Satoru Iwata
Programmer turned Nintendo president who launched the DS and Wii
- Lived
- 55 yrs
- 1959 – 2015
- Works listed
- 1
- Video game
- Honours
- 0
- Awards & distinctions
- Profile views
- 4
- 0 followers
Satoru Iwata was a Japanese programmer and businessman who became Nintendo’s president in 2002. He led the Nintendo DS and Wii, which brought gaming to new audiences, and was beloved for his humility and “Nintendo Direct” presentations. He died in 2015.
Biography
HAL Laboratory
Iwata studied computer science at the Tokyo Institute of Technology and joined HAL Laboratory, programming games such as Balloon Fight and helping create Kirby. He became HAL’s president in 1993 and saved it from bankruptcy.
Famous programmer
He helped compress Pokémon Gold and Silver so that a second region fitted on the cartridge, and fixed Super Smash Bros. Melee.
Nintendo president
Yamauchi chose him as president in 2002. The DS (2004) and Wii (2006), with touch and motion controls, sold more than 100 million units each.
Legacy
He hosted Nintendo Direct videos and the “Iwata Asks” interviews. He died of bile-duct cancer in July 2015.
Timeline
-
1959
Born in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
-
1982
Joins HAL Laboratory
-
1993
President of HAL
-
2000
Joins Nintendo
-
2002
President of Nintendo
-
2004
Nintendo DS
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2006
Wii
-
2011
Nintendo Direct begins
-
2015
Dies
-
2015
Died, aged 55
Notable works
-
1984
Balloon Fight Video game
Programmer.
Did you know?
-
1
He once said, “On my business card, I am a corporate president. In my mind, I am a game developer.”
-
2
He halved his own salary after poor results.
-
3
Fans left tributes at Nintendo’s offices when he died.
Connections
Related people
Also born on 6 December
Frequently asked
Who is Satoru Iwata?
Satoru Iwata was a Japanese programmer and businessman who became Nintendo’s president in 2002. He led the Nintendo DS and Wii, which brought gaming to new audiences, and was beloved for his humility and “Nintendo Direct” presentations. He died in 2015.
When did Satoru Iwata die?
Satoru Iwata died on 11 July 2015 at the age of 55.
Where is Satoru Iwata from?
Satoru Iwata was born in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
What is Satoru Iwata known for?
Satoru Iwata is best known for HAL Laboratory games; Nintendo president 2002–2015; Nintendo DS and Wii; “Iwata Asks”.
References
- Satoru Iwata — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Satoru Iwata — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Satoru Iwata — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Satoru Iwata (Q316013) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Satoru Iwata”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Satoru Iwata.” TrackFame, last updated 5 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/satoru-iwata
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