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Satoru Iwata 岩田 聡
Born	December 6, 1959 (1959-12-06) (age 50) Sapporo, Japan
Occupation	President and CEO, Nintendo Co., Ltd.

Satoru Iwata (岩田 聡, Iwata Satoru^?, born December 6, 1959) is the fourth president and CEO of Nintendo, succeeding the long-standing previous president of the company, Hiroshi Yamauchi in 2002. He was responsible in great part for defining Nintendo's strategy both before and during the release of its GameCube video game console in 2001, a vision which helped Nintendo generate a forty-one percent increase in sales at the end of the 2002 fiscal year.^[1]

Barron's Magazine named Iwata one of the world's top CEOs, due mostly to the Wii, Brain Age sales, as well as a soaring stock.^[2]

Biography

Early life

Satoru Iwata was born in Sapporo, Japan. He expressed his interest in the creation of video games early on, and originating in an environment with a tradition of computer programming, he produced electronic games at his home during his high school years. The several simple number games Iwata produced made use of an electronic calculator he shared with his schoolmates. Following high school, Iwata was admitted at the prestigious Tokyo Institute of Technology, where he majored in computer science.^{[citation needed]} While attending the school, he did freelance work for HAL Laboratory, Inc., a subsidiary of Nintendo, as a programmer.^[3]

Career

Satoru Iwata presenting a Wii console prototype at Nintendo's 2005 E3 press conference

After completing college, Iwata joined HAL Laboratory in a full-time capacity.^[3] He became the company's coordinator of software production in 1983. Some of the video games he helped create while he worked there were Balloon Fight, EarthBound, and the Kirby games.^{[citation needed]} Iwata was eventually promoted to president of HAL in 1993.^[3] Nevertheless, he and his branch sometimes aided in the creation of Nintendo video games, himself on a freelance basis.

In 2000, Iwata took a position at Nintendo as the head of its corporate planning division. When Hiroshi Yamauchi, the company's president since 1949, retired on May 31, 2002, Iwata succeeded as Nintendo's fourth president and the first unrelated to the Yamauchi family through blood or marriage. He continues to help out at HAL as a correspondent. It is said that Iwata still works as an artist there, assisting in creating concept art of Kirby characters for use in the Kirby series of video games. His latest project is the Wii and the Nintendo DSi. He comments on the Wii in his section of Nintendo's Wii website, Iwata Asks. Iwata has also worked on The Legend of Zelda , Mario series, and the Animal Crossing series of games.

References

External links

• Satoru Iwata Keynote given at Tokyo Game Show 2005
• Seattle Post Intelligence: Satoru Iwata Interview
• Satoru Iwata Kikizo Video Interview
• Gamespy: Nintendo's New Direction - A discussion with Nintendo President Satoru Iwata
• Heart of a Gamer speech at GDC '05
• A+E Interactive E3 2007 Interview
• Level Up E3 2007 Interview

From Wikiquote

Satoru Iwata (December 6, 1959 - Present) is fourth president of Nintendo Co., Ltd. His predecessor was Hiroshi Yamauchi. Iwata has been in his position since 2002.

Sourced

• Nintendo has strong views on how we should run our company. We consider ourselves, above all else, as a gaming company. We believe other companies (in the console marketplace) see themselves primarily as technology companies.
  • Satoru Iwata quotes. Retrieved on 2007-03-03.

• Although many believe that technology automatically enables more realistic expression, I believe that is just not correct.
  • Profile: Satoru Iwata p. 3. IGN. Retrieved on 2007-03-03.

• Our competitors are always saying that Nintendo is just for children. To counter that, what we really need to do is explain to customers and potential customers [that we do not just make games for kids].
  • Kent, Steven L.. Nintendo's New Direction p. 2. GameSpy. Retrieved on 2007-03-03.

• Please understand, I am not saying that technology is unimportant. I understand that technology is important. But if we are just focusing on technology and investing in an IT manufacturing plant to come up with higher performance processing [chips], we will not succeed.
  • Kent, Steven L.. Nintendo's New Direction p. 3. GameSpy. Retrieved on 2007-03-03.

