It’s been a pretty interesting year for Nintendo, and it’s going to close out on an even more interesting note. They’ve announced that Doug Bowser, COO and President of Nintendo of America, will retire from the company effective December 31, 2025. Devon Pritchard will replace him, becoming the company’s first female President.
The Bowser era has been interesting
I’m not the biggest fan of some of his recent comments regarding the Switch 2, but he did have an impact on the Switch era coming in after launch. I do think it went entirely too long, though, and while I’m sure he isn’t wholly to blame for obvious reasons, I feel like he could have at least been the voice in the room. That’s what it felt like was missing from Nintendo of America over the last six years he was President.
I know everyone keeps banging the Reggie drum, me included, but it felt like he was the voice of the fans. More importantly, it felt like he actually cared about gaming himself. He, like many in corporate positions, had his flaws, but as a whole, I loved the Reggie run. It feels weird to have an actual favorite corporate figurehead for a company, but I guess that’s what happens when you actually create moments for gamers.
Congratulations to Devon Pritchard, though. Being the first female President of one of the major gaming companies is a huge move, and I wish her success. Hopefully, in her run, we can get away from some of the “dorks with calculators” feeling that’s permeated the industry. Not that she has to be the catalyst for it, I just want someone at the front of that company to not feel so much like a corporate face. But that’s my childhood Nintendo bias creeping in again.
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