Blizzard Programmer Ron Nakada Loses Fight With Cancer

[BlameTheWizards]

Blizzard Programmer Ron Nakada Loses Fight With Cancer

Nakada had been fighting colon cancer since last summer. A donation is currently underway to collect funds for his family to pay Nakada's remaining medical bills and memorial services.

Sad news in the gaming industry today, as we hear that Blizzard Entertainment's Ron Nakada, a senior software engineer, passed away in the early morning of April 2. Nakada, who joined Blizzard in 2006, had served as a programmer for World of Warcraft.

Nakada was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer in summer of 2013. A fundraiser on the website YouCaring.com was posted this past December to collect donations for his medical expenses. The page is now collecting donations to help Nakada's family, including his wife and four children, pay his remaining bills and memorial costs.

The fundraiser site was organized by John Alvarado, of inXile Entertainment, who broke the news of Nakada's passing. "It is with deep sadness that I report that my dear friend Ron Nakada passed away yesterday at 2:48 a.m.," wrote Alvarado on April 3 on the fundraising page. "He was surrounded by family during his final days and hours, with a great many friends coming to visit him at the hospital." Alvarado wrote that he and Nakada had been friends since the 7th grade, both learning programming together and doing contract work for Shiny Entertainment and Interplay during the 90s.

As of this writing, the fundraiser has currently collected just under $34,000 of its $50,000 goal, with 36 days left to go. If you're a Blizzard fan, or just want to help a family in need, head over to the site <a href=http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/help-ron-beat-cancer-/115847>here and pitch in what you can.

Source: <a href=http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/help-ron-beat-cancer-/115847>YouCaring.com via <a href=http://gamepolitics.com/2014/04/04/rip-blizzard-senior-software-engineer-ron-nakada#.Uz7_J_ldVx4>GamePolitics.com

Permalink

 

[gibboss28]

Poor sod. Rest in Peace fella.

 

[Trivun]

You know what would be pretty awesome of Blizzard now? If they put some sort of memorial to him into WoW, since he'd worked on the game and all, as a tribute to the guy. As for me, I'd never heard of him, I've never played any of Blizzard's games, and I certainly never met the guy. But it's never nice to see someone die, especially to something as horrible as cancer, and my sympathies lie with Ron Nakada and his family and friends. Hopefully they can be given the comfort they need in this dark time.

Ron Nakada, rest in peace.

EDIT: Wasn't aware that they already do this, in any case my condolences to the family.

 

[Compatriot Block]

Hate hearing about stuff like this. Best wishes for all his friends and family, can't imagine what they're going through right now.

 

[Roofstone]

You know what would be pretty awesome of Blizzard now? If they put some sort of memorial to him into WoW,

They probably will, the usually do. Both for fans and employes.

I seem to recall donating some dollars to this fellow when that was going on. I guess I'll donate some to his family as well.

RIP, you brilliant programmer you.

 

[Charli]

You know what would be pretty awesome of Blizzard now? If they put some sort of memorial to him into WoW.

They always do, there was a very touching one to a member of the team who passed away during Wrath of the Lich King's development where you try to save his life but he inevitably passes away only for the Naaru to give the soul peace and redemption in a shower of light, ensuring the Lich King couldn't take him.

Was very nice tribute and I always remember it, I'm sure the next expansion will give him one too.

 

[marioandsonic]

Fuck cancer. No joke or anything, just...fuck cancer.

It's always sad to see news stories of people having cancer.

RIP, Ron. May the gates of Quel'thalas be open to you always.

 

[BoogieManFL]

Seems strange they still have to pay bills for someone who is no longer alive.

Also, it's a shame they need to collect charity. Blizzard could come up with that $50k with from the subscription fees of less than 1% of the number of players they have.

 

[Caiphus]

Well that's sad. Sad that a reasonably young man died, and sad that his family needs to run for donations on top of it. Poor guy.

 

[Denamic]

Having just lost my grandmother this week to breast cancer, I sympathise with his family. Fuck cancer.

 

[EndlessSporadic]

Rest in peace. I wish the family nothing but good luck now and in the future.

 

[anthony87]

Maybe it's my love of a good poo.....maybe it's the amount of time I spend reading books on the toilet but of all the different cancers out there, colon cancer terrifies the hell out of me.

 

[Sarge034]

I feel sorry for the loss but I'm willing to bet more than just Ron Nakada died of cancer on April 2nd. So why was he news worthy? Oh, cus he was famous.

