Thread: Apologies from Iwata on behalf of Nintendo

Iwata-san apologizes for day one patch, and although we appreciate his response, I'm ok with the patch. This tells me that Nintendo is constantly a work to improve the UI of their new system and we should expect to see a continuous stream of updates on a regular basis. If anyone remembers, PS360 also had lengthy updates during launch. This is standard for new consoles since new things are developed and improved upon after manufacturing has already started.

Nintendo 'very sorry' for Wii U day-one updates - GameSpot.com

This is actually a very big deal. I dealt for years with Noritsu and other companies in Japan. The hardest thing for them to ever do was to say that they were sorry. For anything.

It's going to be missed by most people, but it took a lot for him to say that, even if he didn't mean it. Which I'm assuming he did mean it, I'm just saying.

Originally Posted by arrowrand

This is actually a very big deal. I dealt for years with Noritsu and other companies in Japan. The hardest thing for them to ever do was to say that they were sorry. For anything.

It's going to be missed by most people, but it took a lot for him to say that, even if he didn't mean it. Which I'm assuming he did mean it, I'm just saying.

This is true. When I was a kid, my dad was stationed in Okinawa and "im sorry" isnt something that easily comes out of the mouths of the Japanese.

Thank you for that insight, I now appreciate that apology even more.

It is cool that he did that, since these types of things are to be expected during launch times. Really nice of him.

Originally Posted by Pikachu

Thank you for that insight, I now appreciate that apology even more.

I got a written apology from a Japanese executive of a photo company, and one of their expats here explained the whole thing to me. He told me to keep the letter because it might be the one and only time I ever see a Japanese person of his standing apologize. It was.

The major rift between Japan and China is the fact that Japan won't apologize for WWII. Same with Korea.

Given that his apology was in no way embargoed in Japan, this isn't lost on me.

Edit: the Japanese expat could have made the situation with my company better if he had called me and apologized. He never, ever did. Their mistake, it cost me tens of thousands. He made it right, but he never said "sorry".

It's okay Iwata-san. Wii love U

Originally Posted by DarkMaster

It's okay Iwata-san. Wii love U

Smooth!

i think they were right in saying its setting a new standard as with the apps, and the first to do a unique thing like miiverse, also hes right with saying you got get your hands on it, i think you got too have one in your home before you apreciate it, when i saw the graphics in the store, i was impressed but it wasnt until i got it home that i liked it, sounds like a sells pitch, but i dont work for nintendo, if i didnt actually have one i wouldnt have known i like it. it was like that with the wii too, but wii u is so much better.

Originally Posted by arrowrand

I got a written apology from a Japanese executive of a photo company, and one of their expats here explained the whole thing to me. He told me to keep the letter because it might be the one and only time I ever see a Japanese person of his standing apologize. It was.

The major rift between Japan and China is the fact that Japan won't apologize for WWII. Same with Korea.

Given that his apology was in no way embargoed in Japan, this isn't lost on me.

Edit: the Japanese expat could have made the situation with my company better if he had called me and apologized. He never, ever did. Their mistake, it cost me tens of thousands. He made it right, but he never said "sorry".

Pardon my French, but that's utter crap. I lived in Japan for a while, and several people I met expressed how much of an embarrassment WWII was, and how sorry they were. They might hate the Chinese still, but they are sorry for joining with the Nazis and often stated that "we have no ill-wishes towards Americans for dropping the bombs. We deserved it." I met two older men when I live there who lived during that war. One man was a very kind peach farmer. I asked him if he felt hatred towards Americans for the war, and he said no, it was the complete opposite. That he had hoped people had forgiven his generation after all this time and that he had more than moved on and embarrassed us as friends. (btw, how a man of his age could walk so easily, none the less farm better than an able bodied young man I still don't know. He was an amazing individual).

Japanese companies have a severe issue with apologizing (because it's considered a failure, which is embarrassing), and yes, when they do it's a big deal. But people around me said "Gomen'nasai" just as often as any one would in the States, including on topics like WWII/political related events.

Just like Steve Jobs doesn't represent how typical Americans act, nor does our Press, can't we understand the same about the Japanese people? How their company spokesmen act and their politicians act don't reflect the common person's behavior. They can apologize like anyone else, and honestly feel remorse like anyone else.

