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Miyamoto 'Banned' From Talking About Hobbies

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the they-might-learn-our-secrets dept.

walshy007 writes "After Shigeru Miyamoto developed a love of puzzles, the "brain-training" software that has proved to be an international "killer application" on the Nintendo DS console was born. He became interested in taking more exercise, and Wii Fit was created. He took up music lessons, and Wii Music was the result. Now, according to sources at Nintendo, the games designer has been banned by the company from speaking publicly about his hobbies."

256 comments

  1. Well then... by pak9rabid · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ..guess we'll just see how long Nintendo manages to keep him around with ridiculous policies like this in place..

    1. Re:Well then... by El_Muerte_TDS · · Score: 5, Funny

      Depends on if they are working on a Wii BDSM game.

    2. Re:Well then... by ByOhTek · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Heh, really.

      Given the fairly common nature of these hobbies, it strikes me not the hobbies themselves that make the game popular, but rather his twist on putting them into a game.

      Seriously, how many people, honestly, could make games as popular as his, on these subject matters. The key factor is the creator, not the theme, I suspect.

      --
      Self proclaimed typo king, and inventor of the bear destroying coffee table (patent not pending).
    3. Re:Well then... by gsslay · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It's amazing what people will put up with if they're paid enough. I image that Mr Miyamoto is very well paid by Nintendo, so much in fact that the outrageous imposition of not being able to discuss his hobbies with people is bearable.

    4. Re:Well then... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Next game he'll be making: Wii Censor

    5. Re:Well then... by pak9rabid · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It's amazing what people will put up with if they're paid enough. I image that Mr Miyamoto is very well paid by Nintendo, so much in fact that the outrageous imposition of not being able to discuss his hobbies with people is bearable.

      From the sound of it, it sounds like he's been with Nintendo for awhile. Long enough to have accumulated enough money to where he very likely doesn't need the income from Nintendo anymore. There's a point in which after a person accumulates enough money, the promise of more money to throw on top of the heap really stops becoming a motivating factor and one starts looking at the other niceties of life instead. Niceties such as discussing interesting subject matters (aka hobbies) to others....not to mention I'm sure he wouldn't have a problem finding a job that pays well and gives him this freedom elsewhere.

    6. Re:Well then... by caramelcarrot · · Score: 5, Insightful

      This smells of a PR stunt to say "look how awesome Miyamoto is! we have to stop him talking about trivial things or he'd give everything away! ha ha!"

    7. Re:Well then... by AvitarX · · Score: 5, Insightful

      But you don't want the imitators coming out before you.

      A crappy "We Like to Get Fit" Game coming out before Wii Fit could damage sales.

      --
      Wow, sent an e-mail as suggested when clicking on "use classic" banner, and got a fast response that addressed my msg
    8. Re:Well then... by Dancindan84 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      But you don't want the imitators coming out before you.

      Exactly. If you correctly read the summary let alone the article, it says they've banned him from talking about his hobbies. He's still being encouraged to develop ideas for the company, they just don't want other companies cashing in on his ideas before they do.

      --
      "Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much." - Oscar Wilde
    9. Re:Well then... by Anonymous+Cowpat · · Score: 3, Insightful

      or having access to most of the resources of Nintendo and a free hand to turn whatever his interest of the moment is into a game to force onto the rest of us as the next 'in thing'.

      --
      FGD 135
    10. Re:Well then... by MarkvW · · Score: 1

      It depends upon how much of the company Mr. Miyamoto owns!

    11. Re:Well then... by JoeMerchant · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I suspect this all centers on delaying competition from co-launching similar products.

      It's common in all industries, the element of uniqueness adds value, and often that value is the difference between go / no-go for development.

      So, I imagine he can talk about his hobbies all he wants, as long as he doesn't mind killing any associated projects. It would be the same at any other (established, successful, ossified bureaucratic) company. He could try going to a small, inexperienced independent who would let him blab all he wants about things that aren't going to be available for 5 years, but I bet he's better off where he is.

    12. Re:Well then... by kusanagi374 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Now THAT would be interesting, to say at least...

      "Move your wiimote to control a virtual whip, and punish that nasty slave refusing to comply with your orders. Online supported!"

    13. Re:Well then... by jellomizer · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Nintendo is not an American company. Mr. Miyamato is not an American. Why do you expect him to follow the values of American Culture. The Japanese tend to have more of a good of the company/community/family mind set while Americans have the what is good for me mind set. I am not saying one or the other is better or worse. In paradox to this article and thread the American Culture tends to be more creative and come up with new ideas (as they are trying to position themselves for promotion or noticed for the next big thing) while the Japanese are good at perfecting (for the good of the company product need to be perfect).
      YES THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS! when talking about a culture there are always exceptions as we group a group of millions of people into a box. However a cultural norm tend to strongly influence people thoughts and feelings.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    14. Re:Well then... by bloodninja · · Score: 5, Funny

      It's amazing what people will put up with if they're paid enough. I image that Mr Miyamoto is very well paid by Nintendo, so much in fact that the outrageous imposition of not being able to discuss his hobbies with people is bearable.

