Former Nintendo president Satoru Iwata had a huge impact on gaming. The director had the rare combination of technical knowledge and business acumen. He seemed like a really good guy too.
Unfortunately, Iwata passed away on July 11, 2015, at the age of 55. In the newly released English translation of Ask Iwata, a collection of his philosophy and insights, reminds two important colleagues, Shigeru Miyamoto and Shigesato Itoi.
Wondering if Iwata ever got angry? Not really, ”Miyamoto said. “At least he never raised his voice or anything like that.” He could disagree without being obnoxious and, if necessary, be strict because he was running a huge company.
According to Miyamoto, no matter how strongly they disagreed, Iwata would never get irritated. “Sometimes, though, he didn’t have words for words,” Miyamoto said. “He would talk forever, really like clockwork, and then suddenly go silent.” It was at these moments, he believes, that the former Nintendo president reflected and formulated his own argument. After a while he finally said, ‘About that …’ and I would say, ‘Oh, you were thinking all the time! This is one thing that made Iwata so interesting, Miyamoto said.
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“He [Iwata] never aired, or acted angrily just for the show, ”said Itoi, who worked with Iwata Earthbound and kept in close contact over the years. “He was a really decent boy, you know?” He was handsome and talkative. Itoi remembered that when they took the Shinkansen together, they talked and talked to the point where Itoi would fall asleep. ‘When that happened, I would tell him honestly,’ Sorry man, I’m going to sleep. After that, Iwata started working on his laptop for the rest of the trip.
All three men went way back, with the younger Iwata, a programming enthusiast, who came from Hal Laboratory to run Nintendo. During this time, Miyamoto said his friend’s personality has never changed, not even a little. Itoi recalled how Iwata, even as president of Nintendo, would travel from Kyoto to his Tokyo office alone, with no additional staff or assistants, and with his suitcase itself. This, Itoi noted, could be considered unusual for a business executive. But then again, Iwata was not your typical business leader.
“When it all comes down to it, Iwata was my friend,” said Miyamoto. “He’s never gotten over me, got mad at me and never fought me.” This is unique, especially in Japan, given their age and tenure with the company. Miyamoto was older. He was more senior. Still, the position went to a more junior employee. “At any other company,” he continued, “you might expect there to be some tension when a younger person with less experience passes you by and becomes president, but in our case there was nothing like that.” Once Iwata started working from Kyoto headquarters, Miyamoto realized that his friend was better suited to run for president. “I’m glad it turned out that way.”
Miyamoto recalled how Iwata was respected and loved as a father, as well as other memories, including the time when the busy supervisor put a treadmill in the president’s office so he could jog. “I have all these different memories, and they come back to me at random times.”
Miyamoto and Iwata sound like kindred spirits – in some ways they were alike, but in others they couldn’t be more alike. “An important way we differed is that when he was on the Shinkansen or on a plane, he liked to make effective use of his free time,” said Miyamoto. “In the meantime I would relax.”
Iwata was passionate and hardworking, but never took herself too seriously. “I’ve said so much to Iwata myself, and I mean this in the best sense of the word, but he was a bit of an idiot,” Itoi said. “But believe me, this was a strength to him.” Throughout the office, Iwata was called “Kirby.” According to Miyamoto, “When you’re stuck in a long meeting and there’s a lot of candy lying around, it’s easy to eat a ton, right? That earned him the nickname ‘Kirby’, and we made sure there was always plenty of candy to hand. “
One thing that made Iwata such a great leader is that he helped support his team. This, according to Itoi, is what made his Monday lunches with Miyamoto so important. “They were a combination of all the things he did [Iwata] loved, ”said Itoi. “An opportunity for him to say, ‘I think I have it’ and develop an idea that would make his close acquaintances and customers smile.”
Miyamoto believes that Iwata’s ideas have become part of Nintendo’s corporate fabric and the company is still going strong. The future looks bright thanks to the young generation of employees. But he undoubtedly misses his friend. “What makes me sad is that if I have a crazy idea this weekend, I can’t tell anyone about it on Monday morning,” Miyamoto said. “ When I’m having lunch, he’s not there to say, ‘I think I’ve discovered your problem, which sometimes leaves me stuck. I really miss him. “
Ask Iwata is published today. For more information, see his official site