• Of course, we are applying advances in technology. But when you use those advances just to boost the processing power, the trade-off is that you increase power consumption, make the machine more expensive and make developing games more expensive. When I look at the balance of that trade-off -- what you gain and what you lose -- I don't think it's good. Nintendo is applying the benefits of advanced technology, but we're using it to make our machines more power-efficient, quieter and faster to start. And we're making a brand-new user interface. I think that way of thinking is the biggest difference.
  • Bishop, Todd (2005-05-20). Q&A: Video-game industry maverick promises a Revolution. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved on 2007-03-03.

• Talking about the definition of the niche, or niche market, I really have the completely opposite opinion. The people the other companies are targeting are very limited to those who are high-tech oriented, and core game players. They cannot expand beyond that population. We are trying to capture the widest possible audience all around the world. In other words, we are trying to capture the people who are even beyond the gaming population. So for that kind of company, we don't think the term 'niche' is appropriate.
  • Bishop, Todd (2005-05-20). Q&A: Video-game industry maverick promises a Revolution. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved on 2007-03-03.
  • In response to Bill Gates' labeling Nintendo as a "niche player" in the seventh generation console wars

• I've never once been embarrassed that children have supported Nintendo. I'm proud of it. That's because children judge products based on instinct. Everyone wants to appeal to people's instincts, but it's not easy. That doesn't mean we're making products just for children. We believe that there's interactive entertainment that people in their 60s, 70s and 80s can enjoy, so we're doing various things.
  • Bishop, Todd (2005-05-20). Q&A: Video-game industry maverick promises a Revolution. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved on 2007-03-03.

• Some argue that our success is short-lived and temporary. So, we now need to make efforts to constantly expand the player base by offering services and titles that can appeal, not only to those who have never played games, but also to those who play them hard.
  • Japan's Nintendo wins exclusive deal for Capcom's Monster Hunter 3 title

E³ 2004

• Nintendo was proud of when we introduced the D-pad with the NES, instead of arcade joysticks. Proud of two-player gaming on the NES and four-player gaming on Nintendo 64. Proud of the analog sticks, and rumble pak, and true 3D. We are proud we established portable gaming with Game Boy. All these advances are now industry standards. All make us proud. But I think we are most proud of this.
  • About Nintendo DS

• Better technology is good, but technology's not enough. Today's consoles already offer fairly photorealistic expressions. Simply beefing up those graphics will not let most of us see a difference.
  • About the strategy for Wii

• Nintendo is working on our next system, and that system will create a gaming revolution. Internal game development is underway. When the impact of the new home machine comes, our revolution will be there.
  • Regarding the development of Wii, codenamed 'Revolution'

• I suppose I could give you a list of the technical specs. I believe you would like that, but I won't for a simple reason; they really don't matter. The time when horsepower alone made an important difference is over.
  • Regarding the technical specifications for Wii

E³ 2005

• And my name is Iwata. I'm about making games and I'm about playing games. Last night, I played Super Smash Bros. That's my game. I kicked some... you know what and I took his name. His name was Reggie. As Nintendo president, I'm also all about asking questions. So Reggie, I have a question for you. Who's your daddy?
  • Referring to Reggie Fils-Aime's opening comments at E³ 2004 [1]

• We gave you DS, a new Game Boy, and new games to play on them, and now you say "we want a revolution". Well, we've got one.
  • Referring to the Wii, codenamed 'Revolution'

• When you turn on Revolution and see the graphics, you will say, "Wow."
  • Referring to the Wii, codenamed 'Revolution'

• One or two Wi-Fi games will be ready for launch. And, I am pushing our team to make sure Smash Bros. is one of them. That way, no matter where Reggie is, I can always beat him.
  • Referring to the launch of the Wii

• The key here is not what you are playing, but how you'll be playing.

• This [the Wii] is the console where the big ideas can prevail over big budgets.

• It is my job to run a global company, but within my job, what still gives me the most satisfaction is seeing someone pick up a controller and finding surprise and delight. What touches their heart still touches my heart.

E³ 2006

• I am busier, busier than ever and if I have to wait 30 seconds or 40 seconds or more for a game to load, often, I get frustrated. And sometimes, I just can not wait. And now that I know I can instantly stop or start playing my DS by just closing or opening the top, I think I am spoiled.

