ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2021 NEWS/FEATURES 13 People & Places Books Pence memoir set for 2023 ‘Ask Iwata’ outlines vision for Nintendo TOKYO, April 13, (AP): Nintendo’s late president Satoru Iwata oversaw the video-game maker’s global growth as Super Mario and Pokemon became house- hold names. “Ask Iwata” was published after his death from cancer in 2015 at age 55. This month, VIZ Media is publishing the English translation of the book, which came out in Japanese in 2019. “On my business card, I am a corporate president. In my mind, I am a game developer. But in my heart, I am a gamer,” Iwata once said, one of many quotes that stand out in the book. Throughout the book, Iwata outlines his vision for Nintendo Co., which was to offer entertainment that everyone in the family could enjoy, regardless of age, gender and game playing skills. The company culture he fostered encouraged individual game creators, showing he was one of them at heart. Iwata was of a younger gen- eration than the vanguard of Japanese manufacturing lead- ers who have grabbed global attention: Soichiro Honda, founder of the automaker that carries his name; Momofuku Iwata Ando, inventor of the instant noodle; Akio Morita, who started Sony in a repair shop amid bombed out rubble. Kyoto-based Nintendo started out making tradition- al Japanese playing cards. Iwata took over in 2002, and presided over video game offerings like the Wii This image released by Netflix shows Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte, (center), in the romance series ‘Bridgerton.’ Television producers Shonda Rhimes and console and the Nintendo DS handheld, as well as Betsy Beers will be honored for their wardrobe efforts on projects like ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and ‘Bridgerton’ at the Costume Designers Guild Awards. (AP) games played on cell phones. The company’s performance has had ups and downs like a Super Mario roller-coaster ride, but has done well lately as people stuck at home due to the Fashion pandemic turned to games. Profi ts for the nine months through December doubled from a year earlier to near- ly 377 billion yen ($3.4 billion). That good fortune might not last as normal activi- ties resume with vaccine rollouts, a change likely to A high-wattage celebration of fashion, celebrity crimp sales to the casual game users who make up Nintendo players, rather than the core gamers rival consoles tend to attract. Reality The Met Gala is returning – twice The hoped-for end to the pandemic is likely to co- LOS ANGELES, April 13, (AP): The incide, analysts say, with a peak in the so-called “life Met Gala is coming back. Actually, cycle,” or duration of consumer appeal, of Nintendo’s twice. Costume Designers Guild Awards to console offerings like the Switch. Questions also re- The Metropolitan Museum of main about Nintendo’s ability to monetize on the growing sector of mobile games. In this July 15, 2008 file photo, Sa- Art announced Monday that the an- honor Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers Consoles could continue to evolve, such as those toru Iwata, then President and CEO nual high-wattage celebration of both of Nintendo Co Ltd, speaks at a news fashion and celebrity - canceled last with virtual reality, analysts say. Nintendo also has in- LOS ANGELES, April 13, (AP): alongside Rhimes on other hits tellectual property, driving lucrative businesses such conference where Nintendo unveiled year because of the pandemic - will an enhancement for its Wii Remote From “Grey’s Anatomy” to “Bridg- shows including “Scandal,” “How as merchandizing and theme parks. return in person, fi rst in September, erton,” television producers Shon- to Get Away with Murder” and controller and new games at the E3 then again in 2022 in its usual slot of All those businesses thrived under Iwata’s presi- Media and Business Summit in Los da Rhimes and Betsy Beers have “Private Practice.” The women dency. the fi rst Monday in May. strived to work with costume de- have been longtime producing Angeles. Nintendo’s late president The galas, a “more intimate” ver- Kenshu Kikuzawa, professor of business adminis- Iwata oversaw the video-game mak- signers to visually create appealing partners since 2002. tration at Keio University, believes that Japanese com- er’s global growth, helping make Su- sion Sept. 13 of this year and a larger wardrobes to help tell their charac- “It’s the ability to take into con- panies’ strengths come from its traditional practices per Mario and Pokemon household one on May 2, 2022, will launch ter’s story. sideration so many points of view like lifetime employment and pay raises by seniority, names. ‘Ask Iwata’ was published a two-part exhibition, a survey of Now, both women will be recog- while at the same time fi nding ways which still characterize major Japanese companies in- after his death from cancer in 2015 at American fashion to be on view for nized for their successful collabora- to innovate and create trends and cluding Nintendo. 