Tag: Iwata
News Reggie Fils-Aimé Talks Re-Evaluating His Life After Iwata's Death
Watch the full SXSW talk here
Reggie Fils-Aimé - the famed ex-President of Nintendo of America - is currently working to promote his upcoming book, Disrupting the Game: From the Bronx to the Top of Nintendo. Last month, Reggie took to the stage at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas to discuss his upbringing, his time at Nintendo, and the...
News This New Book Chronicles the Early Days of Satoru Iwata's Life
The President, Programmer, and Gamer
The late Satoru Iwata contributed much to Nintendo's history. While it's easy to remember him for his more recent accomplishments in the Wii and DS eras, many are aware that Iwata's time at the company has lasted for much longer; he got his start as a part-time programmer at HAL Laboratory in the 1980's. This...
Feature A Year On - Satoru Iwata and His Enduring Legacy
The gamer that changed the industry
On 11th July 2015, Satoru Iwata passed away, with Nintendo announcing the sad news a day later. It was rather sudden to those outside of the company, and undoubtedly had a profound impact on many around the world that felt a keen sense of loss. You can find our original features paying respects to Satoru Iwata at...
News Satoru Iwata to Receive Posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award at D.I.C.E.
Splatoon and Super Mario Maker among award nominees
With a summit in the days before, details have now been issued for the 19th D.I.C.E. Awards on 18th February; this is a prestigious annual event hosted by The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Nintendo picked up a few awards in late 2015 for key releases such as Splatoon and Super Mario...
Feature A Celebration of HAL Laboratory - Forever Focused on Fun
Kirby, Pokemon, Smash Bros., and Box Boy...
From now until the start of the new year we're going to be republishing some of what we feel are our best features of 2015. Hopefully this will offer the chance for newer readers to catch up on content they might have missed and allow long-time fans to reacquaint themselves with features they enjoyed the...
News Moving Musical Iwata Tribute Casts Onett Theme in a Whole New Light
8 minutes of Gentle Love
Outpourings of admiration for late Nintendo President Satoru Iwata have continued since his passing in July. The performing duo Gentle Love, consisting of Metal Gear Solid and Bayonetta series composer Norihiko Hibino and pianist AYAKI, have added their own respects in the form of a soulful arrangement of the Onett theme...
News Satoru Iwata is Awarded With Posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award at Golden Joysticks
Had "the brain of a game developer and the heart of a gamer"
Today brought the Golden Joystick awards in the UK, a long-running event that is voted upon by the public. Nintendo secured a few awards, though the most touching was awarded to the company's former President. Satoru Iwata was posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award, having...
News A Satoru Iwata Memorial Custom amiibo is Being Sold for Charity
Has attracted bids of over $1000 so far
Custom amiibo figures are rather common, with fans converting existing figures into other favoured characters and variations. With the passing of Nintendo President Satoru Iwata earlier in the year there was a petition for a Satoru Iwata amiibo, and some produced their own in honour of the gaming visionary...
News Nintendo Board Members Retain Roles After AGM as Share Value Remains Strong
Iwata's the man with the plan
There can be a sense, sometimes, of doom and gloom around Nintendo - there are valid concerns for fans, but some fears can be overblown. While Wii U sales, unhappy E3 followers and more can have some trotting out the silly 'Nintendoomed' memes, it seems the company itself is relatively happy with its overall prospects...
News Satoru Iwata Outlines His Reasons For Not Attending E3 This Year
Plans to be active on Twitter
Satoru Iwata is a popular figure with many Nintendo fans, so when the announcement came that he would not be attending this year's E3 there was some disappointment and concern. Concerns arose after Iwata-san missed last year's E3 due to an operation to remove a tumour from his bile duct. At the time some were worried...
News Satoru Iwata Will Return as Nintendo Direct Host, Apologises Again for amiibo Shortages
Splatoon stock seems to be short in Japan, too
Nintendo fans following today's Japanese Nintendo Direct will have seen a new presenter in action, Morimoto-san. The younger face held his own, fitting in with the often formal nature of the Japan-only broadcasts, taking on the tough role of filling the shoes of our most regular presenter - Nintendo...
Reaction Satoru Iwata Holds Off on Major Announcements as Investors Appear Settled
A comfortable, unremarkable Investor Briefing
As those that follow Nintendo closely know only too well, major announcements and shocks aren't just reserved for E3 and the occasional Nintendo Direct. The company has a habit of dropping major news like it's a minor affair, and in the past couple of years has also reserved some notable news for...
