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Shuntaro Furukawa grew up playing the Family Computer, eventually realizing every teenager’s dream of joining the company that made the genre-defining console. Now, as the next president of Nintendo Co., he has the chance to build a new franchise atop a hit product, the Switch.
It’s a big generational shift. At 46, Furukawa is 22 years younger than outgoing President Tatsumi Kimishima, a former banker who oversaw the new hybrid console’s debut last year. The Nintendo Switch, which can be used as a portable gaming machine or docked to a TV, is the Kyoto-based company’s biggest bet in years. The company exceeded its own goals by selling 15.1 million units in the period, and forecasts 20 million shipments in the current year to March 2019. Nintendo shares rose 2 percent in early trade on Thursday.