Nintendo President Satoru Iwata Dies at 55
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata Dies at 55
Published: 13th July 2015 | Source: OC3D |
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata Dies at 55
Nintendo's President Satoru Iwata has passed away at age 55 after a long battle with cancer. His death was confirmed by Nintendo Japan in a short statement.
Iwata will be a man who will be sorely missed in today's industry, his belief that games need to be fun and his commitment to doing so at his own personal cost is simply inspiring. Remember that this man halved his own salary in order to aid Nintendo's poor finances.
Nintendo Co., Ltd. deeply regrets to announce that President Satoru Iwata passed away on July 11, 2015 due to a bile duct growth.
Iwata is a man who has worked on many of Nintendo's biggest titles, like Pokemon Gold and Silver, Mario, Legend OF Zelda and Animal Crossing. He has been President of Nintendo since 2002 and is a man who has passion for video games and Nintendo as a whole.
Below is a statement that Iwata made before E3 2015:
"Thank you very much for your continued extraordinary support of us. I am Satoru Iwata, President of the company.
Today, there is one thing that I would like to share with you.
Recently, as the result of one of my routine physical examinations, an issue was detected. Following a more detailed examination, a growth was found in my bile duct.
In general, it is said that a bile duct growth can be difficult-to-treat, partly because of the difficulty of detecting it early. In my case, luckily, it was detected very early and I had no symptoms.
I was counseled that removal at an early stage would be the desirable medical option. Therefore I had surgery last week, and I came through it well, as predicted.
I have already resumed my business by email and by other means, but it is anticipated that a little more time is needed for me to return to my regular work schedule.
As a result, I have no choice but to miss the company’s very important activity, the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, to be held this month. As the president of the company, I regret that I cannot attend the meeting. However, I understand that I have to prioritize my medical treatment and to recover as soon as possible so that I will again be able to do my best to help the company to grow. I hope that you understand.
Best Regards,
Satoru Iwata"
The loss of this fun loving and inspiring man is no doubt a big loss for Nintendo and for the Video game industry as a whole. Right now my thoughts are with his family and friends during this time of hardship.
You can join the discussion on the Death and the life of Satoru Iwata on the OC3D Forums.
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata has died of Cancer at age 55. May be rest in peace. http://t.co/9zdD6NZxjY pic.twitter.com/x7CLSRmaZ3
— OC3D (@OC3D) July 13, 2015
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"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 IwataQuote

We lost one of the most important figures of the video game mediumQuote