Although Reggie Fils-Aimé is no longer at Nintendo, he still seems to talk about his former employer almost every week.
During an interview with Gamertag Radio yesterday, Reggie was asked if he was surprised by the success of the Switch. It seems not – with Reggie explaining how he knew immediately that the system was resolving a “fundamental” consumer complaint, allowing the player to play anywhere.
The success of the hybrid system facilitated his “retirement decision” – knowing that the company would be in “great shape” for at least a few years. Here is your complete answer (via Nintendo Everything):
“No, it was not a surprise to me. And I say that because the first time I saw the Nintendo DS, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. The team was demonstrating an initial prototype of what would become the Nintendogs. I immediately saw the potential. The first time I picked up a Wii Remote and played, again, a rudimentary experience that would become Wii Sports, I knew it would be magical. The day I sat down with Mr. Iwata and held a prototype switch and we talked about the concept, I knew it would be magical.
And I say this because the system was resolving a complaint from an important player, and that complaint is, I’m having fun, I’m playing my game and now I need to stop because I have to go to work, or I have to go to school and I can’t take my play with me. I can’t keep playing that game. So the Switch, with the opportunity to play on that big screen TV, take it out of the dock and play in portable mode, fulfilled a fundamental consumer desire. That was the triggering moment. There were many other smart things the company did – support for Unity and Unreal, which allowed all great independent content to come. A number of other important decisions.
But no, it’s not a surprise, and frankly, knowing that I would succeed was what helped make my retirement decision easier, because I knew the company would be in great shape for at least a few years. “
During a Twitch broadcast at the New York Gaming Awards that dates back to last month, Reggie admitted that the Switch was a “decisive or decisive” product for Nintendo after the Wii U’s poor performance.
Do you miss Reggie at Nintendo? Would the Switch be even better if it was still in the company? Share your own ideas below.