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RIP Nobuo Nagai of Nintendo (3/21/1945 - 1/22/2012)

Cheesemeister

Member
Feb 14, 2005
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Kyoto, Japan
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2012/120123e.pdf

Nintendo Co. said:
Notification of Death and Personnel Change of a Representative Director (Senior Managing Director)

Nintendo Co., Ltd. deeply regrets to announce that Representative Director Nobuo Nagai (Senior Managing Director and General Manager, Manufacturing Division) passed away yesterday (January 22, 2012) and has retired as Director. Mr. Nagai's contribution to Nintendo was greatly appreciated and he will be deeply missed.

1. Name (Date of birth): Nobuo Nagai (March 21, 1945)
2. Career Record:
March 1967 Joined the Company
June 2000 Appointed as Director
May 2002 Appointed as Managing Director
June 2004 Appointed as Senior Managing Director
Appointed as Representative Director

3. Date of Death: January 22, 2012

http://investing.businessweek.com/re...icker=NTDOF:US

Nobuo Nagai serves as the Senior Managing Director of Nintendo Co Ltd. and serves as a Director. Nobuo Nagai served as Managing Director, Manufacturing Division and General Manager of Manufacturing Division of Nintendo Co Ltd.

http://mynintendonews.com/2011/01/27/nintendo-3ds-nintendo-state-that-they-arent-planning-a-3ds-lite

Iwata Asks said:
“The first thing (Nobuo) Nagai-san, who’s in charge at the Uji plant, said to me when he looked over the designs for Nintendo 3DS before mass production began was ‘This time it’s fully packed right from the start’,” recalled Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata.

“Oh, really?” replied Sugino. “But he was right. That’s why we don’t have any short-term plans for creating a more compact version of Nintendo 3DS like we did with Nintendo DS Lite.”

“Yeah,” added Iwata. “When making Nintendo 3DS, we used all our tricks for Nintendo DS Lite – and more – for cutting down on size right from the start.”

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/20...ors_have_spent_285_years_shaping_the_industry

Nintendo's annual general meeting is coming up next week, and the company will be electing ten directors, a slight slimming down from its current 11 directors. Nintendo has put together a quick summary of the candidates, and their wealth of experience at the company is incredible.

Between them, the directors have spent an enormous 285 years working at the company. The longest-serving director is General Manager of the Manufacturing Division Nobuo Nagai, who's been at Nintendo since March 1967, making Shigeru Miyamoto's joining date of 1977 look decidedly late to the party. Satoru Iwata, the youngest of the directors, is a novice by comparison, with just 11 years of service under his belt.

With such experience at its top level, is it any wonder Nintendo is still the biggest name in gaming?

http://gamasutra.com/view/news/39796/44year_Nintendo_employee_Nobuo_Nagai_dies.php

Eric Caoili said:
Nobuo Nagai, who served as Nintendo's Manufacturing senior managing director and was employed at the company for nearly 45 years, passed away on Sunday after battling stomach cancer. He was 66 years old.

...

Though Nagai was not as visible as some members of Nintendo's software or hardware development teams, he did have a hand in the production of the company's hardware at its Uji plant in Kyoto. Iwata has previously mentioned that Nagai examined the designs of consoles before their mass production.

He was also credited as a general producer for the Nintendo 3DS, according to fansite The Kyoto Report, and was mentioned in the Special Thanks sections of Nintendo products like Wii Play Motion, Slide Adventure: Mag Kid, and media player accessory Play-Yan.

Japanese newspaper Nikkei reports that a funeral service will be held on January 25 in Yamatokōriyama, which will be led by his eldest son.
 

Ignis Fatuus

Banned
Feb 17, 2009
12,539
1
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He had a long, productive life. RIP.

For reference, Miyamoto did not join Nintendo until 1977, ten years later.
 

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Dec 5, 2005
51,641
6
0
Mar. 1967: Joined Nintendo

Whoa. I know that it's common knowledge that Nintendo is 100+ years old and whatever, but it would have been amazing to witness the changing Nintendo from 67 until today. Even the 70s was full of interesting changes for the company (let alone the videogame era).
 

slaughterking

Member
Jun 4, 2006
10,628
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twitter.com

Foffy

Banned
May 14, 2009
22,560
2
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RIP. Here's hoping there's some afterlife, so he and Yokoi can catch up. ):
 

Ignis Fatuus

Banned
Feb 17, 2009
12,539
1
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Ignis Fatuus

Banned
Feb 17, 2009
12,539
1
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cool - do you have any more details of his work?

http://mynintendonews.com/2011/01/27/nintendo-3ds-nintendo-state-that-they-arent-planning-a-3ds-lite

Iwata Asks said:
“The first thing (Nobuo) Nagai-san, who’s in charge at the Uji plant, said to me when he looked over the designs for Nintendo 3DS before mass production began was ‘This time it’s fully packed right from the start’,” recalled Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata.

