Steve Jobs dies aged 56

Steve Jobs, co-founder, chairman and former CEO of Apple, has died at the age of 56.

Apple confirmed that Jobs died yesterday after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. "Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being," reads a statement on the company's website. "Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor.

"Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple."

Jobs worked for Nolan Bushnell at Atari before founding Apple with Steve Wozniak in 1976.He was fired in 1985 following an internal power struggle, bought what would later become Pixar in 1986, and returned to Apple in 1996 when the Cupertino company bought his computer company Next for $429 million.

He was named chief executive of Apple in 1997, and his tenure saw the release of the iMac, iPod, iTunes, iPhone and iPad, with Apple recently named the most valuable publicly traded company in the world, sitting on a bigger cash reserve than the US government. Job's health dictated that he stand down in August, to be replaced by COO Tim Cook.

While Jobs-era Apple undeniably changed the videogame industry enormously, he was not the biggest fan of games. In 2008 Id's John Carmack said: "The truth is Steve Jobs doesn't care about games. He's not a gamer." In August, Seamus Blackley told us: "The victory of games is utterly complete with Apple. They tried real hard to make the iPad about word processing and music, and the audience just doesn't want it."

Despite that, tributes poured in last night to a man who had presided over one of the most innovative companies in the world, a true visionary who oversaw a revolution in the way games are made, sold and played.

Sir Howard Stringer, chairman of Sony, told USA Today: "The digital age has lost its leading light, but Steve's innovation and creativity will inspire dreamers and thinkers for generations. "

EA CEO John Riccitiello said: "Steve was one of a kind. For many of us working in technology and entertainment, Steve was a new kind of hero that lead with big, bold moves and would not settle for less than perfection. He is the best role model for a leader that aspires to be great."

Dr Michael Capps, president of Epic Games, who shared a stage with Jobs when unveiling Infinity Blade last year, said: "Steve advised us to 'find what you love'. He found what he loved, and he changed our entire world doing it. His passion united so many talented people to focus on innovation, on quality, on usability.

"Steve's true legacy isn't in the products built so far, but in his lasting vision that guides Apple in bringing us the future."