"On my business card, I am a corporate president. In my mind, I am a game developer. But in my heart, I am a gamer".
11th July 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of Satoru Iwata's passing; a man who cemented himself as not only an exceptional leader during times of both success and failure, but a figurehead that would steal the hearts of countless fans around the world.
It's difficult to really say anything that hasn't already been expressed at some point in the last decade, but we think it's clear that Iwata's presence continues to be felt in both Nintendo circles and the gaming industry at large. Indeed, with the recent news of extensive layoffs from Xbox and Microsoft and the turmoil at studios across the world over the last couple of years, many have recounted the words spoken by Iwata during a shareholder Q&A session in 2013:
"If we reduce the number of employees for better short-term financial results, however, employee morale will decrease, and I sincerely doubt employees who fear that they may be laid off will be able to develop software titles that could impress people around the world."
Iwata also paved the way for the Switch — Nintendo's most successful home console of all time — having worked extensively on the system before his passing in 2015. The effects of this are still felt to this very day, with Nvidia paying tribute to Iwata in a recent video on the Switch 2:
"I still remember the day Iwata-san shared his dream with us. He wanted to create something no-one had seen before: a console powerful enough for big cinematic games, but small enough to take anywhere. It sounded impossible, but that vision became the original Nintendo Switch.
"We lost Iwata-san before the launch, but his clarity, his purpose, it still inspires our work everyday."
Five years ago, former NL editor Tom Whitehead wrote about Iwata's career and his legacy, and it's strange to think that a full decade has now passed - and to consider how the world has changed in that time. We wonder what Iwata would make of the state of the industry, of Switch's success, and of the brand new console we're enjoying.
All that's left to say is, well, thank you, Iwata-san. Nintendo would not be where it is today without your leadership, passion, and desire to deliver the very best experiences in gaming.
What are your favourite memories of Satoru Iwata? Leave a comment with your stories and thoughts down below.