Satoru Iwata - Heart of a Gamer

In honor of Satoru Iwata, Game Developers Conference is posting his GDC keynotes in full onto KZbin. This keynote, held in 2005, is entitled Heart of a Gamer.

[@fullanalysis93]

"My first creation [on the calculator] was a baseball game. I don't think anyone can say it has bad graphics because it has NO graphics."

[@SimonLab]

Everyone speaks about "in my heart i am gamer" quote , that is actually one for the ages, but after that , him speaking about gaming franchises and how we should be proud of them cause they were made from "gamers" is actually an extremely important fact. developer are 99% gamers and thus we should be proud of franchises that were born from games

[@notsocooldude7720]

He was truly one of a kind. I don’t think we’ll ever see a CEO like this in the video game industry again

[@johnjamesedwards3349]

1:23 On my business card, I am a corporate president. In my mind, I am a game developer. But in my heart, I am a gamer. Thank you, Iwata. You have done your greatest contributions for not just Nintendo, but for the entire video game industry as a whole.

[@erickalvarado5564]

8:21 "Think about this, someday our games won´t look any better, what we will do then?" He truly knew what was important about video games.

[@awang_ir]

Hello from June 7th 2024. I wonder how much better our gaming industry is if Mr. Iwata was still alive today

[@oranjesus49]

predicted the actual industry problem, small visual improvement, none gameplay improvement; that is why I trust Nintendo will solve that problem, I mean they did solved the problem, I hope everyone could understand that.

[@CorbelanIV]

Arguably the best and most important speech in video game history. Also, I have tremendous respect for him for doing this in English when he easily could have used a live interpreter.

[@TheDjMoogle]

When he says “...but in my heart I’m a gamer” shit makes me tear up man. He was a pure a man at heart. Rest In Peace forever Satoru Iwata

[@Pejelo]

1:23 Best Quote Ever. Rest In Peace, Satoru Iwata.

[@seba5837]

Gaves me chills every time

[@Coeurebene1]

OMG a CEO who really knows and enjoys what his company does

[@Vegas242]

You're looking at the CEO who once personally helped the development team code and finish SSB Melee among many other instances of being awesome. Satoru Iwata was amazing

[@ChauNyan]

​@@Vegas242"Once". I'm pretty sure he did it for Gold/Silver too.

[@Elykar]

This gamer's heart will always remember Iwata.

[@nawab256]

God I miss this man. It’s always the best of us that die young.

[@OsakaSan]

We lost an invaluable combination of mind and heart in this industry, and it pains me that he was right in a lot of things and people didn't listen him anyway because he was "Out of touch" Nintendo will never have such a good CEO again, nor we will ever see it on any other company. Developer, gamer, close to his fans and always taking blame for his mistakes. You will be missed, Iwata sensei.

[@ZalmanZStar]

We've lost a gaming legend.

[@LutherDePapier]

I love when Mr. Iwata says in 2005 that the best of the GameCube library will still be enjoyed years from now: fast-forward to 2015, here I am, playing Baten Kaitos II for GameCube on my Wii again. :)

[@13Gangland]

Just bought a gameboy sp, I've had my gamecube for a few months now, he is right, tge games hold on very well, while others (ps xb) only wish they can be this good. He was a selfless, humble, down to earth genius that knew what we wanted! He will certainly be missed by many.

[@KeatonGamerYT]

Fast forward to 2022, and here I am, playing DS Games on my DSi again.

[@oranjesus49]

@@KeatonGamerYT Nintendo games are such timeless piece of art, half 2023 and GC still an amazing console with a beautiful library, ToTK just released and we know that it will age well, because is a fun game, is all about making funny games, that make them timeless.

[@dragonwar1]

I was there ！So fortunate to be at one of the important presentations given in the game industry!

[@zetetick395]

This is the kind of CEO you WANT at the head of your gaming corporation! RIP Satoru Iwata - You WILL be remembered by ALL us video-gaming fans in ALL countries everywhere!

[@TheSetsky]

Not just game, but for every corporation. This dude seemed to be so cool

[@BTscryforattention]

Those people who played with him on stage are probably cherishing that memory. I never got to meet him, but it's almost like losing a friend.

[@purp9986]

For me its like losing a realy close familiy member

[@nathangamble125]

He built the foundation of our childhoods. For many of us, he raised us just as much as our parents did. It is absolutely like losing a family member.

[@GhostTrueCapitalist]

"Mr. Iwata, which character are you?" "I'm Mario." Aww. :') We love you and we'll miss you, Iwata.

[@arn_ice]

I think is the one and only properly good and honest game company CEO ever. Truly a skilled and honourable man.

