Ex-Nintendo Head, Reggie Fils-Aimé, to Join GameStop Board of Directors

Reggie Fils-Aimé, the ex-Nintendo of America head, has joined the GameStop board of directors alongside several other high-level business executives including the ex-CEO of Walmart and the CEO of PetSmart. These individuals will begin work on the board immediately and, it is hoped, aid the struggling company in reversing its diminishing presence in the market.

During his 16 years at Nintendo of America, from 2003 to 2019, Fils-Aimé helped revamp the public impression of Nintendo to bring it in line with 21st century sensibilities. The famous line, which also served as his introduction to the public, encapsulates the fearless, unpredictable attitude he was praised for: "My name is Reggie. I’m about kicking ass. I’m about taking names. And we’re about making games".

Despite roots dating back to 1984 with the retailer 'Babbages', the first official GameStop store opened in 2000. Its business relied heavily on the buying and reselling of customers' used games, a strategy that garnered harsh criticism from members of the game industry who highlighted how it 'stole' profits from publishers and developers.

Current GameStop CEO, George Sherman, states that the lineup of new hires represents a planned continual effort to "evolve the Company's business strategy for long-term success". Considering that the current direction of the games industry is rapidly shoving 'bricks and mortar' businesses into a place of insignificance, "long-term success" is most probably an optimistic way of saying "long-term survival".

Regardless, with figures like Fils-Aimé at the helm, at least GameStop are in the best possible position to carve a new place in the market and work towards a continued existence, if nothing else.