Star Fox character designer on why he left Nintendo, says company is in “good hands” but shouldn’t just rely on its IPs

Takaya Imamura, who was the character designer for Star Fox, F-Zero, Tingle for The Legend of Zelda, and more published a blog post today talking about why he left Nintendo.

Imamura seemed to have his own internal struggles about the feeling of wanting to accomplish more at the company vs. wanting to go independent to work on his own projects. But then after receiving an offer to join a university for teaching CG and game development which would also allow for secondary jobs and the ability to pursue creative projects, the time came to leave.

Imamura also shared some general thoughts about Nintendo. One key takeaway is that he believes Nintendo is in “good hands”. At the same time though, he believes the company shouldn’t just rest on its laurels and the lineup of franchises at its disposal. “It’s crucial not to forget the talented individuals who uphold the value of those IPs,” he said.

The full post reads as follows:

I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to join the company I had admired and been familiar with since childhood. Moreover, being able to work as a developer for so many years was an incredible experience—something I truly appreciate now.

When I first joined the company, there was no retirement age system. I was determined, thinking, “Alright, I’ll keep making games and toys even when I become an old veteran!” Eventually, a retirement age was introduced, and I decided, “Okay, I’ll work hard as a developer until retirement!”

However, after turning 50, my perspective on the remainder of my life began to shift. Along with changes in the company’s environment, I started to feel, “Someday, I’ll leave and take the plunge into starting my own business.” But after giving it some thought, I realized that managing a business while being a creator was probably beyond my capabilities. Instead, I began to explore the idea of becoming a freelancer, where I could focus only on the creative work I truly wanted to do and enjoy my second life.

From my 40s onward, I worked more frequently with external development companies, which allowed me to interact with many different creators. Even though we were from different companies, we quickly bonded over hobbies and work-related discussions. Over the past few years, I often told people, “I’m planning to go independent someday, so let’s work together when that happens!”—essentially marketing myself for future opportunities.

However, there were days when I thought, “There’s no way I can leave Nintendo. There’s still so much I want to accomplish!” And other days when I worried, “If I stay, I’ll just be wasting time! I need to go independent and start working on my own projects!” This back-and-forth of emotions continued for a while.

Managing a company with many creators is no easy task. People involved in development all have strong pride, and maintaining that pride is closely tied to their identity as creators. Leading and organizing such individuals to work as a team is an enormous challenge. Rather than just a “good-natured boss,” a charismatic leader is essential to keeping things running smoothly.

Nintendo is still in good hands, thanks to the many charismatic developers who have created major hits. But the idea that “as long as we have popular IPs, we’ll be fine!” is a big mistake. It’s crucial not to forget the talented individuals who uphold the value of those IPs.

In the midst of my uncertainty, I received an offer: “A new university is opening soon. Would you be interested in joining?” It was a science and engineering university that was establishing a department for teaching CG and game development.

To be honest, I had always disliked people called “teachers.” My memories of elementary and middle school were filled with strict discipline, and my carefully drawn artwork was often dismissed with comments like, “It’s too manga-like, so it’s no good.” I had no fond memories of my school years. However, as I listened to the proposal, I realized that, sooner or later, I would be retiring in a few years anyway. The university also allowed secondary jobs, which meant I could continue working on creative projects.