Last week we found out that the 5th President of Nintendo, Tatsumi Kimishima, would be
stepping down from the position as we were introduced to his replacement, Mr. Shuntaro Furukawa.
While Mr. Kimishima won't be retiring, he will be renouncing his CEO status on the 28th of June, and Mr. Furukawa has already got big plans for the company once he takes over as Nintendo's new president.
Shuntaro Furukawa has been involved with The Pokemon Company since 2012 and has seen how big of an impact the
Pokemon Go application had when it was released and that's exactly what is driving him to focus on the mobile market.
During an interview with
Nikkei Asian Review, Furukawa mentioned that he sees a lot of potential in developing more games for mobile devices as he strives to get another global hit like
Pokemon Go. "
From what I can see, smartphone games are the ones I want to expand the most", Furukawa explained.
This is definitely not a surprise given that the company has seen
a lot of success thanks to the Nintendo Switch. This is especially significant since the company has been dominating the handheld market since the Game&Watch in 1980 and the Game Boy in 1989. Focusing on the Nintendo Switch and on mobile devices seems like a pretty good idea, especially if they are able to replicate the success of apps like
Pokemon Go and
Super Mario Run.
"
The idea that something will emerge that transforms into something big, in the same manner as game consoles, is the defining motive of the Nintendo business."
Regarding the
Pokemon Go application for mobile devices, Mr. Tatsumi Kimishima said that the game transforming the story and gameplay "
became a huge realisation."
When asked about other projects in the same vein of Pokemon Go, Furukawa definitely played coy and chose his words carefully saying that he couldn't say "
that there are any that are like that."
As for working with other business partners, Furukawa explained that it is of paramount importance to get on the same page at development sites. This is in regards to Nintendo partnering with Cygames, back in April, to develop mobile games for the company.
Then he moves onto his plans for the Nintendo Switch as Furukawa thinks it's important to introduce the Switch more widely, especially in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, as reported by Nikkei.
"
For over 30 years, we have been selling in comparatively the same regions that include Japan, the U.S. and Europe."
When talking about the company's decision to choose Furukawa as Nintendo's new president, Mr. Kimishima said that "
he knows how to draw out the potential from development teams, and over the past two years he has created the business foundation for the next generation."
Kimishima will take on an advisory role after he steps down as CEO while Furukawa will set up a decision-making team formed by five directors, including himself. "
Other people are gifted at evaluating products. Making the final call on whether or not something makes sense is my responsibility," Furukawa said.