“Oh, really?” replied Sugino. “But he was right. That’s why we don’t have any short-term plans for creating a more compact version of Nintendo 3DS like we did with Nintendo DS Lite.”

“Yeah,” added Iwata. “When making Nintendo 3DS, we used all our tricks for Nintendo DS Lite – and more – for cutting down on size right from the start.”

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/20...ors_have_spent_285_years_shaping_the_industry

Nintendo's annual general meeting is coming up next week, and the company will be electing ten directors, a slight slimming down from its current 11 directors. Nintendo has put together a quick summary of the candidates, and their wealth of experience at the company is incredible.

Between them, the directors have spent an enormous 285 years working at the company. The longest-serving director is General Manager of the Manufacturing Division Nobuo Nagai, who's been at Nintendo since March 1967, making Shigeru Miyamoto's joining date of 1977 look decidedly late to the party. Satoru Iwata, the youngest of the directors, is a novice by comparison, with just 11 years of service under his belt.

With such experience at its top level, is it any wonder Nintendo is still the biggest name in gaming?

The second link is the most relevant and should maybe be added to the OP.
 

DCharlie

And even i am moderately surprised
Jun 7, 2004
23,311
38
1,660
so...

do you have any more details of his work?


I mean - i'm sad that someone has died even if i have no earthly clue who they are or were and what they did of note, but i don't think i'm alone in the thread.
 

Tenck

Member
May 5, 2011
10,296
1
725
so...

do you have any more details of his work?


I mean - i'm sad that someone has died even if i have no earthly clue who they are or were and what they did of note, but i don't think i'm alone in the thread.

Well he was in charge of manufacturing division for Nintendo. That give you an idea of what he did?

*hint hint* oversaw the manufacturing of products*hint hint*
 

BishopLamont

Banned
Apr 22, 2007
7,421
0
0
RIP.

Second post nails it.

so...

do you have any more details of his work?


I mean - i'm sad that someone has died even if i have no earthly clue who they are or were and what they did of note, but i don't think i'm alone in the thread.
You know its not hard to ask for such things while also paying your respects? Its not one or the other. I also would like more details of his work.
 

Rekubot

Member
Jan 5, 2009
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855
With that many years under his belt, he must have made a significant contribution to the Nintendo we know today. RIP.
 

BGBW

Maturity, bitches.
Jan 19, 2007
54,012
0
1,140
R.I.P

It seems to be a common trait with many Nintendo employees. They have a significant role but we hardly hear a thing about them. At least Iwata Asks is changing that.
 

VOOK

We don't know why he keeps buying PAL, either.
Aug 6, 2005
16,670
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0
35
Perth, Aus
www.vooks.net
It's sad to say we don't know about much of his work, but if he was in charge of the handheld division then we kind of know what his work resulted in and that's some good work.
 

[Nintex]

Member
Jun 21, 2005
18,889
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www.n1ntendo.nl
Sad news :(

In any case he was one of the board of directors in charge of Nintendo. People often think that it is just Miyamoto and Iwata that run the company. But I believe they have 10 or so key executives that make the calls.
 

Dunan

Member
Mar 6, 2010
4,593
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Shinjuku, Tokyo
He was only 66; I hope it wasn't overwork that brought him to an early end. Whatever it was, thanks for the many years of service.

Speaking of his workplace, I've been to Uji multiple times and never knew Nintendo had a plant there. It's a charming city, south of Kyoto, most famous for having the last ten or so chapters of the Tale of Genji take place there.

If you're ever visiting Kyoto, set aside some time for a day trip down to Uji. And drink their green matcha; it's excellent.
 

Urban Scholar

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accelzero.1up.com


RIP & my condolences
 

Cygnus X-1

Member
Mar 7, 2007
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Holy crap, he joined in 1967. That's a long time within Nintendo.

Condolences to the family and.....thank you, for everything.
 

DSN2K

Member
Jun 6, 2004
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one company man.............lucky he was able to do so. Sadly those days seem long gone really.
 

mr jones

Ethnicity is not a race!
Dec 4, 2004
5,611
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Wow.

He started at Nintendo when he was 22, and didn't get into a Director position until he was in his FIFTIES.

That's a slow, slow ladder to climb.
 

TommyT

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Apr 20, 2007
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My fathers age... that's a staggering number the amount of time the directors (combined) have been working at the company.
 

OrangeYouGlad

Banned
May 9, 2009
4,182
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Wow.

He started at Nintendo when he was 22, and didn't get into a Director position until he was in his FIFTIES.

That's a slow, slow ladder to climb.

Well, it all depends on where he started in the company. Director is a damned hard position to obtain and I'm sure his commitment had everything to do with him obtaining it.

RIP.