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[RoninChaos]

It's really sad to see this guy go as he was the anti-ceo in every way possible. When Nintendo hit the rocks this past gen he didn't lay anybody off, and instead took a hit on his salary. His reasoning was that no one would be able to create if they were living in fear. I think Nintendo has done a lot of stupid shit over the years, but I never doubted their commitment to making something wonderful and something fun. And that attitude of making people feel like their jobs were safe even if the company was hitting some rough times is a commendable thing, and it's something that should be celebrated.

He also said the core above all, was about fun. He was part of a group of people that have helped shape and create something that's a bit transcendent in a way. Nintendo games have a very invisible language that make them really open to a lot of people. More so than any other developer I think. They don't mind making games that both kids and adults can enjoy, and Nintendo has been the counterweight in a lot of ways to the cynicism that's taken over this industry.

My son is downstairs right now with a friend of his, laughing and yelling with joy because they just beat Bowser. Kind of fitting, I think.

 

[Cosmonaut X]

I'll try to get to it a bit later today if I can find time... I just read through it and it was really touching. Him wishing there was a StreetPass with heaven so that he can say thanks to Iwata one last time. It sounds like they had a bit of a falling out regarding a 3DS Seaman project that never came to be, and Saito deeply regrets not having reestablished relations with Iwata after that.

Would be interested in reading that, mainly for Saito's personal tribute to Iwata but also because it confirms the existence of a Seaman 3DS (I seem to recall it being mentioned by Nikkei at some point) project.

A shame it never came to pass, and that it caused friction between the two.

 

[thebisonxrc]

Could someone please add the ribbon to my avatar? I would be very thankful.

 

[oreomunsta]

What about an Iwata amiibo?

I was thinking about how nice it would be to 3D print something like an amiibo and maybe send it to NoA headquarters...

Also, I just want to reiterate that while he has been sick for the past year, he was working on the Quality of Life platform. He was working on improving the life of everyone, while his deteriorated...

 

[RSP]

RIP

 

[bumpkin]

It looks like a petition is circulating now for Nintendo to make an Iwata amiibo to honor him.

Did he have any children or a wife? If they did do such a thing, they should sell them via their website or something and give a portion of the proceeds (because obviously the production would cost money) to whoever survives him, family wise.

 

[Japanmanx3]

That word...fun... What better way to describe the feeling this man helped convey... Pure... Innocent... Fun...

 

[Snkfanatic]

It looks like a survey is circulating now for Nintendo to make an Iwata amiibo to honor him.

Did he have any children or a wife? If they did do such a thing, they should sell them via their website or something and give a portion of the proceeds (because obviously the production would cost money) to whoever survives him, family wise.

Ah I would buy that, hopefully they make them easy to get if they do.

 

[pelican]

Could someone do me the honour of popping the Iwata ribbon on my avatar please.

Thanks

 

[Hyperactivity]

I don't know how I can watch a Nintendo Direct from now on without remembering him

 

[JoeM86]

What about an Iwata amiibo?

Would have to do the "Directly to you" pose

 

[Zalman]

IGN: 11 Memorable Satoru Iwata Quotes

I never knew about this one. I can't believe how accurate it is:

"In our business, too often people with a fresh idea don t have a chance. I believe if Tetris were presented today, here is what the producer would be told: Go back give me more levels give me better graphics give me cinematics and you’re probably going to need a movie license to sell that idea to the public."

 

[kinggroin]

Broke out into tears for the first time. Guess I was still in shock. Reading the tweets got me.

 

[orthodoxy1095]

It looks like a petition is circulating now for Nintendo to make an Iwata amiibo to honor him.

Did he have any children or a wife? If they did do such a thing, they should sell them via their website or something and give a portion of the proceeds (because obviously the production would cost money) to whoever survives him, family wise.

As far as I know, no kids.

Some people have suggested cancer research be the target of proceeds, which is a great idea. I've suggested that another possibility is a charity that gives underprivileged kids the opportunity to game. I think he would have liked something like that.

 

[gamergirly]

I don't know if already posted, but NoA updated its press site with a more recent image of Mr. Iwata (this photo was taken on June 23 this year):

Oh wow. You can see the life being taken out of him

 

[Dusk Golem]

I feel like this must of been posted, but...

