Shuntaro Furukawa Understands As Iwata Did The Value Of Experimentation To Nintendo Talking Point
Shuntaro Furukawa Understands, As Iwata Did, The Value Of Experimentation To Nintendo - Talking Point Nintendo Life He's following in grand traditions by Share: Taking over the reigns and responsibility of a treasured company like Nintendo must be daunting at the best of times, but when you're stepping into the shoes of a fan-favourite executive who's built up a cult of personality that inspired multiple , it must be particularly nerve-wracking. Just ask , the man who stepped into ex-Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aimé's beloved brogues earlier this year. there's a world of difference between having played the classics and understanding the philosophy and specialised work behind such successful software Worldwide Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa had similarly large footwear to fill when he took office last year and has shed a little more light on the man and course he's charting for the good ship Nintendo. His immediate predecessor, Tatsumi Kimishima, had steered the vessel admirably through the launch of Switch prior to retirement, but Kimishima was always a temporary caretaker until a more suitable candidate could be found. It was the empty chair of dearly departed Satoru Iwata that really needed filling, so when Furukawa assumed the role in 2018, it was to Iwata that he was compared. There were a handful of similarities between the two men: both assumed the role in their 40s; both spent many years working for (or in very close proximity to) Nintendo; both were . Beyond that though, 47-year old Furukawa has played his cards relatively close to his chest. A similar age is one thing; that doesn't necessarily mean they share a similar outlook. E3 2015 might not have featured Nintendo's greatest games lineup, but we still have great memories of it. Furukawa made it known that he "grew up playing the Famicom" and comes "from that generation", but there's a world of difference between having played the classics and understanding the philosophy and specialised work behind such successful software. Much of Iwata's popularity and success came from his facility with all aspects of the business. The 'programmer's president', he could talk just as easily with engineers and tech-heads as with suits and shareholders, a significant advantage when your company's output relies on the efforts of your development workforce. “This is where my background in technology is quite helpful, because it means the engineers can’t trick me,” Iwata in 2014. we were a little worried that Furukawa might be a bean counter, obsessed with the bottom line and ready to put a stop to the wonderful experiments that characterise the company's history Conversely, Furukawa started in the accounts department and spent his early years with Nintendo of Europe in Germany. Accounts departments are (unfairly) derided the world over for being peopled by unimaginative number-crunchers and it's not the first thing fans might have hoped for in a new, relatively young Nintendo president. His immediate predecessor never positioned himself as anything other than a business man and banker, so it seemed obvious that the incoming Furukawa would be the one to really steer Nintendo into its next phase and, perhaps, provide some of the old razzmatazz we've come to expect from . However, after the playful, gentle, insightful Iwata years - as evidenced from the countless Iwata Asks moments (we're still waiting for the coffee table book !) - we were a little worried that Furukawa might be a bean counter, obsessed with the bottom line and ready to put a stop to the wonderful experiments that characterise the company's history, preferring to take Nintendo down the path of reliable returns and sure things. His appointment sent many fans scrambling to the internet to find out his credentials. While we're familiar with , Furukawa was a relatively unknown quanity - a Question Block in the roster of Nintendo honchos. Would he have the insight or appeal of Iwata on all fronts? Would he be playfully fronting Nintendo Directs, interviewing developers or spawning memes? We haven't seen any of that just yet. The impression he's given since taking the job is arguably that of a straight-laced, unassuming (and possibly shy) guy. "Furukawa comes across as thoughtful, very knowledgeable and quite well informed," , an analyst who has met him. They're all positive adjectives, to be sure, but don't tell us much. A put him in the top 10 earlier this year. Shareholders seem happy with him, too, giving him soon after he took the post in mid-2018, but with Switch selling like hot cakes both then and now, that's not exactly a surprise. Previous to that he had said that , but again, that was in a news conference following the announcement he was to succeed Tatsumi Kimishima - hardly the time to rock the boat with a radical roadmap departing from the norm. This , though, gives us a bit more of an idea of his vision, and as Nintendo fans first and foremost, it's reassuring to see that the company's quirkiness and experimentation isn't going anywhere under his stewardship. The company's focus on surprising, delighting and entertaining its audience with fun, unique experiences appears alive and central to Furukawa's strategy. In fact, his sentiments echo the philosophy of his predecessor once-removed. Here, he discusses the benefits of an experimental development