Nintendo President Dies: Hiroshi Yamauchi Dead At 85; How Did He Die?

A longtime visionary for the Japanese video game and console manufacturer Nintendo has died. Hiroshi Yamauchi, who ran the company for 53 years, died of pneumonia this week, the tech firm said in a statement. He was 85. Yamauchi has been credited for reinventing the brand and sailing it into a golden age. He began his run as president in 1949 when it was a mere trading card company and transformed it into a household name until he retired in 2002. "Hiroshi Yamauchi transformed a run-of the-mill trading card company into an entertainment empire in video games," said Ian Livingstone, co-founder of Games Workshop. "He understood the social value of play, and economic potential of electronic gaming. Most importantly he steered Nintendo on its own course and was unconcerned by the actions of his competitors. He was a true visionary."

Yamauchi acquired the firm when his grandfather, who previously owned it, suffered a stroke. He spent years forging the relative success of its already-existing trading card business and later evolved it into electronic gaming. He comissioned the work of the legendary Shigeru Miyamoto to make his way into the business in the U.S. Miyamoto helped Yamaucho creaye a slew of widely popular games, including Super Mario, Legend of Zelda and Starfox. Yamauchi remained on the board of directors for the company after stepping down in 2002 before leaving the video-game producer entirely in 2005. Yamauchi became one of Japan's richest men following the success of the company, achieving such feats as owning the Seattle Mariners before selling it in 2004 to Nintendo's U.S.-based firm. His funeral will take place Sunday.