Brain Training creator refuses millions in royalties

by Scott Jon Siegel { Feb 1st 2008 at 9:00AM }

The Brain Training series of DS games has been incredibly profitable all across the globe, with 17 million titles sold worldwide. But Dr. Kawashima -- the floating head mascot and brilliant mind behind the series -- doesn't care about the money. In fact, he has refused to take any royalties from the games at all, proudly boasting that "not a single yen has gone in my pocket."

The series' DS royalties alone are over 2.4 billion yen -- about 22 million dollars USD -- half of which Kawashima is entitled to (the other half going to Tohoku University, his employer). Rather than taking the money, Kawashima is content to support his family of four with his own wages, which are around $100,000 USD.

A self-declared workaholic, Dr. Kawashima has dedicated his life to his research into the aging of human brain, which was the genesis of the Brain Training games. We're happy you like your job so much, but don't you think your wife and four sons could benefit from a bit of that brain money?

Tags: brain-age, brain-training, brainage, braintraining, dr-kawashima

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

elpmis @ Feb 1st 2008 9:08AM

Got to respect that.

DEEZNUTZ @ Feb 1st 2008 9:22AM

Uh, no you don't. Guy is stupid for not taking the money... unless he's either having it go to a charity, or to his university for research in his field of study (brain aging). Otherwise, if Nintendo is keeping those royalties, he's a douche.

DEEZNUTZ @ Feb 1st 2008 9:24AM

Disregard my last reply. Actually reading it answered my own questions. I respect.

josh @ Feb 1st 2008 9:13AM

The post makes it sounds like he just refused the royalties, but the article reveals he takes the royalties from nintendo and has used them to build "a 300-million-yen laboratory at the university's Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer where he works, and another lab worth 400 million yen is due to be completed in March."

That is pretty awesome!

Bluebrake @ Feb 1st 2008 2:08PM

Ah, that's much better. It sounded like he just let Nintendo keep the royalties, which made me kind of mad. I was going to say "You could have at least taken them and given them to charity, man, I'm sure there are people who need that money a little more than *Nintendo*!"

Props to the doctor.

dan stabbingworth @ Feb 1st 2008 9:15AM

Divorce: imminent

FOXHOUND @ Feb 1st 2008 10:00AM

While his wishes are admirable, let's face a slice of reality here: If I had 100,000USD; I'd definitely spend it on something else...

Peter Gibbons: What would you do if you had a million dollars?
Lawrence: I'll tell you what I'd do, man: two chicks at the same time, man.
Peter Gibbons: That's it? If you had a million dollars, you'd do two chicks at the same time?
Lawrence: Damn straight. I always wanted to do that, man. And I think if I were a millionaire I could hook that up, too; 'cause chicks dig dudes with money.
Peter Gibbons: Well, not all chicks.
Lawrence: Well, the type of chicks that'd double up on a dude like me do.
Peter Gibbons: Good point.
Lawrence: Well, what about you now? what would you do?
Peter Gibbons: Besides two chicks at the same time?
Lawrence: Well, yeah.
Peter Gibbons: Nothing.
Lawrence: Nothing, huh?
Peter Gibbons: I would relax... I would sit on my ass all day... I would do nothing.
Lawrence: Well, you don't need a million dollars to do nothing, man. Take a look at my cousin: he's broke, don't do shit.

Umeadi @ Feb 1st 2008 9:10PM

LOL @ Foxhound

32_Footsteps @ Feb 1st 2008 9:20AM

You know, for a family of four, $100K USD is more than enough to ensure a good household for everyone. Kudos to a guy who wants to put that money to something greater than personal satisfaction.

Besides, I'm sure that Nintendo is more than willing to give him some freebies as thanks, should he ever feel the need.

rowd149 @ Feb 1st 2008 3:56PM

Actually, it IS slightly more expensive living in Japan nowadays, so depending on where you live, $100,000 is more like $80,000. Still, nothing to scoff at.

WiNG @ Feb 1st 2008 11:19AM

Except in Japan there's increased taxes:

-Robot tax
-Holographic transponder tax
-Chronosphere anti-historic annulment tax
-NERV tax
-Super Sentai Heroine Tax
-etc

DEEZNUTZ @ Feb 1st 2008 9:23AM

OK, reading is fundamental for me. I respect him now.

thispaceforsale @ Feb 1st 2008 9:53AM

the article is a great read, this guy sounds like a topnotch person

capt_carl @ Feb 1st 2008 9:54AM

Good for him. You really have to respect that level of humility in a man. Not only is he humble, but he also knows the the value of currency isn't in its face value, but in what can be done with it. Taking the royalties and putting it towards a research center will eventually help thousands, if not millions of people.

xFenixKnightx @ Feb 1st 2008 10:01AM

Maybe hes been working on a new game called BRAIN FART and thats why he didnt accept it? lul?

Tiptup300 @ Feb 1st 2008 6:22PM

no, not lul

TheCassidy @ Feb 1st 2008 10:06AM

Now I don't feel so bad for yelling things at him like "Fuck" and "Shit" just to see him scowl on the title screen.

Saneless @ Feb 1st 2008 10:50AM

This software has lost all credibility. If this guy is that dumb.. I'm scared to use it anymore. I might win the lotto and turn it down.

