Nintendo is about to make some big changes, with current president Tatsumi Kimishima planning to retire after almost three years at the helm.
Kimishima will leave the role after the 78th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on June 28, though he’ll be staying on at the company as an executive adviser. He took on the job after then president Satoru Iwata passed away in 2015.
Replacing Kimishima at the top is the 46-year-old Shuntaro Furukawa, who joined Nintendo back in 1994 and has spent the bulk of his time overseeing the console maker’s global marketing division.
Speaking at a news conference earlier today, as reported by Bloomberg, Furukawa promised to help Nintendo realize its potential as it moves into the future, but also spoke about his respect and reverence for its traditions and history.
“We will develop the company to its fullest. I will balance Nintendo’s traditions: originality and flexibility,” he said. “I grew up playing the Famicom and come from that generation. Now as a member of management with Super Mario’s creator Shigeru Miyamoto, I have a lot of respect for him.
“On the other hand, with this new job that can’t just be it, so I expect to say what needs to be said to run the company.”