Nintendo: Bowser steps down as head of North America

Doug Bowser is leaving Nintendo. On 31 December, the former North American head of Nintendo will leave his post, he announced. Long-standing Nintendo manager Devon Pritchard is in the starting blocks as his successor.

Bowser took over the job as Nintendo CEO in North America in mid-2019 after his predecessor Reggie Fils-Aimé left. He shaped the extremely successful Switch era for Nintendo and oversaw the market launch of the Switch 2 in the spring. The release of the hugely successful “Mario” film also took place during his tenure. The fact that Bowser's surname corresponds to the well-known Mario villain repeatedly caused amusement in the media and among fans.

“One of my earliest experiences with video games was playing the arcade version of 'Donkey Kong',” Bowser is quoted as saying in a Nintendo press release. “Since that time, anything to do with Nintendo has remained a passion for my family and me. Leading Nintendo of America has been the greatest honor of my life.” Neither Bowser himself nor Nintendo will go into the reasons for his departure.

Devon Pritchard becomes the new North America boss

His successor, Devon Pritchard, has worked at Nintendo in areas including marketing and publisher relations. She is currently Vice President of Revenue, Marketing, and Consumer Experience. “I am honored and excited to take on this new role,” said Pritchard. “Doug has been a fantastic mentor, and I look forward to building on the incredible foundation he has helped build.”

Additionally, Satoru Shibata will join Nintendo of North America as CEO while retaining his roles as executive officer and board member at the Japanese headquarters. Pritchard, meanwhile, will join the board of the North America division.

(dahe)