      So for now on, he will post as AC?

      --
      Lock the wife and the dog in the boot of the car.
      Return one hour later.
      Who's happy to see you?
    15. Re:Well then... by HTH+NE1 · · Score: 1

      There's a point in which after a person accumulates enough money, the promise of more money to throw on top of the heap really stops becoming a motivating factor

      When the carrot stops working, you switch to the stick. As in, if you don't perform the work you're contracted for (or leak information about your hobbies that we're developing as games), we sue to reclaim a big chunk of your money heap.

      It's when you give so many carrots that the stick doesn't work anymore that you really have problems.

      --
      Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
    16. Re:Well then... by LordKronos · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Actually, he is paid (at his own insistence) a salary no higher than other developers. I've read it in numerous places over the years, but don't have a link handy.

    17. Re:Well then... by Lumpy · · Score: 1

      WiiHentai?

      That would take the platform into a whole new direction....

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    18. Re:Well then... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Let's not forget though that it is Japan, a culture of unrelenting discipline, so Miyamoto might not see this as restrictive as we do.

    19. Re:Well then... by ByOhTek · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I never suggested he wasn't allowed to continue with his efforts. I simply suggested that other companies are highly unlikely to be able to beat him to the punch with a sufficient quality work, such that it would warrant that restriction on him.

      --
      Self proclaimed typo king, and inventor of the bear destroying coffee table (patent not pending).
    20. Re:Well then... by AP31R0N · · Score: 1

      Mod 'em up!

      Also, so what if they "banned" him from discussing certain things? He can still talk about them all he wants, and lose his job. That's up to him. It's not like he'd go to jail or be killed for it. They aren't forbidding him, or limiting his choices/freedoms in any way. They changed the conditions of his employment. This isn't any different than you company handing a form saying "don't divulge company secrets", you can if you like, and the company will fire you. Social Contract: The individual and the group exchange obligations to each other.

      --
      Utilizing the synergization of benchmark e-solutions to pre-workaround action items!
    21. Re:Well then... by drakono · · Score: 1

      Yes, that's what the article says 4 sentences in. It's not a ban to keep him from getting Nintendo employees excited about developing the next game about an innocuous task; it's a ban to keep him from giving his ideas away to potential competitors.

    22. Re:Well then... by AP31R0N · · Score: 1

      [Off Topic Question]
      Could someone 'splain to me why something i posted seconds ago already has a score of 2?

      --
      Utilizing the synergization of benchmark e-solutions to pre-workaround action items!
    23. Re:Well then... by inotocracy · · Score: 0, Troll

      Most casual gamers have no idea who the hell Miamoto is, I can assure you if the game is popular.. it isn't because Miamoto visioned it, its because the games he envision star Mario.

    24. Re:Well then... by KUHurdler · · Score: 1

      They're going about it the wrong way...

      I recommend that he comes with the hobby of curing cancer or feeding the hungry

      --
      Fix Your Own TV - RiddledTV.com Avoid the Landfill
    25. Re:Well then... by The+Moof · · Score: 1

      with people

      He can talk with people privately all he wants.
      He cannot discuss them 'publicly,' which I assume would mean the media.

      This actually bring up an interesting question: "If you're the business of turning your hobbies into successful video games, do you hobbies become a trade secret?"
      For all we know, they might be working on some new 'hobby' game that's not announced yet. There's a possibility that someone might take note of his publicly disclosed hobbies and make a game, beating them to the market.

      Not defending the decision, just some food for thought.

    26. Re:Well then... by Gerzel · · Score: 1

      Pretty long, after all wii gardening, wii painting, and wii jellowrestling are all in development.

      (er no not really is a joke.)

    27. Re:Well then... by _KiTA_ · · Score: 2, Interesting

      ..guess we'll just see how long Nintendo manages to keep him around with ridiculous policies like this in place..

      How is this a ridiculous policy? The man takes his hobbies and interests and turns them into multi billion dollar franchises. And he has done this repeatedly!

      I'm sure there are no end of Sony and Microsoft reps that would gladly throw $TEXAS at him to get him to switch teams, and no doubt they're paying several people $OREGON to watch what he says in interviews to try and figure out what new innovative game he's going to come out with next before they do.

    28. Re:Well then... by twistedsymphony · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I highly doubt that Miyamoto minds... I'm sure he understands that the ban is for the benefit of the company.

