Nintendo Appoints Former Pokemon Executive As Game Giant’s New Boss

Japanese gaming giant Nintendo recently hired former Pokemon executive Tatsumi Kimishima as its head of human resources after the death of the former boss Satoru Iwata, NBC reported.

Iwata, who was 55, died in July due to complications from a cancerous tumor on his bile duct. Kimishima is expected to replace Iwata later this week, sources reported.

Nintendo, best known for its legendary character Super Mario, has been dealing with the changing gaming environment, which increasingly shifts towards mobile, as well as its game console competitors such as the new Sony PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Xbox One.

The company is aiming to increase its overall console sales in addition to establishing a strong hold in mobile gaming.

An analyst at Enders Analysis, Heloise Thomson told NBC: ''They are in a vulnerable position. From a brand perspective, they have a golden brand. But you can't survive off nostalgia and they haven't done enough in marketing in international markets to tell people what Nintendo is right now.''

As a part of company's push into mobile gaming, Nintendo announced last week that the developers are working on a mobile Pokemon game. The effort was interpreted as the company trying to bring its glorious edge back.

The biggest challenge for Nintendo is to increase its mobile presence while keeping its profitable console sales high, without jeopardizing its already established place in the market. Currently, game console sales, namely the Wii and 3Ds, constitute 50 percent of Nintendo's overall revenue. Analysts say that in order to cope with the increasing challenge, Nintendo would have to offer differentiated games and features on its mobile division than it does for its hardware division, NBC reported.

According to some analysts, new boss Kimishima's traditional background, which is in finance and human resources, might not meet the company's need for a boss who can offer a new way of thinking.