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Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has died following a battle with cancer. He was 55.
Iwata was president of the company for 13 years, having originally helped develop classic Nintendo titles Kirby, EarthBound and Balloon Fight years earlier at HAL Laboratory.
He later led the company through three generations of home Nintendo consoles, starting with the GameCube following his appointment in 2002, through to Wii and Wii U. He also oversaw the launches of Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS.
He died on Saturday.
Iwata became well loved by fans for his sense of humour, humility and passion for games, and became known for his appearances on the firm’s live broadcasts Nintendo Direct.
Concerns over his health first arose in 2014 after he announced that he would not be attending major industry trade show E3, and that he would be undergoing surgery to remove a tumour from his bile duct. He later updated his Mii to reflect his weight loss following the surgery.
In remembrance of Iwata, Nintendo said that it would not be posting on any of its social media channels today.
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“Nintendo of Europe is today mourning the passing of Mr Satoru Iwata, Nintendo’s Global President,” said the company’s European president Satoru Shibata in a statement provided to VideoGamer.com. “It is difficult to put into words the sadness we feel at this time. Mr. Iwata was a strong leader, a unique figure in the gaming industry and an important part of Nintendo’s history. He was a visionary in every sense of the word and we will miss him dearly.
“Just as Mr. Iwata challenged us to always push forward, we will ensure his legacy lives on through our ongoing work to always surprise and delight our fans. At this time our thoughts are with his family.”
“Mr. Iwata is gone, but it will be years before his impact on both Nintendo and the full video game industry will be fully appreciated,” Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime added in a statement to benzinga.com.
“He was a strong leader for our company, and his attributes were clear to most everyone: Intelligence, creativity, curiosity and sense of humor. But for those of us fortunate enough to work closely with him, what will be remembered most were his mentorship and, especially, his friendship. He was a wonderful man. He always challenged us to push forward…to try the new…to upset paradigms-and most of all, to engage, excite and endear our fans. That work will continue uninterrupted.”
Shigeru Miyamoto said that he was “overcome with sadness”.
Developers, publishers and industry figureheads also paid their respects for Iwata on Twitter, with many thanking him for his contributions to gaming.
Thank you for everything, Mr. Iwata.
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) July 13, 2015
Sad day for Iwata-san’s family, friends, and gamers everywhere. His passion, creativity & leadership elevated our industry.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) July 13, 2015
What a terribly sad day. Iwata-San was such a gentleman. Huge loss for the industry. http://t.co/kkNvoU6Mlt
— Peter Moore (@petermooreEA) July 13, 2015
“Our deepest condolences & sympathies go out to Mr. Iwata’s family & everyone at Nintendo. He will be missed.” – Yves Guillemot
— Ubisoft (@Ubisoft) July 13, 2015
Mr. Iwata’s contributions to the industry were immeasurable. Thank you for inspiring us all.
— Activision (@Activision) July 13, 2015
We lost a great voice and passionate guiding light for the games industry today. Iwata-san, your work will live on. Thank you.
— 2K (@2K) July 13, 2015
Sad news this morning, rest in peace Iwata-san. Our thoughts are with his family and our friends & colleagues at Nintendo
— Capcom UK (@Capcom_UK) July 13, 2015
Criterion sends best wishes to the friends and family of Iwata-san, and the many Nintendo fans who will miss his gaming and creative powers.
— CriterionGames (@CriterionGames) July 13, 2015
We have lost a legend in the gaming world today… RIP Satoru Iwata you will be missed… #RIPIwata #ktfamily pic.twitter.com/ODRirzLDs9
— KOEI TECMO AMERICA (@KoeiTecmoUS) July 13, 2015
We hope that you will join us in paying respects to and celebrating the life of Satoru Iwata
— Bandai Namco UK (@BandaiNamcoUK) July 13, 2015
#ThankYouIwata for your love of imaginative, fun games. We salute you.
[Art by @ikuyoan: http://t.co/I6MDCY8P1l] pic.twitter.com/NahL5LPhqz
— Konami UK (@KonamiUK) July 13, 2015
Please, I don’t understand. #ThankYouIwata
— Markus Persson (@notch) July 13, 2015
We offer our sincere condolences at the loss of Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, and express our tremendous respect for his life and work.
— PlatinumGames Inc. (@platinumgames) July 13, 2015
Really sad to hear about Iwata-san’s passing today. As a fan of Nintendo since the NES, my heart goes out to his family, friends, & fans.
— Adam Boyes (@amboyes) July 13, 2015
“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.” – Iwata-san
— Bungie (@Bungie) July 13, 2015
In my heart forever.
http://t.co/w4cYNscXFy
— 神谷英樹 Hideki Kamiya (@PG_kamiya) July 13, 2015
With sadness, we say goodbye to Satoru Iwata, a fantastic creator and a gamer at heart. Thank you from the GAME Community. #RIPIwata.
— GAME.co.uk (@GAMEdigital) July 13, 2015
R.I.P. Iwata-san. I never met him. My all time favorite video game is “balloon fight”. Thanks.… https://t.co/I5hKWu3DyC
— SWERY (@Swery65) July 13, 2015
What a sad day. #RIPIwata. Your talent and vision will live on, but the Games Industry won’t be the same without you. pic.twitter.com/e862SGZSBD
— Lionhead Studios (@LionheadStudios) July 13, 2015
Rest in peace and thank you Iwata-san: Fans, peers remember and reflect on the loss today of Nintendo President Iwata http://t.co/BH9Wn6Zv1B
— Ray Muzyka (@RayMuzyka) July 13, 2015
R.I.P. Iwata-San. A man who did so much for gaming and taking it mainstream, You will be missed.
— Miles Jacobson (@milesSI) July 13, 2015
Very sorry to hear of the death of Iwata san. A loss to the whole industry.
— David Braben (@DavidBraben) July 13, 2015
An incredibly sad start to the week. RIP Satoru Iwata. You had the respect of a world of gamers, including all of us at Rare. #ThankYouIwata
— Rare Ltd. (@RareLtd) July 13, 2015
Our president and co-founder Yves Guillemot offers his deepest condolences and sympathies to Mr. Iwata’s family. pic.twitter.com/JDTeIHKUdW
— Ubisoft Montréal (@UbisoftMTL) July 13, 2015
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