Satoru Iwata: Reggie Fils-Aime, Geoff Keighley remember him 5 years after his death
The disappearance of Satoru Iwata was one of the most important events sad of the video game industry. Partly because of the young age of the former Nintendo president, partly because he was consumed by a terrible disease. But above all for the human and professional depth of Iwata.
Born in 1959 Iwata joined Nintendo in 1982, soon becoming one of the leading figures of HAL Laboratory. Under his direction, games such as Kirby's Dream Land and Super Smash Bros. were created.
Then, in 2002, Iwata succeeded the historic president Hiroshi Yamauchi, transforming a very rigid and patriarchal society into the modern entertainment giant we know. On 11 July 2015, Iwata died of a biliary system malignancy.
Former Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime remembers Iwata as a mentor and friend who can inspire with his work and his words. Geoff Keighley, journalist and creator of The Games Awards, remembers him as a person committed to bringing a smile on people's vaults and who loved video games.
We, simply, as one of the most influential people of the last years, whose "vision" has allowed Nintendo to overcome the crisis of the late 90s and to be one of the most creative and solid companies in our industry. What a sad day. 5 year anniversary of the passing of Nintendo's Satoru Iwata. An amazing man who devoted his life to putting smiles on our faces. The last thing he said to me: "Nintendo will always support you Geoff with The Game Awards." He truly loved video games. pic.twitter.com/5CTHeFAyoi
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) July 11, 2020 Five years ago my boss, mentor and friend #SatoruIwata passed away. His words and creations touched so many of us. I continue to think about him every day. pic.twitter.com/QbJzjePHjM
— Reggie Fils-Aime (@Reggie) July 11, 2020
