Nintendo's Denise Kaigler steps down to spend time with family
by Griffin McElroy 
{ Nov 21st 2009 at 1:30PM } 
Nintendo vice president of corporate affairs Denise Kaigler recently announced via the Nintendo Minute feature on IGN that she would be vacating her position in order to spend more time with her family. In the post, she explained, "it's a fact of life that job and family often pull us in opposite directions. As regular readers of this feature know, this has proved particularly challenging for me," later adding "the time has come where I need to choose one over the other ... and I have to choose my family."We wish Kaigler the best of luck in this new venture, and hope that wherever she may end up, she retains her unconventionally sassy interviewing technique.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
dustin @ Nov 21st 2009 2:06PM
Aw, she was really cool.
Space @ Nov 21st 2009 3:54PM
cool or not, she belongs in the kitchen! It's about time she realized that
I'm kidding, I'm kidding!! I've been watching Mad Men lately!
It's good to see this woman has common sense, I always thought that if I was payed well enough I would retire early and enjoy my money as opposed to working just for the sake of saving a ridiculous amount of money.
Brysonial the Bison @ Nov 21st 2009 4:13PM
If Cammie takes her place i am going to flip out!
Setai @ Nov 21st 2009 11:45PM
@ Brysonial
In one of the more recent Nintendo Minutes (I believe it was the one right before this last one) she had stated that Cammie was her boss. So no, it most definitely won't be Cammie taking her place.
Marius Returns @ Nov 21st 2009 1:36PM
aka I just got fired
Darth Bradwart, The Dark Lord of the Sith-ATDF Co-Founder @ Nov 21st 2009 1:42PM
No, I think she just decided to quit. It didn't say "Nintendo gave me an ulitmatum."
TreyIM @ Nov 21st 2009 1:44PM
Not to laugh at that but, lol, cuz I was thinking the same thing, initially. Then again, being a person who works in "Corporate America", I know the stress that can be put on a person and the demands of a career can take it's toll on you from multiple angles. She may have just been overwhelmed and probably has MUCH bank so she said the hell with it. I wish I could do the same. I envy anyone who can just hangup their career and be completely fine, financially....then again, there is always the lottery! Ha...
MechaGamerX @ Nov 21st 2009 1:40PM
I thought that being with Nintendo would BRING families together...
Darth Bradwart, The Dark Lord of the Sith-ATDF Co-Founder @ Nov 21st 2009 1:42PM
Not if they were playing NSMBW...
MechaGamerX @ Nov 21st 2009 1:47PM
Or Mario Party 3.
...That fucking genie....
Darth Bradwart, The Dark Lord of the Sith-ATDF Co-Founder @ Nov 21st 2009 1:48PM
I like Mario Party 3.
But I guess there were some violent moments...ended up with a broken analog stick on one occasion.
INNUENDO 64 @ Nov 21st 2009 2:05PM
one of the few things my family agreed on unanimously is that none of us liked mario party 3. so we used mario party 2 to tear the family apart
Blank-Mage (ATDFs Nuker) @ Nov 21st 2009 2:24PM
You know, I've only gotten drunk once. It was a drinking game where every time someone won a minigame, they took a shot...
oOWallaceOo @ Nov 21st 2009 3:14PM
@ Blank Mage
That sounds like a sweet drinking game and I may have to try that this week. I played a borderlands drinking game on thursday and ended up in a bad state.
Then a White Kid Said @ Nov 21st 2009 1:42PM
Spend time with her family? Who the hell wants to spend time with there family?!
Then a White Kid Said @ Nov 21st 2009 1:44PM
Oh balls, I meant to put 'their', oh well I may as well go the whole hog.
Herrp derrrp derrrp, i like crayons and coloring in, i go outta the lines cos im a special.
TreyIM @ Nov 21st 2009 1:46PM
Not everybody has a dysfunctional family like yours :P
-Vexx- @ Nov 21st 2009 1:50PM
Well she kinda deserved it.
tmacairjordan87 @ Nov 21st 2009 1:52PM
Why did it have to be the least annoying and vocal nintendo exec? Why not cammie or reggie? :(
Darth Bradwart, The Dark Lord of the Sith-ATDF Co-Founder @ Nov 21st 2009 1:56PM
If you think those two are bad, you weren't around for Arakawa and Lincoln.
Predicting the N64 would have a 59 percent marketshare...right...
tmacairjordan87 @ Nov 21st 2009 2:01PM
Well my memory is really hazy that far back, but if they made that prediction before the gen started that wasn't too crazy as nintendo was on top at that time.
But if it happened while they were getting crushed by PS1...then wow.
Darth Bradwart, The Dark Lord of the Sith-ATDF Co-Founder @ Nov 21st 2009 2:07PM
Prediction happened at E3 96, if I recall correctly. They said "59 percent N64, 32 percent PS1, and the rest for Sega."
Only thing they got right was Sega being in third.
Arakawa actually had Nintendo create a film for Joe Lieberman, showing 'violence in games' that got the government involved in the gaming debate. All out of an underhanded attempt to put Sega out of business.
So now you know who to blame.
xgarryx(warXroutine on LIVE and PSN) @ Nov 21st 2009 3:07PM
OH GOD howard lincoln that guy.. i remember a next generation magazine interview with him holding 2 game cubes from the handle and trying to look cool doing it. i remember thinking as a kid ''i bet that guy knows nothing bout gaming''turns out i was right .i honestly think reggie actually plays games., this lady just had business acumen i suppose cause i cant see her with a head set on playing left 4 dead.