WillTheSecond @ Feb 2nd 2008 10:43AM

You realise that most people are actually less happy after winning the lotto then when they were living on whatever their previous wages were?

To be rich and live well you have to actually be obsessed with money i.e. a businessman.

Travis @ Feb 1st 2008 10:27AM

there goes my hero

Korova @ Feb 1st 2008 10:46AM

Also from the article:

"Despite developing software for Nintendo, Kawashima banned his four sons, now aged 14 to 22, from playing video-games on weekdays, with only one hour allowed at weekends, and once destroyed a disc when they broke the rules. "

lol, gamers = pwned

cyberfrog @ Feb 1st 2008 11:29AM

I once won a million dollars. Eight hundred thousand of it I spent on women, drugs, and booze. The rest i just wasted.

playwhutyalike @ Feb 1st 2008 11:34AM

Yeah, what a dumbass for not thinking about himself and doing something to help out mankind. Sheesh. I'm sure he will benefit financially from his institute though.

Kudos.

Jess Q. @ Feb 1st 2008 12:07PM

Everyone thinks I'm crazy, but I almost always hate getting things I don't work hard for. It kind of robs me of a goal and makes me lose my way a little, cause if I'm not working toward something, why am I working at all? And then I don't work, and then I get depressed because I have nothing to do with myself... Yeah.

I completely understand how suddenly coming into a ton of money could really suck. There are many ways in which it WOULDN'T suck, especially if you really needed that money. But, for me, if I suddenly had everything I wanted, I'd be miserable because I'd have nothing to look forward to.

So, definite kudos to this guy for wanting to work for a living. Work makes him happy and he knows it. That's pretty smart to know what makes you happy. Some people spend their whole lives figuring that out.

ThornedVenom @ Feb 1st 2008 12:14PM

He is a hero.

Dahk @ Feb 1st 2008 12:18PM

Could've at least asked for the new GT-R =P. If not money, than a toy is always good!

But definitely kudos to him. I'd give him props, but I don't think there's such a thing in Japan.

Leobebes @ Feb 1st 2008 12:37PM

$100,000 FOUR A FAMILY OF FOUR IN TOKYO?!?!?!?!?!?!

This guy has to be selling some weed on the side to support his family. I mean my wife and I can barely make it on $100,000 in Souther California and we have no kids!

Honorable, but come one you can no longer support a family of 4 in Tokyo with only $100.000 unless the kids wear hand me downs.

Grant @ Feb 1st 2008 4:16PM

sell the 4th and 5th car, stop throwing all you can snort blow parties on the weekend, no more champagne bubble baths.

Now i think you should have enough money to do a little more than "barely make it".

Unless you live in the heart of a major metropolitan area, $75,000 should be more than enough for a couple to live comfortably.

supermario128 @ Feb 1st 2008 4:07PM

This guy is retarded, who turns down that kind of money, Nintendo has enough, they don't need any more.

Courtney @ Feb 1st 2008 4:17PM

Ummm, while I do find the guy's actions admirable, I'm not sure I agree with all of his philosophies:

"The professor believes in strict discipline for young children and disagrees with the notion of making study fun.

"Having fun is not studying. Making them study is not to entertain children but to pressure them to make efforts. People fall to lower and lower places unless they are driven to go higher," he said. "

Not that I think that all studying should be fun, but inserting some fun into studying is a bad thing. Sure has helped me with my kid in some situations.

But, we all have our own personal crazy views.

Grant @ Feb 1st 2008 4:19PM

It's great that he's putting the money towards good causes, but thats not exactly refusing it. Thats accepting it, then donating it to the cause of your choice. The title, and write up of this is horribly misleading.

Kylearan @ Feb 1st 2008 4:35PM

That's just weird, to not accept the $ and at least donate it to some worthwhile causes - other than Nintendo, which makes plenty of moolah on its own.

You sure he's Doctor-smart?

EMOruffino @ Feb 1st 2008 5:58PM

i respect him... hes doing good with his money, and you just have to give props!

Intrepyd @ Feb 2nd 2008 2:15AM

I hope his new research facility is doing real research, because there is no evidence that "Brain Age" actually benefits cognitive function, or that the assigned "Brain Age Scores" have any relation to reality. In fact, a controlled study showed that the game had no effect at all on cognitive functioning. You just end up learning how to do very narrow tasks more quickly, which doesn't at all generalize into intelligence or "brain youth."

Snatcher (MDF - Halo Ring) @ Feb 2nd 2008 4:57AM

And to think he could've spent the money at the strip club "making it tsunami". Or bought the biggest book in the world. Or... one PS3.

Mad @ Feb 2nd 2008 9:31AM

Some people really are too clever for their own good..!

eCitizen @ Feb 5th 2008 5:23PM

TAKE THE MONEY.
Set up a trust fund for your children & even your relatives. Heck, help out a few friends.
Buy mutual funds, stocks, real estate, and then year after year spend only the profits. Pretty much FOREVER.
Personally, I could easily find about 1000 better good and thoughful uses that also benefit me and mine.
For a guy who is supposed to have some imagination, he certainly hasn't got much.
I think he has no appreciation for his own success, so he takes it for granted.
He can be proud he contributed to his pet project, but a wiser man would do that and also SO MUCH MORE.