The Verge: Satoru Iwata, who lost his battle with cancer over the weekend at the age of 55, was the very best kind of CEO. Invested in Nintendo’s history from his time as a star programmer, Iwata rose up the ranks to take command at a young age and usher in one of the most dramatic transformations ever seen from a Japanese company. His vision upended and expanded the video game market, bringing years of astonishing profit to Nintendo with the DS and Wii. But more importantly, he made countless people happy.
This afternoon I went down to the company’s headquarters, situated in a nondescript Kyoto suburb peppered with run-down garages and overgrown playgrounds. A forlorn employee made her way through the gate, wiping a tear from her cheek, and as I saw the Nintendo flag flying at half-mast I was hit by a tidal wave of sorrow. For any other company, for any other president or CEO, I wouldn’t have felt this way. But Satoru Iwata was more than just a CEO to many. He was an architect and steward of memories; I’ll be forever thankful.
At the heart of Iwata’s tenure at Nintendo was a philosophy of listening.
In 2015, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata sadly passed away. Dear friend and EarthBound creator Shigesato Itoi compiled his musings as a tribute.
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa recently sat down with Nikkei to discuss his approach to leading the company through the current Switch era, as well as what influences past presidents like Satoru Iwata and Hiroshi Yamauchi had on him.
nothing wrong with him per say but he just feels kinda lifeless compared to Iwata and lacks the tough guy almost Yakuza vibe Yamauchi gave off
This guy is a penny pincher and has no love of gaming. It is obvious in the half assed ports he is pushing. Iwata we miss you.
Really?
No disrespect for Mr. Iwata but for me, on a positive note, Nintendo will always be the living legend Shigeru Miyamoto-san.
He was there in the beginning and Nintendo will never be without him. Nintendo will always be known and remembered for the games, characters and the Nintendo hardware he designed for his game ideas.