Following the sad passing of Satoru Iwata, Nintendo has announced its new company president - Tatsumi Kimishima...
NewsTwo months ago, Nintendo sadly lost its president and representative, Satoru Iwata, who died suddenly at the age of just 55. Iwata had steered Nintendo for well over a decade, overseeing the launch of consoles like the 3DS, Wii, and Wii U, and becoming a prominent figure in gaming circles thanks to Nintendo's Direct online broadcasts.
Two months after Iwata's passing, Nintendo has announced who will step in as president: it's 65 year-old Tatsumi Kimishima, a former financial chief at The Pokemon Company and long term manager at Nintendo (he served as head of Nintendo of America between 2002 and 2006).
Kimishima has arrived at a decisive moment in Nintendo's history; it's on the cusp of striking out into the mobile market with its forthcoming venture with DeNA. Nintendo's next console, its successor to the faltering Wii U, is due to be unveiled next year.
Then there's Nintendo's venture with Universal Studios, which will see Nintendo-themed rides appear at the latter's chain of theme parks. Oh, and there's also the talk of moving into the movie business - a process Shigeru Mityamoto has already begun with the creation of three short films based on the vegetable-based strategy game, Pikmin.
The decisions made under Kimishima's watchful eye will, inevitably, have a huge bearing on Nintendo's future. Will he be as approachable a presence as Iwata was in his Direct addresses? We'll have to wait and see.
