Satoru Iwata told Nintendo employees "it's now your job" to play Animal Crossing: New Leaf every day prior to launch to better understand it

Ashely Day, a former Nintendo PR manager, recently shared an anecdote on the Back Page Podcast about working under late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. According to Day, Iwata directed Nintendo employees to play Animal Crossing: New Leaf daily leading up to the game's release. The directive reflected Iwata's philosophy that staff needed direct experience with the title to fully grasp what the team had created before it reached consumers.

The episode underscores Iwata's hands-on approach to game development and his belief that understanding a product from a player's perspective was essential for anyone representing it internally. For a game focused on daily life simulation and community engagement, the requirement made practical sense - developers and marketers alike would internalize the gameplay loops and systems that defined the experience.