo back on track with the Wii and the DS. He correctly judged which games would make those systems popular.

But then, he got lazy. He let the developers do what they wanted instead of continuing the momentum (for instance, why wasn't there a NSMB equivalent in the Zelda franchise to revive public interest?). Miyamoto has gone on the record many times saying games like 2D Mario and Wii Sports took a lot out of him and he doesn't like making those games anymore. Okay, so step down. Stop soaking up development money with yet another Mario Galaxy, Wii Music, and Pikmin 3. It was Miyamoto and his fellow developers - not Iwata - who made the design choices for the 3DS and the WiiU. Go back and watch some early interviews. The 3DS's glasses-free screen did nothing to inspire sales and it wasn't until Nintendo began focusing on games that the 3DS took off. The WiiU's tablet was a bad decision. It wasn't what the market wanted, and now 3rd parties are fleeing from the system. Iwata's problem is that he LET these developers do what they wanted (thinking they would create yet another Wii Sports hit) but he didn't pay close enough attention.

Donnieboi4028d ago

No, keep Miyamoto and Aonuma. But DEFINITELY Gget rid of Iwata.

Miyamoto and Aonuma are game developers. That is it. Don't blame the lame decisions Nintendo has made as a whole, on game designers. Plus they have already been taking a back seat approach to things, so how are they to blame? But I do agree Nintendo should have been relying on more than just 2 main designers. Gaming has become much bigger enterprise than back in the NES-N64 days. So they need to pump out more games, faster, with faster toolsets (middleware) instead of building new game engines from scratch (which is probably why Nintendo takes too long to make games). Keep those two, but start scouting additional talent to train under those 2 legends, maybe someone like Jenova Chen (Journey, Flower, Cloud, Flow, etc), or some other talented individuals whose philosophy aligns with Nintendo's uniquely different approach to game design.

TruthbeTold4028d ago

Why should Iwata step down, when in a year, whoever is the next President will be reaping the good things to come? There have been missteps, for certain. But the company is sound, and by this time next year, things will be looking good. Just watch and see.

ChickeyCantor4028d ago (Edited 4028d ago )

"Miyamoto and Aonuma are game developers. "

So was Iwata.
Miyamoto is pretty conservative when it comes to gamedesign. Even though he supervises stuff you get ridiculous things like how pikmin wouldn't work in a co-up online mode because of all the pikmin. Which was just hilariously wrong.

Don't get me wrong I love Nintendo games. But Nintendos game designers CAN make weird decisions and excuses which completely undermines the potential of their product.

Everyone is bashing Iwata but he has years of experience. Both in gamedevelopment and marketing. He probably understands the casual market better than anyone else ( beside that Nintendo is always doing what they always have been doing, making games for "families" ). Understands the demand of avid gamers. The main problem here was the same mistake Sony made and betting it all on brand name.

lilbroRx4027d ago

They need to get rid of the man who gave Nintendo their two best selling pieces of hardware and their the best selling games on the planet Earth, why?

Realplaya4028d ago

Miyamoto and Anouma will never go anywhere they are the face of the company. Say what you want but every big game they create sales millions and there work sets the tone for games to copy there work. Where Nintendo is going wrong with the WII U is there saying people need to play the Wii U to to understand it.

Ok then if that's the case put a game out that people want to play and also where are the demo units or them at the mall or at sporting events. I live in Chicago and go to Bulls games If they had systems set up during the season they could get people to play hell the bulls sale out every home game. That's an example.

Also keep in mind they wanted the controller to replace tablets what they need now are apps. When I hold my controller in my hand I love the fact I can surf the web but that's it.

I would love for them to rebuild the controller with it's own processor make it fast and powerful Give it better battery life and range.

