It feels weird even saying that. Not only did Bowser feel like a non-energy compared to Reggie Fils-Aimé, he was barely president. It doesn’t seem that way, but 6 years isn’t long. Especially compared to Fils-Aimé’s 16 years. It’s the difference between a ripple and a tsunami. Which begs the question: if Bowser’s retiring, who’s taking his place?
Well, we know the answer: Devon Pritchard. I didn’t know who that was initially, until I looked up the name. Sure enough, it’s a woman, Nintendo of America’s first. Because The US couldn’t handle a female head of state, they figured this was the next best option. Honestly, this is great news! I wish her the best at outdoing her soon-to-be predecessor’s job!
I jest. Nevertheless, because Devon Pritchard’s a woman, even though she’s more than qualified, there’s inevitably going to be backlash. If gamers are known for anything, it’s being incredibly toxic to anyone who doesn’t fit the status quo. It’s not like we haven’t learned that from GamerGate! That was definitely a headache-and-a-half!
For as much as I complain about Nintendo, and it’s warranted, having a woman as president of the American division isn’t automatically bad. Not only has it never been done, it also isn’t a knock against Pritchard. Remember that Nintendo’s had a rocky past few years. COVID-19 aside, which they benefitted from, they’ve had a difficult time with tariffs over the Switch 2. They’ve also been accused of sexism, enough that it was made public. With that latter part, this might be a way of smoothing everything over.
Outside of that, Nintendo of America’s new president being a woman shouldn’t spell doom and gloom. Pritchard won’t be making the big calls for the company. That honour belongs to Nintendo of Japan, specifically Shuntaro Furukawa. Pritchard will be NoA’s face, but she’ll have to answer to Furukawa. If Nintendo of Japan does something “bad”, it won’t be her fault. I’m hoping that quells some faux-concerns.
However, let’s pretend Pritchard became the general president of Nintendo. It won’t happen, but let’s say it did. Would that be so bad? Pritchard isn’t some nobody who “slept her way to the top”. Misogyny aside, her credential are strong: she’s been with Nintendo of America for over 19 years, and she has a Doctorate of Law from Gonzaga University. She’s also Nintendo’s marketing advisor, suggesting a background in finance. (You can find all this on her LinkedIn profile.) Considering her real experience, would leading Nintendo proper be out of the question?
Outside of that, Nintendo of America’s new president being a woman shouldn’t spell doom and gloom. Pritchard won’t be making the big calls for the company. That honour belongs to Nintendo of Japan, specifically Shuntaro Furukawa. Pritchard will be NoA’s face, but she’ll have to answer to Furukawa. If Nintendo of Japan does something “bad”, it won’t be her fault. I’m hoping that quells some faux-concerns.
However, let’s pretend Pritchard became the general president of Nintendo. It won’t happen, but let’s say it did. Would that be so bad? Pritchard isn’t some nobody who “slept her way to the top”. Misogyny aside, her credential are strong: she’s been with Nintendo of America for over 19 years, and she has a Doctorate of Law from Gonzaga University. She’s also Nintendo’s marketing advisor, suggesting a background in finance. (You can find all this on her LinkedIn profile.) Considering her real experience, would leading Nintendo proper be out of the question?
This is the conversation many gamers refuse to have. They see “not a man”, and they immediately assume the worst. It doesn’t matter if the person’s experienced, it’s “not enough”. Because God forbid a girlboss exist! Heaven help us if a woman has power!
I know it feels like I’m retreading water, especially given the “debate” over Princess Peach in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, but sexism doesn’t really “die” with gamers. No, it merely gets quelled for a month or two, only to resurface with another “scandal”. In this case, it’ll be about Pritchard becoming NoA president. If you don’t believe me, then you’re naïve.
It’s exhausting. I’m not even a woman, and it’s exhausting. The world has so many real issues, like wars, poverty and inequality. Shouldn’t we be focused on those instead of obsessing over a woman being in charge of a company? Wouldn’t our resources be better spent? Or is that too much to ask from the community of Vivian James?
I know it feels like I’m retreading water, especially given the “debate” over Princess Peach in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, but sexism doesn’t really “die” with gamers. No, it merely gets quelled for a month or two, only to resurface with another “scandal”. In this case, it’ll be about Pritchard becoming NoA president. If you don’t believe me, then you’re naïve.
It’s exhausting. I’m not even a woman, and it’s exhausting. The world has so many real issues, like wars, poverty and inequality. Shouldn’t we be focused on those instead of obsessing over a woman being in charge of a company? Wouldn’t our resources be better spent? Or is that too much to ask from the community of Vivian James?
Let’s be real: it no longer sucks being a gamer, especially in 2025. The world has come around to the hobby of video games, and there are even competitions. We’re not living in the 1980s, a time when gaming was considered a blight. Nerds rule the world now, and we garner respect. So why continue acting like we’re marginalized?
Having a mainstream executive, and a woman, as the head of a gaming company should be welcomed. It should be welcomed because of how rare it is. Despite what you’d be led to believe, women still struggle to get into top positions. Contrary to anti-DEI folks, they have more hurdles than their male counterparts. So we owe it to them to let them prove their worth as human beings. That we’re constantly throwing fits is sad.
Does this mean Devon Pritchard will automatically be a good president? No. But she should be allowed to demonstrate that without any added barriers. That’s true equity. And it’s high-time that people, gamers specifically, recognized this.
Having a mainstream executive, and a woman, as the head of a gaming company should be welcomed. It should be welcomed because of how rare it is. Despite what you’d be led to believe, women still struggle to get into top positions. Contrary to anti-DEI folks, they have more hurdles than their male counterparts. So we owe it to them to let them prove their worth as human beings. That we’re constantly throwing fits is sad.
Does this mean Devon Pritchard will automatically be a good president? No. But she should be allowed to demonstrate that without any added barriers. That’s true equity. And it’s high-time that people, gamers specifically, recognized this.
Look, change is scary and difficult. I get it. But it’s also necessary to maintain relevancy. Nintendo’s been around for well over a century. We may not like every decision they’ve made, but they know what they’re doing if they’re still around. Especially when much of their competition has faded into irrelevancy. This is yet another example of a calculated move on their part that could work in their favour. We owe Pritchard that much.
No comments:
Post a Comment