Earlier this morning, Nintendo confirmed the passing of their former president Hiroshi Yamauchi at the age of 85.
Shortly after joining Nintendo in 1949, Hiroshi Yamauchi transformed the company from a card manufacturer into the notorious video game powerhouse it is today. He is solely responsible for bringing in legendary developers Shigeru Miyamotu and Gunpei Yokoi to help bring his vision to life. After stepping down in May of 2002, Yamauchi joined Nintendo’s board of directors and was succeeded by Satoru Iwata.
Today’s tragic news is not only sad for Nintendo fans, but also for fans of video games in general. One could easily argue that without Hiroshi Yamauchi there would be no Nintendo, Sony, or Microsoft today. Just about any and every kid growing up in the 80’s had the original NES and had access to games like Super Mario Bros and The Legend of Zelda. Of course as time passed on, several new companies emerged onto the scene and it was this healthy display of competition that contributed to all the consoles we have today. We send out our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and everyone that worked with him over at Nintendo.
Do you have any favorite Nintendo games that you enjoyed playing from your childhood? Would you agree that Hiroshi Yamauchi influenced the industry we have grown so accustomed to today? Feel free to let us know your thoughts on the matter in the comments section below.
