Japanese videogame maker Nintendo Co Ltd’s chief executive and president, Satoru Iwata, died on Saturday due to a growth in his bile duct, the company said. The death of the hands-on CEO comes as the company expects to double annual operating profit in the year through March thanks to its long-awaited entry into smartphone games, amid weak sales growth in its traditional consoles. Iwata, who opposed the move into mobile until the last months of his life, underwent surgery in June last year to remove the growth and had resumed his duties after a brief period of recovery.