      I work for a Japanese owned company.. it's quite different from an American company. You don't just leave because of some stupid politics, the company wants you to respect your co-workers like an extension of your family. It's a long term relationship. The company doesn't treat you like a disposable commodity (lay offs and firings are extremely rare) and in return most of the employees respect the wishes of their employer and do things "for the good of the company" rather than just walking away for greener pastures.

      This is very much true of my own company which while in the US the Japanese corporate mentality is a big part of everything we do. Even though we're in aerospace manufacturing, with the horrible economy and every other company in our industrial park laying people off and going under, my company hasn't laid off or fired a single employee in my entire career here. the company is saving money buy dropping 3rd shift and moving those employees to 1st and 2nd, we're on a hiring freeze, we had a shut down (week of mandatory vacation), and hourly employees must reduce their over time.

      Yes some of that stuff sucks, but in the good times the company does us right so in the bad times people are willing to make some personal sacrifices knowing that it will help the company overall.

      While not a good times/bad time scenario Miyamoto is a very big part of the Nintendo family, he's not just some super star that is only interested in money... I wouldn't be half surprised if he was in agreement with the "no hobby discussion" rule or if it was even partly his idea.

      --
      Collector's Edition
    29. Re:Well then... by 2nd+Post! · · Score: 4, Interesting

      It doesn't have to be sufficient quality work; if someone releases the Next Big Thing before Nintendo can, but it happens to be spectacularly crappy, then Nintendo is cheated out of a market where people don't believe in the product any more.

      Imagine if, a month before the announcement of the iPhone, an almost as good but not quite was released? People go crazy, buy it, are locked into a contract, and disappointed. Will they buy the iPhone? Nope, spent the cash, didn't think it was worth it, and don't want to risk it again.

      --

      GPL Deconstructed
    30. Re:Well then... by ByOhTek · · Score: 1

      Or because they are good.

      I don't know, they aren't /my/ style of game, nonetheless, a lot of people enjoy them. Maybe it's the cult following of mario, maybe they are good games.

      Where are you getting that it was suggested his name that made the games popular?

      --
      Self proclaimed typo king, and inventor of the bear destroying coffee table (patent not pending).
    31. Re:Well then... by inotocracy · · Score: 1
      The parent said:

      Seriously, how many people, honestly, could make games as popular as his, on these subject matters. The key factor is the creator, not the theme, I suspect.

    32. Re:Well then... by I'm+not+really+here · · Score: 1

      When your karma gets high, you get automatic trust, and your score starts at 2... or something similar to that. Read the Slashdot FAQ. :-)

      --
      Before commenting on the Bible, please read it first
    33. Re:Well then... by getagrip · · Score: 1

      "All comments are scored on an absolute scale from -1 to 5. Logged-in users start at 1 (although this can vary from 0 to 2 based on their karma) and anonymous users start at 0." http://slashdot.org/faq/com-mod.shtml i.e. rtfm :-)

    34. Re:Well then... by sam0737 · · Score: 3, Funny

      The size of Wiimote, and the fact that it does vibrate, is a pretty good adhoc vibrator...Except that it's not water proof.

    35. Re:Well then... by guaigean · · Score: 1

      It has nothing to do with casual gamers knowing who he is. The competition knows who he is. And if they know what his upcoming interests are, they are better placed to beat the next Miyamoto game to market, or dilute brand value by putting out a crappy knock off and worsening the reputation for the real game.

      --
      Microsoft Sucks, F/OSS Rocks. I get mod points now right?
    36. Re:Well then... by Torvaun · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I'm pretty sure they meant the skill of the creator. There are good games and bad games, regardless of genre. Just because someone makes a fitness game doesn't mean it's going to be good. Miyamoto, on the other hand, has a long history of making very popular games.

      --
      I see your informative link, and raise you a pithy comment.
    37. Re:Well then... by gsslay · · Score: 4, Insightful

      There's a point in which after a person accumulates enough money, the promise of more money to throw on top of the heap really stops becoming a motivating factor and one starts looking at the other niceties of life instead.

      Very true. And I'd be willing to bet that if asked, Mr Miyamoto's would say his #1 hobby is "working for Nintendo". If he no longer needs the money then why is he there?

    38. Re:Well then... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      None of the games mentioned star Mario.

      tmegapscm

    39. Re:Well then... by inotocracy · · Score: 1

      Ah, gotcha. That makes a little bit more sense, because regardless of how well you may know the developer, the rest of the population has no idea nor do they care who made it as long as its fun.

      Curious why my previous post was modded troll? I love the games he makes, and practically all Mario games. You still can't deny almost every single game he comes up with stars Mario in some form or another.

    40. Re:Well then... by Z00L00K · · Score: 1

      Only until there is a spy revealed that checks what his hobbies are.