Yodagamer4028d ago (Edited 4028d ago )

Actually if you follow the development of new mario games (specifically nsmbu) and Zelda games (skyward sword). it was well known they were having younger devs creating them. NSMBu is considered the best of the nsmb series and skyward sword is debatable as are all zelda games. It's good to have veterans in a company if they can teach well. As for the wii u development it was also designed primary by younger talent while over-viewed by miyamoto.

N4g_null4028d ago

Did you know Iwata was the main force behind the wiiu having a little more power, he also was the force behind making the wii work. He put the smash creator in a position the expanded it's fan fare. He is also the only CEO in the industry that understands game design and the idea of expanding gaming. If you loose him then the industry will surely stagnate. No one will be able to tell the franchise makers to make their games a little better.

Lots of people say it was the expanded audience that saved the wii but designer know it was 60- or solid 30fps tight playing games like smash and mariokart. Even 3d Mario had to get better.

I think he is being attacked so another CEO can port first party games to other platforms. Kaz is not asked to step down yet. The psp go, smash bro clone, Mario kart clone, wii play clone, no support for move controllers and then vita having a roughy start.

What is also funny is he is being attacked while he was basically lied to by EA, ubisoft etc which resulted in the drought. He tried to play nice which is needed in this industry now more than ever.

I'm also sure the slow start by the ps4 will be ignored.

bothebo4028d ago (Edited 4028d ago )

"I think he is being attacked so another CEO can port first party games to other platforms. Kaz is not asked to step down yet. The psp go, smash bro clone, Mario kart clone, wii play clone, no support for move controllers and then vita having a roughy start. "

This is because Kaz stepped into a sh*t show with Sony hemorrhaging money. The one console whose design he probably did have a say in was the PS4. When was the last time you have had so much hype around a console?

"What is also funny is he is being attacked while he was basically lied to by EA, ubisoft etc which resulted in the drought. He tried to play nice which is needed in this industry now more than ever."

I think Iwata is under fire because he grossly misread the market at the launch of the 3DS and he couldn't have done much of a worse job with the Wii U.

"I'm also sure the slow start by the ps4 will be ignored."

Based on numbers provided by Gamestop 900,000 people have already signed up for further information on the PS4. This is just Gamestop. You need to consider how many more people may have signed up on Amazon and other sites. The CEO of Gamestop then went on to say that he believes "demand will exceed supply". There could not be stronger signs that the industry believes this console is going to kick ass.

How many 3rd party devs does you Wii U have? PS4 has just about ever major 3rd party dev in the industry..... think about that.

Nintendo needs a new strategy.

Gr814028d ago

The double standard between fanbase followers is amusing to watch. No one is calling for Kaz' head. And while I do feel Iwata is being scapegoated, and that he was suckered in by many to abandon the Wii Mantra, he is still the head of the company and should have stuck to the Wii principles.

N4g_null4028d ago

Ok Kaz was handed a brand that has ps2 and ps1 gamers and still dropped the ball on beating nintendo at their own game. The n64 and Ngc sold horribly. Two gens of sucking and he turns it all around. A system 3ds that started to suck but he turned it all around.

Do you not see how Sony has still not established franchises in console gaming yet in pc like gaming? Now they have a laptop like hardware. They are in danger of becoming an Alienware box that gets some exclusives.

I remember all of the wiiu preorder stories also, I also see sales that still track above the ps3 release and the heavy hitters are not even revealed yet.

I also see a third party ecosystem that is dieing and becoming gutted by pc developers that are more capable of using highend tech yet unaccomplished in making compelling game play.

Third parties are actually painting themselves into a wall. The market may run into a port saturation problem.

Also third parties are on the pc... How has that helped that platform. You are seeing things from a fan point of view instead of buisness. Even sony fans understand that exclusive are actualy way more important.

There are a few things that needs to happen in console world. Power vs price balance and game play ip needs to happen.