News Card Format amiibo Confirmed to be Heading our Way This Year
Link proves to be the most popular amiibo, too
The recent investor briefing has brought us a megaton of information on amiibo, including the news that Nintendo will be introducing free software with NES and SNES experiences activated through amiibo. Satoru Iwata also confirmed that a cheaper range of amiibo will be made available this year in the...
"I believe the Wii U business still has considerable room for growth"
In recent days Satoru Iwata has been conducting a series of interviews in Japan, tackling tricky questions ahead of the next President's Briefing and Investor Q & A on 17th February. A pattern has started to emerge in these interviews, which certainly lays the ground for...
More nods and winks about Nintendo's next console
Just recently we shared some translated quotes from a 4Gamer interview with Nintendo President Satoru Iwata, in which he talked about his programming days and his role in getting Super Smash Bros. Melee to market. That same thread on NeoGaf has been adding more translations, and the latest excerpts...
News Region-Locking May Be a Thing of the Past Soon According to Nintendo
Unlocking business benefits
During the Q&A session which followed the Nintendo of Japan's investor briefing last week, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata indicated that Nintendo are reconsidering the unpopular policy of region locking on its consoles. An unofficial translation made by the ever-reliable Cheesemeister on NeoGAF turned up the...
News Collectors Be Warned, Some amiibo Figures Will Be "Limited-Time" Offers
Gotta catch 'em all!
It's not long until we can get our grubby mitts on Nintendo's attractive looking range of amiibo figures. If you are something of a collector however you might want to hit that preorder button now, as some amiibos may quickly become quite rare. During a recent investors briefing Nintendo's Satoru Iwata spelt out clearly that...
News Satoru Iwata Outlines Nintendo's First QOL Platform
Focused on improving sleep and reducing fatigue
Since its announcement in January this year, Nintendo intrigued and confused some observers when it outlined plans to produce a Quality of Life — or QOL — platform. It was explained that it would be an entirely separate product from game systems — with some potential for overlapping apps and...
News Satoru Iwata Returns to Regular Work Following Surgery
Has lost weight but feels healthier
When Satoru Iwata missed E3 this year for medical reasons, there was some concern over the Nintendo President's well-being — it was then confirmed that he'd undergone surgery to remove a growth from his bile duct, and he subsequently missed the company's AGM (annual general meeting). Nintendo said little but to...
News Satoru Iwata Reigns Supreme in Annual Shareholders Meeting
Business as usual
Nintendo's 74th annual general meeting (AGM) for shareholders took place today in Japan and we can confirm that Satoru Iwata has retained his position as Nintendo's president. Iwata of course was not present at today's meeting due to his recovery from recent surgery. We are yet to learn what this year's investor approval rating...
News Twitter Hashtag Brings Bunches of Well Wishes for Recovering Satoru Iwata
He'll never have a potassium deficiency
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata has had to take it easy lately after a recent surgery to remove a growth from his bile duct. Twitter users have been taking to the feeds to wish the Nintendo head the best as he recovers but, as this is Twitter, they've been doing so by honoring Iwata's iconic, fruit-based pose...
News Satoru Iwata Recovering From Surgery To Remove Growth, Will Miss Nintendo's AGM
"I came through it well, as predicted"
Prior to E3 2014, there was the sudden news that Satoru Iwata wasn't attending the event for health-related reasons, though no details were given aside from reassurances that it was still "business as usual" for the Nintendo President. With Nintendo's AGM (Annual General Meeting of Shareholders) set to take...
News Satoru Iwata Admits The "Wii U Isn't In Good Shape" Ahead of Investor Briefing
"I’m concentrating my mind on how to rebuild Nintendo"
Nintendo's investor briefing, thanks to the extensive gaps in time zones, is taking place rather soon. The unveiling of today's financial reports did involve a short press conference with Satoru Iwata, and Bloomberg has picked up some choice comments. After confirming a pay cut that will run...
Nintendo Direct Check Out the Japanese Daigasso! Band Brothers P Direct Here
Including an overview trailer
A little while ago we reported on a new Jam With The Band title coming to 3DS, in development by Intelligent Systems. Jam With The Band on the DS certainly had some fans in Europe, though unfortunately it never made it to North America; Nintendo has now broadcast a special Nintendo Direct in Japan for the upcoming...
News Satoru Iwata Emphasizes Nintendo's Desire to Produce Products That "Resonate" With Consumers
Doesn't think "the concept and potential of the Wii U have been rejected"
With its recent Q1 results and sales revelations, much commentary has inevitably swirled around Nintendo's approach with its hardware and software, which is delivering happy times with the 3DS; there's the obvious goal to reproduce that success on Wii U, too. It's always a...