55 and an English translation of the almost a year. tive efforts at the Costume Design- create looks,” she said. “It’s getting That in turns, breeds employee loyalty, which Ki- book is being published in April 2021, “In America: A Lexicon of Fash- ers Guild Awards. the world to get onboard with a dif- by VIZ Media. (AP) The guild announced Monday ferent style of dressing.” kuzawa believes is important in the creative work that ion,” opening Sept. 18, will cel- that Rhimes and Beers will be hon- Past award recipients include drives Nintendo. ebrate the 75th anniversary of the ored with the Distinguished Col- Meryl Streep, Quentin Tarantino, Japanese companies should stick to being Japanese, museum’s Costume Institute and laborator Award. The award will be Judd Apatow, Clint Eastwood and doing what they do best, craftsmanship-like manufac- “explore a modern vocabulary of presented by “Bridgerton” actors Guillermo Del Toro. turing, Kikuzawa said, exactly as Iwata led Nintendo. Variety American fashion,” the museum Nicola Coughlan and Claudia Jes- Guild president Salvador Perez “Nintendo is in many ways a very old-fashioned said. Part two, “In America: An sie during the 23rd annual ceremo- said the Rhimes-Beers duo has Japanese company,” he said. “Ultimately, Nintendo Anthology of Fashion,” will open ny, which will take place Tuesday created “cultural-defi ning TV mo- employees just really love Nintendo. Loyalty to the BUFFALO, NY: Harvey Weinstein’s in the museum’s popular American on Twitter. ments” with the support of their col- company is fi erce.” lawyer on Monday challenged his Wing period rooms on May 5, 2022, Rhimes and Beers both gave laborators and costume designers. That kind of emotional commitment allows a com- extradition from New York to Califor- and will explore American fashion, credit to the costume designers “They are originals; fi erce, bril- pany to overcome diffi culties, even during periods of nia, where the imprisoned movie mogul with collaborations with film direc- who have worked with them. The liant women who create rich worlds, fi nancial losses, as employees hang on and work hard faces rape and sexual assault charges in a award honors individuals who dem- characters and stories that enhance tors, by “presenting narratives that onstrate support of costume design our lives,” said Emmy-winning cos- for a turnaround, he said. newly revealed indictment. relate to the complex and layered Iwata showed talent for programming as a young- Erie County Court Judge Kenneth and creative partnerships with de- tume designer Ellen Mirojnick, who Case delayed a decision on extradition histories of those spaces.” Both signers. worked as a costume designer on ster. He was working part-time at Japan’s HAL Labo- parts will close on Sept. 5, 2022. ratory, known for the “Kirby” games and collabo- for Weinstein, 69, who appeared via “This feels more like a giant com- “Bridgerton.” “It’s truly been a gift Filmmaker Melina Matsoukas pliment to the costume designers collaborating with them.” rating with Nintendo, before he graduated from the video from the maximum security Wende Correctional Facility near Buffalo, where (“Queen & Slim”) has been commis- that we’ve gotten to work with over Lyn Paolo, an Emmy-winning prestigious Tokyo Institute of Technology. He fi rst the years,” said Rhimes, founder costume designer, called both made games for Nintendo Famicom machines, which he has been held since last spring after sioned to create an open-ended fi lm being convicted in New York City of a to project in the galleries, with con- of television production company, women innovative collaborators. came out in the 1980’s. Shondaland. She said several “Every new world that they pre- Iwata was promoted to head HAL before taking the criminal sex act and third-degree rape. tent changing during the course of the Weinstein was charged last year in exhibition. costume designers helped her un- sent is a lush landscape in which I helm at Nintendo. His colleagues say he was a good derstand the different nuances of have room to create beautiful pic- California with assaulting fi ve women There was no immediate word on listener, interviewing everyone at the company twice in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills from fashion. tures, a world where the clothes a year, trying to be fair and respectful. who the celebrity hosts, or chairs, “I was somebody who started can help to tell a small part of the 2004 to 2013. would be for the galas, traditionally “My plan was to be a sounding board and to get a The new indictment, returned by a off my career at ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ story,” said Paolo, who worked sense of what was happening, but when I sat down grand jury on March 15, contains the a heady mix of luminaries from fash- wearing pajama paints, sweats and with them on “Scandal” and “How with each person individually, I was blown away by same 11 counts involving the same fi ve ion, music, fi lm, TV, sports and other the same red T-shirt to work every to Get Away with Murder.” “I love how much I was learning,” Iwata wrote.