Iwata really did and continues to turn around the naysayers yet Kaz can continue to fail and it's ok. Sega fans felt the same way about sega before it collapsed. I commend Kaz though but that does not excuse his mess ups. At least pr wise they are strong among their fans but realistically if the ps4 has a ps3 start Kaz may have to step down because they can not make a wii sports, Mario, or even Zelda etc. they also dont have games that sell 20 million copies on one system.

Notice no Sony first party games cuased the vita to come back from the dead.

Hey but you don't have to believe any of that because only time will tell what ultimately happens. Yet hype can be a posionous thing if there are no results.

CouldHaveYelledUiiW4028d ago

Yep,

Many in the Market think there is a butt-load of money to be made with Nintendo as a 3rd Party for many platforms.

They think that if Nintendo 1st Party Games were on all plats.( Consoles, Smart Phones, PC, Tablets) that:
-Nintendo would make more money.
-And other consoles will make more money bringing in families.

The problem is that so much of Nintendo would be lost if it didn't have its own consoles.

Iwata is a man standing in their way.
Many are trying to brainwash the board through external source to get the board to ask for his resignation.

Iwata has already said he would concede it asked.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4028d ago
Xof4027d ago

The only criticism I have of Nintendo is their anachronistic digital distribution model.

And I don't think that's a complaint big enough to warrant asking -anyone- to give up their job--their career.

To even bring up something like this, with regard to the people who have built Nintendo up into the monumental company it is, seems in extremely poor judgment.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4027d ago
Gr814028d ago

Iwata is a nice guy, and so its not easy to say this, but I think his time as Nintendo's president should be up. The transition from Wii to Wii U is unprecedented in how bungled it has been.

Additionally, his experience as a game developer leaves him too entrenched to allow Software Devs to make games they want to make instead of the games the masses want. Nintendo also needs to make a culturally agnostic console that attracts as broad a demographic as possible.

Unfortunately, Wii U has more in common with Gamecube (Their biggest flop of a console) Than it does to the Wii. And for that heads should roll.

deafdani4028d ago

A flop is something that makes you lose money. Gamecube, despite its low sales, still turned a nice profit for Nintendo.

Nah, Nintendo's only flop in gaming history was the Virtual Boy.

Gr814028d ago

Can be attributed to the GBA. Nintendo's handheld line was very profitable at that time.

Additionally, the Gamecube's userbase was considerably lower than the N64's. Which just continued Nintendo's downward spiral in the home console business. I'd consider that a flop.

Gamecube also turned many of Nintendo's staple franchises into jokes. Minus a few gems, Gamecube was garbage.

AWBrawler4028d ago

Gamecube turned staple franchises into jokes? That's new to me. Which ones were those? Cos some of the best iterations where on cube, such as FZero GX, LoZ Wind Waker, Metroid Prime, Pokemon XD Gale of Darkness,, fire emblem path of radiance, mario sunshine, and many great 3rd parties.

Qrphe4028d ago

He has brought much success to Nintendo with the DS, Wii and 3DS; who knows where Nintendo would be if his period hadn't come.

PopRocks3594028d ago

He also works closely in Nintendo's software development. If he is to step down at some point (which of course is an inevitability), I would like to see him remain a part of the company's game development division.

auragenz4028d ago

Nintendo's software development isn't exactly pumping them out with him "working closely" with them, maybe he should just back off a little and let them do their job.

They got along just fine before him.

PopRocks3594028d ago (Edited 4028d ago )

@auragenz

You're kidding, right? Iwata has development credits with Nintendo since the NES era. He helped create the Balloon Fighter and Kirby games. Unless you think he should have backed off with Nintendo's earliest and finest titles.

EDIT: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=satoru...

LOL_WUT4028d ago

He's had a nice run as CEO of Nintendo now is the time for him to step down.

TruthbeTold4028d ago

If he HAS to go, I'd want Masahiro Sakurai. He's bold, talented, thorough, yet knows and understands the Nintendo way quite well.