      --
      If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
    41. Re:Well then... by Tawnos · · Score: 3, Informative

      That did happen, and it didn't lead to the iPhone failing:

      http://www.htc.com/www/product.aspx?id=356

      Released a couple months prior to the iPhone.

    42. Re:Well then... by Bytenik · · Score: 1

      I don't think it is at all outrageous. It is the same as signing an NDA or an employment that contains a trade secrets clause.

      The information is potentially very valuable to competitors, so he has been asked not to discuss it in public. It is in both his best interests and the company's to keep that information secret, considering that both parties have the potential to make oodles of money from it.

      --

      "Scientists prove we were never here."
      -- Devo

    43. Re:Well then... by AdamThor · · Score: 1

      Niceties such as discussing interesting subject matters (aka hobbies) to others

      Huh. I didn't really take the meaning of TFA in this way... rather the line:

      Now, according to sources at Nintendo, the games designer has been banned by the company from speaking publicly about his hobbies.

      I understood 'speaking publicly' to mean 'speaking to media, making public statements'.

      Interpreted in this way, the story doesn't sound so very suprising.

      --
      -- "Oh. This guy again."
    44. Re:Well then... by DeadDecoy · · Score: 1

      The summary makes it sound like a bad thing when it could simply be about protecting their intellectual property. Miyamoto has a pretty high batting average when it comes to producing highly successful off-beat games to such an extent, that if he even mentioned it, developers might implement the idea before he can.

    45. Re:Well then... by Belial6 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Exactly. WiiFit is not a new or innovative idea. It is an idea that was executed better than any previous version. In fact, if I was the suspicious type, I could call WiiFit a total ripoff. The XBox had Yourself!Fitness. Only the most hard core of fanboys are going to be able to claim that WiiFit isn't the same kind of game as Yourself!Fitness. And the WiiFit controller is just a supped up version of the Amiga JoyBoard. It was well reported that the JoyBoard had a meditation game, which is not far off from Yoga, and the skiing game IS Mogul Maniac. Puzzle games are just not something new. I haven't tried we music, so I cannot comment on it, but it seems clear that there these cames are not innovative. They are just very well implemented.

    46. Re:Well then... by NuclearError · · Score: 1

      You need online chat for the Wii first.

      --
      Nuclear engineers build weapons. Civil engineers build targets.
    47. Re:Well then... by JackassJedi · · Score: 0, Troll

      Sounds stupid to me

      --
      Power corrupts the few, while weakness corrupts the many.
    48. Re:Well then... by alexborges · · Score: 1

      I really don't wanna know how can you be so certain of all that.

      --
      NO SIG
    49. Re:Well then... by Bat+Country · · Score: 1

      A fact no doubt easily remedied by the determined "enthusiast."

      --
      The land shall stone them with the bread of his son.
    50. Re:Well then... by redJag · · Score: 1

      And the WiiFit controller is just a supped up version of the Amiga JoyBoard.

      I think the WiiFit controller is the biggest (pretty much only) factor in the new success of the "workout" type game. It's leagues above the JoyBoard (for obvious reasons) and that not only allows the developers to do more things with it, but makes it more fun as well. Virtually all the games on the WiiFit are extremely simple concepts, but they're fun because they were never possible to do right before the WiiFit controller.

    51. Re:Well then... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wii BDSM

      I had to look that one up. I thought BDSM was a new Linux distro.

    52. Re:Well then... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Naw, just a release name - it's the upcoming release of Gentoo.

    53. Re:Well then... by NotBornYesterday · · Score: 4, Funny

      If they had any damn sense, they would ask him to engage in misdirecting the competition. He could claim to be taking up knitting, or needlepoint, or horticulture. Maybe stamp collecting. Fine hobbies to those who are interested, but I wonder what the excitement factor would be to the game version. Let some crappy knock-off company sink their R&D into that!

      --
      I prefer rogues to imbeciles because they sometimes take a rest.
    54. Re:Well then... by flape · · Score: 1

      or by condome

    55. Re:Well then... by treeves · · Score: 1

      Hmmm...my karma is excellent, has been for a long time, yet my comments start at +1. Is there higher karma level than excellent?
      Is there another reason why he sees +2, like his settings? I know that one can have settings that automatically add or subtract points to certain comments, like -1 for new/recent userIDs, etc.

      --
      ...the future crusty old bastards are already drinking the Kool-Aid.
    56. Re:Well then... by 2nd+Post! · · Score: 1

      That thought experiment requires a competitor of equal weight to Apple; Sony, Microsoft, HP, etc.

      HTC expect to sell 1m HTC Touch Diamonds in three months.

      Apple sold 1m iPhone 3Gs in a weekend.

