Dear Reader:
Analysts react to Tatsumi Kimishima becoming Nintendo's president
"This is a solid and safe interim solution. It will probably bridge the gap until a 'true' successor is found without any big hiccups. All three Nintendo leaders are veterans that know the company in and out. Kimishima even has work experience in the US - that is a first for a Nintendo CEO."
"They had to react quickly, as the company we knew as Nintendo is set for a radical transformation: a new console is on the horizon, DeNA is a new close partner that will bring Nintendo games to smart devices, more and more Nintendo IP will be used by third parties - and all happens in a time when we have the biggest market for gaming that ever existed. In their initial reactions, many fans (at least those living outside Japan) seem to have described Kimishima as a bit stiff, a typical 'suit' who doesn't seem to have the charisma to represent Nintendo."
"However, Iwata also acted as and had the aura of a very serious Japanese businessman - but successfully broke expectations set by his appearance by being entertaining and ironic during Nintendo Direct, for example."
"But Iwata was a unique personality and can't be just replaced 1:1."
"Kimishima might be different after all and is likely to let other people, i.e. Shigeru Miyamoto and Reggie Fils-Aime, represent Nintendo going forward."--Serkan Toto, consultant with Tokyo-based Kantan Games Inc.
“Kimishima-san is an excellent choice, and could be seen by the markets as a clear statement of intent to continue Iwata-san’s strategy. So leveraging the installed base of Wii U and 3DS users to generate software sales, pushing into mobile with DeNA and Niantic, and launching Nintendo’s new console system NX in 2016. Whether NX is an augmented/virtual reality focused console or something else, it will define Nintendo’s future as an integrated hardware/software player. A steady hand is needed to maximize profitability in the coming years to support it, and Kimishima-san is that steady hand.”--Tim Merel, Managing Director of Silicon Valley based tech advisor Digi-Capital