We all know how vastly important Miyamoto, Kondo, Yamauchi and even Reggie were and are to Nintendo. However, recently one man has been responsible for a revitalizing Nintendo and, in my opinion, getting them back on track. That man is Satoru Iwata.

I think Iwata brings a lot of much needed characteristics to Nintendo. First of all, he is great with the public. He may not be as jovial as Miyamoto, but for the president of such a huge company he is incredibly open and approachable. Totally the opposite of Hiroshi Yamauchi and his iron reign.

Iwata has also intelligently restructured the company. People like Miyamoto were freed up to focus more on creation and less on management. Under Iwata we have also seen the opening of a new Tokyo studio and things like the Nintendo World Store.

Iwata also brings to the table something that a lot of presidents don’t…experience. Iwata wasn’t a banker. He didn’t come from a background in real estate. Iwata was a game developer. He understands gaming. He loves gaming. His “Heart Of A Gamer” speech was probably my favorite game related speech in the last few years.

And of course, Iwata is a devilishly smart business man. He seems to have a very clear vision of where he wants Nintendo to go and thus far his plan is working. He is also strengthening third party support, the likes of which haven’t been seen on a Nintendo console since the SNES.

So, happy birthday Iwata-san. I have no doubt that you will leave a strong mark not only on Nintendo, but the whole gaming industry. Keep up the great work and enjoy your 46th birthday.

[Via 4colorrebellion]