Nintendo’s President and CEO, Satoru Iwata, has passed away. He was 55 years old.
In light of this tragic event, Nintendo issued the following statement, explaining that Iwata was claimed by the same health complications that prevented his show floor appearance this past E3.
Iwata originally began work in the games industry in the 1980s, helping to create such games as Balloon Fight and Earthbound under HAL Laboratory with Super Smash Bros. creator, Masahiro Sakurai. Joining Nintendo in 2000, he succeeded Nintendo President Hiroshi Yamauchi in 2002 and later assumed his position as CEO in 2013.
As Nintendo’s president for the past twelves years and its CEO for the past two, Iwata oversaw the launch for both the Wii and Wii U as well as the debut of the DS and 3DS.
Our thoughts are with his friends and family at this time.
Via Kotaku