Yodagamer4028d ago

I think it would be best to find someone with north american experience as it's the biggest issue nintendo has. The 3ds has sold well everywhere, but NA is weaker in sales. i don't know about the wii u, but i'm sure it's the case as well.

AWBrawler4028d ago

North american? If they ever americanize my nintendo, I'm moving over to PCs and MMOs

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4028d ago
gamer424028d ago

His leadership is questionable at best, there have been 3 consoles that have not reached expectations (Gamecube, N64, Gameboy micro) under him, and 3 successful consoles (3DS, DS, Wii) I think the WiiU will be the deciding factor on whether he will decide to stay or step down as CEO of Nintendo.

PopRocks3594028d ago

What? He didn't become president until after Yamauchi retired in 2002. The N64 was hardly under his jurisdiction and he inherited the GCN (which came out in 2001). Finally, the Gameboy Micro wound up getting cannibalized by the DS, a far more successful handheld Nintendo platform that was under Iwata's belt.

RTheRebel4028d ago

E3 Will Be The Deciding Factor for Iwata
And as much as I love Reggies persona, he hasn't done nothing for NOA, Lincoln on the other hand had a great decent relationship with 3rd parties and he found Rare and other outstanding credintials.

The Great Melon4028d ago

Really....Gameboy Micro?

That was just a small Gameboy Advance that was released just before the Nintendo DS arrived. If anything I thought that was just released more for novelty rather than a major handheld upgrade. Regardless, I am mad I didn't buy one at the time. Still looking for one.

pythonxz4028d ago

Barring the fact he wasn't President at that time, N64 didn't reach expectations? Really? How many legendary games were on that system?

I am by no means a fanboy of Nintendo (or a fanboy of anything for that matter), but saying that the N64 didn't reach expectations is news to me.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4028d ago
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80°

Nintendo's Massacre Of The 3DS And Wii U Is Finally Complete, Regrettably

Hanzala from eXputer: "The cruel hammer of Nintendo has fallen. Farewell, 3DS and Wii U, you surely brightened my life and many others; you won't be forgotten."

280°

Xbox's Preservation Step Sets A Much-Needed Example, Especially For Nintendo

Hanzla from eXputer inquires: "If Xbox can care about preserving its games and legacy, what exactly is wrong with Nintendo, trying to kill game preservation single-handedly?"

purple1015d ago

Ahh yes the good old game preservation of saving all your games to a removable hhd on the Xbox 360, taking it round your mates house, setting up multiple tvs to
Be met with “save data corrupted, please re download”

Or how about removing 360 games
From the store
, download them now or else, and, better hope to god that save data doesn’t corrupt, or it’s lost for ever

Nice one ☝️

Zeref4d ago

It's better than what Nintendo and Playstation is doing. It might not be perfect but at least they are TRYING. Unlike the others.

DarXyde4d ago

Trying? Take off the blinders for a moment, mate.

1. A failure to preserve games is just that: a failure to preserve games. Don't try to sugarcoat it: NO ONE is doing it properly. Better than awful is nothing to write home about.

2. At the time of this comment, isn't it the case that you need an internet connection to play Xbox games even if you buy physical discs that are hardly in circulation anymore? I don't have a Series X and I can't verify, but I think that is correct. I'm fairly certain you can at least play PS5 games at version 1.0 (not much of a win really when many games require day one patches). I think Microsoft's all digital, licensing approach is by far more aggressive than anyone else's. They really try to push you to game pass where you lose your entire library by umm.... Skipping a month of payments.

I don't think anyone is doing it right whatsoever. Don't get me started on Nintendo, who goes after anyone looking to preserve their games better than they ever would with extreme litigation.

Don't be a simp for any of these companies. Get it together.

PhillyDonJawn4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

@DarX never speak on Xbox again. You lost all credibility with your internet connection comment. Smh you have 0 clue and misinformed yet speaking on something you don't no squat about.

