Nintendo has issued a brief statement announcing the passing of the company's beloved President and CEO, Satura Iwata, due to a bile duct growth. Iwata, who passed away on July 11th, stepped into the role of president in 2002, when Hiroshi Yamauchi retired after running the company for more than half a century.
In 2013, Iwata also assumed the role of CEO of Nintendo of America.
He is acknowledged as playing a large role in the success of the company's Wii and DS consoles. Prior to taking the helm as President, the executive was employed as a programmer, playing a role in the development of titles like Kirby and EarthBound.
Iwata sat out E3 2014 in order to undergo surgery for a bile duct tumor, but returned to the stage in both human at puppet forms for 2015's big event.
He was 55 years old.
