Topic: Nintendo Of America Executes Executive Shuffle: Bowser To Retire, New CEO, First Female President

[Shaymin]

So long, King Bowser.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/72584/nintendo-of-america-executes-executive-shuffle-bowser-to-retire-new-ceo-first-female-president

Nintendo's ranking Bowser is stepping away from the company at the end of 2025, with no hammers or bombs required.

A press statement from Nintendo of America has confirmed that Doug Bowser will be retiring from the twin positions of President and Chief Operating Officer on December 31. His replacement will be Devon Pritchard, NoA's current Vice President of Revenue, Marketing, and Consumer Experience; Pritchard is the first female president of a Nintendo branch in the company's 136 year history. Alongside the move, the position of Chief Executive Officer will be filled by former Nintendo of Europe head Satoru Shibata.

Bowser joined Nintendo in 2015 in a marketing role after several years at Electronic Arts, and assumed the presidency following the retirement of Reggie Fils-Amie in 2019. Bowser remained in more of a behind-the-scenes capacity at NoA, only appearing in one Nintendo Direct presentation (E3 2019) despite his rather appropriate name. During his tenure, Bowser headed up Nintendo of America's response to tariff threats and the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also came under scrunity for labor practices (including multiple credible accusations of furloughing contract workers before they would qualify for full employment) and a recent IGN report indicating that the company's famous customer service would be outsourced outside of North America.

[Mythtendo]

was Shibata the one responsible for Nintendo of Europe doing bizarre names? Giving us names like "A Little Bit of… Magic Made Fun: Funny Face", "More Brain Training from Dr Kawashima: How Old Is Your Brain?", " Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise " Dr Kawashima's Devilish Brain Training: Can you stay focused?" (although that is still better than the Japanese name of "Tohoku University Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer Professor and Supervisor Ryuta Kawashima's Tough 5-Minute Brain Training with Demon Training"). Please don't let him be in charge of naming games

[broodwars]

Considering all the bad press Nintendo has (deservedly) earned this year, I hope that this new President is much better at reigning in Corporate's worst impulses. Probably not, but one can hope.

[Lemonade]

Surprising news, but now seems like the best time, after launching a new system

[Khushrenada]

Considering all the bad press Nintendo has (deservedly) earned this year

What bad press and what was deserved about it?

[Khushrenada]

Bowser joined Nintendo in 2015 in a marketing role after several years at Electronic Arts

And thus another domino falls causing the unprecedented partnership to become more precedented by the day.

[Adrock]

What bad press and what was deserved about it?

My guess is Mario Kart World’s MSRP or merely Nintendo Switch 2 pricing in general.

Also, most people aren’t happy with Litigious Nintendo® though to be fair, the reporting on those stories is often thoroughly irresponsible and largely misleading. It’s easier to get mad about a sensationalized headline than it is to do even a minimal amount of reading.

[broodwars]

What bad press and what was deserved about it?

My guess is Mario Kart World’s MSRP or merely Nintendo Switch 2 pricing in general.

Also, most people aren’t happy with Litigious Nintendo® though to be fair, the reporting on those stories is often thoroughly irresponsible and largely misleading. It’s easier to get mad about a sensationalized headline than it is to do even a minimal amount of reading.

The pricing, the Key Cards, the lack of 1st party announcements, the patent nonsense, locking VB games you can't even own behind expensive peripherals, bricking people's Switch 2's because they inadvertently bought Used Games that had been copied, etc.

And apparently a lot of Mario Kart fans are pissed that Nintendo patched World to remove their ability to guarantee 3 lap races in online matches. World in general got a rapid negative re-evaluation shortly after launch.

Some (especially YouTube channels and social media accounts) would say Nintendo has been rather "mask off" since the Switch 2 unveil, that the business side of Nintendo finally supplanted the creative one. In light of that, I can't say I'm going to miss the former EA executive leaving NoA.