Nintendo has chosen Satoru Iwata’s successor

Nintendo and the gaming world as a whole mourned Satoru Iwata’s passing when he succumbed to bile duct cancer a couple of months ago, but now it’s time for the company to announce his successor: Tatsumi Kimishima. Only four people have held the title of President at Nintendo in the company’s 125-year history, and Mr. Iwata was one of the most respected and well-liked people in the gaming industry, so Mr. Kimishima has a lot to live up to. He previously served as the CEO of Nintendo of America, and oversaw the release of the 3DS and Wii in the United States, so he definitely has experience. What separates him from Mr. Iwata, however, is that he specializes more in business than gaming, which is what Nintendo needs as it continue to struggle to make a profit.

Nintendo has named late president Satoru Iwata’s successor: Tatsumi Kimishima, the former Nintendo of America CEO whose reign spanned the U.S. release of the Wii and 3DS. Kimishima also spent some time working for The Pokemon Company and, more recently, as an executive in Nintendo’s human resources department. His new leadership role comes at a pivotal moment for Nintendo: in addition to an upcoming new console reveal, the company is also set to take its first, major leap into the realm of mobile gaming. Nintendo has long resisted the explosive popularity of the mobile games market, leaning instead on the runaway success of its DS and 3DS handhelds. But between the newly announced Pokemon AR game and a still-gestating long-term partnership with DeNA, that focus is going to change. Then there’s the NX, a new, as-yet-unrevealed console that could be a Wii U successor or could just be a complement to Nintendo’s existing product line. The company’s confirmed the codename and a plan to reveal NX eventually, but little is known beyond that. “The basic direction and strategy won’t change,” Kimishima said in an official statement from Nintendo. “I will continue along the path set by President Iwata.”