The name Minoru Arakawa (pictured above, left) might not be immediately familiar to people but as the first President of Nintendo of America, he played a huge part in Nintendo's considerable success for years. He was at the helm of Nintendo of America for twenty-two years, overseeing every major console release in America up until 2002. His marketing skills and persistence are seen as key reasons for Nintendo gaining a foothold in the American console market; the company is clearly indebted to him. The Legend Of Zelda was created during his tenure but initially, Arakawa was skeptical about whether the game was suitable for the American public. According to Steven Kent's "The Ultimate History Of Video Games", Arakawa worried that the game would be too complicated for Americans. He trialed the game with a small group of Americans (aided by Japanese translators) but he was worried by their inability to grasp the game quickly; despite all those who tested it giving it high marks, Arakawa felt that it took them too long to understand and enjoy the game. Of course, his concerns were understandable. After all, Zelda was a brand new title at this point and there was very little else like it around. As a marketing man, Arakawa might have been concerned with how he was going to advertise the new game too, especially given the instability of the video game market at that time. Obviously, the game was released on American shores regardless; even if it hadn't, it's unlikely that the series would have remained exclusive to Japan for long anyway.
I have an addiction to achievements, a craving for new bands and a dream to become Captain America. I once finished second in a Mario Kart 7 tournament so I'm kind of a big deal.
