The passing of Nintendo President & CEO Satoru Iwata affected me greatly the moment I learned about it. I was casually scrolling my Twitter feed when the news broke: Iwata, at age 55, passed away due to a bile duct tumor. And just like that, the video games community lost an innovator and an icon.
It was Iwata who pioneered Nintendo’s journey into the future of gaming, leading the development of the game-changing Nintendo DS handheld and the motion-controlled Nintendo Wii console. These devices went on to shape the current state of the industry. The DS eventually evolved into the 3DS, dominating the games portability market and rivaling what iPhones and Android sets have to offer. The Wii’s successor, the Wii U, continues to pump out grade-A first-party games that finally bring Mario and friends into the world of high definition. The motion control input which first debuted in the original Wii spawned intense competition from the likes of Microsoft and its hands-free motion capture camera, Kinect. Sony also offers a camera of its own, and soon it will take advantage of a virtual reality headset codenamed Project Morpheus. In sum, Iwata was the brains behind an originally outlandish concept that would soon take the industry by storm. Kinect, Morpheus, and even VR startup Oculus have Iwata to thank for his ability to properly gauge and cater to gamers with new modes of gameplay.
In addition to running Nintendo and coming up with brilliant innovations, Iwata knew how to connect with his company’s fanbase on a number of levels. He came up with “Iwata Asks,” a series of in-depth interviews he hosted alongside creators of major titles coming to Nintendo’s systems. He also put a spotlight on his incredible sense of humor, having fun when making big announcements at E3 and during Nintendo Direct web videos. All in all, he was a CEO with heart and a true passion for video games. And with that, I leave you with a powerful quote:
“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.” – Satoru Iwata, RIP.
[Image via PeachBunni]