“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.”
Nintendo President and CEO Satoru Iwata passed away this past weekend after battling cancer for over a year. He was a programmer and developer for Nintendo’s internal development teams, notably HAL Laboratory, throughout the 80s and 90s before he succeeded Hiroshi Yamauchi as Nintendo President in 2002. He lead the company during a pivotal 13 year stretch that saw the company evolve and adapt to gaming trends in the 21st century. His rise to the top was unusual, as he was one of the industry’s few corporate leaders that had substantial game developing experience.
Compared to Yamauchi, who was often made abrasive, outlandish statements that alienated many, Iwata was an affable person with a charming sense of humor and genuine fondness for video games. His programming skills have left a tremendous impact on various Nintendo franchises like Pokemon, Kirby, Earthbound, Smash Bros, and more. His business decisions and corporate philosophy changed the gaming landscape during his tenure. But most significantly, his kindness and warmth as a person left an indelible impact on his peers and countless others.
Here’s our tribute to Satoru Iwata and reasons why he will be sorely missed.
He was an amazing programmer
“My actual last work on programming happened when I was working as the general manager of corporate planning at Nintendo. Something happened and the Gamecube version of Super Smash Brothers didn’t look like it was going to make its release date so I sort of did a code review for it.”
Iconic Nintendo games like Pokemon Gold and Silver, Earthbound, and Smash Bros Melee wouldn’t have been quite the same were it not for Iwata. Earthbound saw troubled development until Iwata stepped in to code the game. The Kanto region wouldn’t have made the cut in Gold and Silver if he hadn’t created a compression tool to that allowed the area to fit within the game’s memory constraints. Smash Bro. Melee had a series of bugs that Iwata squished. The game went on to become the best selling GameCube game of all time and is still played by many today.
He didn’t blame his failures on others
“If we reduce the number of employees for better short-term financial results, employee morale will decrease, and I sincerely doubt employees who fear that they may be laid off will be able to develop software titles that could impress people around the world.”
When Nintendo suffered its third consecutive operating loss last year due to poor WiiU sales, Iwata took a 50% pay cut instead of laying off employees.
Many gamers and a certain Wedbush Securities analyst felt that Iwata should have resigned, but he stayed on to ensure that the company would continue developing games and doing business the Nintendo way. This is in stark contrast to other major gaming companies like EA and Ubisoft that are notorious for laying off employees on an annual basis.
He had a genuine appreciation and curiosity for gaming
“One: lots of patience. Two: a glint in the eye. Three: liking games.” – Iwata’s response to the question: “What qualities are necessary to be a game designer?”
Although he stopped programming during his tenure, Iwata spends a good portion of time interacting with game developers. His Iwata Asks features offer insightful round table discussions with Nintendo’s internal and third party teams. These discussions were relaxed and more conversational when compared to traditional interviews. His signature laugh even became a meme among gamers.
He took Nintendo in a different direction
“We do not run from risk. We run to it. We are taking the risk to move beyond the boundaries of the game industry to reach new players and current players.”
It was during Iwata’s tenure that Nintendo fully embraced the late Gunpei Yokoi’s idea, “Lateral Thinking with Withered Technology.” It essentially meant re-purposing existing, established technology in new ways that allowed Nintendo to introduce unique concepts at affordable prices.
Following the powerful specs and tech approach of its competitors resulted in the GameCube finishing third place behind the PlayStation 2 and XBox, so Iwata took Nintendo in a different direction altogether with the Wii. While the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 sold for a loss early on, the Wii was instantly profitable due to this methodology. This allowed for a dynamic gimmick, motion controlled games, and a lower price point that led to immediate sell outs during its first few years on the market.
The Nintendo DS also adopted this as well, opting for creative use of a dual screen and touchscreen design when compared to the more technologically advanced PlayStation Portable. Nobody anticipated that the Nintendo DS would not only replace the iconic Game Boy line, but also become the second best selling game device of all time. These two bold risks paid dividends for Nintendo, reversing the company’s fortunes.
Perhaps his boldest move as CEO is the one that’s still in the works: Nintendo finally embracing smartphone/tablet gaming.
He had a tremendous sense of charm and humor
“I’ve never once been embarrassed that children have supported Nintendo. I’m proud of it. That’s because children judge products based on instinct.”
How many other CEOs are willing to partake in goofy skits AND pull them off with charm? Much like the games he presided over, Iwata’s playfulness brought smiles to gamers worldwide. His forward thinking Nintendo Direct presentations were always charming and had a dignified approach as well.
He was a wonderful person
“Even a small amount of power can have a great effect when concentrated on a certain area.”
When asked by a shareholder on why Nintendo had not openly aided the victims of the Tohoku earthquake, Iwata said that they did in fact contribute money ($3.6 million) but didn’t feel it was necessary to get the media involved. It was just simply the right thing to do.
By all accounts he was well loved and admired by his peers for his understanding and patience.
“You went on a trip far, far away, even though it was planned for many years from now. You wore your best outfit and said ‘Sorry for the short notice,’ though you didn’t say it out loud. You always put yourself last, after you’d finished helping everyone else. You were so generous as a friend that this trip might be your very first selfish act.” – Shigesato Itoi, creator of Earthbound
“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, creator of Super Smash Bros
Thank you Mr. Iwata for everything.
“Above all, video games are meant to be just one thing: fun. Fun for everyone.” Satoru Iwata
