A recent discussion by former marketing leaders of Nintendo has highlighted a significant transformation that could occur in the company with the arrival of the next generation of consoles, known as Switch 2. In their podcast, Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang warned that “everything is about to change at Nintendo” and emphasized that the retirement of veterans on the development team will likely impact the company’s culture and its acclaimed franchises.
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Iconic figures like Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of legendary series such as Mario and Zelda, currently 72 years old, and Yoshio Sakamoto, known for his work on Metroid and 65 years old, are very close to retirement. The concern is valid: according to Ellis, “there’s a good chance that many of them won’t be with the company for the Switch 3, or whatever comes next”. This generational shift leaves uncertainty about who will take on those crucial roles in the future.
Although it is mentioned that the departure of these developers does not necessarily mean a decrease in the quality of video games, the reality is that their absence could leave an irreplaceable void. “It is natural for there to be some kind of change with the arrival of new people,” says Ellis, suggesting that the new talents, who are learning under the tutelage of these legendary creators, could bring different perspectives and styles of thinking.
However, this change also evokes a melancholy in fans who grew up with these characters and their games. “You can’t replace them as humans. It will just feel different,” concludes Yang, leaving many in the community reflecting on the inevitable departure of the pillars of the video game industry.