He is a very responsible person very kind too, and I strongly agree on that. I personally really didn't mind the day one update although it did take long it didn't bother me at all, all I had to realize is that I got my Wii U and i'm happy with that, having the day one update let me have time to read the manual and eat dinner peacefully, I hope you guys don't hate Nintendo for this update even tough they took long but it was well worth it, look on the bright side you all got free apps isn't that necessary, Nintendo is my favorite gaming company and always will be it's quite the only true gaming company that actually makes it's own ideas instead of copying other former companies such as Microsoft and Sony.

Originally Posted by arrowrand

I got a written apology from a Japanese executive of a photo company, and one of their expats here explained the whole thing to me. He told me to keep the letter because it might be the one and only time I ever see a Japanese person of his standing apologize. It was.

The major rift between Japan and China is the fact that Japan won't apologize for WWII. Same with Korea.

Given that his apology was in no way embargoed in Japan, this isn't lost on me.

Edit: the Japanese expat could have made the situation with my company better if he had called me and apologized. He never, ever did. Their mistake, it cost me tens of thousands. He made it right, but he never said "sorry".

Does anyone of any race, sex, or origin ever give an apology every time they should? No. Sometimes one half of an argument or disagreement might think they are right and deserve an apology, yet they never stop and ask themselves, "Is that person thinking the same thing? That maybe they think they should be the one apologized to?" Just hold that individuals act to that individual. Don't play it on an entire group of people. It's not right. I can honestly tell you that the US government might "think" they speak for me when in fact I usually have a totally different perspective than the route they're going. I wouldn't wanna be judged by other countries by the way this government handles things so I wouldn't do it to others. Just something to think about.

Originally Posted by arrowrand

I got a written apology from a Japanese executive of a photo company, and one of their expats here explained the whole thing to me. He told me to keep the letter because it might be the one and only time I ever see a Japanese person of his standing apologize. It was.

The major rift between Japan and China is the fact that Japan won't apologize for WWII. Same with Korea.

Given that his apology was in no way embargoed in Japan, this isn't lost on me.

Edit: the Japanese expat could have made the situation with my company better if he had called me and apologized. He never, ever did. Their mistake, it cost me tens of thousands. He made it right, but he never said "sorry".

Originally Posted by ceramicsaturn

Pardon my French, but that's utter crap. I lived in Japan for a while, and several people I met expressed how much of an embarrassment WWII was, and how sorry they were. .

Yes, but the government of Japan has never formally apologized, which is what the Chinese are looking for.

This isn't a discussion about Average Joe Japanese citizens, its about the leader of a major Japanese corporation doing something that people in power positions in Japan don't often do.

Originally Posted by arrowrand

Yes, but the government of Japan has never formally apologized, which is what the Chinese are looking for.

This isn't a discussion about Average Joe Japanese citizens, its about the leader of a major Japanese corporation doing something that people in power positions in Japan don't often do.

By saying "the Japanese" and not the Japanese government, you implied no one in the country was regretful for their actions, and that no one in the country was sorry for jack shit, or that it was hard for the average citizen of Japan to apologize when they screwed up something.

The government will never apologize to the Chinese, just as much as our American government won't apologize for starting a war under a red flag operation. But after yours, and others posts, people were making it seem like the people of Japan had some issue with apologies, and that's simply not true at all.

And given how down to earth Iwata is compared to other high management people in companies, Japanese or otherwise, this apology isn't that out of the ordinary for me to expect from him. It's not like it was really avoidable anyway. The Wii Us at that time were already made, ready to ship when that update was added.

Iwata-san is SUCH a noble president. I like how he is the antithesis of Yamauchi-san in every way. The latter was quite brutal in his business practices and basically dictated all third parties. But Iwata is different and modest. That's why I think he's a heck of a better president for Nintendo. Having him apologize for the mistakes makes me respect him even more.

Originally Posted by JTurner

Iwata-san is SUCH a noble president. I like how he is the antithesis of Yamauchi-san in every way. The latter was quite brutal in his business practices and basically dictated all third parties. But Iwata is different and modest. That's why I think he's a heck of a better president for Nintendo. Having him apologize for the mistakes makes me respect him even more.

Same here I thought it was sweet that he apologised to us the gamers ! Especially since it takes humility to apologise publically and mean it ! I respect him even more than I did before too :P !

Thats ok Wii U still rules!!! XD

The apology was the right thing to do. Nintendo knows they put out a half-baked machine just to get the sales numbers they need. They probably didn't want to do it, but needed to. I think Iwata genuinely feels bad, because he holds himself and the company to a high standard.