Reminder that Iwata killed the power Nintendo of America had in the 90s.

From 1990-2000. Nintendo of America had production and management autonomy from Japan. NOA basically culminated its own production team, along a few co-designers, and started funding and producing games with developers.

>DMA Design: Uni Racers, Body Harvest (Nintendo dropped it in 1997, Midway took it)
>Angel Studios: Ken Griffey Baseball, Buggie Boogie (canceled)
>Bits Studios: Warlocked, Riqa (canceled)
>Rare: Donkey Kong Country, Killer Instinct, Goldeneye 007, Perfect Dark
>Software Creations: Ken Griffey Baseball, Tin Star
>Silicon Knights: Eternal Darkness (N64 version)
>Left Field Productions: Kobey Bryant in NBA Courtside, Excitebike 64
>Looking Glass Studio: Mini Racers (canceled)
>Mass Media: Star Craft 64
>H20: Tetrisphere
>Saffire Corp: Nester's Funky Bowling, James Bond 007
>DIC: Super Mario Bros cartoons, Legend of Zelda, Captain N: The Game Master
>Midway: Cruisn Series

Nintendo of America also procured the Ken Griffey and MLBPA license, NHL License, Kobe Bryant and NBA license, PGA license, Disney license, James Bond license, StarCraft license. Star Wars Episode I license. They were producing their own first-party games separate from Nintendo of Japan.

That all changed when Iwata transitioned from Global Marketing Chief to President. NOA Production was killed, and Nintendo of Japan's SPD Department took over all Western development (Star Fox Adventures, Geist, Eternal Darkness GC).

Henry Sterchi, Brian Ullrich, Ken Lobb, Ed Ridgeway, Jeff Hutt, Faran Thomason, and the whole crew left NOA to Microsoft and other developers. Since then, we've seen the Western model we have today. Western developers reporting directly to Japanese management, and pretty much making B/C sequels to Nintendo IPs.