BPMOmega [XBL, PSN, Steam] @ Nov 21st 2009 3:35PM
"Arakawa actually had Nintendo create a film for Joe Lieberman, showing 'violence in games' that got the government involved in the gaming debate. All out of an underhanded attempt to put Sega out of business."
That's a pretty crazy thing to claim... got proof for that?
Asmerom (PSN: neon6plz) (XBL: reo6) (Waiting for NMH2) @ Nov 21st 2009 3:36PM
@tmacairjordan87
Wait, are you suggesting actual progress? Well, I've heard a few times how Reggie blocked a certain amount of games because they were "too foreign" to reach other audiences.
@Darth
Around these parts, we call getting to the senate to smear your competitors, a "dick move".
Asmerom (PSN: neon6plz) (XBL: reo6) (Waiting for NMH2) @ Nov 21st 2009 4:09PM
@BPMOmega
It's the same company that created a film to promote Super Mario Bros. 3...Did Nintendo ever release any M-rated first party games? Combined with the "kiddy image" Nintendo has always maintained over the years, I don't think it's that hard to believe.
Darth Bradwart, The Dark Lord of the Sith-ATDF Co-Founder @ Nov 21st 2009 5:04PM
The proof is in that Leiberman found out about only two titles, Night Trap (Sega CD) and the Genesis version of Mortal Kombat. I believe the records even showed that Nintendo provided the carefully cut game footage, to make the games look worse than they really were.
Arakawa also, during testimony, agreed with the committee's proposal to shut down companies selling such titles, including Sega. I'm told his expression was approaching glee when they suggested that measure.
Then Kalinske got together with a PR firm, created the Videogames Rating Council (ESRB), got a bunch of good press, and got Congress off of everyone's back for a while.
Asmerom (PSN: neon6plz) (XBL: reo6) (Waiting for NMH2) @ Nov 21st 2009 5:59PM
This why it's hard to like Nintendo. Their games are good, but their tactics are kinda dirty at times.
Dreaded Fear @ Nov 21st 2009 7:19PM
(looks at prompter)
My name is Reggie
(looks at prompter)
I'm about kicking
(looks at prompter)
ass
(looks at prompter)
and taking names
(looks at prompter)
and we are about making
(looks at prompter)
games!
Battledrill @ Nov 21st 2009 1:57PM
If I recall correctly this was the lady who constantly made fanboys contradict themselves and put bloggers in there place....in an eloquent and nice way of course. I don't think she'll be missed.
INNUENDO 64 @ Nov 21st 2009 2:07PM
I want Perrin Kaplan back
Imad @ Nov 21st 2009 2:00PM
I hope her the best, but she was a sucky VP.
She totally didn't understand the hardcore and believed nintendo was perfect and didn't need to change cause they were making tons of money.
I'm actually surprised at how human Iwata is. He admits to mistakes and tries to fix them.
Mr Khan @ Nov 21st 2009 3:14PM
Iwata makes those statements because he's the only one who's allowed to.
And she understood the hardcore as well as they need to be understood: she defused the often idiotic questions posed by IGN and others with good nature and aplomb, and the absolute minimum of bullshit
It was her job to put the gaming media in it's place, which she did well.
Solace @ Nov 21st 2009 2:02PM
"sassy interviewing technique"
I couldn't help but think about The Office when reading that, reminds me of when Michale is always stereotyping Stanley.
isItjustme @ Nov 21st 2009 2:14PM
"Wii Fit would never have reached the type of mass penetration..."
Sounds like she was a bit kinky. Anywho, how's everyone doing this wonderful Saturday afternoon?
Mr.Realistic @ Nov 21st 2009 2:39PM
If only Cammy was fired instead...
Awetoebawt @ Nov 21st 2009 3:50PM
Cammie is tolerable. Reggie's where it's at, though.
NForever @ Nov 21st 2009 11:02PM
Now by fired, you mean with a bullet right?
Haon @ Nov 21st 2009 2:59PM
For once I would like to hear the real reason: to take more time off for hookers and blow.
Misanthropic Gamer @ Nov 21st 2009 2:59PM
Who cares?
Xenuxenu @ Nov 21st 2009 3:50PM
Well, you apparently cared enough to comment.
CJLopez @ Nov 21st 2009 3:04PM
i want her job!!!!
Awetoebawt @ Nov 21st 2009 6:20PM
No. No, you don't.
Mr Khan @ Nov 21st 2009 3:20PM
Too bad. They needed to promote her and demote Cammie. She did as well as anyone could in her position. The only way a Nintendo exec could have done better in her position would have had to depend on an overall shift in Nintendo's strategy that would call for more interaction with the media altogether, rather than their current policy of total secrecy
She caught a lot of heat from the idiots at IGN, for sure. IGN lobbed her questions that were impossible for anyone to answer, and a lot of those questions seemed to be cleaned-up versions of the haters' complaints
johnnynumber5 @ Nov 21st 2009 7:24PM
Good thing she doesn't have the sensitivity some of the Wii fanboys have in regards to the criticisms. It'd be nothing but a temper tantrum anytime a legitimate question was asked.
rikthagreat @ Nov 21st 2009 3:54PM
well...what now
Josh @ Nov 21st 2009 4:16PM
Family is indeed more important. We work too much in this society.
Solace @ Nov 21st 2009 5:14PM
you're just saying that to get out of doing your Homework
Josh @ Nov 21st 2009 5:24PM
Why's it capitalized?
But no, I do all my socially required work. I'm just saying that there are more satisfying things in this world than the pursuit of money. Granted some people have no choice but to work more than others, but then that's just another problem with 'the system'.
DarkSan00 @ Nov 21st 2009 4:38PM
I hated her...