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Satoru Iwata Has Passed Away

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H

hughesta

Banned
I'm devastated and I don't know why. Can't sleep because of this, and can't really phrase my thoughts well either. I love you Iwata. Thank you for everything.
 
M

MCN

Banned
I'm in shock. He always seemed like a guy with so much energy and passion, you felt he would live forever. We knew he was ill, but he did well to hide just how ill he was.

My thoughts are with his family and colleagues.

RIP, Iwata-san. Thanks for the memories.
 
phisheep

phisheep

NeoGAF's Chief Barrister
QuixoticNeutral said:
I've had hours to cope with this and a part of me is still in denial. I see pictures of him all over the Internet, as youthful and bright as we remember, and I can't help exclaiming, "I can't believe he's gone."

I just wandered over to the piano and played "Smiles and Tears" by heart for the first time in, gosh, I don't know how long. EarthBound was one of the games that brought be back to the Nintendo fold in the early 2000s after nearly a decade away, just as Iwata was taking over, and it was also arguably the game most influential in drawing me into the world of interpreting video game music.

Back then, of course, I didn't have a clue about Iwata's level of involvement in the programming. I think it was only with the growth of access to big presentations like the E3 conferences in the 2000s that the major industry bosses cultivated a sense of personality, and we began to pay attention to who they were.

The more I think about it, the fellow that Iwata reminds me of is actually Bill Gates. Now, Microsoft's practices when they were king were somewhat predatory and not at all endearing like Nintendo's, and they never had the same underdog appeal, so the public never saw this side of Gates until after he stepped down to be a philanthropist full-time. But if you were in the tech conference circuit back in the late '90s you would know that Gates was cut from a similar cloth: a somewhat dorky executive who coded his way up in an industry run largely by sales-and-marketing suits, and who never hesitated to poke fun at his own quirks in comedic video segments not that far removed from Iwata's warm self-parody.

Of course, what made Iwata special was not just his gentle humour but the resolve to stick to his vision instead of reacting to what the market thought it wanted. He never forgot who he was or what he stood far, and I am more than a little livid that he never received the quiet retirement he deserved, where he could see all of his initiatives for the company's future come to fruition.
Click to expand...

I have no words, but these ones will do nicely. RIP Iwata.
 
S

SalvaPot

Member
iwatachart.png


Taken from here: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132806/iwata_and_miyamoto_business_.php?page=2
 
E

EloquentM

aka Mannny
Majukun said:
I never have been a 'fan' of him as a CEO, but he was a man who loved videogame's and was passionate about his job, that is enough to make me really sad that he is not around anymore... didn't though he was that sick, even with the recent health problems that we all knew about
Click to expand...
He was getting treated for cancer last year with an operation. I'm assuming it went into remission. Bile duct cancer is no joke.

For those curious

The five-year survival rate is the percentage of people who survive at least five years after the cancer is found. The five-year survival rate of people with early-stage extrahepatic cancer is 30%. If the cancer has spread to the regional lymph nodes, the five-year survival rate is 24%. If the cancer has spread to a distant part of the body, the five-year survival rate is 2%.
Click to expand...
 
T

Theognosis

Member
I must admit that I didn't quite understand the point of the last Digital Event video with all those puppets dancing and people smiling. You knew it all along, didn't you?

Now I get it, sir.

Thank you for everything, Mr. Satoru Iwata. You have lived your life well. And yes, I will have FUN in my life, just like what your videogame masterpieces wanted me and my family to have.
 
G

GoldenEye 007

Member
Absolutely shocking. I just got back detailing my car and I hop on twitter and see Evilore's message. Come here and I'm... Just in shock. I didn't even know he was really sick. From the press release, was it cancer related? That's what it looks like when I search for the term they used in the PR.

RIP

Nintendo and Iwata's innovations over the years gave me so much entertainment and joy.
 
Jinjo

Jinjo

Member
Sad and unexpected news wow. :( The (gaming) world is a lesser place now.

All the best in this tough time for his family & friends.
 
F

Fox_Mulder

Rockefellers. Skull and Bones. Microsoft. Al Qaeda. A Cabal of Bankers. The melting point of steel. What do these things have in common? Wake up sheeple, the landfill wasn't even REAL!
noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

:( :( :(
 
Jodast

Jodast

Member
There is nothing I can possibly add that hasn't already been expressed a thousand times better, but still, RIP Mr Iwata. You will forever be in our hearts and memories :-(
 
D

DOG3NZAKA

Banned
Alistair Roo said:
H9Cs8v0.jpg


:)

edit: I think I'm going to use it myself.
Click to expand...

This is lovely, thank you

You know...

I didn't know this man personally. I never had the chance of meeting him face to face, let alone catch a glimpse of him or hear his voice in person. And still, I'm crying like a baby. I never get this emotional about anything. I guess it's the huge outpour of both grief and love that is doing it.

I'll be sure to call my parents, just to see how they are. I take it granted that they are still around, because one day.... They won't :(

It makes you think. The industry, this medium and our hobby is more than entertainment, it's more than just a business. It's a means in which that helps us be happy and be happy with others. As another person in this thread mentioned, if only game creators knew just how much their work touches us and makes a difference in our lives.
 
H

hesido

Member
I'm at a loss for words. So young to leave us.. I've got a lump in my throat.

Mario maker makes even more sense now, he left it to gamers just before he himself left..
 
R

RiamuBME

Member
I am still in shock and processing this. My thoughts go out to his family and to all the people today mourning him, people like me who were inspired by his decisions and ideas throughout the years.

His presence will ripple through time in our industry.

Thank you, Mr. Iwata.
 
B

Baloonatic

Member
A true loss, one of the most important people in gaming history. His hands-on approach to everything Nintendo did was really refreshing for someone in his position and you could tell he wasn't just a suit saying what people wanted to hear. He really loved what he did.

Thanks Iwata, you helped define the hobby that I love.
 
M

Majestad

Banned
I'm going to bed with tears on my eyes. I've never experienced this for someone I haven't met.

Stay strong GAF, and once again R.I.P. Mr. Satoru Iwata. Tomorrow I will be paying a visit the offices where you once walked.
 
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