Topic: Does anyone feel Iwata might actually resign?

If it is, then who do suggest they get to replace him?

I kind of agree with this and it seems that many people do as well. Iwata is definitely the reason behind the conservative approach they've had the last few years.

Unless Wii U sales miraculously pick up in the next few months I think he's gonna resign.

This guy of course:

so how was Iwata supposed to get more AAA games at Wii U launch? You guys do understand that a major new game like say a Zelda or Mario Galaxy takes thousands of manhours and a couple of years before it is ready, don't you? The Super Nintendo launched with 3 or 4 games and look how well that turned out.

Start production on games sooner? I don't know. It's not like Nintendo is some little indie company with limited resources. At the very least, Nintendo should have had the VC up and running on day one. Had they at least done that, I would have bought it at launch.

I doubt it...didn't he said he was planning on making changes to improve game development? (so we don't keep ending up with another "3DS Launch" or whatever)

Development times now are far longer than they were back in the day, because the hardware continues to become more complex, feature-overdosed, and developers want to take advantage of what is available.

Eventually, but probably not any time soon. The 3DS is doing too well for people to be too mad at him right now.

Yeah, you and maybe 5 other people. I find it hard to believe you were ever on VC-Reviews if you still think VC is that important to Nintendo...

I'd like to point to EA if you think a new CEO will make everything magically better.

I know it's not important to them anymore, and I know it's not a system seller. I'm just saying it should have been there at launch in some capacity. Even if it were only one or two games. Not having a system ready at launch really goes against the whole "learning from 3DS's mistakes", and all of this falls back on Iwata. In any case, I'm really not trying to harp on or argue about the launch. What's done is done. Back on topic, I think if Wii U sales pick up Iwata will be ok. If not, he's gone.

If you don't replace an under performing CEO it's going to get worse. Which do you prefer - a chance for some improvement or going from bad to worse?

And whose to say a replacement won't be even worse? Better than the devil you know than the one you don't.

If the replacement is much worse then he needs to be replaced too. That's why you need to replace someone if that someone is under performing.

I do like Mr. Iwata. However if Nintendo does not reach that 100 billion yen goal, I can totally see Iwata resigning...if he isn't fired first.

I don't want Iwata to go, but he needs to clean up his act a bit. Yes he helped bring out DS and Wii, but 3DS and Wii U have had rough starts. Iwata does too much apologizing. Apologizing doesn't fix issues. The Wii U should be doing better. He says he learns from mistakes, but he also needs to learn to NOT REPEAT them.

(DS had a rough start too.)

Nintendo is a business. Much like other businesses, its share holders doesn't care how good he was in the past. If he's under performing (not making profit) then he needs to go.

You seem to be pessimistic. Explain why each one needs to go.

Also, as long as Yamamuchi likes Iwata. He's not going anywhere

I respectively disagree, the president of nintendo is different it requires someone who has been with the company for many years, it requires someone who sails in between the lines of innovative products and very frugal and traditional buisness savy and most importantly of all it needs someone who is ultimately subservient to nintendo's many internal geniuses like myamoto tezuka
aonuma sakamoto and so on and for me iwata is still the best candidate be patient profit yield's on the 3ds are already great wait till the WiiU falls into profit he is still doing a great job.
Oh and to all those people hoping he resign's be carefull what you wish for if he leaves nintendo will change direction like they always have when a new president takes over what if said president open's the proverbial gaming gates of hell and order's cross platform publishing, tacky rip-off mobile games, the whole sale abolition of hardware. END OF RANT

If Nintendo continues to not meet financial expectations, I feel his resignation is likely. I don't believe he would be forced out, he's too loved by the company, but he seems to feel responsible for Nintendo's recent low sale numbers. Whether he is responsible or not isn't something I'm debating right now, the point is he feels responsible and I don't believe he'd continue his position simply out of honor. It's likely a cultural thing, after the Virtual Boy failure Gunpei Yokoi resigned because he felt responsible. Yes, the Virtual Boy was a mistake, but he created plenty of successes and just that one mistake does not mean he would continued to make mistakes, he could have easily turned it around. Sure, Iwata made a plenty of mistakes recently but does that mean he can't improve again? Anyways, yes, I think his resignation is definitely a possibility. Do I want him to retire? No, I like Iwata and I think bringing in someone new right now could be a worse mistake. Nintendo is stubborn and I doubt they'd bully Iwata to resign, but there is a good chance he will feel that he has to if he doesn't turn the Wii U around in the next 12 months (which I don't think will happen). I do not think the Wii U is "doomed" but I think it will take over a year to catch on. I hope he doesn't give up, I think he could turn it around if he really works at it but already his confidence is probably wavering, and that won't make it any easier for him to improve the system's situation. Either way, I feel bad for the man. Nobody's perfect and he's getting a lot of heat lately. I don't believe he is past his prime, but I feel he would know how to clean up his mess better than someone who doesn't even know what he was trying to do in the first place. If Nintendo's position worsens, that's one thing, but say it improves just not enough in the next year to meet Nintendo's expectations. It's a big job to get the company back on its feet, especially in the economy, and I don't think anyone can do it overnight, especially with how long both software and hardware development takes these days.

I agree. It's the typical Japanese way of doing things.