-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Satoru Iwata Has Passed Away
- Thread starter Broken Joystick
- Start date
- Status
Richard_Venom
Member
Cow Mengde
Banned
He was probably in bed dying during that time.
I feel that's what Iwata was trying to accomplish with Iwata Asks. I hope someone else can pick it up.
Mysterious
Banned
In your opinion, what made Iwata special, unique, and ultimately, irreplaceable?
Seeing all the pics and drawings and goodbyes from everyone made me feel really sad at work today, and it's happening again right now.
It's also hard to accept we're not going to see him again in any Nintendo Direct. And I liked the puppets in this year's E3 presentation a lot, but I don't think I'll be able to remember it happily in the future, not after this
It's also hard to accept we're not going to see him again in any Nintendo Direct. And I liked the puppets in this year's E3 presentation a lot, but I don't think I'll be able to remember it happily in the future, not after this
He was as punk rock as a Japanese CEO in 2015 could be. He was born developing calculator games purely for the enjoyment of others, poured his soul into dozens of projects throughout the 80s and early 90s, pulled two beloved companies from the ashes, and never lost his love for the art and the people he served even after assuming presidency at HAL and Nintendo.
His charm and personality. It was clear he loved his job and had great passion for what he did. Iwata brought gaming to hundreds of millions of people, and in doing so brought laughter, fun, and smiles to families and friends worldwide. Tons more can be said about him.
HeavyMetalLover91
Member
Been all over the place today, it still doesn't seem real. I'm still not sure I know how to grieve for someone I never met, yet still had a big impact on my life. Tried to put my energy into something creative and did this. Will continue to improve it over the week but as I'll be working all of tomorrow, thought I'd share it now.
Normally, if I wasn't on vacation then I'd be on the first page posting this.
This freaking HURTS GAF, Greatly... I've always been one of the biggest Nintendo fans. Have owned every Nintendo platform from GBA and Super Gameboy to the Virtual Boy. I know there's bigger fans than me but as a kid, I did what I could to show how much of a fan of Nintendo I was (and still am).
I'm posting this from Cancun but man... Going to seriously have trouble sleeping tonight and have already shed a tear for this man.
Thanks for everything, Iwata... From Balloon Kid, Earthbound to the Wii, Wii U and 3ds and even Pokemon Stadium... Thank you greatly.
This freaking HURTS GAF, Greatly... I've always been one of the biggest Nintendo fans. Have owned every Nintendo platform from GBA and Super Gameboy to the Virtual Boy. I know there's bigger fans than me but as a kid, I did what I could to show how much of a fan of Nintendo I was (and still am).
I'm posting this from Cancun but man... Going to seriously have trouble sleeping tonight and have already shed a tear for this man.
Thanks for everything, Iwata... From Balloon Kid, Earthbound to the Wii, Wii U and 3ds and even Pokemon Stadium... Thank you greatly.
gate stormer
Member
I've been listening to this Xenoblade X song over the past few minutes...somehow seems fitting with my mood and whatnot...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z61TC7Z81ao&list=PL1DrBJf-q5zpv9iadNDn_9mxcbztO7K-4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z61TC7Z81ao&list=PL1DrBJf-q5zpv9iadNDn_9mxcbztO7K-4
Yeah, Iwata actually stated the reason for Iwata Asks was so that people could better understand Miyamoto's "Miyamotoisms". I hope it stays around because the developer interviews are such a great highlight into the minds of people like Miyamoto, Iwata, and so many more.
The fact that he was less of a ceo and more of a human who just wanted to make people happy.
He was a Ceo of a company, a game developer and a gamer all wrapped up in one package.
As many people said, he tried to communicate with fans directly. Giving us insights on development, speaking clearly and truthfully, showing his playful side every now and then, etc.
He embodied Nintendo's message, and his work ethic definitely supports that. I never met him but I feel like I knew him, at least a part of him.
brochiller
Member
I can't stop saving all tribute image from every page to page, thank you Iwata.
Can you upload an album of all of them please?
gate stormer
Member
Man, I'm realizing there's a lot of great community artists out there with really awesome tribute art.
CaviarMeths
Member
Sakurai covered Iwata Asks for Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon a few years ago.
http://tanasmanor.net/sites/fe11/interview/interview1.html
If I may be a little selfish, I would love to see him carry on his friend's tradition.
Cow Mengde
Banned
Plus, he's developed games himself. He got down and dirty and did programming. Not only did he do the work, he was damn amazing at it. He compressed Pokemon Gold and Silver to allow Kanto region to be added into the game. No other president has that kind of knowledge.
I would even like if it stayed named Iwata Asks. I understand if they changed the name but it'd be a good tribute to his legacy of openness and commitment to the customer.
