The Paradisiacal Nintendo: A Haven for Cerebral Connoisseurs, Yet an Abyss for the Unpretentious

Koichi Miura, an industry veteran in the gaming sector since 1999, has announced his departure from Nintendo. He describes the company as remarkable but advises against others applying, stating that while Nintendo is a paradise for geniuses, it can be hell for ordinary individuals.

To avoid misunderstandings, Koichi clarifies that Nintendo is a great company with exceptional employees. He admires their ability to produce outstanding games and views his time at Nintendo as his greatest achievement. Despite ultimately leaving, he expresses no regret for dreaming of working there.

Previously, Koichi has served as a Landscape Artist for the game The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. He has also contributed to titles such as Ridge Racer V, R: Racing Evolution, and Time Crisis 5 for Bandai Namco, as well as Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 and Kingdom Hearts 3 for Square Enix, before joining Nintendo in 2019.

Koichi shares in a separate interview that his income at Bandai Namco from 1999 to 2015 was less than $40,000 annually, and at Square Enix, he earned over $46,000. Upon moving to Nintendo in 2019, his income increased to more than $70,000.

Notably, Koichi points out that salary information in the Japanese gaming industry is often not disclosed. However, as a freelancer who no longer seeks permanent employment, he believes sharing his earnings with others can be beneficial. He hopes this will contribute to better working conditions and transparency within the Japanese gaming industry.

TLDR: Koichi Miura, an industry veteran, has announced his departure from Nintendo, describing it as a remarkable but challenging company. He praises the employees and their ability to create exceptional games. Prior to Nintendo, he has worked on various titles for Bandai Namco and Square Enix. Koichi shares his income, which was under $40,000 at Bandai Namco and over $46,000 at Square Enix, before exceeding $70,000 at Nintendo. He hopes that his transparency will promote improved working conditions and transparency in the Japanese gaming industry.