[@tvcompfy]

He had the mind of a genius and the heart of a gamer.

[@brinmat]

Thank you for uploading the whole speech. This was really one of his most iconic talks. RIP, Iwata-san.

[@sprucefruit]

11 years later and this is all still so true

[@SailorMid]

It's been 13 now

[@VGx7]

15 years later and it’s still true!

[@jeremyg9305]

@@VGx7 Should be a video they play in high school introductory programming courses, it's timeless.

[@anonanonymous9670]

18 years later and it's STILL true, even more so nowadays

[@tomkom9618]

I can't believe it was 30 years ago.

[@LutherDePapier]

It's crazy how even 10 years ago, Zelda footage was the hypest content in the videogame industry.

[@oranjesus49]

2023 and it is still the same. Zelda developers are a treasure on this industry

[@shakeitoff1000]

This talk is even more pertinent now than it was when it came out. This guy was a real visionary for Nintendo. A CEO, but a gamer at heart.

[@Ryuzekia]

Iwata is now in all of our gamer hearts..RIP.

[@Ramsteinrig]

Thanks for uploading this. May Iwata-san rest in peace.

[@quintessences]

This is one of my favorite talks. Iwata was such a unique individual and an inspiration. His business ethos is an ethos I respect and try to achieve everdau

[@GameFaceMax]

Thanks for uploading this. The industry just won't be the same without Iwata. I'm so thankful for the games, and the memories that would not have been possible without him.

[@SailorMid]

One can only hope Nintendo continues to keep striving for the best

[@alledman98]

Iwata's prescience here is incredible. His description of the industry has only gotten more accurate with time. We've lost an incredible man.

[@TheFreedd]

What an inspiring man. His passion was amazing. Just imagine if everyone had the same passion for what they do..

[@ktvx.94]

So many great quotes aside of the one we knew. About budgets and when games won't look any better, things that change and stay the same and the importance of ideas. What a legend.

[@taidakun_ig]

There will never, ever be another president or developer like Mr. Iwata. His philosophy came from his heart of a gamer. Others are just businessmen running a company.

[@oranjesus49]

we, young developers, have to pay respect to mr Iwata making this whole industry turn into what it should be, I do belive that 5-10 years from now it will be better, and Im taking the responsability. We have to fix this.

[@ContrastCopy]

@@oranjesus49yes

[@ColbertAwesome]

Iwata was such a great person and the best President of Nintendo

[@lou626]

His english is amazing! He was truly ahead of his time , rip iwata-san

[@Polygonal_Sprite]

I can't see another time where such a massive videogame companies President is someone with such experience in development. Satoru Iwata was truly unique and I'm excited to see how his plans with NX unfold over the coming years. He basically saved Nintendo with DS & Wii and considering he was working on the project right up until his tragically early death, it would be a fantastic final gift from him to repeat the feat. RIP.

[@Polygonal_Sprite]

Switch closing in on 150 million sales! My word he’s proud. He also nailed the current crisis happening within the games industry with the ridiculous AAA development costs and the pay offs it’s causing with single game flops. RIP Mr. Iwata.

[@Reckless150681]

What a man. What. A. Man. In an age where game development is pushed by technical boundaries and money, Iwata loved making what games should always be: FUN.

[@jmeister7482]

Amen to That

[@johnwarosa2905]

"The game is fun. If it's not fun, why bother?"

[@GameDevGreyhat]

I remember when i first saw this presentation when I was still in HighSchool and lucky enough to get to go to GDC, this man is still legendary and a major influence on who I am working to becoming in the gaming industry. The world could use more people like satoru Iwata.

[@StarWarsUnited123]

thanks GDC, I miss him so much, it hurts.....he will be surely missed in this industry and I can't thank him enough for what he did for Nintendo, the Industry and for me!

[@four-en-tee]

7 years later, and the video game industry hasn't quite been the same. Rest in peace, Satoru Iwata.

[@PipeRetrogamer]

I've been gaming for about 29 years now, however I was never interested in knowing about the people behind the games I love. I've gotten to know Iwata thru videos like this one. Becoming aware that he was behind many of my favorite games and understanding how he thought about the industry, I can't help but realising that the videogames sector need a man like him more than never. It's been a terrible loss.

[@joonsuk79]

존경합니다. 부디 하늘에서 편히 게이머로 즐겁게 지내고 계시길......

[@Zeldasmash1]

For me, this video is damn near impossible to watch without crying. It's so sad to see a man so cheerful, playful and humble as Iwata die to the horrifying blight on humanity known as cancer. Iwata, you shall forever be missed by millions around the world for what you have done to our lives: fill them with fun.....RIP

[@NobleS1236]

Satoru Iwata is my hero. Even in death he continues to be what inspires me to become a game dev. Rest in Peace Satoru Iwata. I wish I could have met you.

