It is my sad duty to alert the Outerhaven family that Nintendo’s President, Satoru Iwata has died today at the age of 55.
Nintendo issued a statement on the passing of Iwata earlier today:
Nintendo Co., Ltd. deeply regrets to announce that President Satoru Iwata passed away on July 11, 2015 due to a bile duct growth.
Iwata began working with Nintendo in a freelance capacity, making games for HAL Laboratory such as Balloon Fight and the Mother/Earthbound Trilogy, eventually moving up to Director in 2000 and President in 2002, overseeing some of Nintendo’s major successes and failure throughout the decade and a half that he was in an executive position at Nintendo.
- June 2000 Appointed as Director
- May 2002 Appointed as President Appointed as Representative Director
- June 2013 Appointed as CEO of Nintendo of America Inc
The Outerhaven staff offers its sincerest condolences to the Iwata family at this time of bereavement.
Clinton Bowman
Senior Editor, The Outerhaven Productions
R.I.P Iwata. I know people gave you an immeasurable amount of grief, yet at the same time you were very instrumental in the growth of Nintendo. You’ve more than earned your rest and you won’t be forgotten.
1959 – 2015
Here was a true video game success story – one of three legendary programmers, famous for doing the most impossible of tasks, and created quality innovations that gave rise to video game legacies, rising through the ranks to become the president and CEO of Nintendo, but instead of hiding behind paperwork and a desk, he embraced the fans and kept putting the quality and fun of the game itself before anything. He made fun of himself, he opened up to everyone through his Nintendo Directs, he became an icon of the company alongside Miyimoto and Reggie.
It’s not going to be the same without him.