12 years ago, Nintendo was presenting their latest Wii innovation onstage at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. The Wii Fit was poised to be one of the hottest new products on the market, blending home exercise with the Nintendo seal of quality. In a demonstration of a feature known as the “body check”, Reggie Fils-Aime was brought out on stage. Standing before the Wii Fit balance board, he simply uttered these words: “my body is ready.” This quote spiraled through the internet, becoming an instantly recognizable meme.
Bring on the Bowser!
Reggie is the wholesome dad of the gaming industry; serious, well spoken, but not afraid to be silly and aloof. Nintendo fans love him for a slew of reasons, but the gaming public is also endeared by his charisma and charm. After 15 years of hard work at Nintendo, Reggie Fils-Aime is retiring from his position as President of Nintendo of America. His spot will be filled by Doug Bowser, a well established executive within the Nintendo family.
We absolutely loved seeing Reggie on stage at every Nintendo E3 press conference and in the Nintendo Direct videos. He always oozed positivity, honesty, and focus. For a brand like Nintendo, Reggie represented everything good about a thoughtful president. We hope that his retirement will be appropriately relaxing and fulfilling, and have to give credit where credit is due. Under Reggie’s reign, Nintendo of America continued to dominate the family market in home consoles, innovate in new ways, and create some truly influential products.
Reggie’s last day at Nintendo will be on April 15th, so his work is not done quite yet. It seems like he has been doing a decent amount of reflection already though, which is obvious from this goodbye video posted on Nintendo’s Twitter:
Nintendo fans, Reggie has a message for all of you. Please take a look. pic.twitter.com/EAhaEl5oEJ— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 21, 2019
Enjoy your retirement, Reggie! You always warmed up our hearts and kept us in love with Nintendo for well over a decade. Thanks for being a beacon of positivity in our industry