News Iwata: Third Party Wii U Launch Titles Could Not Enjoy Brisk Sales As Many Were Ports
Boosting the install base is still the key to future success
Much has been made of the lack of Wii U support from third party developers since the system's launch last year. While publishers such as Ubisoft are still generating content for the console in order to boost the install base, others have stated they won't be bringing games to Wii U until...
News Nintendo To Focus On Struggling Markets In The Short-Term
Performance in U.S. and Europe is "less than satisfactory"
During the Nintendo investor Q & A, Satoru Iwata took many questions about Nintendo's various struggles with the Wii U launch and also shared some insight about Streetpass DLC and the disappearance of the Vitality Sensor. But a question
News Iwata Says He Didn't Commit to Stepping Down Over Missed Profit Targets
So we should stop saying he will
Earlier this year we reported on translated comments from Satoru Iwata at a Corporate Management Policy Briefing, in which he made a personal commitment to Nintendo's target of 100 billion Yen of operating profit for this current financial year. It's a substantial target that was reiterated in Nintendo's end of year...
News Iwata: Nintendo Searching For A "Different Expression" To Describe The GamePad's Experience
Consumers don't understand the asymmetric gameplay of Wii U
When Nintendo released the Wii U last year it focused the majority of its messaging on what the all-new GamePad could bring to gaming. Of course, there's off-TV play but one of the biggest selling points is asymmetric gameplay, which allows one player to use the GamePad while others use Wii...
News Nintendo Not Focusing Too Much On What Other Companies Are Doing
Looking to create experiences that can only be found on Wii U
While last year's E3 was focused on Nintendo's Wii U, this year's event will always be remembered as the year Sony and Microsoft revealed their new consoles to the world. Nintendo opted to do things a little differently this time round, going for a much smaller Nintendo Direct...
News Satoru Iwata Taking Over CEO Role of Nintendo of America
Reggie Fils-Aime remains as President and COO
As part of its financial results today, Nintendo announced some musical chairs among the directors, with quite a few planning to retire this summer. One move interesting enough to prompt a press release of its own, however, is a high-level reorganisation within Nintendo of America, with Satoru Iwata...
Video Iwata and Miyamoto Perform Skit As The "Luigi Brothers"
Another classic Nintendo Direct moment
Since the broadcasts began in late 2011, Nintendo Direct has produced a number of memorable moments, even prompting us to name ten of our favourites last year. It seems that Japanese viewers were treated to another example in the most recent broadcast on Valentines Day, which has now been posted by Nintendo UK...
Happy Birthday, Iwata-san
Today brings us another Birthday for one of Nintendo's most well-known figures, with President Satoru Iwata turning 53 today. It would seem that, should he want to, Iwata-san will be able to continue in his current role for many years to come. Satoru Iwata had a passion for video game development from a young age, deciding...
News Iwata Explains Where The Name HAL Laboratory Came From
Not what you'd expect
We, like many other Nintendo fans out there, were under the pretense that HAL Laboratory - the company responsible for our lovable pink hero Kirby and the Super Smash Bros. series - was named after the computer from 2001: A Space Odyssey, HAL 9000. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata even stated that the name was "very cool" during...
News Iwata Reveals How Nintendo Developed The Early Prototype For Wii U
Simply strap two Wii consoles together
With the immense success of the Wii, the folks at Nintendo certainly had their work cut out when developing its successor. It was around 2009 - with the Wii well into its third year of service - that Nintendo’s top men got around a table and started to discuss what their next move would be. The first task...
Nintendo Direct Watch The Japanese Wii U Presentation Live
Miiverse time, at last
So here we are, another Nintendo Direct broadcast to sink our teeth into, with the focus expected to be on Miiverse. The great news is that you can watch it right here: 11am UK time, 12pm Central European time, 6am Eastern, 5am Central and 3am Pacific. It'll be in Japanese, of course, but we'll be watching with you and...
News Nintendo Direct Broadcasts Attracting Around One Million Viewers
Videos proving popular with both core and casual players
The investor Q&A Nintendo held recently is throwing up all kinds of interesting stories. We already know that Nintendo President Satoru Iwata is warming to the idea of smartphones and has intentionally held back Wii U launch titles, and we now have some illuminating figures relating to the...
News Nintendo Is Holding Back Wii U Titles To Maintain Momentum Into 2013
"We realize the biggest challenge is to make sure that Wii U sells well even in the next year"
Talking in an investor's Q&A, Nintendo President and CEO Satoru Iwata has revealed that the company has intentionally held back certain Wii U launch titles to ensure that sales remain robust well into 2013. He said: If you look at how pre-orders are...
