Satoru Iwata confirmed for Game Developers' Conference keynote

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata is set to take the floor at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco next month, with a Thursday morning keynote presentation titled "Heart of a Gamer".

Iwata is the second key speaker from a major platform holder to be announced at the show, with Microsoft's J Allard already due to deliver an address on Wednesday morning - although neither speaker is expected to reveal much about their respective companies' next-generation plans.

The Nintendo boss' presentation promises to cover his perspective on the current state of the games industry and the changes set to take place within interactive entertainment, with a specific focus on how these things have driven the company's thinking on both the DS and Revolution consoles.

Almost uniquely for someone so highly placed within the industry, Iwata's background is actually in game design - having played a key role in the creation of the Kirby character, the Super Smash Bros series and the Earthbound RPG series before moving into his role at the top of the firm.

"Satoru Iwata is a global icon in the game industry and we are honoured to have him share his knowledge and experience with the entire game community," commented GDC director Jamil Moledina. "The GDC strives to deliver the best the industry has to offer and Mr. Iwata certainly brings us to that level."