As a Nintendo executive, Iwata is best known for spearheading the “blue ocean” strategy that had the company build systems for people beyond traditional gamers.
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Iwata, only the fourth president of the company and the first to not be related to its founder, died due to a “bile duct growth”, according to Nintendo. He joined the company in 1980 and was promoted to Director in 2000, before becoming President in 2002.
He was at the forefront of Nintendo’s efforts to communicate openly and directly with its fans, and became the face of the company through Nintendo Direct presentations.
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The company’s president skipped E3 in 2014 due to a surgery, but his health hasn’t appeared problematic since. His death was confirmed by Nintendo Japan and they have issued a short statement which you can read below. During his time as President of Nintendo we also saw the Game Cube, Wii, WiiU, and the Nintendo product line.
