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The Video Game Industry Remembers Nintendo’s Satoru Iwata

by Mike Futter on Jul 13, 2015 at 05:15 AM

“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

Yesterday, news broke that one of gaming’s most visible developers and corporate leaders passed away. Satoru Iwata’s death at 55 was unexpected and tragic. In the wake of the news breaking, members of the gaming industry shared condolences and remembrances of a man who let fun be a guiding principle of his leadership.

We have gathered a number of the thoughts from developers, studios, and gaming luminaries here in memory of Iwata-san. Thank you, Mr. Iwata, for reminding us all that gaming should be about having fun.

Nintendo of Europe is today mourning the passing of Mr Satoru Iwata, Nintendo's Global President. 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. - Satoru Shibata, president, Nintendo of Europe

I am truly surprised and saddened by this unexpected news. The entire development team at Nintendo will remain committed to our development policy which Mr. Iwata and we have been constructing together and to yield the development results which Mr. Iwata would appreciate. - Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of numerous Nintendo games [Source: Eurogamer]

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. 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. - Reggie Fils-Aime, president and chief operating officer, Nintendo of America

Nintendo president Iwata has passed away. As the boss from the previous company I worked at, he was the most understanding person when I decided to change my position and location. A hard worker and virtuous person, I had always derived balance and good intentions from him when we worked together. I think that he was the best leader Nintendo ever had, all things considered. I wish for his soul, and my condolences to all his friends and family. - Masahiro Sakurai, director, Super Smash Bros. Series [Source: Twitter, translation via GameFAQs]

It’s a very sad day. Mr. Iwata was a great visionary championing products like the Wii and the Nintendo DS. He changed entertainment forever. I consider myself lucky to have called him a good friend for over two decades. All of us at Activision Blizzard send his wife and children and the entire Nintendo family our most sincere condolences. - Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard

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