[@brianmccormick3837]

Today, on what would have been Mr. Iwata's 60th birthday, let us not let him be defined by one aggressive form of cancer. Instead, we should always pause to remember and reflect on the truly remarkable legacy he left behind. God bless you, Satoru Iwata, and I hope you're celebrating your birthday up there in the sky today. You will always be missed. R.I.P.

[@DouglasQuaid999]

His English is surprisingly good, Reggie's Japanese on the other hand...

[@CoolVids19]

+Dankglas Quaid Reggie's body wasn't ready at all.

[@carlycross9487]

Ill take your word for it!

[@matlaw]

His English is astonishingly good considering his expertise in so many other fields.

[@slevinkelevra_2347]

He prepared the speech on his mother languaje, then perfectly translate to english, and he got a screen to read, u all didnt notice bcs his reading skills are way to high, he just need to look 0.5 secs just to remember some words some times, and when he do that, he seems to read an entire page everytime even if he is just looking for 0n3 word. 11:03 love his acent tho

[@Vextrove]

His English is more advanced than many native speakers. His pronunciation, not so much. But for a Japanese person, it is still outstanding

[@furrycanal4156]

6 years🥺 we miss you, iwata😢

[@The_Ostrich]

wE mIsS yOu iWatA

[@lgplays2399]

This man was a damn superhero. Purist of the pure.

[@GamerPastHisPrime]

Such a great video. What a guy too. He was always funny and charming, and it's such loss. It is great seeing him this long ago, showing what drives him, and trying to inspire others. I can't believe he's gone.

[@chenalna]

His words still inspire me to play games; The truth of games is its gameplay,whether on a game console, a PC or just a phone

[@Milesrgomez]

R.i.p . When people talk about Japan being ahead of it's time and genius creativity, Satoru Iwata is one of them. Love, passion, and ideale that touched us all. #HEARTOFAGAMER

[@AceGaimz]

Rest in Peace, Iwata-San. You had an amazing personality, amazing ideas, amazing heart, and did amazing things. I can go on and on about how great you are, but truthfully, words cannot describe you. You deserve your success. Thank you, Iwata-San. (Lemme just explain my use of past and present tense in this. I said "had an amazing personality, amazing ideas, amazing heart, and did amazing things" because he does not have a personality currently, as he has sadly passed away. I said "how great you are" because Iwata is still great. His legacy will be remembered forever. I said "You deserve your success" because he still does deserve his success. He worked hard for it and he achieved it. Overall, my use of both present and past tense is to emphasize that Iwata the person may be gone, but his legacy, personality, and impact will never die. Long Live Satoru Iwata.)

[@eggnebula4757]

this is so heartwarming, what a sweet and lovely man, he just brings joy. so many times i was just smiling. so inspirational, so truly understanding of what games really are for

[@MajorLinkGaming]

I can't watch this video without crying.

[@nhblackdc5]

as i watch this i am crying. You are missed Iwata-san. Rest in peace the greatest, most beloved gamer of all time.

[@HenrikoMagnifico]

I miss him so much...

[@Jingleboy14]

Very inspirational. 2005 was a great time to be a Nintendo fan. RIP Mr. Iwata, and thank you.

[@dariusq8894]

Few people will achieve what Iwata-san has done in his lifetime. Truly a legend.

[@DaoistYeashikAli]

After playing The Matrix Awakens, I remember Mr. Iwata's quote about gameplay over graphics....so I came back

[@UniversalJuan]

Shit, I can't even go 5 minutes in without completely losing it! Will someone PLEASE stop cutting onions when I go to watch this?! Damn

[@amolinya]

he was sick when he did this bugger sickness i am gonna get my point across. what a guy. what an unbelievable guy.

[@guigondi7671]

This is such a good talk...

[@gabrielpoupou1479]

Having a game of Mario Kart with Satoru must be quite the experience!

[@kaylee6372]

Thank you Mr. Iwata for everything

[@Yarnooee]

one of the most admirable ceo in history.

[@fullanalysis93]

What a legend, if I was in the audience I would have cherished that moment forever.

[@ABCWarrior]

This made me cry. I miss him and I'm sure everyone misses him too :(

[@sIDsleeper]

For me, he didn't really die, he just finished the game of his life with a High Score!

[@xinlan3541]

the max score.

[@petitknightcreations7431]

It still hurts so much hearing his wise words, knowing he's gone. I wonder how many people this great man has inspired to take up the mantle and live by his words?