 

[Gezzer]

I feel sorry for the loss but I'm willing to bet more than just Ron Nakada died of cancer on April 2nd. So why was he news worthy? Oh, cus he was famous.

Actually no, not because he was famous. I played WoW for a very long time and I never heard of the guy. So I don't think it was because he was famous. It's called a community. Like minded people that like the same things coming together to comfort and show support for someone dealing with loss or dark times. As the final line of the old prose goes "ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee." Ponder that for a bit k.

http://www.gradesaver.com/donne-poems/study-guide/section20/

 

[lacktheknack]

I feel sorry for the loss but I'm willing to bet more than just Ron Nakada died of cancer on April 2nd. So why was he news worthy? Oh, cus he was famous.

Yeah, someone who directly had influence in the lives of most people here (more or less everyone here has gotten deep into a Blizzard game at some point) has died, and that's directly tragic to us specifically.

Just... just don't do what you're trying to do. You accomplish nothing but pissing off people in the thread and do the dead no favors.

 

[Kuredan]

May the Light embrace you, Ron. I'll be looking for you on the island the next time I'm in Azeroth.

 

[JSoup]

Sad to hear.
Is there already a memorial to him in game? Some people are saying there is.

 

[Lil_Rimmy]

I feel sorry for the loss but I'm willing to bet more than just Ron Nakada died of cancer on April 2nd. So why was he news worthy? Oh, cus he was famous.

Don't.

I agree with the idea that many, many people die every day and it sucks, but people don't report on all of them. I could go into a long reason of why people don't, due to them not knowing, seeing or being effected by that person or their creations, but frankly I'm just going to go with: Don't.

Your going to achieve nothing but piss off people and cause a flame war over someone who VERY recently died. There is no way for you to come out of that looking like anything more than a dick. Please, at least discuss it in a different thread. It's kind of like the westboro baptist church picketing a funeral. It's cool you wanna say something or make a point, but here and now's the wrong time.

 

[Sarge034]

Actually no, not because he was famous. I played WoW for a very long time and I never heard of the guy. So I don't think it was because he was famous. It's called a community. Like minded people that like the same things coming together to comfort and show support for someone dealing with loss or dark times. As the final line of the old prose goes "ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee." Ponder that for a bit k.

http://www.gradesaver.com/donne-poems/study-guide/section20/

Ok, so I'll refine my statement. I'm sure more gamers than just Ron Nakada died of cancer on April 2nd. So why was he news worthy? Oh, because he was really famous. We are a community of gamers, are we not?

Yeah, someone who directly had influence in the lives of most people here (more or less everyone here has gotten deep into a Blizzard game at some point) has died, and that's directly tragic to us specifically.

Just... just don't do what you're trying to do. You accomplish nothing but pissing off people in the thread and do the dead no favors.

Ok, so I'll refine my statement. I'm sure more gamers than just Ron Nakada died of cancer on April 2nd. So why was he news worthy? Oh, because he was really famous. We are a community of gamers, are we not?

Perhaps people need to stop being mad at the truth... No, I'm not doing this particular man any favors but this is something that irks me to no end because it is such a wide spread... thing.

Don't.

I agree with the idea that many, many people die every day and it sucks, but people don't report on all of them. I could go into a long reason of why people don't, due to them not knowing, seeing or being effected by that person or their creations, but frankly I'm just going to go with: Don't.

Your going to achieve nothing but piss off people and cause a flame war over someone who VERY recently died. There is no way for you to come out of that looking like anything more than a dick. Please, at least discuss it in a different thread. It's kind of like the westboro baptist church picketing a funeral. It's cool you wanna say something or make a point, but here and now's the wrong time.

So you can go with "don't". I will stand for those deemed "too boring" to remember. It's cool how quickly people switch views though. Remember back when the LoL guy story came up? The majority of the responses said it didn't matter that the guy was making statements about school shootings right after a school shooting, but damned if I speak ill of the dead this soon after his death. Even if I'm not even speaking ill of the dead. I'm speaking ill of our society's fixation of the rich and famous.

 

[lacktheknack]

Perhaps people need to stop being mad at the truth... No, I'm not doing this particular man any favors but this is something that irks me to no end because it is such a wide spread... thing.

And it irks other people to no end when people use other peoples' dead bodies as soapboxes.

Your timing is incredibly inappropriate, no matter what statements about society you feel compelled to make.