Video: Satoru Iwata - Disrupting Development

In 2006, the Wii launched, shaking up the console industry.

In 2006, the Wii launched, shaking up the console industry. It would turn out to be the crowning achievement of a career full of highlights for Nintendo's late president and CEO, Satoru Iwata, who passed away this past Sunday.

Here, we present Iwata's 2006 GDC keynote speech, in which he spoke about the development of the company's disruptive products, including the Nintendo DS and the Wii -- and how the company was forced to "reconsider its strategy and how it could recover overall leadership" in the game space once Sony's PlayStation came onto the scene and trounced the Nintendo 64 (that quote, by the way, is delivered as part of a witty anecdote about the battle between Coke and Pepsi for soft drink supremacy, not the console wars.)

The speech is a great reminder of the visionary thinking that led to Nintendo's major success under Iwata's watch, and delivers a peek into how the company charted a path through the "red ocean" to the blue one.

If you missed it in person, watch it for free over on the official GDC YouTube channel.

For more Satoru Iwata, you can read this reflection on his career(with plenty of wisdom direct from Iwata himself) or this collection of quotes.

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vaultand its new YouTube channeloffers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC, GDC Europe, and GDC Next already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

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