Einhander19724d ago

What has Sony done exactly? You guys keep deflecting to Sony but I am not actually seeing any results, and ai am certain nothing that you can come up with even comes close to what Microsoft has done and what they have tried and failed to do, like tie all your disks to your account on xbone.

Microsoft removed their whole indie section when they moved to the xbone because they were going to only allow games on the service that came from a publisher, id@xbox started after xbone launched and it only exists because Sony embraced indie and Microsoft was forced to cancel their plans and reverse course.

And every single game that was part of games for windows live including disk games (I have gta 4 on disk that won't work) so hundreds of games that use that DRM no longer work unless the company themselves patched it out which of course very few did.

MrBaskerville4d ago

Not trying. Tried. they killed of the backcomp program years ago. They set something up again, but sounds like it's more of an attempt to save the current library on whatever they are planning next. With luck they save everything and more, but let's see. I could see them killing off parts of the OG xbox and 360 libraries. Can't imagine that they would allow us to play Forza 5-7 in the future.

With that said, I do like what they've done and really wish they could have done more.

shinoff21834d ago

Zeref

So killing off physical media is trying what exactly. Ms don't really give a fk if you think they do your kidding yourself.

Profchaos4d ago

They are not trying this team is established for forward compatability the team is. It interested in preserving Xbox or 360 games.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 4d ago
isarai5d ago

Is that why Hellblade 2 is digital only?

Zeref4d ago

Just because it's digital only doesn't mean you can't preserve it. Just put it on an external and you have the exact same functionality of what a disc does.

MrNinosan4d ago

Guess you're trolling, but if you actually think that's how it works, I'd recommend buying some braincells.

mkis0073d ago (Edited 3d ago )

Volitile vs nonvolitile data. A disc will not corrupt either. A drive can be corrupted.

Einhander19725d ago

This is just a scammy PR move to distract from the fact they are going digital only and trying to push streaming and subscriptions only.

No gaming company has pushed harder to remove ownership than Microsoft.

Without discs there is no preservation, preservation can't be done by the rights holders it can only be done by the consumers, anything else is a lie.

5d ago Replies(3)
Einhander19725d ago

Anyone remember xblig which Microsoft removed their whole 360 indie section removing hundreds of games from people?

5d ago
4d ago
Zeref4d ago

Do you know you can put your games on an external and preserve them that way? There are no benefits to discs. ZERO. Idk why some of you are still obsessed with them.

DarXyde4d ago

Because games like Persona 5 exist. It's STILL V1.00. On Playstation, that's a win because 1.00 is installed on the disc—no need to download anything.

If a game does not require any updates, it's all on the disc.

Extremely low bar in the modern era, of course. It's not much of a win by any stretch.

But for now, physical media does have a purpose, at least on Playstation.

Einhander19724d ago

That is factually not how game licensing works, try plugging your hard drive into someone else xbox, It's not going to work, and it won't work if the licensing servers ever go down.

Einhander19724d ago

Anyone remember games for windows live.

I have around a dozen games, some on Steam itself that will not work because Microsoft shut off the licensing servers.

BehindTheRows4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

I do. I STILL have games (Gears of War being the big one) I cannot access because Games for Windows LIVE is total garbage and no one has held Microsoft accountable.

Zeref4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

You don't have an Xbox apparently. Because you can 100 percent plug in your external and play games from it on any Xbox console lol. You just have to be logged in to prove ownership.

Chevalier4d ago

"You don't have an Xbox apparently. Because you can 100 percent plug in your external and play games from it on any Xbox console lol. You just have to be logged in to prove ownership."

Damn how many times do people got to explain your idiocy to you? You can take a copy of Persona 5 like someone used as an example and play that game on ANY console WITHOUT logging in which means I can lend the game to a friend without internet and they can play my game. Can you lend your hard drive to anyone without logging in for them to play? NOPE. That is a huge difference and if you think otherwise then sorry you're an idiot.

