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When it comes to faces in the video game industry, few are as well-known as Reggie Fil-Aime. During his 16-year tenure with Nintendo of America, Fils-Aime became a household name for gamers, and a face closely associated with Nintendo. Despite this, Fils-Aime wasn’t a diehard Nintendo guy when he started with the company; in fact, he didn’t even own a Nintendo GameCube at the time, which was Nintendo’s then-current console. Instead, Fils-Aime actually owned both a PlayStation 2 and an Xbox, Nintendo’s biggest competitors! The former president of Nintendo of America let that particular detail slip during an interview on the Present Value Podcast.
“I knew Nintendo; I knew its franchises. I owned not only a Super NES but a Nintendo 64. I’d owned a PlayStation 2; I owned an Xbox – they were all in my house. Interestingly, at the time I was interviewing with Nintendo, I did not own a GameCube. So, as a consumer, I could see issues and opportunities. I could have a sense of where the needs were not only from a sales and marketing perspective, which was the role I was being hired into, but just from an overall perspective.”
Fils-Aime joined Nintendo at an interesting time for the company. In 2003, the GameCube was a modest success for Nintendo, but that generation also marked Xbox’s entry into the console wars, giving Nintendo far more competition than they had in previous generations. Of course, shortly after Fils-Aime joined Nintendo, the company released what would become two of its biggest success stories, the DS and the Wii.
It’s not unheard of for an executive coming into a company not to own their current product, but it’s the kind of fact that sounds more than a bit surprising given Fils-Aime’s association with the Nintendo brand. While Fils-Aime left Nintendo last year, it seems safe to assume he’ll always be remembered for his tenure with the company. Fils-Aime was more than just an executive; fans considered him a beloved part of the video game community. Since his departure, Fils-Aime seems determined to remain somewhat connected to the video game industry. It seems likely that fans can expect him to continue purchasing not only Nintendo products, but a number of other consoles, as well.
Did you own a Nintendo GameCube? Are you surprised to hear that Fils-Aime didn’t have one? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!