      So if Microsoft had a hyped touch phone released by HP that everyone thought would be cool but wasn't, that would be comparable.

      --

      GPL Deconstructed
    57. Re:Well then... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh great. So when can we expect Wii Masturbation to hit the shelves?

    58. Re:Well then... by fyrewulff · · Score: 1

      Animal Crossing Wii (Animal Crossing: City Folk) will have online voice chat.

      --
      "We need to get over this notion, that, for Apple to win... Microsoft must lose." - Steve Jobs, 1997
    59. Re:Well then... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I see you as 2 (+1 compared to logged in users, +2 comapred to anons). There is a setting for how much extra you see high karma people although asfaik the default is +1. It reset to +0 for me recently for no reason so the setting may have gained self-awareness as some point.

    60. Re:Well then... by stmfreak · · Score: -1, Troll

      it is stupid. He's demonstrating the naivete you come to expect (as a hiring manager) from people who haven't had very many jobs or haven't been fired/laid-off at all or very often.

      He is assuming that Nintendo will always take care of him. Not provable, despite historic trends.

      He is assuming that his creative genius will last the remainder of his life and will also be in demand. Again, not provable. Accidents, illness, economy, etc.

      He is assuming that his salary/equity share is sufficient and he is failing to exploit the fact that his contributions are more critical than those of others. Naive.

      Companies love employing such workers. It's great for the bottom line and you know that you can always afford to pay them more whenever they get the itch to leave.

      --
      These opinions guaranteed or your money back.
    61. Re:Well then... by Belial6 · · Score: 2, Informative

      Yes, the supped up nature of the controller is better. That is part of why I say that it is the implementation more than the idea. I would say that the software implementation is a factor also though. The silliness of the game makes it seem more like a... well... game, than a workout system. Yet, it is not so silly as to put off someone who wants to actually exercise. The pacing is also good, in that it breaks the exercises up into the right sized chunks to keep it from feeling like a time sink. I'm not saying that it doesn't eat up a bunch of time. Just that it doesn't FEEL like it does. Simple concepts can be implement well, and they can be implemented badly. I would say the Fit is implemented well.

      My wife bought ours last week, so I have been doing my personal reviews of the game. At this point, I think that it is probably one of the best ways someone could spend their money if they want to buy home gym equipment. $90 for the WiiFit, $250 for the Wii, and $500 for a 32" LCD TV means that for $940, you can buy an exercise system that is better than a $1500 Treadmill, and for people like me who simply cannot stand the mindlessness of working out, is superior to things like a bowflex that costs $2000. Yes, you can get a treadmill for $500, but if you are going to go cheap, you can get the TV for $140 bucks, reducing the cost to under $500 for all new equipment.

      We are considering turning our finished garage into a home gym, and if we do, we might just buy a Wii for exclusive use in the gym. I only say the Wii, because the WiiFit would be moved from the living room to the gym, and OBVIOUSLY we would already be buying a TV for the gym.

    62. Re:Well then... by Uniquitous · · Score: 1

      I dunno. Japanese corporate culture indicates fanatical loyalty to one's company, especially when there's anything like the history that Miyamoto has with Nintendo. I seriously doubt that he'd leave Nintendo over something like this.

    63. Re:Well then... by snuf23 · · Score: 1

      Like Nintendogs? Or Pikmin? Or Ice Climbers? Or Wii fit? or Wii Music? Or Wii Sports? Or Zelda?

      Yes he works on a lot of Mario games and he created the character when he made Donkey Kong but he has been directly involved with a lot of other Nintendo games.

      --
      Sometimes my arms bend back.
    64. Re:Well then... by Dgawld · · Score: 1

      Very Nice Nikes .

    65. Re:Well then... by Brandybuck · · Score: 1

      I'll be loyal to a company if the company is loyal to me. Unfortunately the nature of publicly traded corporations in the US is such that discourages loyalty to employees. I've worked for public companies and private companies. I vastly prefer the latter. My current (private) company has earned my loyalty. Yet it ain't Japanese.

      --
      Don't blame me, I didn't vote for either of them!
    66. Re:Well then... by djdavetrouble · · Score: 1

      Can I just point out that THAT phone looks like a clock/radio, not an awesome phone ?

      --
      music lover since 1969
    67. Re:Well then... by Real1tyCzech · · Score: 1

      He's not working for an American company, so much of what you just typed simply doesn't apply. The culture is completely different.

      Oh,a s an aside, you really should have someone take a look at that chip on your shoulder.

    68. Re:Well then... by palegray.net · · Score: 3, Funny

      Nintendo would have to market specially designed tentacle controllers for this concept to be effectively implemented.

