Cast one eye over the video game calendar of 2015 and it’s clear that last year was a remarkable year for the industry, bolstered by triumphant tour-de-forces in the vein of The Witcher III: Wild Hunt to the barnstorming success of Rocket League.
And though there were many highs peppered across the past twelve months or so, one saddening low point was the passing of the great Satoru Iwata in July. A visionary, a leader and, ultimately a “gamer at heart,” Iwata led Nintendo through trying times upon assuming the role of Head of Corporate Planning Division in 2001. He later succeeded Hiroshi Yamaguchi as President of The Big N the following year.
To commemorate the life and legacy of Satoru Iwata, a poignant three-minute animation has emerged from GDC 2016, shedding light on the developer’s decorated past at Nintendo as he helped steer the Japanese giant toward success after success. Illustrated by Braid artist David Hellman, the snippet presents a wonderful window into Iwata’s contributions to the industry, and we would advise against watching it until you have a box of tissues on standby.
At 55 years young, Satoru Iwata‘s passing was a tragic blow to the entire video game industry. Nintendo’s visionary left behind a legacy, though, and it’s one told beautifully in today’s video. Now if you excuse us, there’s something in our eye.
