Nintendo’s Satoru Iwata has passed away

I was just shocked at reading this sudden news, that Nintendo has announced that Satoru Iwata the current Nintendo president, passed away at the age of 55 years old due to cancer. I always liked him, he seemed so friendly and accessible, and at the same time, so capable at running Nintendo.

He was the fourth president of the company, and under his guidance Nintendo has made major steps in innovation. Once, referring to his business card, he clearly stated the kind of man he was:

“On my business card,  I am a corporate president. In my mind, I am a game developer. But in my heart, I am a gamer”

Now, we won’t see him anymore in Nintendo Direct, bowing and saying “Directly to you” a it’s a sad day in the gaming world. Rest in peace, Mr. Iwata….

 

13 comments

  1. A very sad day. The sense you get from the Iwata Asks interviews is that he was a fantastic CEO who really cared about Nintendo’s games and employees in equal measure, a rare combination indeed.

  2. What a sad day indeed. Most guys that reach a position such as his have a business-centered background and are completely clueless of their company’s true purpose. Most of them make an effort to understand the market they are working on, but they pretty much let their administrative vein get in the way of what is truly important and they end up losing sight of the things that matter.

    Iwata was a programmer and a game designer, so even though his decisions were not 100% on target – something that can be said about all beings to ever step on this planet – they were all rooted in good intentions; and that’s what matters from a human perspective.

    He will be missed!

    1. I couldn’t have said it better Matt. Most company leaders get their positions because of their leadership ( or at least, because of what the powers that be think of as leadership) but Iwata really knew what he was talking about.

        1. Matt and Yvonne,

          He will truly be missed. My God. The past 24 hours had been very emotional for Nintendo fans. I know we have to cope up eventually. I know at one point the discussion will be about looking at who will replace him, but at least for today (heck for this week), I believe that debate should be settled some other time. For now, I hope people will just remember him.

          The last time I cried for someone I don’t know was in 2009, when Michael Jackson died. I never thought it will happen again.

  3. I think he truly care about customers, employees and the medium, that’s really rare in a CEO, sad to see him go but he left us a great legacy.

    All Nintendo was launched in a really bold direction these last years: DeNA, NX, QoL. It will be interesting how his final vision for the company pans out.

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