Nobuyuki Hayashi, a consultant and technology expert, paid a attractive tribute to Iwata.
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I had the honour of working with Mr. Iwata for many years and have so many fond memories. Let’s just hope Nintendo see this and agree it would be a great way to remember such a significant man of the industry.
“But in my heart, I am a gamer”, he added. Iwata quickly softened Nintendo’s corporate by making it less hierarchical, spending time on the shop floor and enjoying the company of designers and developers.
Yamauchi was largely responsible for turning the company into the household gaming name it is today, but it was clear that after close to 50 years at the helm, it was time to vacate the role and introduce some fresh blood and fresh ideas. Yes, maybe they do make some questionable deicisons, but their hearts are certainly in the right place (i.e. not in their wallets), and at least Mr. Iwata was never responsible for belittling anybody on Twitter.
Iwata subsequently oversaw a winning streak that included the Game Boy Advance SP, the Nintendo DS handheld player, the Nintendo DS Lite, the Wii, the DSi, the DSi XL and the 3DS. He had not been seen recently at game events, such as E3 in Los Angeles, where he was usually a participant. Shortly after, Nintendo revealed that it had also forged a partnership with Universal Parks & Resorts to create “immersive experiences” starring Nintendo’s universally beloved game characters at Universal Studios theme parks.
The falloff in appetite for game machines in the past few years was partly because people are increasingly playing games or doing social media and other activities on smartphones. As a result, many home console users began going to internet cafes to play games online instead. He was a true visionary who expanded our understanding of the unbelievable art of video games.
The company is yet to announce as to who will be taking the responsibility as the next president. In 2013, it was rumoured that he was preparing for life beyond the company and retiring from the gaming industry entirely.
Iwata later acknowledged Nintendo had little choice but to move into new areas. Many linked to past interviews and recalled their favorite Nintendo moments, including Microsoft Xbox director Mike Ybarra, who posted an image of iconic gaming character Mario, hat in hand, eyes downcast.
Miyamoto is arguably the front-runner for the Nintendo presidential position. A funeral service would be held on July 17.
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According to a brief statement by the videogame company, it is still mourning the passing of their chief executive officer and president, and has not yet decided on who will take his place. The company declined to disclose other details of his family.
