“When the economy is strong, people tend to buy three things from the top of their wish list. But when things are bad, people often buy only the first thing on their list.”

Japanese businessman, video game programmer and producer

Satoru Iwata was a Japanese businessman, video game programmer, and producer. Born in 1959 and active until his death in 2015, he became the fourth president of Nintendo in 2002 and later served as chief executive officer of Nintendo of America from 2013. He is remembered for helping shape Nintendo’s direction during a period when the company was reaching beyond its traditional audience. Iwata played a major role in broadening the appeal of video games by emphasizing inventive, entertaining experiences rather than competing only through cutting-edge hardware. He was also the first Nintendo president not to be related to the company’s founder, Fusajiro Yamauchi.