Admiral Snackbar
Member
I'm a HUGE sentai fan and I had heard Iwata's hand got it made, which makes it all the more enticing. Thanks for the recommendation!
Muku
Member
Many things. Most of all, he understood all parts. The part of being a gamer. The part of being a developer. And most of all part of being a CEO. He had the other parts that made him understand the whole. He did things differently. He was a compassionate man. How many CEOs do you see that take a pay hit so that the rest of their company can continue to go on, without fear of losing their jobs?
How many CEOs actually understand the other parts of their business well enough to make a difference in how they approach things and talk to their consumers?
He felt like an honest to goodness, down to earth man. One whom you could approach and would make you feel like you've been friends since forever. I think that's probably what makes it harder for us all.
How many CEOs think like the worker bee in the company? How many would be willing to sit down and work on code to get something right, even if they'd long moved past the position of programmer?
Perhaps I did not agree with all of the things Nintendo had done recently, but I have always admired him. Never thought he should be fired or step down. Perhaps change his thinking a little, but his thinking set him apart. Brought Nintendo into the future. He was a bit ahead of the times with things like the DS and all. Man was just a brilliant, good man. And even though the only time I ever crossed paths with him was that split second at E3 2012, I still like to consider him a friend, as we all do. That's what makes this so difficult.
Ultimately, I'm concerned about who will take over after the precedent he put in. Tough shoes to fill.
Cow Mengde
Banned
I can't stop saving all tribute image from every page to page, thank you Iwata.
Why not set up a website for it?
He was unabashedly human for someone in such a high position like president of a company. He was not afraid of who he was, he could laugh at himself and turn things around, a very empathetic human being who wanted to see a world smile and be all inclusive, that games are for everyone to enjoy no matter who or what you are. A very youthful spirit with great compassion and love for what he does. I honestly wish I could have met him at least once.
Anybody can be a gamer, dude.
Garou
Member
The Japanese title isn't "Iwata asks" but "The president asks", so there's that.
Contrary to what people would have you believe, Nintendo is still an iconic brand.
I still feel so fucked up about this and it's weird. When I went to Nintendo World today, just seeing all the little kids wanting to sign the book made me feel like holy shit, these little kids knew about him too? I just hope that Nintendo still makes that effort to make that connection with us. I'm sure Reggie still will. Miyamoto always has. I just want that insider look from a game dev standpoint. I really hope that doesn't change.
TheAtomicPile
Member
I got out the old NES and fired up Balloon Fight. Man, that game is addicting. It's the kind of game you keep telling yourself, "Ok, one more run at that High Score... Ok, maybe just one more decent attempt and I'm good... Ok, one more after that." I'd also say it's definitely some of the best two-player fun you can have on the system. My buddy and I spent more than a few nights seeing how high we could run the score up.
Then, I hooked up the N64 for some Smash Bros. I'm still as terrible as I ever was at it, but I always manage to have fun with it anyway playing on Easy.
Earthbound is the best RPG ever made. It may not have all of the best animations or the best battle system, but it is so much more than the sum of its parts. Gameplay, music, setting, and story all come together to make something really special. I think I might play it through for a second time after finishing up Arkham Knight.
Iwata was always a welcome and enthusiastic presence at E3, and that's definitely something I'll miss. I'd say that Nintendo execs in general, but especially Iwata, have a passion for what they do that is lacking from so many of the other presenters we see year after year. Count me as someone who enjoyed the puppet portions of this year's presentation. Honestly, how many other companies can pull something like that off?
On the business side of things, he saw the company through some of its best years with the DS and Wii. Although things dipped with the Wii U, he lived long enough to see the company return to profitability.
As far as an overall legacy, as a programmer and as an executive, he was able to help give people a lot of nice memories. There are definitely worse legacies one could leave.
Then, I hooked up the N64 for some Smash Bros. I'm still as terrible as I ever was at it, but I always manage to have fun with it anyway playing on Easy.
Earthbound is the best RPG ever made. It may not have all of the best animations or the best battle system, but it is so much more than the sum of its parts. Gameplay, music, setting, and story all come together to make something really special. I think I might play it through for a second time after finishing up Arkham Knight.
Iwata was always a welcome and enthusiastic presence at E3, and that's definitely something I'll miss. I'd say that Nintendo execs in general, but especially Iwata, have a passion for what they do that is lacking from so many of the other presenters we see year after year. Count me as someone who enjoyed the puppet portions of this year's presentation. Honestly, how many other companies can pull something like that off?
On the business side of things, he saw the company through some of its best years with the DS and Wii. Although things dipped with the Wii U, he lived long enough to see the company return to profitability.
