Nintendo's Fils-Aime: Fan desire 'doesn't affect what we do'
The Nintendo of America president says fan petitions to revive legacy games are only that -- petitions -- and don't necessarily translate to sales.
Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime made abundantly clear in a recent interview that his company's direction is driven by strategy and not the changing desires of its fan base.
In an interview with Siliconera published on Wednesday, Fils-Aime was asked how does "what fans want or say influence [his] decisions." His response, which centered mainly on petitions brought to Nintendo by fans asking them to bring legacy games to newer devices, was telling of Nintendo's view of the market.
"I have to tell you -- it doesn't affect what we do," Fils-Aime said. "We certainly look at it, and we're certainly aware of it, but it doesn't necessarily affect what we do."
Fils-Aime went on to say that while he's "aware of what's happening," he is ultimately "paid to make sure that we're driving the business forward."
"The thing we know [about petitions] is that 100,000 signatures doesn't mean 100,000 sales," he said.
The focus of that discussion related to Operations Moonfall and Rainfall. Those efforts were created by fans who tried to persuade Nintendo to launch older titles, including The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask and Xenoblade Chronicles for newer hardware.
The debate over whether consumer desire should drive corporate direction has been ongoing for decades. In Nintendo's case, giving customers the Wii -- a product they didn't expect and enjoyed -- paid off. Whether Nintendo should listen to its customers a bit more now, however, is up for debate. The