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Home IGN Articles Notícias Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser Announces His Retirement, Devon Pritchard Named as Successor

Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser Announces His Retirement, Devon Pritchard Named as Successor

Nintendo of America President and Chief Operating Officer Doug Bowser has announced his retirement, which starts on December 31, 2025.

The announcement comes just shy of four months after the successful release of the Nintendo Switch 2, which is not only the fastest-selling Nintendo hardware ever, but the fastest-selling gaming hardware in U.S. history.

Bowser exits Nintendo after more than a decade in various leadership positions at the company, and six years after he succeeded previous NOA President Reggie Fils-Aimé. Under his tenure, Nintendo has capitalized on the blockbuster success of the Nintendo Switch and expanded Nintendo brands into non-video game areas, such as theme parks, stores, and movies. The Super Mario Bros. Movie hit theaters in 2023 and made an incredible $1.361 billion at the global box office. A sequel is due out next year.

IGN last interviewed Bowser in May to coincide with the opening of Nintendo’s new San Francisco store in Union Square, its second official Nintendo store in the U.S. We asked him about Nintendo’s huge push outside of its traditional video game business and its evolving mission.

“I don't think the mission has actually changed,” he replied. “Our mission is very simple, to create smiles. If you think about our strategy and how do we support that mission, it's about incrementing the number of touch points that consumers can have with our IP, whether it's our characters, our world, through a variety of experiences. And I think you hit on it as an entertainment company, while the core of our business model, if you will, is video games, we also look at opportunities like movies, theme parks, or even stores like Nintendo San Francisco as a place for people to have that immersion and those experiences with our IP overall. So to your point, we've got a series of events that are coming up this year. But it's really just a wonderful opportunity for us to engage with consumers in a host of different ways and, frankly, to build on their affinity and their love and their passion for our characters.”

While the Switch 2 has proven hugely popular, Nintendo has faced challenges at launch. In August, Nintendo announced a range of price rises for various OG Switch products in the U.S., and warned price rises for the Switch 2, video games, and the Nintendo Switch Online membership may be coming down the line. The price rises were "based on market conditions," Nintendo said at the time, and came into effect amid tariff uncertainty.

Nintendo was also critisized by some for the introduction of Game-Key Cards, which are little more than a "key" to downloading a full game, with the Nintendo Switch 2. In his interview with IGN, Bowser insisted physical games "are still a key part of our business," but defended the introduction of Game-Key Cards.

"When you look at Game-Key Cards, for us, our goal with Nintendo Switch 2 – similar to what we were able to accomplish on Nintendo Switch – is to have the broadest and deepest library of content we possibly can. And that includes our publishing partners. And Game-Key Cards are a way that our publishing partners are able to bring more content onto the platform, deeper and larger, more immersive content on the platform."

Nintendo has also been criticized recently for its patent battle with Palworld developer Pocketpair. Earlier this month, Nintendo argued user-made mods should not be considered prior art, which raised eyebrows across the games industry and among Pokémon fans alike, with many suggesting it could have far-reaching consequences if accepted by a judge.

IP lawyers have also criticised the U.S. patent system after Nintendo was awarded a Pokémon patent that revolves around summoning a character and letting it fight. IP expert Florian Mueller took to social media to say Nintendo “should never” have received a "summon character and let it fight" patent in the first place, while video game patent lawyer Kirk Sigmon told PC Gamer "these claims were in no way allowable."

Replacing Bowser as President is Devon Pritchard, a 19-year veteran of the video game industry and long-standing member of the NOA leadership team. In addition, Satoru Shibata will join NOA as CEO, while continuing his roles as Managing Executive Officer and Corporate Director, Member of the Board at Nintendo Co., Ltd. (NCL). Pritchard will also join the NOA Board of Directors and become an NCL Executive Officer.

Here’s a note from Nintendo to accompany today’s announcement:

"Bowser’s distinguished tenure includes delivering on the promise of the Nintendo Switch system to change the way people play video games and bring new experiences to a broad range of consumers. Earlier this year, he expanded on that mission when he oversaw the launch of Nintendo Switch 2 in the Americas and helped establish the system as the best-selling video game console of all time in its initial sales period.

“Also, during his time with Nintendo, the company saw significant expansion into entertainment ventures such as theme parks and films, all with the goal of giving more people more opportunities to engage with Nintendo’s characters and worlds.”

“One of my earliest video game experiences was playing the arcade version of Donkey Kong,” Bowser commented. “Since that time, all things Nintendo have continued to be a passion for both me and my family. Leading Nintendo of America has been the honor of a lifetime, and I am proud of what our team has accomplished in both business results and the experiences we’ve created for consumers.”

“Now, it’s time for the next generation of leadership and Devon’s track record speaks for itself,” Bowser continued. “She is an exceptional leader, and her promotion is a testament to her strong performance and strategic contributions to the company’s growth. I have full confidence that she will guide the company to even greater heights.”

According to Nintendo, Pritchard has held executive positions in Marketing, Business Affairs, and Publisher Relations, and currently serves as NOA’s Executive Vice President of Revenue, Marketing and Consumer Experience.

“Putting Nintendo fans at the top of her agenda, Pritchard plans to build on the many experiences that allow consumers to connect with Nintendo's characters and worlds, from video games to entertainment to retail experiences,” Nintendo added.

“I am humbled and excited to take on this new role,” Pritchard said. “Doug has been a fantastic mentor, and I look forward to building on the incredible foundation he has helped establish. With characters and worlds that offer something for everyone, my focus will be continuing to build on Nintendo’s legacy of surprising and delighting our longtime fans, while at the same time welcoming new players into the Nintendo family.”

NCL President Shuntaro Furukawa thanked Bowser for his contributions. “During his tenure, Doug made numerous contributions to bring smiles to the faces of people connected to Nintendo. I would like to express my gratitude for his strong efforts. Devon, who will become the next president, has also made many contributions to Nintendo over the years. I am confident that, like Doug, Devon will continue to support Nintendo’s important mission of creating smiles.”

Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.



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