Nintendo president Satoru Iwata passes away at age 55

A major blow for the gaming world, Nintendo released an announcement saying that their President, Satoru Iwata, passed away yesterday at the age of 55.

The anouncement reads, "Nintendo Co., Ltd. deeply regrets to announce that President Satoru Iwata passed away on July 11, 2015 due to a bile duct growth." Consequently, representative directors Genyo Takeda and Shigeru Miyamoto now helm the company. 

なんかだいぶ注目集めてるみたいだから再掲しとく。https://t.co/N1xd3cuHoG

— NOCHI (@nochi0079) July 13, 2015

Flags at the Niintendo HQ in Japan flying at half mast.

Iwata has been plagued by a bile duct obstruction for a while, which forced him to skip E3 this year and undergo surgery shortly after. He had since responded to fan concerns about two months ago on Twtter, saying he was doing fine. 

Iwata started out as a programmer with Nintendo in the 1980s, working on early classics like Earthbound. He was appointed director in 2000, and finally president in 2002, succeeding Hiroshi Yamauchi. During his tenure Iwata has seen Nintendo through it's highs and lows, celebrating the success of the Wii and DS consoles, and even taking a massive pay cut when the Wii U tanked. 

A well-known figure, if not much-loved, he will be remembered for his contribution during gaming's childhood. RIP Satoru Iwata (1958 - 2015). 

Thank you for everything, Mr. Iwata.

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) July 13, 2015

"Video games are meant to be just one thing. Fun. Fun for everyone!" - Satoru Iwata #ThankYouIwata pic.twitter.com/XfeR7iYowA

— E3 (@E3) July 13, 2015

Today we lost a hero: http://t.co/TZUqyGmDpk #indiegamedev #Nintendo #SatoruIwata #gamedev pic.twitter.com/Uhuc6pBSeO

— LinaraLabs (@LinaraLabs) July 13, 2015