In honor of his death, TIME has released quotes they didn't publish previously Iwata had given them during their interview with him last March.

“I think a typical president of a company does not do things like Iwata Asks or Nintendo Direct, so some people might view me as a slightly strange president. But I do think that there is a tremendous amount of meaning for me to be able to do and continue to do things that only I can do, and so I’ll continue to look for new and unique things that I can contribute.”

Lot more at the link.

 

[cyba89]

It's sad he worked hard in the recent past to prepare Nintendo for the future beyond WiiU/3DS, but won't be able to unveil it all to the public himself.
His philosophies and business decisions will have a big influence on Nintendo for years to come regarding their next console, handheld, QoL, mobile, IP licensing etc.

 

[Shmuppers]

I feel like this must of been posted, but...

In honor of his death, TIME has released quotes they didn't publish previously Iwata had given them during their interview with him last March.

I didn't see these, thanks.

 

[Shig]

You know what's sad? Even during these final days people still wanted him fired.

I think it's important to note that even the most ardent critics of his leadership tenure still universally recognized that he was a skilled developer, a great presenter, and above all, a damn fine human being.

He definitely had some blind spots and dropped balls as a CEO, though, many of which he himself acknowledged in retrospect. A company doesn't go from the stratoshperic highs of last gen to the lows of this gen without some fundamental missteps.

But any reasonable criticism didn't paint him as a bad fit for Nintendo at large.

 

[Dany]

It looks like a petition is circulating now for Nintendo to make an Iwata amiibo to honor him.

Did he have any children or a wife? If they did do such a thing, they should sell them via their website or something and give a portion of the proceeds (because obviously the production would cost money) to whoever survives him, family wise.

a petition to demand an amiibo to pay respects to Iwata?

what.

 

[JSoup]

Feats of heroism performed by late Nintendo president and CEO Satoru Iwata:

• Was one of the founders (and sole programmer) for HAL Laboratories, creators of Kirby, which he built from a tiny Akihabara apartment into one of the most respected game developers in the business.
• Saved HAL Labs from the brink of collapse by sealing a crucial deal with Nintendo. Nintendo President Hiroshi Yamauchi agreed to the deal only on the condition that Iwata become the new president of HAL Labs. Yamauchi would eventually break family tradition and appoint him as his successor as President and CEO of Nintendo.
• Completely reworked EarthBound from scratch in 6 months after the project had languished in development for 4 years.
• Wrote the battle logic for Pokemon Stadium for Nintendo 64 in a week without any reference documents from the Game Boy games.
• Brought in to optimize Pokemon Gold/Silver so the designers could fit in the entire map; the end result was so efficient they had room left over to add in the original map from Pokemon Red/Blue.
• Acted as head of debugging for Super Smash Bros. Melee at the 11th hour to meet its ship date. Completed his job in 3 weeks. This was after he left HAL Labs to become a high-ranking executive at Nintendo.
• Supposedly personally played every milestone build of every game in development at Nintendo during his tenure.

Most of these are footnotes from interviews or personal anecdotes that emerged years after the fact. I'm sure many many more will come out in light of his passing. This man may have been at the top, but his heart was always with the developers in the trenches. The game always came first.

Please understand that you directly touched our hearts. Thank you, Mr. Iwata.

This is a great bullet list, but is there a more complete list of his programming accomplishments somewhere? Google has been a little less helpful with this.

 

[MicroByter]

I need to get off this thread, my allergies keep making my eyes water here at work.

 

[DXLelouch153]

As far as I know, no kids.

Some people have suggested cancer research be the target of proceeds, which is a great idea. I've suggested that another possibility is a charity that gives underprivileged kids the opportunity to game. I think he would have liked something like that.

the sooner we kill off cancer for good the better
fuck cancer and the aging process in general
fuck it whynotboth.jpg

 

[Baron von Loathsome]

This feels appropriate.

It's a road that you go when you die.

 

[Mpl90]

Well, the day's almost over here in Italy (8:23 PM), so I suppose I should say something more substantial.

