Alan Stone

Nintendo is a company that's been a foundational contributor to the game industry for just about as long as video games have been popular, but things weren't always that way. Once upon a time, Nintendo was just an odd little Japanese company that sold Hanafuda cards, with plans to break into the arcade business. It took the collective efforts and hard work of many people around the world to make the company into what it is today, and now the unfortunate news has emerged that one of the company's founding fathers has passed away.

Alan Stone—former vice-president and co-founder of Nintendo of America—passed away on Friday 17th February after a long battle with cancer. Stone got his start in the game industry when he formed Far East Video in 1979 to assist Nintendo in bringing arcade games to Western shores. A couple years later, Stone was named as the vice-president of the newly formed Nintendo of America, and was pivotal in Donkey Kong becoming a success in the region. He stayed on until 1994, when he left to join Sega Entertainment (Sega's arcade division) as CEO and president. Before his passing, Stone served on the Board of Directors at Nanotech Entertainment, and a brief interview where he reflects on his time in the game industry can be found below:

Our thoughts are with Mr. Stone's family in this difficult time.

[source shacknews.com, via gamasutra.com]