Oddworld creator apologizes for remarks made about Satoru Iwata, clarifies Nintendo comments
In April, Oddworld creator and Oddworld Inhabitants founder Lorne Lanning appeared on The GameOverGreggy Show. Though the show was originally recorded in April, some comments Lanning made about Nintendo made the rounds at the end of this week.
Lanning noted a few things – he personally thought Switch would likely be unsuccessful, that it might not be worthwhile for third-parties given what happened on Wii and Wii U, and several other comments.
Ultimately the biggest remark that caught on is something Lanning said about late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. He said that “The thinking has to change,” before adding: “The biggest problem I see at Nintendo is the thinking. Personally, I think it killed Iwata – that he couldn’t move the organization into a really successful arena.”
Lanning has now apologized “for the poor choice of words concerning Satoru Iwata.” He also clarified what he was originally trying to say. We’ve rounded up everything Lanning passed along on Twitter below.
Yesterday, a number of news outlets reported on a conversation I had while appearing on the GameOverGreggy show in April of this year. 1/7
— Lorne Lanning (@lorne_lanning) July 8, 2017
I would like to sincerely apologize for the poor choice of words concerning Satoru Iwata. 2/7
— Lorne Lanning (@lorne_lanning) July 8, 2017
My intention was certainly not to disrespect the great man, who I have long held with utmost admiration and respect… 3/7
— Lorne Lanning (@lorne_lanning) July 8, 2017
…and consider a hero in the industry… 4/7
— Lorne Lanning (@lorne_lanning) July 8, 2017
Re: my comments on Nintendo's current policies and practices as they pertain to the Switch's ecosystem, these are personal opinions. 5/7
— Lorne Lanning (@lorne_lanning) July 8, 2017
I state them, not to disparage anyone but to encourage what I believe would be a healthier ecosystem that would benefit all involved… 6/7
— Lorne Lanning (@lorne_lanning) July 8, 2017
…platform holder, developer, publisher and, of course, gamer. 7/7
— Lorne Lanning (@lorne_lanning) July 8, 2017
If you’d like to listen to the original conversation, you can do so below.