I want to thank you all. You on GAF and my friends with whom I've shared this (terrible) memory. Not my parents, though. Not yet. I've yet to tell them how sad I've been throughout the entire day.
I've read the news at about 05:30 AM in Italy, so already 4 hours after the announcement. I didn't cry immediatly: way too shocked for that. Heck, to think I just woke up because I didn't feel to sleep and I decided to see for a second GAF to do something while trying to sleep again...and what's the first thing I see? That.
The tears started dropping at 07:30 AM, when I saw some of the many, many fanarts that started appearing.
And I continued crying throughout the day. Not always, but it happened a lot. Especially by seeing all the heartwrenching and amazing fanarts here. This day...I don't think I'll forget it that soon.

Many people here know that I really, really liked Iwata, his way of directing, his quirkyness. Which doesn't mean that it shouldn't be criticised for decisions he took / he a part in: undoubtly he made some strange / just wrong decisions, and he has to be criticised for them. But it's also true he made other good/amazing decisions: Wii and DS on top. Above all, especially in the past few hours, he was something that it doesn't come off that much from other suits in general. He was human, he was a gamer who worked as a programmer and, then, he became the president of the company he loved. This is surely the dream of many people over here, and rightfully so. He acted in order to bring fun to the world, and sometimes it worked very well, others not so much, but his heart was in the right place. He was humble: the pay-cut after the 3DS's price cut, how they didn't shout how they helped during post Fukushima's disaster. He wasn't just a suit. As he said

"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."

He didn't just think about the money. He wasn't someone taken from a completely different field with no understanding about the world of gaming. He was a gamer. He loved gaming. And he loved us, Nintendo/gaming fans.

What happened today brings in a different context to what happened in the recent months: all these initiatives, Nintendo being so proactive...it wasn't just that, it was also Iwata trying to pave Nintendo's way for the future, a future where he wouldn't be there since he knew he didn't have much time left. And, in the end, he did it. And, hopefully, it'll pay off in the next five / ten years.

Well, I don't know what else to say, honestly. It's been a sad day, but, again, I need to thank you all, from the deepest of my heart and soul, for the love shown today. Thanks. Again and again. And, well, today the gaming world is indeed less bright. Hoepfully, his way of thinking (which is quite close to Nintendo's actual one), even with variations (even major ones) here and there due to the new breed that'll come, has long enough roots to stay in the company and to continue to bring the happiness to our gamers' hearts.

Thank you for everything, Iwata.
ありがとうございました, Satoru-san.

 

[MistressMoitie]

I wish he could have seen all this outpouring of love from everyone before he passed. I hope he knew how much everyone cherished him. It's always wonderful to see all the tributes after someone goes away, but it's even more important to let people know how much you value them while they are still here to feel it.

Miss you, Iwata.

 

[RPG_Fanatic]

What about an Iwata amiibo?

I came back to this thread to make this very suggestion.

 

[Lingitiz]

I feel like this must of been posted, but...

In honor of his death, TIME has released quotes they didn't publish previously Iwata had given them during their interview with him last March.

Nice quote from Reggie in there.

“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.”

 

[Big Nikus]

a petition to demand an amiibo to pay respects to Iwata?

what.

Yeah seriously...

 

[Kaban]

My friend posted some artwork of hers on Facebook.

 

[fluffydelusions]

Feats of heroism performed by late Nintendo president and CEO Satoru Iwata:

• Was one of the founders (and sole programmer) for HAL Laboratories, creators of Kirby, which he built from a tiny Akihabara apartment into one of the most respected game developers in the business.
• Saved HAL Labs from the brink of collapse by sealing a crucial deal with Nintendo. Nintendo President Hiroshi Yamauchi agreed to the deal only on the condition that Iwata become the new president of HAL Labs. Yamauchi would eventually break family tradition and appoint him as his successor as President and CEO of Nintendo.
• Completely reworked EarthBound from scratch in 6 months after the project had languished in development for 4 years.
• Wrote the battle logic for Pokemon Stadium for Nintendo 64 in a week without any reference documents from the Game Boy games.
• Brought in to optimize Pokemon Gold/Silver so the designers could fit in the entire map; the end result was so efficient they had room left over to add in the original map from Pokemon Red/Blue.
• Acted as head of debugging for Super Smash Bros. Melee at the 11th hour to meet its ship date. Completed his job in 3 weeks. This was after he left HAL Labs to become a high-ranking executive at Nintendo.
• Supposedly personally played every milestone build of every game in development at Nintendo during his tenure.

