Nintendo is a company built on many, many talents, but some of its past and present employees are more important than others.
Hiroshi Yamauchi, former president of Nintendo, steered the company from the card game business and board game into a world of interactive entertainment and was in charge of turning the Kyoto company into a modern place. The late Gunpei Yokoi created Game & Watch and Game Boy, generated millions of dollars in revenue and cemented Nintendo's status as the king of the gaming portable market.
Then there is Shigeru Miyamoto, many responsible for the first Nintendo video game – Donkey Kong
But what happens when Miyamoto finally decides that he will be filled and retired? That's the question CNBC put into the selection of Nintendo fans and market analysts lately "Nintendo Awakening" report. What position will the company take if its golden boy hangs his boots?
Johnathan Mann, inventor of Mario Opera, you think the company is in good hands:
People like to say that Shigeru Miyamoto is like Walt Disney for Nintendo; in many ways, Nintendo is Miyamoto and Miyamoto is Nintendo. They are very connected. To say that Nintendo can survive without Miyamoto is like asking if Apple could survive without Steve Jobs. It's at the same level of importance to the company, so using that as a framework, I would answer yes; Miyamoto put most of his DNA into the company.
Amir Anvarzadeh, Japan's equity market shareholder at Asymmetric Advisors, is equally strong about Nintendo's future when Miyamoto moves away:
It is clear that Miyamoto-san was the driving force behind the gaming business at the start of Nintendo, but Nintendo has a much deeper benchmark; Nintendo has a basis for further development.
However, Alex Handy, founder and director of The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment, has some doubts about Nintendo's ability to infuse someone with Miyamoto's talent:
I think the other talent they have is one-in-a-generation talent and will never be taken away, so I wonder what's going on with post-Shigeru Miyamoto Nintendo.
What do you think? Has Miyamoto helped build a company that can survive without her skills and knowledge? Do you perhaps feel that you are getting too much praise for Nintendo's success? What would the company look like when Miyamoto was on the ground and not there to offer advice and guidance? Let us know about the idea.
