07-13-2015, 10:41 PM
For any who managed to avoid the news, Satoru Iwata, President and CEO of Nintendo since 2002, died on July 11th this year.
For those who don't really know me, I am a massive gamer. I have been playing video games since I was 3 years old back in 1994, and they have always been a huge part of my life, but it wasn't until the last couple of years that they became my big focus in life. I, personally, feel bad because everything I've read in the last few years about Iwata has painted the man as nothing short of a miracle worker, and no matter what you think of Nintendo now there is no denying the company saved the Western video game market after it crashed. I grew up playing both Nintendo and Sega games, but Nintendo games have always been my favorites. Even now I can go back and play Link to the Past, or Star Fox and think, "Wow, this game is amazing." So, this is sort of my little thread to Iwata, an amazing man who shall not be forgotten.
Some more information about Satoru Iwata, for those who don't know the great man we've lost: He was coordinator of software production for the company HAL Laboratory, and was promoted to its president in 1993. HAL Labs is most well known for the Kirby franchise, Earthbound/Mother, and Super Smash Bros. of which Iwata was obviously involved in. He also helped in founding Creatures Inc., the company behind Pokemon, and assisted in development of Pokemon Gold/Silver. This was all before he was an employee of the main Nintendo company.
In 2000, Iwata was made the head of Nintendo's corporate planning division, and took the position of company president in 2002 when the previous head, Hiroshi Yamauchi, retired. At that point in time, Nintendo was facing poor sales on the Gamecube, and Iwata believed the gaming industry had become too exclusive. He pushed Nintendo to ultimately develop the Wii and DS, desiring to make games that could be played by any one of any age.
I leave this opening post with a quote from Iwata's speech at GDC in 2005, "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."
For those who don't really know me, I am a massive gamer. I have been playing video games since I was 3 years old back in 1994, and they have always been a huge part of my life, but it wasn't until the last couple of years that they became my big focus in life. I, personally, feel bad because everything I've read in the last few years about Iwata has painted the man as nothing short of a miracle worker, and no matter what you think of Nintendo now there is no denying the company saved the Western video game market after it crashed. I grew up playing both Nintendo and Sega games, but Nintendo games have always been my favorites. Even now I can go back and play Link to the Past, or Star Fox and think, "Wow, this game is amazing." So, this is sort of my little thread to Iwata, an amazing man who shall not be forgotten.
Some more information about Satoru Iwata, for those who don't know the great man we've lost: He was coordinator of software production for the company HAL Laboratory, and was promoted to its president in 1993. HAL Labs is most well known for the Kirby franchise, Earthbound/Mother, and Super Smash Bros. of which Iwata was obviously involved in. He also helped in founding Creatures Inc., the company behind Pokemon, and assisted in development of Pokemon Gold/Silver. This was all before he was an employee of the main Nintendo company.
In 2000, Iwata was made the head of Nintendo's corporate planning division, and took the position of company president in 2002 when the previous head, Hiroshi Yamauchi, retired. At that point in time, Nintendo was facing poor sales on the Gamecube, and Iwata believed the gaming industry had become too exclusive. He pushed Nintendo to ultimately develop the Wii and DS, desiring to make games that could be played by any one of any age.
I leave this opening post with a quote from Iwata's speech at GDC in 2005, "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."
Soul of the mind, key to life's ether. Soul of the lost, withdrawn from its vessel. Let strength be granted, so the world might be mended. So the world might be mended.
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