      --
      512 MB RAM, 20 GB disk, 200 GB transfer, five datacenters. $19.95/month.
    69. Re:Well then... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Royalties. Stock options in Nintendo. He doesn't need a salary. It's a good PR move, and it's good for company morale. Most importantly, though, it's just not dickish.

    70. Re:Well then... by zyrorl · · Score: 1

      WiiBDSM - Fun for the whole family? It'd come with special leather suits with sensors for added realism, you'd score on style and punishment techniques.

    71. Re:Well then... by hypnozooid · · Score: 1

      I agree. I've played a lot of games that are rip-offs of other games, and they're never as good. For almost every game, there are other games that are about pretty much the same thing. But not every single fighting game is as popular as the Super Smash Bros series, and not every racing game is as popular as Mario Kart.

    72. Re:Well then... by LKM · · Score: 1

      That product is not "almost as good but not quite." It's the same old with a fresh coat of paint. That's not how you make something that can be compared to the iPhone.

    73. Re:Well then... by triathlon4life · · Score: 1

      Nooo. They are working on the best game of all time!!!! A great work environment produces beauties like this!!

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deer_Hunter_(video_game)
      Its going to make a come back...

      I also am personally glad the Wii has inspired products such as this
      https://www.spindirect.com/product_order.php?productid=16442&s=guitaridol&sessid=3da349f556ee834980e803f3517ce10c

    74. Re:Well then... by Overly+Critical+Guy · · Score: 1

      Does anybody read the article anymore? It says right in the beginning that Nintendo doesn't want his ideas taken and made into a game by a competitor. It's not ridiculous at all.

      --
      "Sufferin' succotash."
    75. Re:Well then... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wii Goatse

    76. Re:Well then... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'd say he's happy not to blab to a media outlet and the company just wanted to make it clear to media outlets that between them, they've mutually agreed that it's probably the best thing to maintain harmony.

      I didn't RTFA.

    77. Re:Well then... by mscholin · · Score: 1

      They had something on Kotaku about the "ADULT" themed peripherals that at least one company is making.

    78. Re:Well then... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Online supported!"

      Now you're just being ridiculous...

    79. Re:Well then... by ozphx · · Score: 5, Funny

      CONDOME.

      Two cocks enter, one cock leaves.

      --
      3laws: No freebies, no backsies, GTFO.
    80. Re:Well then... by Samah · · Score: 1

      The company I work for is Japanese owned, and in the 4½ years I've worked here I've not seen a firing or redundancy. People normally leave of their own accord unfortunately... but I think that's more to do with wanting more money. The IT industry is an aggressive business (in Australia at least), and if you're not getting the absolute best deal at the company you work for, you're better off finding a new employer who'll provide it.

      I've seen at least 20 people on my team come and go since I've worked here, taking most of their experience with them such that the knowledge base of a given subsystem dwindles (ie. at least three subsystems have been dumped on me because I'm the only person left who knows how they work). They'd be screwed if I up-and-left.

      --
      Homonyms are fun!
      You're driving your car, but they're riding their bikes there.
    81. Re:Well then... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    82. Re:Well then... by Falconhell · · Score: 2, Funny

      To be comparable with the jesus phone they would have to cripple the range and make it drop out regularly.

      Gotta be the most overhyped POS of the last 10 years.

    83. Re:Well then... by glitch23 · · Score: 1

      The company doesn't treat you like a disposable commodity (lay offs and firings are extremely rare) and in return most of the employees respect the wishes of their employer and do things "for the good of the company" rather than just walking away for greener pastures.

      I think that is because it is pointless to fire/lay off someone who has killed himself for disgracing his family.

      --
      this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom. -- Lincoln, Gettysburg Address
    84. Re:Well then... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      if he jumps ship, they would probably have him assassinated by robot-ninjas

    85. Re:Well then... by initialE · · Score: 1

      Actually he is developing a game about keeping secret hobbies

      --
      Starbucks, Harbuckle of Breath.
    86. Re:Well then... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You don't get it. Mr Miyamoto IS Nintendo. This is practically self-censorship.

    87. Re:Well then... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Instead of assuming someone a thousand times more successful than you are is dumber than you, perhaps you should take the opportunity to see if his niche is a little different than you assume. You might not go around mind-reading someone you know nothing about who exists in an environment you know nothing about.

    88. Re:Well then... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just put a non-lubricated condom on it.

    89. Re:Well then... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sure it's not 'Two cocks enter, one cock relieves'? :D

    90. Re:Well then... by Matje · · Score: 1

      might I just point out that the HTC Touch is the nicest non-iphone around? What other phones are you aware of that have no (bulky) slide mechanism, run windows mobile with gprs, have a build in music player and a 3D touch interface? The phone weighs little and is small enough to fit into your pants without creating a big bulge in your pocket.

