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Miyamoto Lecture On Design, Career
Thanks to Video-fenky for translating a Tokyo University lecture transcript with Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto, as originally posted on the Japanese Nintendo Cafe website. This in-depth talk discusses a cornucopia of interesting subjects, including originality ("..project documents that start out with 'If you did this and that to this other game, I think it would be really fun' are absolutely no good. Don't tell me about that! Tell the person who made that other game about it!") and job titles ("in Nintendo there aren't any official positions called 'director' or 'producer'.. [but] people overseas don't get that system. So when I started dealing with overseas folks, I wanted to sell myself to them, so I just wrote 'producer' on my business card. Later I got yelled at from the head office about assigning myself titles, but... (laughs).")
Man, where does this man find time to do all this stuff. From overseeing around a dozen games, to designing new ones, to lecturing at colleges, this man is a machine. No wonder his games are always excellent.
" OMFG. And Wind Waker wasn't exactly the same as Ocarina of Time?"
Nope. Play it.
"What are they on, Super Mario Bros 104 including all the GBA versions? "
What are you on? What's the BFD? All the Mario games are very different from each other. We're not talking about new levels to Pacman here. Hint: Oversimplification never enlightens.
"For Nintendo to gain ground in America they need to drop the nationalistic Japan is #1 crap and step up to 2003."
He wasn't impressed with American games as of late. Do you blame him? We're "let's milk the formula for sequals!" happy right now. It's been proven time and time again that Americangame companies have difficulty taking risks and doing something *gasp* original. I can't even name a whole lot of American game companies because they don't leave much of an impression on me. (Go Rockstar, though!)
"But does he have to be so condesending about it?"
A.) He has a point. B.) Sugarcoating it would just take longer to read. He's being honest. He's certainly earned his right to judge. C.) condescending is not the word I'd use. He's disappointed. What's he supposed to say?
I guess this comment just bugs me because I'm sick of the "I need to be nice to everybody for fear of lawsuits" crap that figureheads like Miyamoto end up hiding behind. I much prefer to hear it like it is. One can take a comment like his and get upset over it, or they can take it as a criticism and learn from it. I think you've already picked the path you want to take. Pity, really. If I were working for a game company, I'd be thinking really hard about what he's saying instead of thinking of a rebuttal.
"I'd like to post that quote next to the Gamecube at Toys R Us. If people knew how Nintendo really felt about America they would sell zero consoles."
Doubtful. Shooting games are overrated and a lot of people are quite sick of going through it over and over again. It's refreshing to hear "we're not doing guns just because they're today's fad". I'm sure mothers would be glad to hear about it too.
The mistake you're making is that you think he's talking about America as a whole. He was talking about what the current formula over here is for a 'good game'. The comments he quoted were akin to people leaving a theater disappointed rattling off what would have made the movie better. "There should have been boobs and bigger explosions."
Sorry, but I found this dude enlightening, not offensive.
"Derp de derp."
"Yes franchise leveraging is what I'm talking about in that example. Its exactly what he rails against American companies for doing. "
No it's not. He rails against taking the previous game and making a few subtle upgrades to it. "oo we have 10 guns instead of 6." The Mario Bros series is comprised of games that are very different elements. 'Sequal', in Nintendo speak, doesn't mean "upgrade what we got", it means "do something new".
Thing is, though, I'm pretty sure you haven't spent any time with these games. I think you're going to try to argue with me on this based on impressions you've been left with by looking at a few screenshots. Go ahead and try, doesn't bother me. But I'd encourage you to look at what happened to Sonic the Hedgehog. Now there was a trilogy of games you couldn't tell apart. Big surprise that Sonic to Sega was never what Mario was to Nintendo.
"Derp de derp."
U.S. games from an era or two ago weren't so well put together, but they were interesting because there was so much variety in what they made.
I think this comment is one of the most telling in the transcript and about the video game industry as a whole. Games have become so expensive to make that development houses no longer wish to take risks on different kinds of games. I want to play games like Pikmin, games that I have never seen before. How much more can you do to make an FPS unique? Why is Animal Crossing fun? Because there is nothing else like it (well maybe the SIMs.)
Nintendo is not the only company producing these games. GTA and GTA:VC are excellent. I have never experienced something so open ended, reguardless of the violent nature. Unfortunately, the violent nature is probably what sold the game, not the play mechanics. I just hope Rockstar can follow up...and not with a sequel, but with something just as innovative. How many games out now would you consider GTA clones, or clones of other games for that matter? That's the problem Miyamoto has with the US gaiming industry, where is the variety?
I guess it comes down to your criteria for a great game. Does it sell, or is it fun? Mine is deffinately fun.
The cancel button is your friend. Do not hesitate to use it.
If I'm the father of MODERN game design and one of the most successful game makers to boot, I think I would have the right to tell it like I see it on the gaming scene.
Fact is, Miyamoto's not only been around, but he's been quite successful and his opinion is well-respected in the industry (not just by Nintendo fanboys which I certainly am not). He didn't put anyone down. He just stated his opinion. Which, as much as you might not like to hear it, carries just a little bit of weight considering his history.
Heck, I hope instead of him shutting up, that some American gaming companies actually listen to him.
If anyone knows fun, it is Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the creator Donkey Kong, the Legend of Zelda, and Mario Bros. This man practically invented the modern video game. He is the Spielburg of video games. If he wants to comment on American video games, the American game makers should listen out of respect.
"If people knew how Nintendo really felt about America they would sell zero consoles."
So, do you drive Ford or GM? Because obviously driving anything else would be a cardinal sin in your book.