[@brianmccormick3837]

19 years ago today, this speech was held. One year from today will be 20 years. Everyone at GDC, thank you so much for uploading this video. Mr. Iwata is sorely missed and gone forever. But never forgotten. Never to be another gaming CEO like him again. Wherever he went and whatever he hosted, he spoke DIRECTLY from the heart. We'll keep on gaming for as long as we all shall live. I can say that I'm proud to be a video gamer. And in my heart, I am one. Such a wonderful and soft-spoken man. RIP Satoru Iwata.

[@BlueBlur2003]

We miss you Iwata. Hope you're smiling down at us in heaven.

[@feerfeerw]

i'm going to miss him and his voice so much :(

[@gab_gallard]

I just don't understand what kind of person would dislike this. I just can't comprehend it.

[@NobleS1236]

Gabriel Gallardo probably some old person who thinks video games are a waste of time.

[@davidmoreno9191]

I love it when he says "devoroppá" xD This man is, like Reggie and Miyamoto, a lagend, for trying to have fun with the audience istead of just focusing on grabbing their money. Videogames are fun! RIP iwata san

[@swannbenziane7880]

Im here for the anniversary of his death, this conference was great just like most everything he ever did.

[@judsonjcj]

Sinto como se um amigo próximo tivesse falecido... Adeus Sr. Iwata.

[@follandmatt]

This man truly was a class act.

[@zayaannashrid1374]

RIP Saturo Iwata One of the heroes of Video Games

[@alanjhaugen]

One of my best memories.

[@Lexyvil]

I miss him so much. :(

[@1gnore_me.]

outside of the famous quote, this is actually just a really good talk, full of wisdom. today's game developers can learn so much from him.

[@Diskhate]

Thank you Iwata..you made my childhood more enjoyable and fun and made me a fan of videogames. I will never meet you, but i'll allways be grateful PS: 0 dislikes.. Dear humanity, you're impressing me this time... (obviously some idiot now will hit dislike just to be different)

[@DrewskiGaming0]

I've been watching satoru iwata videos for the past couple days I had forgotten it was the anniversary of his passing he would have loved the switch

[@olivermisbach2454]

This is one man who will live long after death. His legacy will be remembered and felt for eternity. (Man, I still tear up when I see this.).

[@MrAwsomeman102]

Crazy to see the industry nowadays. Developers are beyond stressed to develop a game with very limited time to meet investor deadlines. A large portion of those games are being released unfinished, and the consumers are straying away from games that are visually appealing because the experience is lackluster. This speech was a warning to the western market that if you only care about the revenue then your industry will become static just like other industries that lose there passion for there product

[@NecromancerAdr]

3 years ago we lost this wonderful man. It's incredible how someone could be so influencial to an industry like he was. RIP.

[@StevenLeeSan]

He's the legend. Better keep the zero dislike, or I won't forgive any of you!

[@MAXISORAWIGGLES]

Thanks for this.

[@NobleS1236]

Nintendo is still the best game company out there. They put the most important part of games first: fun. Not how they can take advantage of their customers, not how fast they can push games out, but fun.

[@Dragonfist900]

Iwata captures the magic word of gaming perfectly: fun; nobody seems to CARE bout fun anymore; that’s why Nintendo in my opinion is the best

[@four-en-tee]

Hell, i'd argue that even Nintendo sort of misses the point nowadays, but they are the ones who still follow it the closest compared to other companies. The only better example in my mind is probably SEGA, but that more so has to do with how they handle their community and fan projects rather than how they make games.

[@IamHueGraves]

it's interesting when people (should) clap but don't even want to because they might interrupt greatness :D

[@bluenausica]

Brilliant way to introduce a company and it's product. You will be missed Iwata san. This speech should be shown to every CEOs out there.

[@SuperFunkykong]

Today is the 14th anniversary of Super Smash Bros Melee's japan release! SATORU IWATA GAMER FOREVER!

[@ralphcoronado1548]

Thank you, Satoru Iwata, for waking up my dreams to pursue game design in the near future.

[@johnsky4382]

KZbin randomly decided to notify me of this video on my phone for no reason. I even have recommended notifications turned off. Either way I'm watching this.

[@turbo30988]

岩田さん、心からゲームが好きだったんだなぁ

[@plincoln21]

"I'm Mario. I'm a good player.' I love that man.

[@kiyopon4838]

Crazy that just before he made this speech he was sick with a throat illness and he delivered it perfectly and doing it while speaking English

[@Nigel222]

It's not been the same since he left.

[@SwitchZetto]

It's been over 4 years already. May you keep resting in peace, Iwata san.

[@derekt7206]

Thank you for making this video!