environment: “Above all else, I base my decisions on the development leader’s way of thinking. Nintendo is Nintendo because of our games, characters and IP. So giving our teams the freedom to experiment with new ideas is something I strongly agree with. Expansion can’t happen without the freedom to try something new, and the courage to step into unfamiliar territory.” Despite the inherent cost, it's pleasing to hear Furukawa state explicitly how fundamental he believes that 'freedom to experiment' is. You can hear echoes of that in various Iwata interviews, including one also conducted by : "We’re constantly creating prototypes, many of which never see the light of day, but those prototypes, they come in a very wide variety, and they represent varying forms and varying systems and varying structures, so anything is possible." On the one hand, this spirit can lead Nintendo into dead ends, but every company goes through peaks and troughs, and few have the track record of highs that Nintendo can boast. On balance, there are plenty more Super Nintendos and Switches than Virtual Boys and Wii Us. Failure is an inevitable part of experimentation, and Furukawa knows this. We still don't know much about him, but he appears to be taking Nintendo's grand traditions to heart, which is encouraging to fans. Are we likely to see him suddenly take centre stage in a Nintendo Direct? No, probably not, which might disappoint gamers with a desire for a President with 'character'. Reggie, Iwata and Miyamoto are personalities that fans connected with, and you see personalities in games companies that aren't Nintendo, too. Sure, the industry has its share of Don Mattricks and Shawn Laydens (to be fair, even the most passionate people can come across badly if they lack natural charisma or comfort in a front-facing role), but we've also had the Phil Spencers and the Peter Moores - people whose passion overrides and somehow nullifies any corporate-speak they spout on stage. We're unlikely to see a 'Furukawa Asks' equivalent or have the incumbent roll up his sleeve to reveal a tattoo and accompanying release date (just imagine that, though!). He seems happy to leave people like Shinya Takahashi and Yoshiaki Koizumi to click their fingers in the Direct broadcasts in his stead. And Nintendo of America has Doug Bowser, a man whose name alone forces him into the role of the 'playful' president. Still, if Shuntaro Furukawa is to remain out from the public eye (at least when it comes to interacting directly with fans), it's good to see that he subscribes to the same values and shares the spirit and passion for experiment that make Nintendo such an exciting and unpredictable company. From a fan's perspective, he may not have jazz hands, but they're a safe pair nonetheless. What are your impressions of the current Nintendo President? How do you think he's handled the job up to now? Couldn't care less about the dude running the show? Feel free to share your impressions and thoughts below. Share: About Gavin loves a bit of couch co-op, especially when he gets to delegate roles, bark instructions and give much-appreciated performance feedback at the end. He lives in Spain (the plain-y bit where the rain mainly falls) and his love for Banjo-Kazooie borders on the unhealthy. Comments ) Labo and ring fit came, and I can easily say they nailed the originality part perfectly. Iwata would be proud "there's a world of difference between having played the classics and understanding the philosophy and specialised work behind such successful software" Based on the software from around the Wii U's timeframe, I hope that they're training and teaching new employees that already have a taste for the games and gameplay elements that are both fondly memorable AND sell software/hardware/merchandise. Nintendo can hire all of the excellent programmers that they want, but that won't mean a thing if they don't keep the end user interface in mind or push back against what customers want. Likewise, Nintendo can hire employees with excellent ideas, but as happened with my desired implementation of Ikki, their grand ideas may not be realizable. No biggie for me since I just backed the game. But in the long term, having dreams dashed repeatedly makes for a relationship that can turn sour. Nintendo could hire from either of these groups if they saw a rising star, but it would take immense visibility on the part of the job seeker and outreach plus training afterwards on the part of Nintendo. Iwata was cut from a very different mold as far as CEOs go. He preferred to lead from the trenches and the front lines in many cases. He's had a direct impact on many of Nintendo's projects, and was happy to be as much of a face of the company as Mario is. This style led to him being beloved internally as well as externally. Furukawa's style is different. He sounds like more of a traditional CEO, but where he breaks that mold is that he respects what the rest of his company is doing. He's still calling shots, yes, but he's letting others call them too. It's only the beginning, and we may see more of his influence as his years carry on. Definitely refreshing to see Nintendo do things like Labo and Ring fit, but more importantly have the unique hardware like the Switch instead just a third power console. Sonic and Mario demo up now. Yay hope it's good Yea
Sorry that people other than Iwata can also be successful and good at a similar product. Don't get me wrong experimentation is fine but don't rock the boat too much and stick to what you know works. The things i like and dislike from Iwata era :
