Of the biggest names (that is, people) who have ever graced Pokémon, the name that I've mentioned in the title of this post is certainly one of the biggest ones and continues to be relevant today. Many current fans will know him as the first and foremost face in editions of Pokémon Presents, but he's so much more than that. Tsunekazu Ishihara, the president of The Pokémon Company, besides being top in that regard, also has much to do with the Pokémon games and beyond, effectively being someone who "steers" and "nears".
That "steering" and "nearing" for Ishihara occurs similarly to (and incidentally alongside with) his colleague Satoru Iwata, as a developer for different games. The journey began with Ape Inc. and a number of games that are themselves legendary just as much as they are legends for Nintendo. Creatures Inc. became the next "destination" in the journey for Ishihara, as a development company that he founded, with Iwata providing some help; it is evidently also a "port", as Ishihara still holds key positions there today and the company is one of the three involved in the joint venture that is The Pokémon Company.
With Creatures, Ishihara "neared" Game Freak and supported them with development funds for the very first Pokémon games; at this early stage, Ishihara also "steered" Pokémon towards licensing for different media, including the TCG, to help their sequels toward success. The "steering" and "nearing" by Ishihara proved to be directed and fruitful: Ishihara intended to "steer" in a different direction afterwards but ended up "nearing" Game Freak and Nintendo for said joint venture, now tasked with the helm of licensing and brand management for Pokémon that still continues today.
An important way that Ishihara "steered" Pokémon is the conception of Pokémon Go along with Niantic. Ishihara himself is a player of Ingress, and the 2014 April Fool's Pokémon Google Maps prank provided the breakthrough mechanism; with support and blessings, also from Iwata, Pokémon Go came to be popular (and still is today, now even with a championship series of its own). It's just another way that Pokémon Go is established as a full-fledged game for the franchise. Pokémon Sleep also constitutes a way of "nearing" good health, as announced by Ishihara himself.
"Steering" and "nearing" are some of the things that good leaders can do, and Tsunekazu Ishihara has proven that over the years, even up to today. Not only that, he even effectively provided the "ship" by which Pokémon can be "steered" and "neared" according to the flows of time and its devoted fans and players. Ishihara really is at the "wheel" of this "ship" that has allowed players to "sail away" to Pokémon adventures, who have made the "ship" as big as the big name at its helm.
One year ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 5/15/2021
Two years ago: Coming Full Circle
Three years ago: Everything Old Is New Again
Four years ago: 15 Minutes of Fame
Five years ago: Fallen Comrades
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