As video game fans around the world honor and remember the late Nintendo President Satoru Iwata, employees at Nintendo of America in Redmond, Wash., are doing the same.
Iwata, who passed away on July 11 at the age of 55 due to a bile duct growth, became Nintendo’s president in 2002 and also assumed the CEO post of Redmond-based Nintendo of America in 2013. He was well-respected in the video game industry for his passion, leadership, and impact.
Nintendo of America employees dropped flowers at the company’s sign in Redmond, while the flag flew at half-staff on Monday.
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Fans showed their admiration and respect for Iwata elsewhere, from the Nintendo World Store in Manhattan to the Mario Kart 8 online community.
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Polygon has a nice round-up of Iwata’s life and legacy here, while Cheezburger has some cool Iwata tributes. Many others shared thoughts on Twitter.
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Speculation is underway as to who might replace Iwata at Nintendo, which has known only two other modern-day presidents. Replacing him will be incredibly difficult — Iwata led the company since 2002 and was the first president outside the Yamauchi family. He also led the introduction of the Wii and the Wii U and has been an outspoken opponent of mobile and social games and the freemium business model, even if the opinions were controversial at the time.