Iwata Made Every Nintendo Europe Employee Play Animal Crossing Daily

Former PR reveals Satoru Iwata's unusual pre-launch strategy for Animal Crossing: New Leaf, requiring all Nintendo Europe staff to play daily.

Ever wondered what it's like to work at Nintendo? Apparently, under the late Satoru Iwata, it involved mandatory playtime. A former PR insider has revealed that every single employee at Nintendo Europe was tasked with playing Animal Crossing: New Leaf every day, months before its release.

That's right – the whole company, from marketing to accounting, had to dive into their 3DS and tend to their virtual towns. It sounds like a dream job, right? But there was a serious method to Iwata's madness.

According to the ex-PR, this wasn't just for fun – it was a strategic move. Iwata believed that to truly understand the game's appeal, everyone needed to experience it firsthand. By making the entire staff play daily, he ensured that the whole team could speak authentically about the game, whether they were in PR, support, or even logistics.

The directive was simple: play every day, no exceptions. It was a unique approach to product immersion, and it shows how Iwata thought outside the box when it came to fostering company-wide enthusiasm. It also created a shared experience across all departments, breaking down silos and building a unified vision.

For those of us who love Animal Crossing, this story adds a warm layer to the game's legacy. It wasn't just a product to Iwata – it was a lifestyle he wanted his entire team to live and breathe. And it clearly worked, as New Leaf went on to become a massive hit, selling millions of copies worldwide.

So next time you're playing Animal Crossing, remember that you're sharing that experience with Nintendo Europe's entire staff, past and present. Would you have liked a job that required daily gaming? Or would you have been over it after a week? Let us know in the comments!