Satoru Iwata Archive

One of the main criticisms of the Wii in the past was its lack of games for ‘core’ or regular video game players. Iwata seems to have noticed that the Wii may not have been balanced well between casual players of games and ‘core’ game players. At a recent investor’s meeting he explained the problem’s [...]

During an earnings briefing today, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata announced that they are planning full digital game distribution for the Wii U. These digital download titles will be available the same day as the retail versions. Consumers will also be able to buy digital software from retailers who will then issue a 16 digit code which would [...]

We’ve heard this a few times before, but at yesterday’s investor relations meeting, Iwata took the time to reassure us that his company “learned a bitter lesson from the launch of the Nintendo 3DS” and will do everything they can to make the Wii U fantastic right at launch. For the launch of new hardware, [...]

Iwata thinks that gamers are ready for the next generation of home consoles to start. He sees the declining sales of all three current systems as a sign that the market is ready for something new. However, not just the Wii, but the overall performance of home consoles in December was lower than the previous [...]

Iwata revealed that they’re going to focus on establishing Nintendo Network not only as a service for playing online, but also for communicating with other users and holding competitions. Unlike Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, which has been focused upon specific functionalities and concepts, we are aiming to establish a platform where various services available through the [...]

One of the great many criticisms that have been levied against the Wii, DS, and 3DS is the complete lack of online user accounts. This meant that all of a game’s records and multiplayer data (not to mention digital purchases) were tied to the console – family members sharing one system would be forced to [...]

Downloadable retail games have been gaining popularity in recent years, with services like Steam, Xbox Live, and PlayStation Network offering the ability to get your hands on a new title without ever leaving your home. According to Iwata, such a distribution channel has already been implemented in the 3DS and will also be part of [...]

Lots of news came out of Nintendo’s investor relations meeting today, one of which was the inclusion of “Near Field Communication” technology (NFC for short) in the Wii U’s controller. NFC is a technology that facilitates communication between electronic devices when they are physically near one another. Travel cards, credit cards, and even some cell [...]

Nintendo held their quarterly investor relations meeting this morning, during which Iwata revealed that the Wii U would launch worldwide just in time for the so-called holiday rush – the weeks leading up to Christmas during which potential consumers are most likely to lay down the cash for big-ticket electronics. This isn’t a major change [...]

In the latest Skyward Sword-related Iwata Asks segment, our favorite President of Nintendo talked with Eiji Aonuma, the game’s producer; and Hidemaro Fujibayashi, its director. During the segment, Iwata pointed out that five years is a long time to develop a game and that it would be nice if they could do it in three. [...]