Most of these are footnotes from interviews or personal anecdotes that emerged years after the fact. I'm sure many many more will come out in light of his passing. This man may have been at the top, but his heart was always with the developers in the trenches. The game always came first.

Please understand that you directly touched our hearts. Thank you, Mr. Iwata.

Damn! So impressive

 

[StimaTobou]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zTsvPRwKZg

This one?

Sorry, what I meant to say is that I fondly remembered the Direct in which Mr. Iwata announced the name of the Gamepad. The link to the video that I am referring to is in my initial post.

 

[axisofweevils]

Going to NoA and seeing that picture of the rainbow over Nintendo of Japan has helped a little bit. Still, these will be hard days.

I will play some Smash as a tribute to Iwata.

Just saw this tweet from a Nintendo employee.
https://twitter.com/Sempuukyaku/status/620664687437348864

It seems like a few fans left some flowers and whatnot a the head of the Nintendo sign here at the NOA campus. Nintendo fans are amazing

 

[TriGen]

Wow. From Skype:

That's really classy.

I'll miss him so much.

 

[Silent_Ocarina]

An amiibo would be a really weird way to pay tribute to Mr. Iwata, I think. I'm surprised to see demand for it. I would love to see a statue at Nintendo's amusement park sector if space allows, though.

 

[Mpl90]

I'll try to get to it a bit later today if I can find time... I just read through it and it was really touching. Him wishing there was a StreetPass with heaven so that he can say thanks to Iwata one last time. It sounds like they had a bit of a falling out regarding a 3DS Seaman project that never came to be, and Saito deeply regrets not having reestablished relations with Iwata after that.

Oh God, this means that Nikkei was actually right in that istance too. It just never came to full fruition.

 

[Rösti]

In due time, perhaps we could set together some kind of Nintendo charity stream with focus on bringing money to further cancer research. Cholangiocarcinoma seems especially horrible, to help doctors catch it quicker would be great.

 

[Sadist]

My friend posted some artwork of hers on Facebook.

Aaaaaww

 

[LoveCake]

Could someone do me the honour of popping the Iwata ribbon on my avatar please.

Thanks

can someone add a ribbon pls?

Could someone please add the ribbon to my avatar? I would be very thankful.

 

[Sacul64GC]

To all the people debating on the logo why does it have to be one or the other? Iwata could be in front of the rainbow logo with the text of Love directly over the believe. That said now is not the time to be fighting.

Major props to the OP for keeping it up to date, no idea how he/she does it when I can hardly look at it with out tearing up.

 

[Zalman]

A screenshot I posted on Miiverse last year:

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

An amiibo would be a really weird way to pay tribute to Mr. Iwata, I think. I'm surprised to see demand for it. I would love to see a statue at Nintendo's amusement park sector if space allows, though.

I'd hate to see them end up on Craigslist anyway.

 

[Raven Prime]

RIP

 

[Muku]

Just saw this tweet from a Nintendo employee.
https://twitter.com/Sempuukyaku/status/620664687437348864

Okay, that got to me. Someone took notice of it and left a little note about what was up front. <3

I'd go as far as to say gamers themselves can be pretty great when we band together. It's just a bit sad when it takes something like this though.

 

[test_account]

IGN: 11 Memorable Satoru Iwata Quotes

I never knew about this one. I can't believe how accurate it is:

Its probably more easy to present such an idea today concidering the big popularity of phones and tablets. But yeah, that quote is probably still relevant today in several of cases, and especially in 2005 and the years around there (the quote is from 2005 i think, if i read the IGN article correctly).

 

[Axass]

Just saw this tweet from a Nintendo employee.
https://twitter.com/Sempuukyaku/status/620664687437348864

I'm so sorry that, living in Italy, I can't go to NoA or NCL headquarters to pay my respects. I'd drive for hundreds of kilometers to be there.

To anyone living near NoA: please go there and bring the feelings and thoughts of us european fans as well.

 

[Arizato]

Take a melody, simple as can be...

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

I strongly believe it was Iwata's instilling of freedom to Monolith is what made Xenoblade the game it is.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

 

[thebisonxrc]

Thank you so much!

 

[Linkhero1]

IGN: 11 Memorable Satoru Iwata Quotes

I never knew about this one. I can't believe how accurate it is:

This is spot on. The industry needs more people like Iwata.