THE GAMER CEO

Our intention with this article is to pay homage to one of the great minds of the gaming world. The one and only Satoru Iwata. Owner of iconic quotes, as “Video games are meant to be just one thing: Fun! fun for everyone!”

Or “For young players classic games are brand new. For others they are
a way to feel young again.” 

Maybe these quotes did not convince you to read more about Satoru Iwata.  Did you know that from 2002 to 2015 he was Nintendo’s CEO, and is still minded today as one of the best
CEOs the company ever had?

His mentality, ideology, and work ethic inspired so many people around him. Even if he is no longer with us,

he is missed, and our article is one more way to honor him.

Born in Japan in 1959, Satoru’s life was cut short at the age of 55. What he left behind was a beautiful legacy of love.
Love for the games, the gamers,
and life.

Satoru fell in love with games as a kid.  In school, he learned and built several small games on a calculator and then shared them with his colleagues who loved them. “I don’t think anyone can say it had bad graphics because it had no graphics.” 

The way he felt sharing these games. made him realize that this was what he was supposed to be doing with his life. Creating games that would make people feel the same kind of joy he saw his friends feeling. 

Video games would become his life’s calling. He graduated with a degree
in computer science from the Tokyo Institute of Technology. To the ones 
who knew him, it was no surprise. 

Upon graduation, together with some friends, he founded HAL Laboratory.
A gaming company that became
a close partner of Nintendo.

It was here that he co-created some of his early games, like Balloon Fight, Earthbound, and Kirby’s Dream Land. All of them were big successes. 

His achievements captured Nintendo’s president Hiroshi Yamauchi’s attention, and in 2000, he was formally invited to join him in the company as the head
of the Corporate Planning Division. 

He helped develop Super Smash Bros and Pokémon. Delivering great results in reducing the company’s production costs while keeping products fun was one of his victories. In 2002, he took his rightful place as the new president of Nintendo! He was still the president in 2015 when he passed away. 

It was the first time Nintendo ever had a president who was not a member of the Yamauchi family since its start in 1889. Just another one of his many achievements!

The years spent at Nintendo were some of the most joyous of Satoru’s life. We will talk about a few of his 

Becoming Nintendo’s fourth CEO was another step in the right direction for Satoru. His skills in corporate business and programming have been proven. His knowledge of how game creation works was like no other. 

“One thing about
the entertainment industry
– it’s not something that
people need to survive.“

His determination that games should be fun and people should have fun while playing them followed him all throughout his career.

notable achievements and how he earned his reputation as a stellar CEO. 

He would always look for the human side of things. His empathy and care for others were always remembered by the ones who met or worked with him.

Shigeru Miyamoto, a game director at Nintendo, once said that the previous business atmosphere was “stuffy”
and stated that Iwata “improved
the ventilation.” 

Satoru focused heavily on interactions between the company and its staff.
He began holding yearly meetings so the higher-ups could meet the people who worked for them and vice versa. Helping create bonds between them. 

“At Nintendo, we do not run
from risk. We run to it.”

He changed the company’s policies on communication amongst different departments, making it more open and easier. He also asked the staff
to share their gaming ideas.

The Nintendo DS was a huge success, and since then, it has ranked second on the list of the most sold consoles
of all time! Some gamers collect
them as a fun piece of history. 

While other gaming companies kept their focus on releasing new consoles, he decided that Nintendo would focus on software. Bringing better quality and entertainment to gamers.

Satoru wanted to include everyone in his ideology that video games should be enjoyed by as many people as possible, even non-gamers.

Together with the neuroscientist Ryuta Kawashima, he created a cool game: Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day! Kawashima even appears in it as himself, guiding the player through the game.

The Nintendo DS series had sold over 30 million copies by December 2008. The creation of the WII followed
the same concept. 

Satoru revealed the Wii to the public in 2005, holding it above his head to emphasize its small size and simple design. He was super proud of it. 

The controller was only disclosed in 2005, while at the Tokyo Game Show. In his speech, he insisted on the need for controllers to be less

complicated and more accessible to all. The Wii, along with its remote with motion control, turned out to be very profitable for Nintendo.

Another win for him! Over the years, he was involved in several notable projects, including Animal Crossing, Mario, and The Legend of Zelda.

In a world where consumerism comes first, it is nice to know that Satoru was with us and left his mark.

Truly deserving of the love the gaming community has for him. We hope you enjoyed reading about Satoru Iwata!

This is another one of Satoru’s famous and iconic quotes that makes gamers feel so connected to him. 

He is still loved because he fought for what he believed, and his kindness touched so many around him. 

He never stopped working for gamers, bringing them fun and making games accessible to everyone. 

He changed the industry by showing the importance of making games for everyone, not just consumers.