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[Jubenhimer]

Nintendo Co., Ltd. president Shuntaro Furukwawa hasn't been in the position for long. Only taking the role five years ago from Tatsumi Kimishima, who was given the job temporarily following the tragic passing of Satoru Iwata. You'd be forgiven for forgetting who he is, Furukawa prefers to fade into the background much like Yamauchi and Kimishima, letting other execs like Nintendo EPD head Shinya Takahashi, and Nintendo Switch General Producer Yoshiaki Koizumi be the front for the company. But Furukawa has been plotting out a lot of interesting charts for Nintendo lately and I want to know what everyone's honest thoughts on his job so far.

For me, I find the fact that he's more in the background to be rather refreshing. I know everybody misses Iwata's Nintendo Direct antics and staged rivalries with Reggie. But ultimately a CEO's job is to run a business and make money, so the fact that Furukawa isn't in the song and dance business isn't a bad thing. Honestly, it's preferable to whatever buzzword filled speech Phil Spencer is spouting lately.

Furukawa is also openly taking a very hands-off approach to running Nintendo, something that's been relatively unheard of for the company, with Hiroshi Yamauchi being an notorious tyrant, and Iwata being very hands-on (President of Nintendo, GM of three development divisons, CEO of NoA). Furukawa seems content to let the heads of the company's dvisions run their spaces they see fit, while giving them support and discipline when needed. It's very different from Iwata's management style, and one that feels alien to Nintendo fans. But that's honestly preferable for a company as large and complex as Nintendo.

The biggest thing though, is Furukawa's plans to grow the company. Pumping $900 million into the EPD division to increase game development, and almost as much into the company's broader multi-media and service ventures, including the formation of Nintendo Pictures and Nintendo Systems, The Super Mario Bros. Movie with Illumination, and new Nintendo stores across Japan and US. In particular, I feel the expansions to game development are the most exciting. Nintendo has done a pretty good job keeping a consistent Switch release slate yearly, but there's still room for improvement. So the fact that Furukawa is taking this seriously can only mean good things for first party games going forward.

Furukawa's lack of public presence might lead some fans to think he's a suit. But suit or not, I like what I see so far.

 

[kyliethicc]

he too bitch to put knack in smash

 

[TLZ]

Can't and won't rate him until I see the next system. Kimishima was there for the Switch. So I think he's done well enough. For this one I'll wait.

 

[LavitzSlambert]

He has done well to expand Nintendo’s audience outside of just video games. I’ll reserve judgment though, because let’s be honest - the Switch was a total success from day 1 and Nintendo can basically do no wrong with it. He has been CEO the entire time on easy mode. Let’s first see how he does with the next gen system and if we can avoid the famous Nintendo game droughts and colossal misreads of the past.

 

[cireza]

There was better respect of the consumers (more reliable hardware, better services, more polished games) during the Iwata years.

 

[ADiTAR]

If he continues to the Switch 2, instead of Switch U or 4DS, then he's great.

 

[deriks]

It's fine

We need more Bowser tho

 

[GeekyDad]

...For me, I find the fact that he's more in the background to be rather refreshing. ...Furukawa is also openly taking a very hands-off approach to running Nintendo...

Well, my initial impression (and current impression) -- based strictly on looking at his face: he looks young. Not young-hearted, young. And has the look of a spoiled child. Everything I'm saying, of course, is very prejudicial, as it's based pretty much on how I physically perceive the guy.

But...there could be a very good reason why "he's more in the background" and "taking a very hands-off approach to running Nintendo." Perhaps he is simply a figurehead, someone easy to manipulate.

What the fuck do I know? Not a goddamned thing.

 

[jigglet]

A good Japanese president is one that doesn't rock the boat.

He has not rocked the boat.

But, I'm not Japanese.

 

[Bragr]

He seems sharp and like he understands the business well, it's hard to know what direction he is taking, but the entire Nintendo organization seems to be in its prime, they are rightfully pushing into movies, mobile, and theme parks and are producing more games than ever. And even though he's 50, he is practically a young babe compared to other Nintendo bosses.

 

[Nautilus]

There was better respect of the consumers (more reliable hardware, better services, more polished games) during the Iwata years.

 

[Nautilus]

He seems sharp and like he understands the business well, it's hard to know what direction he is taking, but the entire Nintendo organization seems to be in its prime, they are rightfully pushing into movies, mobile, and theme parks and are producing more games than ever. And even though he's 50, he is practically a young babe compared to other Nintendo bosses.

They are not pushing into mobile. They just released what was already in development back from the days Nintendo was more desperate, and just kept alive the mobile apps that had success. Which are like 3?

