Reggie Fils-Aimé will release a book of games industry leadership stories, charting his young life in The Bronx to his tenure as the President and COO of Nintendo of America.
The book, Disrupting the Game: From the Bronx to the Top of Nintendo, is set to release in the US on May 3, 2022. According to Amazon Australia, that date is a little further back here — August 3, 2022. According to publisher Harper Collins, it is a classic business-and-life advice book, a collection of leadership stories from throughout Fils-Aimé’s life. For those interested in the business of games, we’re sure it will be an interesting read.
“Learn from Reggie how to leverage disruptive thinking to pinpoint the life choices that will make you truly happy, conquer negative perceptions from those who underestimate or outright dismiss you, and master the grit, perseverance, and resilience it takes to dominate in the business world and to reach your professional dreams,” reads the book’s description in a single, incredibly long sentence.
If it were any other games industry personality releasing a book like this, I’m sure they’d be derided. But it’s not just anyone else. It’s Reggie.
Like Australian politics, you know a games industry personality is well-liked if they are referred to by their first name. When you say “Reggie” among video game fans, they know exactly who you’re talking about. This is a rarity for a company executive, most of whom are regarded with deep suspicion and, in some cases, open loathing, usually well-deserved.
Final cover and new May 3, 2022 pub date. Love the design by @HarperCollins and @BHillPhotos. Preorders are up at all major booksellers. pic.twitter.com/JnYWly42VF
— Reggie Fils-Aime (@Reggie) February 2, 2022
Book aside, Fils-Aimé has enjoyed a kind of celebrity status within the video game world since taking the top job at Nintendo in 2006. A disarming character, Fils-Aimé is a tall, barrel-chested man with an unlikely ability to embody the childlike excitement Nintendo hopes to evoke in its players. His tenure at Nintendo overlapped with that of its late Japanese President Satoru Iwata and saw him preside over an era of extended success with the Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii consoles. At one memorable E3 presentation for the Wii Fit bundle, Reggie infamously exclaimed “My body is ready!” and the internet has never let him forget it.
Fils-Aimé departed Nintendo in 2019 after 14 years, turning the role of President over to Doug Bowser who, while he has a fun and appropriate name, has not enjoyed quite the same notoriety. These days, Fils-Aimé is a leader-in-residence at Cornell University’s Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management. He also sat on the GameStop board for a spell but departed the position amid the short squeeze meme stock insanity that broke out in early 2020.
Disrupting the Game: From the Bronx to the Top of Nintendo releases in Australia on August 3, 2022. It will be available in a hardcover, e-reader, and audiobook versions.
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