Ex-Nintendo Head Reggie Fils-Aimé Hosts Xbox Discussion

In a crossover that none of us expected, ex-Nintendo Of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé recently hosted a roundtable discussion with former and current leaders at Microsoft. The unique discussion focuses on the past, present and future of gaming, and how Microsoft and Xbox shaped the industry. 

Right from the off, Fils-Aimé is aware of how unusual his involvement in the discussion is. The former exec exclaims: “I’m sure at this point you’re wondering, what is the former president and chief operating officer of Nintendo of America doing at a Microsoft Xbox event?” Before adding: “I don’t know why I’m here either.

Fils-Aimé is joined in the discussion by head of 343 Industries Bonnie Ross, the former chief Xbox officer Robbie Bach, the former vice president of Microsoft Game Studios Ed Fries and the former corporate vice president of interactive entertainment Peter Moore.

Fils-Aimé is quick to Mention Nintendo, stating how proud he was to help drive innovation in the industry with his work on the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo Wii. He also jokingly mentions how “the Wii was the top selling console” during the same generation the Xbox 360 released. 

On paper, five business-focused individuals talking about the industry doesn’t sound particularly exciting. However, there’s a lot to take away here.

YouTube video

For example, Ed Fries, the former vice president of Microsoft Game Studios, discusses how the Xbox team originally planned to port popular PC titles to the original Xbox. 

However, they quickly realised that this wasn’t enough for the console market. Fries stated: “We needed to find new teams, and we needed a new audience and to make things [specifically] for the console world.

Peter Moore, who’s one of the most recognisable faces alongside Fils-Aimé, talks about his time as Liverpool Football Club’s CEO. Moore is originally from Liverpool, and discussed how he first visited the grounds as a child in 1959. Interestingly, Moore utilised the experience and knowledge gained during his time in gaming while managing the club. 

I applied so many video game lessons on fan engagement, utilisation of technology. We have 400 millions fans around the world, and it was no different than Xbox Live,” stated Moore.

You can view the full talk above, or by clicking here

Current Xbox Chief Phil Spencer recently spoke about how he is evaluating the business’ relationship with Activision Blizzard, which is currently embroiled in a legal dispute with the state of California over allegations of abuse and harassment. 

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Featured Image Credit: Nintendo