(Hint: it's Iwata. Iwata is boss.) Nintendo just released their financial results briefing, which contains a transcript of a question-and-answer session with Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. Ever wondered what it would be like to work for Iwata? This quote should replace that wonder with terror: "When I received a report from the U.S. that they sold 1 million Pokémon Diamond & Pearl already, I asked them, 'why did you sell only 10,000 Brain Age last week, when Europe sold through 30,000?' This is a typical example of how I communicate with our people in the U.S."
Why would Iwata be so mean in the face of ostensibly great news? Because he's a huge jerk? Probably not. For one thing, Pokémon selling a million copies doesn't mean that anyone at Nintendo of America did anything particularly well. All they had to do was release it, making sure that the word "Pokémon" was clearly visible on the box.
But more importantly, Iwata isn't looking just to sell a bunch of games. He wants to expand the gaming market in the US like the DS has in Japan, and for that, Brain Age needs to get into non-gamers' hands. Then Nintendo can sell a bunch of games to them as well as to Nintendo fans. As Iwata notes in the report, 500,000 DS systems were sold in the US in March, which is a large number, but not as large as the 600,000 to 700,000 sold in Japan each month.
[Via NeoGAF]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-04-2007 @ 11:07AM
hvnlysoldr said...
That's so true. After Monolith Soft I wonder who's next on the purchasing block. They should make Dr. Kawashima and the professor from Academy into Brawl trophies. Along with requisite Regginator and Iwata of course.
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5-04-2007 @ 1:41PM
David Hinkle said...
Best. Image. Ever.
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5-04-2007 @ 1:54PM
Ashley Boyd said...
" 'why did you sell only 10,000 Brain Age last week, when Europe sold through 30,000?'"
Sounds like our regional manager. Never happy.
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5-05-2007 @ 9:23AM
Kurt said...
Call it Pokemon Age, and I bet they'll unload half a million copies this month.
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5-07-2007 @ 4:40PM
horton said...
Statements like that remind me of my supervisors and just how messed up the corporate world really is. If someone doesn't want to buy something, you can't force them to, no matter how much advertising BS you put out. I really do hate companies that are public. Bleh.
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