Nintendo CEO Iwata has died aged 55

Nintendo has confirmed that company CEO, Satoru Iwata, has passed away. He was just 55.

"Nintendo Co., Ltd. deeply regrets to announce that President Satoru Iwata passed away on July 11, 2015 due to a bile duct growth," the company said in a statement.

He was suffering with ill health that caused him to miss E3 2014, and while he was absent again this year, although we did get to see him taking part in the company's Nintendo Direct, yet another playful and light hearted broadcast from the company.

Until Iwata's successor has been chosen, Shigeru Miyamoto and Genyo Takeda will look after the company.

Iwata-san had been with the company since the 1980s, became a director in 2000, and took control of the business as CEO in June 2013. He will be sorely missed.