Yes, you read that right. The president of Nintendo has had health problems leading up to a bile duct growth.

http://kotaku.com/nintendos-president-has-passed-away-1717386412?utm_campaign=Socialflow_Kotaku_Facebook&utm_source=Kotaku_Facebook&utm_medium=Socialflow

Yeah, I read this earlier on RetroJunk. I hate it. He was only, what... 55? So sad. Mario is weeping somewhere.

Why?!

Wow R.I.P. This stinks.

This is such a shocker. RIP

First I heard of the news was when I was checking my email, and saw the news on the front page of Yahoo. I was shocked when I saw the headline. I thought at first it was some kind of rumor, which I was kind of hoping it was. But sadly, it's true. Nintendo confirmed last night on their Japanese website that Iwata died.

Still, that is sad. I have criticized Iwata before with some of his faults, that is true. But he's done so many great things for Nintendo. As a game developer, he worked on some of the best Kirby games... particularly, Kirby's Adventure and Super Star. He also worked on Earthbound, and he came up with the idea of bridging Johto and Kanto in Pokemon Gold and Silver... and he helped debug Super Smash Bros Melee before the game reached it's deadline. I also liked the way he presents himself as a businessman. Especially during the Nintendo Directs, and his signature catch phrase. It shows that Iwata is willing to show his sense of humor during Nintendo's presentation, and that's something I highly respect in any company president.

This does make me wonder where the future of Nintendo will go from there. Who's going to take Iwata's position at the president of Nintendo. It's something that makes me a little bit concerned as they might either get somebody who will take Nintendo in a downward spiral of which it can really damage their brand... possibly to the level of companies like Capcom and Konami. Or, they might get somebody who will take Nintendo to the next level, and bring some more great things to the company. Whatever happens, I hope for the best for Nintendo.

Either way, I can't believe he passed away... and at 55. That is way too young.

blueluigi wrote :


This does make me wonder where the future of Nintendo will go from there. Who's going to take Iwata's position at the president of Nintendo. It's something that makes me a little bit concerned as they might either get somebody who will take Nintendo in a downward spiral of which it can really damage their brand...
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They are already in one, if you ask me. I don't know if it's Iwata's fault, but since he is now departed, I hope this is an opportunity to turn things around.

Maybe not.

It was Iwata who said, “The only person who has the right to be selfish is the customer.”

It was Iwata who said, “The programmer does not get to tell the designer what the game cannot do.”


So where has his influence been these past four or five years?? Ugh.

shakin steak wrote :
So where has his influence been these past four or five years?? Ugh.
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I don't think it has EVER been Nintendo's goal to have the most powerful hardware on the market. They seem to always shoot for something different... to be something different. And in that regard, I think they have been very successful. Even when it seems to make no sense (sticking with cartridges way too long).

I don't care about powerful hardware. I want the games to be fun. And I haven't seen that lately.

Let me take New Super Mario Bros. Wii as an example. Why do all the worlds except the last one have the same music? Why are they the same worlds we have already seen over and over again? Why is there two Toads and no Peach? And then in NSMB Wii U, they used the same engine. A new engine used to be the hallmark of a 2D Mario game.

shakin steak wrote :

I don't care about powerful hardware. I want the games to be fun. And I haven't seen that lately.

Let me take New Super Mario Bros. Wii as an example. Why do all the worlds except the last one have the same music? Why are they the same worlds we have already seen over and over again? Why is there two Toads and no Peach? And then in NSMB Wii U, they used the same engine. A new engine used to be the hallmark of a 2D Mario game.
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Point taken. I also think the Gamepad feature is underutilized. There is so much more they could do with that.