• Expanding the game audience with Wii means increasing the number of people in any household who are involved with games. Today, there are people who play, and people who do not. Wii will help destroy that wall between them.

GDC 2005

• 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.

• The name came from the computer in the movie 2000: Space Odyssey. We thought that name was very cool. Also, this is what I looked like back then. [Points to picture of self, much younger, on a motorcycle] Like all game creators, I was extremely cool, too.
  • Regarding HAL Laboratory

• People sometimes ask me what I did when I was hired at HAL. The answer is that I was a programmer. And an engineer. And a designer. And I marketed our games. I also ordered a lot of take-out food. And I helped clean up. And, it was all great fun.

• Even artists must know the business side of game development. After all, if a game never comes to market, there is very little chance of it making any money.

• One thing that has not changed--and will not change--is our nature as a form of entertainment. Like any other entertainment medium, we must create an emotional response in order to succeed. Laughter, fear, joy, anger, affection, surprise, and, most of all, pride of accomplishment. In the end, triggering these feelings from our players is the true judgment of our work. This is the bottom line measurement of success.

• Software sells hardware. People buy game systems to play the games they love.

• As we spend more time and money chasing exactly the same players, who are we leaving behind? Are we creating games just for each other? Do you have friends and family members who do not play video games? Well, why don't they.

GDC 2006

• As any game developer knows, the three basic food groups are Fritos, Cheetos, and Doritos.

External links

Wikipedia has an article about:

Satoru Iwata

From Wikia Gaming, your source for walkthroughs, games, guides, and more!

Satoru Iwata

Current president of Nintendo Company, Limited (NCL). He rose to his current position in May 2002 from a head seat in the Corporate Planning department. Though he is a suit in profession, he grew up playing and developing games.

Iwata was born in 1959 in the Hokkaido Prefecture of Japan. As early as high school he was an electronic game hobbyist, getting together with his friends and making games while everyone else was outside playing in the sun (Boktai had yet to be published). He majored in Computer Science at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, which has an unfortunate English abbreviation.

He worked as a part-time programmer for HAL Laboratory in the early 1980s, becoming a full-time employee in 1982. Iwata became close to NCL as a result of HAL working with much of Nintendo's in-house development. In 1983 he was already a programming and development coordinator for many titles published by Nintendo.

While not the creator of the Kirby character or game concept, Iwata was instrumental in bringing it to life. The simplistic playing style of the game - made to be easy and enjoyable for players of any skill - was evidence of one of his strongest beliefs, that games shouldn't have to be overblown and bloated to be fun.

Around the same time Kirby's Dreamland was released, HAL Labs went through some financial troubles and its future was in jeopardy. Satoru Iwata became a true businessman when he was appointed president of the company, and over the next several years, returned it to profitability. Then-president of Nintendo Hiroshi Yamauchi observed this prowess and in 2000, put Iwata in a corporate planning position at NCL.

In 2002, amid the Gamecube's uncertain success and the industry-wide paradigm shift to bigger budgets and better graphics, Yamauchi, a man notorious for being stubborn but genius, the man who had transformed Nintendo into the industry giant and leader that it was, who had seen the very creation of Nintendo's first electronic products, handed the company over to Iwata, who he thought could serve it well with his game experience, his business experience, and his comparatively youthful energy.

This was arguably the spark of a revolution in Nintendo. At the urging of Yamauchi, and with Iwata at the helm, in the past few years Nintendo has made itself distinct from its current big-budget rivals Sony and Microsoft. Nintendo, Iwata says, is about fun, enjoyable games, not about powerful electricity-chugging superconsoles or putting a full-featured entertainment center below your television set. Iwata has spoken many times at recent conferences about the unfortunate lack of innovation in the industry today, stifled by dreams of dollar signs and corporate honchos who don't want to take risks.

Iwata's current corporate strategy is to defy this shroud over the industry, and return to innovating and taking risks. With titles to his credit including Metroid Prime and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and with Nintendo DS out and the Wii coming in November/December, he's very determined to make Nintendo an industry leader once more.