News Iwata: We Must Make Smart Devices Our Allies, Not Our Enemies
Nintendo President addresses the rise of mobile in recent investor Q&A
Nintendo President and CEO Satoru Iwata has spoken during an investor Q&A this week about the challenges Nintendo faces with mobile gaming on the rise. Iwata noted that devices like tablets and smartphones shouldn't be compared with traditional systems, as dedicated gaming...
News NSMB2 Nintendo Direct Mini Is Now Available In English Flavour
NSMB2 DLC released today in Europe, NoA broadcast on the way
Last Friday, Nintendo Japan released a short Nintendo Direct presentation which featured Satoru Iwata's disembodied head chatting about the brand new DLC packs for New Super Mario Bros. 2. A slightly different version of that same presentation is now available in English, thanks to...
News Your Japanese Nintendo Direct Wii U Preview Translation Awaits
Breaking the language barrier
This morning, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata held a special Nintendo Direct Wii U Preview. It was, as you might expect, conducted entirely in Japanese. With this in mind, we're here to provide a comprehensive rundown on everything that was revealed during the broadcast, as well as an idea of the message that Iwata was...
News Satoru Iwata: Demand for Rich Experiences on Handhelds "Not Going to Go Away"
Smartphones provide "different" competition
For Satoru Iwata, there are plenty of priorities and challenges to face. Nintendo is currently preparing to brings its next home console to the market, while also generating and sustaining momentum for 3DS. Both are important, but it's perhaps 3DS, and dedicated handheld gaming as a whole, that has been...
News Nintendo Only Plans to Make One 2D Mario Per Platform
Plumber deal
The idea of Mario fatigue has been wafting through the air recently, thanks to New Super Mario Bros. 2 launching on 3DS this weekend as another 2D Mario, New Super Mario Bros. U, is being prepared for release in a few months at Wii U's launch. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata insists that this won't be a regular thing, however —...
News Satoru Iwata: 'We Have Not Changed Our Strategy'
Return to profitability not far away
With Wii U getting closer, and various opinions swirling around about the system's capabilities and even Nintendo's long term future in the industry, Satoru Iwata has spoken to Gamasutra to once again outline Nintendo's philosophy and plans. On the subject of profitability, Iwata has reiterated that the company...
News Nintendo Direct Next Week Focused on Demon Training
10 minutes in hell with Demon Kawashima
Get out your diaries and Japanese dictionaries, as Nintendo will be hosting a 'mini' Nintendo Direct conference on 18th July, next week. The broadcast will only be ten minutes long and will centre entirely around the upcoming 3DS game, Dr Kawashima's Demon Training, a sequel to the hugely successful Dr...
News Nintendo Determined to Beat Hackers with Wii U and 3DS
Pirates beware
Most will agree that, when it came to online functionality and security, Wii and DS were both below par. Hacking and modding on both systems appears to have been widespread, which not only led to issues with some online games but, most importantly for Nintendo, cost the company money due to the extensive number of pirated games on...
News 3DS Sales Momentum in U.S. and Europe is 'Not so Good'
Post-Holiday slump
When it comes to sales in Japan, 3DS has been the undisputed number one for a number of months, finishing top of the hardware charts and often out-selling all other consoles combined. The story elsewhere, however, isn't as rosy, and while we're probably not looking at poor sales of the level that prompted a significant price-drop...
News Iwata Expects Wii U to Last a Generation
Microsoft doesn't seem to agree
An obsession that has plagued video gaming since its earliest days is power, whether it was the 'BIT' wars of the 1990s or the current-day complexities of graphics processors. Wii has been a staggering success that has faded away in its twilight years, arguably because its lack of power has deprived it of many big...
News Satoru Iwata: 'Deep' Online Services May Have a Cost
'Ordinary' services should be free
Satoru Iwata has recently chaired the latest Nintendo Shareholder's AGM, and as expected faced some tough questions about the future of the company and its plans. One subject that came up was online services, primarily whether the enhanced functionality on Wii U and the developing role of Nintendo Network on 3DS...
E3 2012 Probably The Best E3 Video Of All Time
Prepare yourself
Nintendo's E3 showing this year gave plenty of stage time to some less familiar faces: Katsuya Eguchi and Scott Moffitt both spoke at length about Wii U and 3DS respectively, while president Satoru Iwata — traditionally the conference mainstay — mostly stayed behind the scenes to tweet. This video is probably his finest ever...