Like = A lot of girlie games during Wii & NDS era. Dislike = Region Lock from NDSi, 3DS, Wii U Honestly, I don’t really trust this guy just yet. The products we’re seeing now still have nothing to do with him, and it’ll be a year or two before we see products that have to do with his greenlight. Right now he’s getting credit from investors for something he’s had nothing to do with. My opinion is open to change, and I’m not deliberately sounding negative, but he does lack in appeal and character. Constantly creating prototypes... that end up as mini games for Mario Party. Furukawa is mostly a hands-off individual, leaving most of the decision making for things like software development up to others in such positions. He'll give pointers on what they should focus on, and will check in to make sure they're making Nintendo money, but otherwise, they're on their own. Iwata, being a developer at his core, always liked getting his hands dirty. He ran SPD for most of the Wii and DS era, Signing off on all of Nintendo's non-EAD related productions. He approached talented developers like Massahiro Sakurai to get games people want on their systems, and he often would dig in and fix games if they're behind schedule, such as with Melee. All hail the middle parting! As much as the idea of Iwata's "getting his hands dirty" approach seems favorable and admirable, it could be abused. I suspect that Iwata was cognizant of this by his “The engineers can’t trick me" quote. Proper middle management would supervise this while having enough belief in the company and personal pride in the end work to not succumb to slacking off. Not that I would expect it given Japanese working culture, but I only suspect it because Iwata mentioned something along those lines. Furukawa's approach can work just as well and perhaps even moreso if the work culture at NoJ gets a little more "global." But it does rely on being able to trust in supervisors that have proven their meddle. One of the only issues I had with Iwata however though, was sometimes he sided with the development leaders and creators too much, including people like Shigeru Miyamoto. That's understandable given his background, but when it comes to business, you need to put your foot down sometimes to ensure profits are being made. So this leaded to things like Yoshio Sakamoto given total free reign on Metroid: Other M because he really wanted to make what he though was the real vision for Metroid, and not what actually made a good Metorid game. Or Shigeru Miyamoto coming in and making ridiculous suggestions like only sticking to Core Super Mario Characters for Mario RPGs. Furukawa is a guy that comes off as a genuine gamer and one that respects the developers. But is willing to put that aside to ensure better quality and profits if things get out of hand. In an entertainment buisness, you need a balance of Bean counting and creativity, and you need executives who can detach themselves from their creative biases for 2 minnutes to actually evaluate what will make a good product. Take Shinya Takahashi for example, he'll let developers make the games they want, but he'll also make sure that these games are the best they can be for consumers. The results show in quality and variety of Nintendo's recent output. Miyamoto is talented, but he can be notoriously entrenched in his own creative biases and at times, this can make Nintendo's output fairly homogeneous. I mean, he's the guy who thinks there should be a "Nintendo" genre after all. "Furukawa is a guy that comes off as a genuine gamer and one that respects the developers. But is willing to put that aside to ensure better quality and profits if things get out of hand. In an entertainment buisness, you need a balance of Bean counting and creativity, and you need executives who can detach themselves from their creative biases for 2 minutes to actually evaluate what will make a good product." Which, as a CFO myself, would be my approach, so I'm genuinely interested to see how this goes. I get a very different impression from Nintendo's more recent decisions. Like what? Iwata is a legend I get the impression that Furukawa is more of a hands off kind of leader, content to give his subordinates as much freedom as he reasonably can while keeping the hard business side of things covered. Personally I think that is the best approach. Let the creative people create and the business side should do what they can to support it. He is such a good president so far. Remaking ancient games and selling them full price. I'd really like to know where they want to lead us to with such arguments. Bringing the Wii U as an example of a necessary market failure along the road to successful products sounds to me like a "get ready because you might not like some choices that could come next".
Anyway, as a customer I'm more interested in products, not brands. If they want to experiment I'm fine with it, but I don't have to understand eventual failures. In future, I would prefer they continue the game-specific experimentation (Ring Fit, Labo), but keep their systems more like the Switch going forward. Of course, they might have an idea even better than the Switch at some point, but it's hard to imagine. No offense but your fanboyism over iwatta is annoying. He was good but far from perfect. Calm the heck down. Leave A Comment Hold on there, you need to to post a comment...