 

[Bloobs]

 

[Dick Jones]

Nintendo fans with their leaders, he hasn't been there long, only five years.

Sony fans with Jim Ryan, fucking donkey day 1. He's had enough time.

 

[Dick Jones]

There hasn't been a real challenge for Nintendo since Iwata passed. There was a thirst for a more powerful handheld (and the popular gimmick of playing it also on the a tv screen helped immeasurably). The management at Nintendo will be tested on how they convert the Switch customers to Switch 2. Nintendo have fucked it up before (cough Wii U) so it's not the slam dunk it should be

 

[brian0057]

Well, both the Switch and its titles are printing money so he's doing something right.

 

[Nautilus]

There hasn't been a real challenge for Nintendo since Iwata passed. There was a thirst for a more powerful handheld (and the popular gimmick of playing it also on the a tv screen helped immeasurably). The management at Nintendo will be tested on how they convert the Switch customers to Switch 2. Nintendo have fucked it up before (cough Wii U) so it's not the slam dunk it should be

The Switch isn't a handheld, and playing on the TV isn't a gammick. That's because the Switch is a hybrid, that's both a home console and a handheld console at the same time.

 

[Danjin44]

I don’t know or care about CEOs, they are here to make money for their company and investors. There is really nothing wrong with that, thats their job and they take care of business side of video game industry, but I really find it weird that some of you guys idolize them and even treating them like celebrities……why?

 

[Mister Wolf]

I'll judge him based on how powerful he chooses to make the Super Switch.

 

[Woopah]

They've had a solid to great output for most of the time he's been around (except 2020 which was terrible) though of course many of those game started development before he took charge.

2022 has been very strong from them game-wise, and if they can continue that momentum for the coming years he'll deserve a lot of credit. I think stepping in to buy Next Level games and SPD were the right moves, and his decision to invest heavily in EPD expansion was also correct. I don't rally care about their IP efforts outside gaming, but from a business standpoint they make sense.

The real test will be how he handles the transition to the next console.

Well, my initial impression (and current impression) -- based strictly on looking at his face: he looks young. Not young-hearted, young. And has the look of a spoiled child. Everything I'm saying, of course, is very prejudicial, as it's based pretty much on how I physically perceive the guy.

But...there could be a very good reason why "he's more in the background" and "taking a very hands-off approach to running Nintendo." Perhaps he is simply a figurehead, someone easy to manipulate.

What the fuck do I know? Not a goddamned thing.

He's 50 so I wouldn't say he is young. I don't think we can tell how hand on or off he is, but we do know that he leaves a lot of the Marketing/PR to the people actually developing games (which I think makes sense).

 

[cireza]

How about listing some arguments ? To see if you actually have anything of interest to share with us.

 

[Robb]

Difficult to say right now, especially since he’s in the background, but maybe I’ll get a better idea with the next system and how they choose to market it.

I feel like the success and projects that Nintendo has had thus far have been based on plans that were in place long before he even got his position.

 

[ThatStupidLion]

Theme park and movie expansions are great directions.

Theme park execution seems half baked though…movie im cautiously optimistic for, though chris pratt mario makes me skeptical

Switch has been coasting on cruise control in its second half of life, so who knows how much hes doing vs letting it play out till switch 2.

Hes no elon with twitter at least, so looking forward to nintendos future for now


Dont have care if he has face or not with the public

 

[Dick Jones]

The Switch isn't a handheld, and playing on the TV isn't a gammick. That's because the Switch is a hybrid, that's both a home console and a handheld console at the same time.

It's unique selling point (gimmick) is that it can be played on both, but it is a glorified handheld.

I apologise for hurting your handheld's feelings.

 

[NahaNago]

He seems to be doing an okay job. The real test will be when he releases the next system. I do like the fact that Nintendo is further branching out to do parks and movies now. I've been thinking that they should have done so for awhile.

 

[Astral Dog]

I have no issues with him so far i hope he stays for awhile

 

[Bragr]

They are not pushing into mobile. They just released what was already in development back from the days Nintendo was more desperate, and just kept alive the mobile apps that had success. Which are like 3?

For Nintendo, that is pushing into mobile.

 

[Northeastmonk]

I wonder how the history of it all will sound in a decade or two. Reggie wrote a book about the GameCube up until the launch of the Switch. The Switch has done extraordinary well around the world. There doesn’t seem to be a person or voice in order to sell the console or the games. The Switch is doing a great job. Doug Bowser must also be doing a great job in North America. The games/software are selling the consoles. That’s what they need to do in order to be profitable and stay competitive.

