Source: IGN

Japanese site Yukan Fuji had the privilege of sitting down with Nintendo’s top dog, Satoru Iwata, on Friday and getting his take on Nintendo’s performance in 2007 and what to expect this coming year. I’ve read a lot of interviews with Nintendo’s president, but none have been quite like this. Generally he comes across as pretty emotionless even-keeled guy, but not this time.

See what I’m talking about after the break.

Yukan Fuji first asked about Nintendo’s stock that had risen from 30,000 yen at the beginning of last year, to over 70,000 yen at one point to which Iwata replied:

“Thanks to everyone, last year was a good year. The Nintendo DS crossed the 20 million mark, which has been called the limit for game hardware sales [in Japan]. We put in a lot of effort, but we also had a stronger than expected tail wind.”

Just good? Their stock more than doubled and they sold every single piece of hardware they manufactured and it’s only a good year? What in the world would make it a great year? Buying Japan? (which, sadly, at the profit they’re making might not be too far off)

Then they addressed Nintendo being caught completely by surprise by all of the success:

“To say ‘we expected it to sell’ would be vain. If we had known the Wii and DS would expand so dramatically in such a short time, we wouldn’t have had shortages, nor would we have had to raise our financial forecasts.”

Then Fuji brought up the infamous “purposeful shortages” rumor that nobody has let die, at which point, Iwata reportedly became sad and said:

“[When I see those types of articles], I honestly feel sad. Game machine production amounts are set about half a year in advance, so they cannot be easily changed. The concept of the Wii is ‘a machine that makes people who play it smile.’ We wouldn’t use a strategy that is at odds with smiling. Getting as many people as possible to show us their smiles when playing a Nintendo game — that’s the energy source that drives us.”

You heard the man, stop with the shortage rumors already. You’re making him sad , but not if he’s playing the Wii. When he’s playing the Wii he becomes Smiley McSmiles

Fuji then switched gears and asked Iwata about the upcoming year and what Nintendo’s plans are:

“This year we will release a new system. That is, of course, a joke. Our goal is to show our ‘answer’ to how to make sure the game population that has increased through the Wii and DS doesn’t end as a short-lived boom. Even with the DS, there are still things left to do. Things grow bad the moment they’re left in the same position. In particular, people can grow tired of entertainment such as games, so in order to make sure the consumers who took up the DS and Wii don’t loose interest, new ideas like Wii Fit will become essential from here on out.

This year, we’ll try a number of things to keep the game population expansion continuing.”

*shivers*

Just the mention of Wii fit becoming essential to gaming makes my gamer blood turn cold.

So there you have it, further proof that Nintendo is abandoning the true gamers that put them where they are today and striking out for even more undiscovered territory.

This situation kind of makes me think of Christopher Columbus. Instead of being grateful for the three ships Queen Isabella gave him, which allowed him to discover the new world, Columbus (Nintendo) came back and kicked the Queen (true gamers) in the crotch and kept the new world for himself. That’s definitely how I feel Nintendo has been treating us faithful fans.

Also, if you’re reading this Iwata, don’t ever joke about releasing a new console, nobody ever finds it funny.

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