The man largely credited for turning Nintendo into the video game maker it is today, Hiroshi Yamauchi, has passed away at the age of 85. Nintendo has announced that Yamauchi passed away as a result of pneumonia.
Yamauchi ran Nintendo from 1949 through 2002 and turned the company from a playing card business to a major player in the video game industry. Under his reign, Nintendo created the first portable video game device with a processor, called the “Game & Watch” in 1980. He is also the man responsible for hiring Shigeru Miyamoto, who we all know as the creator of Mario and Donkey Kong.
Besides being one of the wealthiest individuals in the world, Yamauchi arguably crafted the video game industry to what it is today.
So when you’re firing up copy of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD tomorrow give a thanks to the man that helped make it all possible.
Source: Reuters