      HTC sold more than a million of these phones and you're putting it down as a failure? have you even used it?

    91. Re:Well then... by Ilgaz · · Score: 1

      What makes me afraid is, perhaps there is a new "hobby" of him to make Nintendo pro actively issue such a ridiculous rule?

    92. Re:Well then... by JosKarith · · Score: 1

      Great. Now I'm expecting a voice-chat enabled Wii BDSM Animal with Crosses...

      --
      'Don't worry' said the trees when they saw the axe coming, 'The handle is one of us.'
    93. Re:Well then... by Atario · · Score: 1

      his #1 hobby is "working for Nintendo"

      Coming soon for Nintendo Wii: Famous Game Designer! Thrill as your game designs are accepted or rejected by the critics, the buying public, and your corporate overlords. Can you keep them all satisfied all the time? Rated E for Everyone.

      --
      "A great democracy must be progressive or it will soon cease to be a great democracy." --Theodore Roosevelt
    94. Re:Well then... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yet another pointless post from a guy who thinks he 'knows' Japanese culture.

      Nothing to see here, move along.

    95. Re:Well then... by LordVader717 · · Score: 1

      Interviewer: So, Mr. Miyamoto, tell us how you came up with the idea for Mario Bros.

      Miyamoto: Well, a couple of years ago, there was a leak in the basement. I had to get a wrench and fix the pipes, change the water filters and the lot. Suddenly a turtle crawled out the pipe and knocked me over. Next think I know, a crab came out. I was able to flip them on their backs, but that just made them even madder. Luckily my bros. were visiting so I called them for help. Before we knew it, we were running around jumping on these little critters and on each others head. We managed to solve the problem in the end, but we had a real whale of a time, so I thought I'd have to make a game out of it.

      Interviewer: So why Mario? You haven't got an Italian heritage, so what gave you the inspiration for the protagonist?

      Miyamoto: He was reused from Donkey Kong.

      Interviewer: Tell us about that.

      Miyamoto: Before I started at Nintendo, I worked for a construction company in Los Angeles. Had a good friend there, and he was Italian. Antonio was his name. Had a huge tache He used to wear blue dungarees like all the time. Problem was, on the building we were working on, this huge gorilla was causing a lot of trouble. We used to have to run along girders and all the time that dirty ape was throwing barrels down at us. Pretty dangerous work now that I think back.
      Anyway when I was asked to design an arcade game when I started at Nintendo, I remembered the time with my old friend. I wanted to tell my story so I decided to create something that came as close to my experience as possible.
      I wanted to use Tony's image as he was such a memorable character. But I decided to change the name to conceal his identity.

      Interviewer: Thanks for the interview Mr. Miyamoto.

    96. Re:Well then... by CrazedSanity · · Score: 1

      That's what condoms are for.

      --
      Sanity is like a condom: rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.
    97. Re:Well then... by T.E.D. · · Score: 1

      Very true. And I'd be willing to bet that if asked, Mr Miyamoto's would say his #1 hobby is "working for Nintendo".

      Coincidentally, Sony just announced their latest game, "Working for Nintendo", due out in November.

    98. Re:Well then... by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      I never claimed I Know the culture, however I know there are some difference especially in the terms of individuality and work life. But the point was the other people were placing American Values on this guy who is not part of the American Culture.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    99. Re:Well then... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So Miyamoto's next game must be running a video game company.

      Oh wait, it's been done before.

    100. Re:Well then... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sounds a lot like Second Life to me.

      - ASM

  2. Latest game by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I guess wii Bukakke didn't quite catch on as well as the other Japanese classics did.

    1. Re:Latest game by oldspewey · · Score: 4, Funny

      Give it time ... the audience is out there.

      --
      If libertarians are so opposed to effective government, why don't they all move to Somalia?
    2. Re:Latest game by Adriax · · Score: 5, Funny

      Waiting to have a shot at it.

      --
      I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!
    3. Re:Latest game by jollyreaper · · Score: 2, Funny

      I guess wii Bukakke didn't quite catch on as well as the other Japanese classics did.

      I swear, I thought the box said Buck Cake!

      --
      Kwisatz Haderach
      Sell the spice to CHOAM
      This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
    4. Re:Latest game by kirbysuperstar · · Score: 0

      It's because the Wii is limited to four local players. It's just not the same.

    5. Re:Latest game by oldspewey · · Score: 5, Funny

      I just want to take this opportunity to point out that the Wikipedia article on Bukkake explicitly states that it "may require cleanup" to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.

      That is all.

      --
      If libertarians are so opposed to effective government, why don't they all move to Somalia?
    6. Re:Latest game by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I know, I'm next in line. . .

    7. Re:Latest game by Koiu+Lpoi · · Score: 1

      Bravo.

