Satoru Iwata Biography: On December 6, 1959, in Hokkaido, Japan, Satoru Iwata was born. He was a Japanese professional video gamer who also worked as a programmer, businessman, designer, and producer. Satoru Iwata had an impact on the conception, development, marketing, and programming of video games. He, for instance, changed the emphasis of video game development from creating high-end technology to creating entertaining games. Iwata was also a skilled manager, and many of the management innovations he brought about are still in use today in a number of tech-related companies. At the 2016 DICE Awards and the 2015 Golden Joystick Awards, he was given the Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously.
Satoru Iwata: Early Life
In addition to his exceptional technical proficiency in video game programming, Iwata was renowned for his distinct sense of humor. He used comedy in his marketing videos and company culture. This was highly unusual in a society where firm leaders were expected to be inflexible. Satoru Iwata was once compared by one of his peers to a ventilator in a darkly atmosphere-filled company. Iwata was born on December 6, 1959, on Sapporo, Japan’s Hokkaido Island, to local politician Hiroshi Iwata.
Satoru Iwata: Career
Iwata served in a variety of roles and had exceptional leadership abilities during his time in school. He developed an early interest in computers and games due to his early exposure to these subjects. It was during his high school years that he created his first computer game. With the money he got from his part-time job washing dishes, he would spend it on games on the slot machines at the nearby rail stations. Subsequently, in 1974, he purchased a programmable calculator and programmed it to create games for himself and his classmates. He then bought a Commodore PET computer in 1978, which he disassembled to see how its various components fit and functioned.
Iwata began studying computer science at the Tokyo Institute of Technology in April 1978. He started working as a part-time programmer at the HAL Laboratory. Iwata began working as a part-time programmer for HAL in 1980 and remained there until 1982. Iwata first made a name for himself as an inventive programmer at this employment. He contributed to the creation of an add-on that enabled older machines to run graphics from more recent games. Iwata was appointed president of HAL in 1993, and he improved the company’s performance. He began working with Nintendo in 1999, and the following year he was formally hired. In 2002, he advanced to become Nintendo’s President, a role he retained until his death in 2015.
Satoru Iwata Net Worth and Height
| Name | Satoru Iwata |
| Date of Birth | December 6, 1959 |
| Age | July 11, 2015 (age 55) |
| Zodiac sign | Sagittarius |
| Height | 5’10” |
| Relationship Status | – |
| Net Worth | $50 Million |
| Social Media | – |
Why we like him
His games made people’s lives better.
Iwata gave Nintendo the order to concentrate on creating goods that enhanced the lives of its users. He did not want people to be deprived of a high standard of living by his creations.
He never let go of staff members.
Even during Nintendo’s difficult period, when he was forced to decide between paying staff members more or terminating them, he opted for the salary reduction. He was a leader of the people and recognized the value of employment.
He was modest.
Nintendo made a number of product errors when he was in charge. But he never placed the blame elsewhere and was always willing to take ownership of his actions.
5 Facts
He had “Pokemon Stadium” coded.
In just one week, Iwata rewrote the combat code for “Pokemon Stadium” by himself.
He desired that video games be reasonably priced.
Iwata made an effort to keep development costs down and held the opinion that games shouldn’t cost more than $50.
His initial work that was published
Iwata’s first game creation and release for the MSX was “Super Billiards,” a pool game.
He was not a member of the Yamauchi clan.
He was the first Nintendo President who was not a blood relative or married into the Yamauchi family.
His disease had an impact on his avatar.
Iwata changed the appearance of his Mii character avatar to match his weight loss throughout his cancer treatment.