Slashdot Mirror
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).")
In the days of yore, every game that came out on a Nintendo system would have to go through rigorous testing at the Mario Club. Now it is just an option, one that alot of companies dont use because it does take time and money. But the end result is a better game overall
" 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."
FYI, Games made by / Produced by /Supervised by Shigeru Miyamoto:
Arcade:
Mario Bros. 1983
Donkey Kong 1983
NES:
Donkey Kong 1983
Donkey Kong Jr. 1983
Donkey Kong 3 1984
Super Mario Bros. 1985
Metroid 1986
Super Mario Bros. 2 1989
Super Mario Bros. 2 (JP) 1986
Super Mario Bros. 3 1991
The Legend of Zelda 1986
Gameboy:
Donkey Kong '95 1994
Legend of Zelda: Oracle 2001
Zelda: Link's Awakening 2001
Mole Mania 1996
Waverace 1992
Super Nintendo:
Earthbound 1991
F-Zero 1991
Starfox/Starwing 1994
Super Mario All Stars 1995
Super Mario Kart 1992
Super Mario RPG 1996
Super Metroid 1992
Super Mario World 1991
SMW2: Yoshi's Island 1995
Yoshi's Safari 1993
Zelda: A Link to The Past 1991
Nintendo 64:
1080 Snowboarding 1998
Animal Forest 2001
F-Zero X 1998
F-Zero X Expansion (64DD) 1999
Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 2000
Zelda: Ocarina of Time 1998
Mario Artist (64DD) 1999
Mario Kart 64 1997
Star Fox 64 1997
Super Mario 64 1996
Super Smash Bros. 1999
Waverace 64 1996
Yoshi's Story 1998
Nintendo Gamecube:
1080: White Storm 2003
Animal Crossing 2002
Doshin The Giant 2002
F-Zero GX 2003
Geist TBA
Giftpia TBA
Kirby's Air Ride 2003
Legend of Zelda: Four Swords TBA
Zelda: Tetra's Trackers TBA
Legend Of Zelda:The Wind Waker 2003
Luigi's Mansion 2001
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour 2003
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! 2004
Mario Sunshine 2002
Mario Tennis TBA
Marionette TBA
Metroid Prime 2002
Pac Man TBA
Pikmin 2001
Pikmin 2 TBA
Roll 'O Rama 2002
Stage Debut 2002
Starfox GC TBA
Super Smash Bros. Melee 2001
Wario World 2003
Waverace: Blue Storm 2001
Nitendo GameBoy Advance:
Advance Wars 2001
Advance Wars 2: 2003
F-Zero: Maximum Velocity 2001
Mario Kart Super Circuit 2001
Mario & Luigi 2003
Metroid Fusion 2002
Super Mario Advance 2001
Super Mario World: SMA2 2002
SMW3: Yoshi's Island 2002
Super Mario Brothers 3: SMA4 2003
Wario Land 4 2001
Wario Ware 2003
Zelda: Four Swords 2002
With titles like those under his belt, it's easy to see why the game industry would not be the same without him.
- "Scientia non habet inimicum nisp ignorantem"