But let it be said, it's not that Iwata thinks things haven'tchanged or that mistakes haven't been made.

"First of all I want to say that, with the increase in smartphones and tablets in the market, the competitive environment in the gaming industry has changed," he told me through an interpreter.

But he's quick to point out: This is hardly the first time the gaming landscape has shifted. "Five years ago we were asked how we were going to compete with Microsoft and Sony and other publishers," he said. "And now, today, we are being asked how we're going to compete with smartphones and tablets."

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GameCube strategy or Nintendo Wii? One alienated, the other welcomed and invited.