Global Nintendo President Satoru Iwata passed away at the age of 55 due to a bile duct growth on July 11.
Iwata was the fourth President of Nintendo since its founding in 1889 and the only one to not be from the Yamauchi family. His career at the company began in 1980s working in the HAL Laboratory right out of college. He worked on games like Kirby’s Dream Land and Balloon Fight. He became a director in 2000 and president in 2002. He oversaw the launch of the Nintendo DS, 3DS, Wii, and Wii U.
Iwata had been battling cancer for over a year. Last year he underwent surgery to remove a growth but resumed work after recovery.
Known as a huge influence in the video game industry and has opened up to fans. Since the announcement of his death, players, game developers, and fans have been posting heartfelt tweets about Iwata.
Until the new president is picked, Shigeru Miyamoto and Genyo Takeda will be running the company.
