Game researcher ducks millions in royalties

http://us.i1.yimg.com/videogames.yahoo.com/feature/game-researcher-ducks-millions-in-royalties/1184067

Game researcher ducks millions in royalties
Co-developer of multi-million seller 'Brain Age' gave royalty share to college construction efforts.
By Mike Smith

Ryuta Kawashima, the researcher behind Nintendo's Brain Age series of games for the DS portable system, would rather be working than enjoying $11 million in royalties he could have earned from his creations.

"Not a single yen has gone in my pocket," Dr. Kawashima told the AFP in a recent interview. Kawashima, whose likeness was heavily featured in the best-selling Brain Age games, is instantly recognizable to almost 12 million gamers worldwide.

Under the terms of his agreement with his employer, Tohoku University in Japan's north-east region, Kawashima was entitled to accept half the Brain Age royalties personally. Instead, he used the proceeds to help fund $6.5 million in construction projects on Tohoku's campus.

"My hobby is work," he said. "Everyone in my family is mad at me but I tell them that if they want money, go out and earn it."

Kawashima, who strictly monitors his teenage sons' gaming time, is currently working on a four-year project to study brain development in children. He's also cooperating with Toyota to develop a car designed to keep elderly drivers alert.