Reggie Fils-Aime’s body is no longer ready. The longtime president of Nintendo of America is stepping down on April 15, to be replaced by marketing man Doug Bowser, Nintendo said in a press release today.
Fils-Aime, who was with Nintendo for 15 years, became an instant gamer celebrity when he took the company’s stage at E3 2004 and declared, “My name is Reggie. I’m about kickin’ arse, I’m about takin’ names, and we’re about makin’ games.”
He was one of the iconic publisher’s most public personalities, frequently representing Nintendo at events and in live presentations and injecting charisma into a company that could otherwise at times feel robotic. Alongside legendary Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto and the late president Satoru Iwata, Fils-Aime was one of Nintendo’s main public faces for over a decade.
Here are the requisite press release quotes:
“I really appreciate everything Reggie has done for Nintendo,” said Shuntaro Furukawa, President of Nintendo Co., Ltd. “Inside and outside our company, Reggie is known as an exceptional leader. We are grateful that he is leaving the business in good shape with strong momentum. While we will miss him and we wish him the very best in his retirement, we are also pleased to have such an able successor ready to step into that role. Doug Bowser and the rest of the team will ensure a seamless transition and continued momentum for Nintendo.”
“Nintendo owns a part of my heart forever,” Fils-Aime said. “It’s a part that is filled with gratitude – for the incredibly talented people I’ve worked with, for the opportunity to represent such a wonderful brand, and most of all, to feel like a member of the world’s most positive and enduring gamer community. As I look forward to departing in both good health and good humour, this is not ‘game over’ for me, but instead ‘levelling up’ to more time with my wife, family and friends.”
And:
“It has been my great fortune to work with and be mentored by Reggie for four years at Nintendo of America,” Bowser said. “And rest assured, we will continue to build on his work to evolve and expand our brand, furthering Nintendo’s global mission of creating smiles. There are millions more of those to come.”
Insert your favourite Bowser joke here.
Nintendo fans, Reggie has a message for all of you. Please take a look. pic.twitter.com/EAhaEl5oEJ
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 21, 2019
Comments
18 responses to “Nintendo Of America President Reggie Fils-Aime Is Retiring”
His body is no longer ready.
It’s still ready, just ready for retirement.
It’s still ready, just ready for retirement.
Doug Bowser huh?
Bowser taking over Nintendo? We’ll probably see a new direction for Mario games!
I didnt know Bowsers first name was Doug
Just as Nintendo tries to put smiles on thousands of faces… by releasing something as awesome as the Switch, but then having dumb things like no in game voice chat (until Fortnite cracked it) or having a 1990’s online service that has you pay 70.00 a year to do online multiplayer BUT gives you access to games from 1982…..
I swear for every step Nintendo takes forward, it’s always 2 steps back as well because of their stubborn refusal to get with the times.
Nintendo’s online service is only $35 a year… but I do agree that Nintendo sometimes seems like it’s behind the times.
$70 a year? Where the hell did you get that number from?
Assuming that the $50 for the family plan is in USD?
Yeah but you get T99 so it’s worth it.
Reggie, sad to see you go. Public face of the company that has brought so much fun into my house. My youngest has just started to get into gaming, we are having a blast together.
Reggie is a larger than life character and I’m really sad to hear this news. All good things must come to an end and it wouldn’t surprise me if he’ll have some big news to deliver before his farewell in April. When Reggie came in to the public eye, I’ve gotta say I wasn’t immediately enamoured with him but it didn’t take long before he won me over. He just has that charm and energy, and most importantly he embodies the Nintendo philosophy. I’ll miss him but I’m sure Doug Bowser will do a great job.
End of an era!
Wait. Doug Bowser?
And no-one is even a little suspicious that this guy may be, I dunno, part of some master plan to finally beat Mario and obtain Princess Peach by infiltrating the very reality where they were created?
We’re through the looking glass now, nerds.
Also, my mind went straight to “I bet he chose retirement as part of some agreement involving several pay-outs relative to internal sexual misconduct accusations against him”.
Yup. That’s where my mind went. Sign o’ the times.
I didn’t always agree with Reggie since he often acted as a spin doctor to change opinions about the shortcomings of Nintendo but he’s a character nonetheless and 15 years is a long time to keep your body ready.
Don’t understand the downvote, so I upvoted.
Doug Bowser eh? I thought Nintendo was going to add Super Mario’s Bowser as the new Nintendo of America president.
Well whatever I will miss Reggie Fils-Aime he made smiles on me for the past 15 years and I’ve also been a huge Nintendo fan for the past 15 years.
I’m 26 now and I do wish Reggie Fils-Aime all the best for his retirement.
I’m sure Doug Bowser will do a great job as the new Nintendo of America president.
Farewell Reggie Fils-Aime thank you so much for putting a lot of smiles on me and the rest of us for the past 15 years.
We will miss you Reggie but we’ll always remember you for your hard work and soul.