Sorry that people other than Iwata can also be successful and good at a similar product. Don't get me wrong experimentation is fine but don't rock the boat too much and stick to what you know works. The things i like and dislike from Iwata era :
Like = A lot of girlie games during Wii & NDS era. Dislike = Region Lock from NDSi, 3DS, Wii U Honestly, I don’t really trust this guy just yet. The products we’re seeing now still have nothing to do with him, and it’ll be a year or two before we see products that have to do with his greenlight. Right now he’s getting credit from investors for something he’s had nothing to do with. My opinion is open to change, and I’m not deliberately sounding negative, but he does lack in appeal and character. Constantly creating prototypes... that end up as mini games for Mario Party. Furukawa is mostly a hands-off individual, leaving most of the decision making for things like software development up to others in such positions. He'll give pointers on what they should focus on, and will check in to make sure they're making Nintendo money, but otherwise, they're on their own. Iwata, being a developer at his core, always liked getting his hands dirty. He ran SPD for most of the Wii and DS era, Signing off on all of Nintendo's non-EAD related productions. He approached talented developers like Massahiro Sakurai to get games people want on their systems, and he often would dig in and fix games if they're behind schedule, such as with Melee. All hail the middle parting! As much as the idea of Iwata's "getting his hands dirty" approach seems favorable and admirable, it could be abused. I suspect that Iwata was cognizant of this by his “The engineers can’t trick me" quote. Proper middle management would supervise this while having enough belief in the company and personal pride in the end work to not succumb to slacking off. Not that I would expect it given Japanese working culture, but I only suspect it because Iwata mentioned something along those lines. Furukawa's approach can work just as well and perhaps even moreso if the work culture at NoJ gets a little more "global." But it does rely on being able to trust in supervisors that have proven their meddle. One of the only issues I had with Iwata however though, was sometimes he sided with the development leaders and creators too much, including people like Shigeru Miyamoto. That's understandable given his background, but when it comes to business, you need to put your foot down sometimes to ensure profits are being made. So this leaded to things like Yoshio Sakamoto given total free reign on Metroid: Other M because he really wanted to make what he though was the real vision for Metroid, and not what actually made a good Metorid game. Or Shigeru Miyamoto coming in and making ridiculous suggestions like only sticking to Core Super Mario Characters for Mario RPGs. Furukawa is a guy that comes off as a genuine gamer and one that respects the developers. But is willing to put that aside to ensure better quality and profits if things get out of hand. In an entertainment buisness, you need a balance of Bean counting and creativity, and you need executives who can detach themselves from their creative biases for 2 minnutes to actually evaluate what will make a good product. Take Shinya Takahashi for example, he'll let developers make the games they want, but he'll also make sure that these games are the best they can be for consumers. The results show in quality and variety of Nintendo's recent output. Miyamoto is talented, but he can be notoriously entrenched in his own creative biases and at times, this can make Nintendo's output fairly homogeneous. I mean, he's the guy who thinks there should be a "Nintendo" genre after all. "Furukawa is a guy that comes off as a genuine gamer and one that respects the developers. But is willing to put that aside to ensure better quality and profits if things get out of hand. In an entertainment buisness, you need a balance of Bean counting and creativity, and you need executives who can detach themselves from their creative biases for 2 minutes to actually evaluate what will make a good product." Which, as a CFO myself, would be my approach, so I'm genuinely interested to see how this goes. I get a very different impression from Nintendo's more recent decisions. Like what? Iwata is a legend I get the impression that Furukawa is more of a hands off kind of leader, content to give his subordinates as much freedom as he reasonably can while keeping the hard business side of things covered. Personally I think that is the best approach. Let the creative people create and the business side should do what they can to support it. He is such a good president so far. Remaking ancient games and selling them full price. I'd really like to know where they want to lead us to with such arguments. Bringing the Wii U as an example of a necessary market failure along the road to successful products sounds to me like a "get ready because you might not like some choices that could come next".
Anyway, as a customer I'm more interested in products, not brands. If they want to experiment I'm fine with it, but I don't have to understand eventual failures. In future, I would prefer they continue the game-specific experimentation (Ring Fit, Labo), but keep their systems more like the Switch going forward. Of course, they might have an idea even better than the Switch at some point, but it's hard to imagine. No offense but your fanboyism over iwatta is annoying. He was good but far from perfect. Calm the heck down. Leave A Comment Hold on there, you need to to post a comment...