As far as an overall legacy, as a programmer and as an executive, he was able to help give people a lot of nice memories. There are definitely worse legacies one could leave.
BiGBoSSMk23
A company being excited for their new game is a huge slap in the face to all the fans that liked their old games.
My condolences. He seemed like such a sweet and kind guy.
Terribly sad day for gaming.
Thank you, Mr. Iwata, for everything you did for our beloved hobby.
Maybe you can now teach the man upstairs how to manage his Pikmin better, and brighten things up for all of us you left behind.
Terribly sad day for gaming.
Thank you, Mr. Iwata, for everything you did for our beloved hobby.
Maybe you can now teach the man upstairs how to manage his Pikmin better, and brighten things up for all of us you left behind.
It doesn't surprise me - Nintendo's sold over 4 billion games, with a huge chunk of them under Iwata's tenure.
gamerMan
Member
I really think that is why this so hard. He was a Nintendo character. It's almost as if Super Mario died. You see so many of his values, hard work, and beliefs infused in Nintendo's games. His sense of charm, innocence of a child, and permanent smile.
LuFel
Member
Astral Dog
Member
Honestly, i consider Iwata one of my heroes, an inspiration for the whole game industry, he was just humble, he was not afraid to interact directly with the fans, he even interviewed developers so everyone can know the people who is behind the games they play, Iwata was not perfect and he made mistakes, but it was clear he cared about Nintendo, about delivering quality videogames to people of all ages, and above all, giving smiles .
I still cant believe he is gone, not like this.
I still cant believe he is gone, not like this.
Sgt.Pepper
Banned
He was a CEO that was a game designer at heart, so a lot of games under his command took what he meant seriously, making fun games because he knew they reach a lot of people and can provide great experiences that you can't get in any other medium.
From Kyle McLain, taken from a newspaper. https://twitter.com/FarmboyinJapan/status/620755270063386624/photo/1
Do you think there's a chance he had already recorded some of the next Direct?...
Man, I've been seriously bummed. Not crying but there's this state of mind where I just can't get this out of my head, and the more I think of it, the more I realize just what an impact this one-of-a-kind man made, and how the fruits of his labor will reward us for years after he's not physically here. Anything I could say would fall short of making him justice. Ah, man...Some of the tributes do threaten to let the waterworks rolling...
Man, I've been seriously bummed. Not crying but there's this state of mind where I just can't get this out of my head, and the more I think of it, the more I realize just what an impact this one-of-a-kind man made, and how the fruits of his labor will reward us for years after he's not physically here. Anything I could say would fall short of making him justice. Ah, man...Some of the tributes do threaten to let the waterworks rolling...
Team Alucard
Banned
They were such a great team and their promos/presentations were always so much fun to watch, even for someone like me who hasn't enjoyed a game made by Nintendo in almost a decade.
RIP.
Man, it's hard to believe that this guy is gone forever. Despite being a PlayStation fan at heart, I'm so used to seeing Iwata's face over the years in magazines and on the web.
His image and presence are integral parts of modern video game culture as I know it.
The countless Iwata memes only further reinforce this. I think what makes it surreal is the sudden nature of his death.
There were no public gradual stages of decline, so I presumed he was getting better, and on the mend, but it seems like things were a lot worse.
I really didn't expect to be reading a thread titled 'Satoru Iwata has passed away'. It's hard to believe it is true.
His image and presence are integral parts of modern video game culture as I know it.
The countless Iwata memes only further reinforce this. I think what makes it surreal is the sudden nature of his death.
There were no public gradual stages of decline, so I presumed he was getting better, and on the mend, but it seems like things were a lot worse.
I really didn't expect to be reading a thread titled 'Satoru Iwata has passed away'. It's hard to believe it is true.
If he did record new material there is no way it would be released.
rrvv
Member
I don't see the issue if they happen to be Nintendo fans
PETA is a bit surprising, considering this mess. But it's nice that they can still appreciate his legacy.
Slime Scholar
Member
I kind of doubt the Muppets were chosen for the E3 presentation specifically because of Iwata's condition. They did the Robot Chicken bit the other year, too. I think they just wanted to do something silly and fun for E3 to stand out.
Hyperactivity
Banned
If it was, I wouldn't be able to stop myself from crying
Iwata showed up during the Robot Chicken E3, he didn't show up here at all. The muppet was an obvious stand-in. We even saw Reggie and Miyamoto even thought they had muppets.
Just play anything you think you'll have fun with, doesn't even matter if he's credited. That's what Iwata wanted, not to be revered, just to know people were having fun.
I'm going to finally get back to beating pikmin 3.
- Status