Tacoboto4d ago

"No gaming company has pushed harder to remove ownership than Microsoft."

Ubisoft is literally erasing games people bought from their libraries... My PS1-3 discs are useless on modern hardware. Nintendo's re-published and resold almost their entire Wii U library, and the eShop is completely dead with no BC mechanism in the Switch software. Microsoft publishes everything they make today day one on Steam and Xbox/Windows. Sony only brings to PC the titles they think you might want some years later and Nintendo won't even design a functional long-lasting joystick.

You're absolutely trolling and not serious if you think Microsoft today is the worst offender.

shinoff21834d ago

Yay steam

Not everyone fks with computers though. The disc is still the best way as a console player. Period.

Tacoboto4d ago

How do Sony and Nintendo feel about these discs from 2001-2013?

Don't be stupid, you know Xbox is the best at this today.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 4d ago
Hofstaderman4d ago

Nobody wants this. Sales or the lack of it in the case of XBOX is very telling. I wonder how the adorably all digital series X will fare. Adorably dismal perhaps?

crazyCoconuts4d ago

Only time will tell, but for from someone like me suspecting that Xbox is trying to gracefully exit the console market, that "forward compatibility" team is trying to get Xbox games playing on Windows PCs. I mean, it's nice that they're not planning on exiting with a "enjoy your games while the hardware still works" message, so that's nice. They still have a brand to protect via Microsoft so probably feel obligated to have a better exit strategy.

Xeofate4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

That is not their plan, their plan is to transfer users accounts to the cloud.

Phil Spencer himself said as much a few months back, plans could have changed but I think people are reading way too much into one statement where Phil said he would allow Epic on xbox because he wants to be able to sell xbox games directly on other platforms. Aka, instead of selling Sea of Thives through PSN he wants to have an xbox store to sell his games on PlayStation without giving PlayStation any money.

Again, it's extremely unlikely that Phil plans to put PC on xbox and licensing would prevent them from just giving out other publishers games purchased on xbox copies of thier games on PC, Microsoft does not own their games.

crazyCoconuts3d ago

The thing that doesn't align with the cloud strategy is the giving up on exclusives. You'd still need strong exclusives for cloud streaming - it's still a "platform" , just with a lower upfront hardware investment. I feel like they've learned what PS learned with PSNow long ago. We're not ready to stream games and it's only gonna lose them money to try at this point

FinalFantasyFanatic3d ago

I would love that, I'd buy up some of the Xbox games if they could run on PC, like the Rare Replay, Lost Odyssey and Dead or Alive Ultimate, probably a pipe dream though.

Show all comments (43)
90°

Nintendo's War Against Player-Made Content Will Hurt The Company In The End

Danish from eXputer: "Nintendo has historically gone against player-made content and emulation of its games. This has done much to harm the company's image."

XiNatsuDragnel11d ago

I agree nintendo hire some these folks to help in your games it'll help imo.

banger8810d ago

They need to stop announcing these mods and fan remakes until they're finished. Finish it, upload it, and then if Nintendo dmca's it tough shit. Once it's online, people can share it around, even if the original download gets taken down.

Jingsing10d ago

True, but most modders need constant admiration during the process to motivate them.

PRIMORDUS10d ago

Yup, once it's a torrent nothing can be done Nintendo is helpless at that point. But it would be wise if they just had a site on the dark web, it's also easy to use with Tor and no one will bother you.

mastershredder9d ago

This is all coming from the mouth of short-sighted fandom and grifting madness.
No.... it wont. There is a clear defined reason why they don't. This is nothing new. Make your own shi7 from your own original ideas especially if you are trying to capitalize of it it. Duh.

Yeah, hire people that have zero respect or understanding for an established process. Wow. Yep. Totally makes sense.

shinoff21839d ago

Those guys that made that sonic game got a gig from sega or something along those lines and that game was dope as hell. One of the best sonics as of late.