Although Reggie Fils-Aimé is no longer with Nintendo, he still seems to talk about his former employer about every week.
During an interview with Gamertag Radio yesterday, Reggie was asked if he was at all surprised by the Switch’s success. Apparently not – with Reggie explaining how he knew right away that the system would solve a “key” consumer complaint, allowing the player to play anywhere.
The success of the hybrid system has made it an “easy retirement decision” – knowing that the company will be in “excellent shape” for at least a few years. Here is his 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 demonstrated an early, early prototype of what would become Nintendogs. I immediately saw the potential. The first time I took a Wii remote and played, again, a rudimentary experience that would become Wii Sports, I knew it would be magical. The day I sat with Mr. Iwata and held a Prototype Switch and talked about the concept, I knew it would be magical.
And I say that because the system is resolved for a key player complaint and that complaint is that I’m having fun, I’m playing my game and now I have to stop because I have to go to work or I have to go to school and not I can take the game with me. I can’t keep playing that game. So, Switch, with the ability to play on that big screen TV, then take it out of the dock and go play in handheld mode, has fulfilled the fundamental desire of the consumer. That was the trigger. There were so many other clever things the company did – support for Unity and Unreal, which allowed all the independent content to come. A number of other key decisions.
But no, it’s not a surprise, and honestly, knowing he’ll be successful is what helped make my retirement decision easier, because I knew the company would be in good shape for at least a few years. ”
During a Twitch stream at the New York Gaming Awards last month, Reggie acknowledged that the Switch was a “make or break” product for Nintendo after the poor performance of the Wii U.
Do you miss Reggie at Nintendo? Would the switch work even better if he was still with the company? Share your own thoughts below