More talk about Miyamoto’s eventual retirement
Even six months after the initial talk started, we’re still seeing people ask Shigeru Miyamoto about his eventual retirement. One investor at Nintendo’s most recent shareholders meeting asked how the company will carry on once Miyamoto departs.
Both Shigeru Miyamoto and Satoru Iwata weighed in on the situation.
Miyamoto said that he’s been taking on fewer responsibilities overall as younger employees serve as the “main roles” for series like Mario Kart and Super Mario. He later teased some of the vague ideas he has in mind for the future.
Iwata added that “Miyamoto still will be actively creating things but we are working for the transition of power to go to younger people at the same time.”
Head past the break for the entire commentary on the topic.
Shigeru Miyamoto (Senior Managing Director, General Manager of the Entertainment Analysis and Development Division):
As I am getting older, I have already started thinking of Nintendo without me in the future and I strongly feel that the company has steadily been preparing for doing business after I leave here. However, last year when I said at an interview overseas that I was doing various things in prospect of Nintendo without me, it led to a direct report on my retirement. So I am aware I have to be careful in talking about this sort of thing.
Iwata:
He told the media that he kept referring to his coming retirement in his department to encourage his subordinates not to rely on him too much. Then suddenly a report of the retirement of Shigeru Miyamoto appeared.
Miyamoto:
Even now, I am making things and interested in the creative side just as I was before. However, with regard to the big picture of, say, a new “Mario Kart” or the “Super Mario” series, younger people are already taking the main roles and I am just thinking as one of their co-workers. One big thing I recently handled is the Audioguide Louvre – Nintendo 3DS, referred to earlier in this meeting. This has not made money yet, but it has the potential to be one of our core businesses in the future. We are making a game called “Nintendo Land,” but apart from making such games, I often think of other things, such as what the future of the Japanese movie industry will be like. I do not have any concrete visions yet, but I am trying to keep my eyes on a variety of fields and to find any small possibilities for Nintendo to be involved in one way or the other. I should be careful about telling you about these things and I would like to add that we are not announcing any concrete business plans here. I would also be glad if you carefully tell someone else about my remarks. Among these big things in our future prospects, it is so important to carefully choose the next project, and I myself have decided on a specific project like the network issue mentioned before. As I would like people working on each project to be able to do that kind of thing by themselves in the future, I repeatedly say to them that today might be my last day at Nintendo and work with them today at the forefront of development. However, I enjoy creating things and will be in active service at Nintendo for the time being. I hope you will look forward to our future products.
Iwata:
What I can add is that Mr. Miyamoto still will be actively creating things but we are working for the transition of power to go to younger people at the same time. Naturally the directors here will inevitably become too old to be able to continue their current positions someday and Nintendo might decrease its competitiveness without competent replacements. We are proceeding with preparations to avoid that situation.
