After some unexpected delays, Nintendo has finally provided us with the completed interview based on your reader submitted questions. In the full Q&A below, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime talks about the company's marketing, varying tastes for gamers in Japan and North America, keeping up Nintendo quality and his own favorite games.
Thanks again to all of you who sent in your questions, and to the hundreds of you who e-mailed to request that we ask about Nintendo possibly bringing Fatal Frame 4 to North America, we tried... but Nintendo simply couldn't/wouldn't answer (sorry).
1. Reggie, this is a simple question but I think it's something a lot of kids dream about: What's it like to be president of Nintendo of America? In other words, what's it like to be president of video games?
It really is a dream come true. I was a gamer for many years before joining Nintendo. My very first home console was a Super NES, but I've played competitive game consoles too. In many ways, it may have been a bit of destiny for me to be at Nintendo... my kids remember spending countless hours with me playing Mario, Zelda, Final Fantasy and a ton of other SNES, N64 and Nintendo GameCube games. Now, it's exciting for me to work so closely with Mr. Miyamoto and so many other talented video game developers and marketers.
"Marketing is shaped by what's appropriate for a particular game. While it might seem to some that games that appeal to the expanded audience get more attention, that's probably because the expanded audience has a steeper learning curve."
2. Is Nintendo interested in developing many new IPs currently? And if so, are they interested in expanding to other genres and perhaps even more Mature games, not just in language and violence but in themes similar to games like Hotel Dusk?
We're always developing new games and experiences and part of that includes looking at whether it makes sense to create new franchises and new characters. Some gamers want completely new games, while others want another Mario or Zelda game the minute they finish playing the one that just came out. Striking that balance keeps us all very busy! Nintendo makes games for everyone, so you'll find everything from E-rated to M-rated titles. I'm glad you enjoyed Hotel Dusk: Room 215. It flew a bit under the radar when it was released, but it's a different kind of game and I've heard from a lot of people who really enjoyed it.
3. Marketing for core games is seemingly a fraction of the ad campaigns that have been pushed for other Nintendo titles. Are there any plans to expand marketing in the future to reach the core audience? Do you believe what marketing you are doing for titles such as Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is enough to spread awareness?
Marketing is shaped by what's appropriate for a particular game. While it might seem to some that games that appeal to the expanded audience get more attention, that's probably because the expanded audience has a steeper learning curve. Core gamers and their friends are tuned into the gaming news and blog sites, so they already know a lot of what's going on. This new audience is just getting started, so our initial outreach might be more focused on education – in fun and unique ways – then we can begin to communicate the availability of titles they might find appealing.
And as I said, we take a different approach with every game. Just look at Super Smash Bros. Brawl, for example. Mr. Sakurai posted something new on the Dojo site every single day leading up to launch. That probably represents one of our most aggressive flows of information, and that's a game that definitely resonates with our loyalists.
4. There seems to be a big discrepancy between Nintendo Company Ltd. in Japan and Nintendo of America in terms of content for the Wii, from Wii channels to games that only have been released in Japan. What is Nintendo of America doing to resolve that divide? Is Nintendo of America diverting its own resources to create its own identity and develop games that resonate with Western audiences, much in the same way certain games may not be localized outside of Japan because it is perceived to only resonate with a Japanese audience?
More 10 Questions!
Different games are appropriate for different audiences. Each region around the world has already developed its own identity. Games like Metroid Prime tend to be more popular in the West, while Japanese audiences favor RPGs. But no matter the region, Nintendo strives to bring the best content to its audiences. That sometimes means niche titles don't always make it but it also ensures that we are getting the best content.
5. It's been over a year since Nintendo moved some of its staff from Redmond Washington to California's Bay Area. Through the grapevine and job boards it appears that additional staff have been lost on top of those that couldn't or didn't make the move. How has the transition been with such a big change of staff?
I'm not sure which grapevine you're listening to, but we are now staffed at near full capacity at all of our Nintendo of America offices. When we first announced our decision to relocate our Sales & Marketing division to Redwood City and New York, some employees chose not to make the move. But we filled most of those positions and I am extremely pleased with the work our combined team of newbies and veterans has been delivering during what has been an extremely busy year for us. It's very natural for large companies to experience staffing shifts every once in a while, which happen for any number of reasons – both professional and personal. Nintendo is no different.






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