 

[ProgenitorCastle]

So fucking corporate. Lacks a visible presence and personality/soul. I still miss Iwata. Almost everything that I loved in the Wii U era vanished in the Switch era. It's tragic.

 

[Punished Miku]

I've never seen him. The only CEO I've ever seen with the power of invisibility. That's pretty cool.

 

[NightmareFarm]

Worse than Iwata, and I didn't think it was even humanly possible to outdo him in incompetently running a brand and anti-consumerism.

 

[Umbasaborne]

Complacent to a fault, Same with Jim Ryan. Its like now that nintendo and sony are doing really well, they are barely trying if that makes sense. But still, its better than running your mouth for almost a decade and not having much to show for it (phil spencer)

 

[Holammer]

He's invisible, but doing an ok job by the looks of it.
If he trips up, gaffers will bay for his blood. Like they did with Iwata back in 2014.

 

[Nautilus]

It's unique selling point (gimmick) is that it can be played on both, but it is a glorified handheld.

I apologise for hurting your handheld's feelings.

And PS5 and Series X unique selling point(gimmick) is that they have a lot of power and games run really well on it.

*sigh*

Even Nintendo treats it as a hybrid. People either are too simple minded and can't understand stuff that are too different, or just are too butthurt that they are now the market leader that they have to make their success somehow lesser than it is.I mean the drama is entertaining, but at this point its just embarassing.

 

[Nautilus]

For Nintendo, that is pushing into mobile.

?

They haven't release a single mobile game in what, 4 years? And they have said themselves that they stopped making mobile games.

I don't understand your point.

 

[gundalf]

They haven't release a single mobile game in what, 4 years? And they have said themselves that they stopped making mobile games.

The Pikmin Bloom AR Game was released a year ago, although that one was developed by Niantic under license from Nintendo.

 

[Nautilus]

The Pikmin Bloom AR Game was released a year ago, although that one was developed by Niantic under license from Nintendo.

Oh yeah, true. Completely forgot about that one.

Fine, they GREATLY diminished their mobile efforts. To the point that its irrelevant to the bigger picture of their company, nowhere near to the extent that he claimed to be(in importance to Nintendo)

 

[cireza]

Even Nintendo treats it as a hybrid.

Hybrid doesn't mean anything.

You either have a console big enough to host a proper hardware and architecture, or you have something too small and have to use a mobile architecture made to run on battery with all its shortcomings.

 

[yurinka]

I like him. I think that following the Nintendo tradition has been very conservative and basically the company followed the same strategy they had before. I think the main moves made during his era that aren't heritage from the other ones have been their partnership with Illumination for the movies and the growth of the internal teams. Things that in both cases made sense and were needed.

I don't care if he appears publicly or not: as a CEO his job is not to be a PR star or a salesman.

They haven't release a single mobile game in what, 4 years? And they have said themselves that they stopped making mobile games.

They released many games in the 4 years or so:
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump (2017)
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp (2017)
Pokémon Quest (2018)
Dragalia Lost (2018)
Pokémon Rumble Rush (2019)
Dr. Mario World (2019)
Pokémon Masters/Pokémon Masters EX (2019)
Mario Kart Tour (2019)
Pokémon Smile (2020)
Pokémon Unite (2021)
Pikmin Bloom (2021)
Pokémon Sleep (TBA / canned or delayed?)

 

[Dick Jones]

And PS5 and Series X unique selling point(gimmick) is that they have a lot of power and games run really well on it.

*sigh*

Even Nintendo treats it as a hybrid. People either are too simple minded and can't understand stuff that are too different, or just are too butthurt that they are now the market leader that they have to make their success somehow lesser than it is.I mean the drama is entertaining, but at this point its just embarassing.

Calling it a handheld isn't the slight you think it is. My Switch has accepted it, why can't you. Is a Steam Deck a handheld?

This has fuck all to do with PS/Xbox, I don't know what your tangent is. Recognising it as mainly a handheld makes it more forgiving of its limitations.

If the Switch only released as a handheld it would have sold close to the same amount. I'm basing that on the prior track record.

 

[GeekyDad]

...He's 50 so I wouldn't say he is young. ...

Dude looks like he's in his mid thirties at best. So, good on him, then.

 

[Nautilus]

Hybrid doesn't mean anything.

You either have a console big enough to host a proper hardware and architecture, or you have something too small and have to use a mobile architecture made to run on battery with all its shortcomings.

Lol of course it is, because tecnology is as black and white as everything in the world. Ffs lol

It's a hybrid dude, because it can be treated solely as a home console, or solely as a handheld, or even both! It just depends what the user wants to use it as.

 

[Interfectum]

Hard to say until we see the next Switch. Right now he's keeping the boat afloat and steady.

