Today the world lost a visionary leader, one who saw that games could be more than just mindless shooters built for teenage boys, and led the charge in bringing them to a far wider audience. With the launch of the DS and Wii, Satoru Iwata oversaw one of the most successful periods in Nintendo history, transforming games into things that didn't just entertain you, but that could improve your brain, and keep you physically fit.
Not everyone saw what Iwata saw. When the DS was unveiled at E3 in 2004, questions were raised about whether anyone wanted a second touchscreen on a handheld, and what possible purpose it could serve for games. Indeed, before the show, Iwata said that "it is a 'unique' machine, so not everybody will understand it right away. There might only be 10 to 15 people applauding during its unveiling at E3, but they'll understand it once they touch it."
He was right, of course. The DS, in particular the tweaked DS Lite, would go on to sell over 154 million units, becoming the biggest selling handheld of all time, ahead of the original 1989 Game Boy. The DS was swiftly followed by the unveiling of the Wii in 2005. After the muted reception to the GameCube, expectations were high, but few could have predicted just how successful the Wii and its family-friendly motion controls and games would be.
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