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Fans Express Condolences After Nintendo President Iwata's Passing

Mourning and fond remembrance is reverberating throughout the gaming and online communities in the wake of the all-too-sudden and tragic passing of 55-year-old Nintendo CEO and dedicated gamer Satoru Iwata.

The Splatoon Miiverse, for example, is rife with commemorative comments expressing both grief and solemn gratitude for all of his work.

Many of these messages have been shared on Twitter. From all across the in-game city of Inkopolis, players continue to pour their hearts out over the loss of a man who has given them so much. Many of the comments feature player characters in black clothing in mourning.

Outside of Inkopolis, Twitter users from around the world share their sadness and condolences over Iwata's passing with the hashtag "#ThankYouIwata".

Nintendo also announced it will honor Iwata's memory by not posting on social media today.

Iwata saw the start of his gaming career at HAL Laboratory, developing known classics like Earthbound and the Kirby franchise. As CEO of Nintendo, he pioneered many gaming innovations such as the Nintendo DS and introducing motion control to games with the Nintendo Wii. He often served as the face of Nintendo Direct, which were short online press conferences that showed off upcoming Nintendo titles. Many Nintendo Directs placed Iwata in quirky and humorous situations such as an intense mock battle with Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime back at E3 2014.

Despite his lofty position as CEO, Iwata was known for wanting to keep a fun and enjoyable atmosphere to any game released by Nintendo. As evident throughout the world, Iwata will be greatly missed, yet his legacy shall remain immortal.

[Via Kai-You]