 

[Nautilus]

I like him. I think that following the Nintendo tradition has been very conservative and basically the company followed the same strategy they had before. I think the main moves made during his era that aren't heritage from the other ones have been their partnership with Illumination for the movies and the growth of the internal teams. Things that in both cases made sense and were needed.

I don't care if he appears publicly or not: as a CEO his job is not to be a PR star or a salesman.


They released many games in the 4 years or so:
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump (2017)
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp (2017)
Pokémon Quest (2018)
Dragalia Lost (2018)
Pokémon Rumble Rush (2019)
Dr. Mario World (2019)
Pokémon Masters/Pokémon Masters EX (2019)
Mario Kart Tour (2019)
Pokémon Smile (2020)
Pokémon Unite (2021)
Pikmin Bloom (2021)
Pokémon Sleep (TBA / canned or delayed?)

I already said that I forgot about the Pikmin mobile thing. That one is on me.

But Pokemon is another story as spin offs doesn't need Nintendo's express permission to be made. And outside of the Pikmin one, the last mobile game Nintendo made was Tour, which is 3 years old, and Nintendo (seemingly) has no plans to make a new one.

 

[Interfectum]

Hybrid doesn't mean anything.

You either have a console big enough to host a proper hardware and architecture, or you have something too small and have to use a mobile architecture made to run on battery with all its shortcomings.

The console was packaged and built to do both. The SDK even has two performance profiles for developers. Due to the laws of physics the limiting factor for power will be battery because of its handheld nature but the system is a true hybrid.

The only thing Nintendo could do next time to push the hybrid feature even more is to add hardware functionality to the dock. No doubt cost is a factor into why they haven't done anything with that yet.

 

[Nautilus]

Calling it a handheld isn't the slight you think it is. My Switch has accepted it, why can't you. Is a Steam Deck a handheld?

This has fuck all to do with PS/Xbox, I don't know what your tangent is. Recognising it as mainly a handheld makes it more forgiving of its limitations.

If the Switch only released as a handheld it would have sold close to the same amount. I'm basing that on the prior track record.

The Steam Deck is a hybrid, just as the Switch, since it can function as a home console/PC without any compromises.

And its not the peoblem of it being a slight(mostly because its one that its weak and overused). I am just correcting you guys, because calling the Switch a handheld is just flat out wrong, since its a hybrid.

The Switch success is due to its games(An universal truth to any console) and also because of its form factor. A hybrid was extremely appealing to the mass market, so much so that it remains the best selling SKU by FAR, even when the lite is cheaper.

 

[WhiteWaterM00se]

Honestly, you won’t be able to fully judge him until the next 5 years. Switch hardware and many games in development were already planned when he took over.

The next hardware will be him.

 

[Dick Jones]

The Steam Deck is a hybrid, just as the Switch, since it can function as a home console/PC without any compromises.

And its not the peoblem of it being a slight(mostly because its one that its weak and overused). I am just correcting you guys, because calling the Switch a handheld is just flat out wrong, since its a hybrid.

The Switch success is due to its games(An universal truth to any console) and also because of its form factor. A hybrid was extremely appealing to the mass market, so much so that it remains the best selling SKU by FAR, even when the lite is cheaper.

Steam call it a handheld.

 

[Interfectum]

The Steam Deck is a hybrid, just as the Switch, since it can function as a home console/PC without any compromises.

And its not the peoblem of it being a slight(mostly because its one that its weak and overused). I am just correcting you guys, because calling the Switch a handheld is just flat out wrong, since its a hybrid.

The Switch success is due to its games(An universal truth to any console) and also because of its form factor. A hybrid was extremely appealing to the mass market, so much so that it remains the best selling SKU by FAR, even when the lite is cheaper.

I would argue Switch is much more of a true hybrid than Steam Deck.

Switch comes with everything you need to do both TV and handheld play. You need a controller for TV? Pull off the joy cons, attach them together (or not) and play. Need two controllers for multi? Turn joy cons to the side and play (I've done with this with my kids a lot in a pinch). The games also know when they are docked or not and they adjust instantly if you pull the Switch off the dock.

To be honest, I'm shocked this is still argued. From the hardware, the software and how it's all packaged together it's a hybrid platform.

Like I said before the next step Nintendo could take and it's a step that would end this argument permanently is to add additional performance hardware to the dock.

 

[Nautilus]

Steam call it a handheld.

That is just a buzzword Steam used because, when on its handheld mode, its probably the most powerful hardware it claims to be. But it also has a dock that can be played as a home console, which Steam also claims.Hell, its also a PC if you install a windows there.

Thus, that makes it a hybrid.