Ask Iwata: Words of Wisdom from Satoru Iwata, Nintendo's Legendary CEO

Ask Iwata: Words of Wisdom from Satoru Iwata, Nintendo's Legendary CEO

Ask Iwata: Words of Wisdom from Satoru Iwata, Nintendo's Legendary CEO

Ask Iwata: Words of Wisdom from Satoru Iwata, Nintendo's Legendary CEO

Hardcover

$20.49  $22.99 Save 11% Current price is $20.49, Original price is $22.99. You Save 11%.
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Qualifies for Free Shipping
    Choose Expedited Shipping at checkout for delivery by Wednesday, April 3
  • PICK UP IN STORE
    Check Availability at Nearby Stores

Related collections and offers


Overview

“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.” —Satoru Iwata

THE USA TODAY BESTSELLER

"A welcome salve and a book that anyone who cares about gaming should own and read." - Forbes

Satoru Iwata was the global president and CEO of Nintendo and a gifted programmer who played a key role in the creation of many of the world’s best-known games. He led the production of innovative platforms such as the Nintendo DS and the Wii, and laid the groundwork for the development of the wildly successful Pokémon Go game and the Nintendo Switch. Known for his analytical and imaginative mind, but even more for his humility and people-first approach to leadership, Satoru Iwata was beloved by game fans and developers worldwide.

In this motivational collection, Satoru Iwata addresses diverse subjects such as locating bottlenecks, how success breeds resistance to change, and why programmers should never say no. Drawn from the “Iwata Asks” series of interviews with key contributors to Nintendo games and hardware, and featuring conversations with renowned Mario franchise creator Shigeru Miyamoto and creator of EarthBound Shigesato Itoi, Ask Iwata offers game fans and business leaders an insight into the leadership, development, and design philosophies of one of the most beloved figures in gaming history.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781974721542
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Publication date: 04/13/2021
Pages: 176
Sales rank: 82,034
Product dimensions: 5.60(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Satoru Iwata was born on December 6, 1959 in Hokkaido, Japan. He graduated from the Tokyo Institute of Technology with a degree in Computer Science and joined HAL Laboratory in 1983, becoming president in 1993. After joining Nintendo Co., Ltd in 2000, he was appointed president in 2002. As a developer, Iwata helped produce iconic games such as Kirby’s Dream Land, Super Smash Bros., and EarthBound; as the president of Nintendo, he produced innovative hardware such as the Nintendo DS and the Wii, which have played a key role in the global expansion of gaming. Iwata is credited with shifting Nintendo’s focus from “games for gamers” to “games for everyone.”

Table of Contents

Preface xi

Chapter 1 Iwata, Future President

High school years: Discovering the programmable calculator 3

College years: Making friends at the computer store 5

The dawn of HAL Laboratory and the release of the Famicom 7

Becoming president with 1.5 billion yen of debt 9

Interviewing every employee twice a year 12

Running away would mean a lifetime of regret 16

Iwata's Words of Wisdom: Part 1 20

Chapter 2 The Leadership of Iwata

What do we do well? 25

Locating the bottlenecks 27

The taste of success brings resistance to change 29

Shocking people, in a good way 32

The most important aspect of a job interview 33

People who can accept constructive criticism 34

When a project is going well 37

The question of respecting others 38

Iwata's Words of Wisdom: Part 2 41

Chapter 3 Iwata, The Individual

A drive to understand why things happen 49

The ability to find rewards 51

How programming informs management style 54

If it makes sense for you, then go for it 56

The meaning of "Programmers should never say no" 58

Determine priorities and minimize regret 59

Iwata's Words of Wisdom: Part 3 62

Chapter 4 The People Iwata Believes in

Good 4 solve multiple problems in a flash 69

What Miyamoto sees over your shoulder 72

Miyamoto's keen understanding of computers 76

Two ways of resuscitating EarthBound 77

EarthBound and expanding the gaming population 80

How I described my view of work to Shigesato Itoi 82

The lessons of Hiroshi Yamauchi 84

Iwata's Words of Wisdom: Part 4 87

Chapter 5 The Games Iwata Strives to Make

The game console we envisioned 95

Creating a platform for play 98

What starts as an absurdity can still bear fruit 100

The hazards of staying the course 101

If I could turn back time, I'd make it the same 103

How the two of us made Super Smash Bros 105

Our motto for Wario was "Do whatever Nintendo can't do" 106

Light users and core users 107

Iwata's Words of Wisdom: Part 5 111

Chapter 6 Remembering Iwata

Shigeru Miyamoto Remembers Iwata: "He wasn't my boss. He was a friend." 119

Being good at different things 119

Naming the new 121

Difference without antagonism 123

Working together on Pokémon Snap 125

Books, meetings, and a spirit of service 127

"Visual control" and company-wide interviews 129

The Iwata I knew 131

Shigesato Itoi Remembers Iwata: "He wanted to make everybody happy." 134

My trust deepened every time we met 134

Ensuring an environment for all 137

Like a younger brother, no matter the setting 139

Always talking, because he was having fun 141

Even sick, Iwata was himself 143

Fostering happiness 146

Chapter 7 Iwata, The Person

Unable to let questions go unasked 151

Iwata's Words of Wisdom: Part 6 153

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews