Former Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has had a huge impact on gaming. The executive had a rare combination of technical knowledge and business knowledge. He also looked like a very good guy.
Unfortunately, Iwata he died on July 11, 2015, at the age of 55. In the new English translation a Ask Iwata, which is a collection of philosophy and perspectives, two important colleagues, Shigeru Miyamoto and Shigesato Itoi, reminiscent of man.
“Are you wondering if Iwata ever got angry? In fact, no, “Miyamoto said. “At least he never raised his voice or anything.” He could disagree without being unpleasant and, when necessary, be strict, as he ran a massive company.
According to Miyamoto, no matter how strongly he agreed, Iwata would never get irritated. “Sometimes, though, he had no words,” Miyamoto said. “He would talk forever, really on the role, then suddenly he would shut up.” He believes, at the moment, the former Nintendo president was thinking and formulating his own argument. “After a while, he would finally say, ‘About that …’ And I’d say, ‘Oh, you thought all the time!’ “That’s something that made Iwata so interesting,” Miyamoto said.
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“He [Iwata] he never blew up, or he acted just angry for the show, “said Itoi, who worked with Iwata on Earthly and has maintained close contact over the years. “He really was a decent guy, you know?” He was nice and talkative. Itoi remembered how, whenever they took the Shinkansen together, they talked and talked to the point where Itoi would nod. “When that happened, I’d honestly say, ‘I’m sorry, man, I’m going to sleep.’ Then Iwata started working on his laptop for the rest of the trip.
All three men went back, with Iwata younger, a programming hiss, coming from Hal Lab to run Nintendo. Meanwhile, Miyamoto said his friend’s personality never changed, not even a little. Itoi remembered how Iwata, even as president of Nintendo, would travel from Kyoto to his Tokyo office alone, without additional staff or assistants and carrying his own travel suitcase. This, Itoi pointed out, could be considered unusual for a business director. Again, Iwata was not your typical corporate executive.
“When it all comes down to it, Iwata was my friend,” Miyamoto said. “He never led me, he didn’t get mad at me or he didn’t fight me.” This is unique, especially in Japan, given the age and seniority in the company. Miyamoto was older. He had more seniority. However, the position fell to a younger employee. “At any other company,” he continued, “you might expect some tension when a younger, less experienced person walks past you and becomes president, but in our case there was nothing like that. this”. Once Iwata began working at Kyoto headquarters, Miyamoto realized that his friend was better suited to be president. “I’m glad things went that way.”
Miyamoto remembered how Iwata was respected and loved as a father, as well as other memories, including the time the executive put a treadmill in the president’s office so he could pass. “I have all these different memories and they come back to me at random moments.”
Miyamoto and Iwata sound like related spirits – in some respects they were similar, but in others they could not be more similar. “One major way we differentiated ourselves was that whenever he was on Shinkansen or on a plane, he liked to use his free time efficiently,” Miyamoto said. “In the meantime, I would have lost weight.”
Iwata was driven and worked hard, but he never took himself too seriously. “I told Iwata just as much and I mean it in the best sense of the word, but he was a little stupid,” Itoi said. “But believe me, that was a force for him.” Around the office, Iwata was called “Kirby.” According to Miyamoto, “If you’re stuck in a long date and there’s a bunch of candy, it’s easy to eat a ton, isn’t it? Well, that earned him the nickname “Kirby” and we made sure there were always a lot of candy on hand. “
One thing that made Iwata such a great leader is that he helped his team. This, according to Itoi, made his Monday lunch with Miyamoto so important. “They were a combination of all the things he did [Iwata] boyfriend “, said Itoi. “A chance for him to say ‘I think I got it’ and work on an idea that would make his close acquaintances and clients smile.”
Miyamoto believes that Iwata’s ideas have become part of Nintendo’s corporate structure and that the company continues to be strong. The future looks bright thanks to the young generation of staff. But no doubt he misses his friend. “What saddens me is that if I have a crazy idea on the weekend, there’s no one I can say Monday morning,” Miyamoto said. “When I eat lunch, he’s not there to say, ‘I think I’ve found your problem, which makes me feel stuck sometimes. I really miss him. “
Ask Iwata It is published today. For more information, check official website.