    8. Re:Latest game by Parris · · Score: 2, Funny

      Maybe this game can hold you over? http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/superpiipii.html

    9. Re:Latest game by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That was ghastly!

    10. Re:Latest game by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you mean like Bukakke Udon? (me thinks most foreign people don't know the real generic meaning of bukakke... it's not a dirty word in and of itself).

  3. lets just hope by nimbius · · Score: 1

    he doesnt develop a fondness for fishing and hunting.

    --
    Good people go to bed earlier.
    1. Re:lets just hope by Hoi+Polloi · · Score: 5, Funny

      What if his hobbies are running around Tokyo carjacking, beating up ho's, and shooting wildly?

      --
      It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
    2. Re:lets just hope by ILoveCrack83 · · Score: 1

      I think Rockstar already has that covered, albeit in Liberty City ;)

    3. Re:lets just hope by Perl-Pusher · · Score: 1

      No masturbation, his next title will be really popular with adolescent males.

    4. Re:lets just hope by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Is Shigeru Miyamoto gonna have to slap a bitch?

    5. Re:lets just hope by rednip · · Score: 1

      I think Rockstar already has that covered

      Which rockstar? It'd really freak me out to find out that Bono and I have the same hobby.

      --
      The force that blew the Big Bang continues to accelerate.
    6. Re:lets just hope by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Simpsons did it

  4. Miyamoto became by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    a porn addict....

  5. That's because... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    ...he's getting into interactive gay porn.

  6. Other hobbies by diskofish · · Score: 4, Funny

    What most people don't know is that he has a strange fetish for women dressed up in furry animal costumes. I wonder what the next game would be like?

    1. Re:Other hobbies by pushing-robot · · Score: 5, Funny

      Actually, we already had Star Fox.

      --
      How can I believe you when you tell me what I don't want to hear?
    2. Re:Other hobbies by TubeSteak · · Score: 1

      What most people don't know is that he has a strange fetish for women dressed up in furry animal costumes. I wonder what the next game would be like?

      Probably something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHA9Ig7HOGA (It's french, may be NSFW)

      --
      [Fuck Beta]
      o0t!
  7. That's a bit scary by Elisanre · · Score: 0

    Are we to consider him a slave and is this legal in Japan?

    1. Re:That's a bit scary by Enderandrew · · Score: 2, Informative

      American corporations often put limitations on what their employees can say to the press. Every major corporation has had a policy on what statements the company can make, and even then, only certain employees are allowed to talk to the press. Violation of such a policy is grounds for termination. It is pretty standard.

      --
      http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
    2. Re:That's a bit scary by neumayr · · Score: 1

      He probably profits a lot from Nintendo's well-being, in the form of shares or whatever.
      So, he has to trust management's business decisions - and that's all this is, a business decision.

      --
      Truth arises more readily from error than from confusion. -Francis Bacon
    3. Re:That's a bit scary by jhfry · · Score: 1

      This is not anything like that at all... Nintendo is saying that he cannot "speaking publicly about his hobbies". What if a hobby was reading books, oops, no book club for him. Hacking Linux... stay away from your local LUG. Drinking beer, can't do it socially.

      Now I realize that the article is very vague on the terms of this, but I suspect that it is far broader than it needs to be.

      I personally think this is just plain stupid anyway, all it does is give grounds for termination... which most employers can do without grounds anyway. Now if they hold him financially liable it's a whole different story.

      --
      Sometimes the best solution is to stop wasting time looking for an easy solution.
    4. Re:That's a bit scary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, he made Nintendo millions of $. But I don't think just expressing an interest in something is enough to 'give it away'. His hobbies are pretty standard stuff: Puzzles, Exercise, and Music. Anyone can have those hobbies, but it won't make them a game designer.

    5. Re:That's a bit scary by LoverOfJoy · · Score: 1

      I saw an interview of him talking about it not too long ago. He was laughing about it. My guess at the time was that he made it up as a joke. It didn't sound like he was being serious. Maybe his boss really did joke with him about it and he passed it on. Or maybe someone in the PR department suggested he mention it. I don't think Nintendo has any intention of enforcing it. What are they going to do if he tells his friends about a new hobby he's picked up? Fire him? At best, they politely asked that he keep a particular hobby under wraps from everyone until their latest game is finished.

      You're right, they couldn't enforce anything like that in the broader way that you're stating. I'm pretty sure Nintendo already knows this.

    6. Re:That's a bit scary by Kjella · · Score: 1

      Yes, but they generally don't involve your personal life, what you can't talk about is work material and you're not allowed to make official company statements. Hobbies are part of your personal life, but early game concepts are work material for a game designer so he should certainly be careful. Legality aside, if your employer pulled you aside and asked you not to comment on your hobbies because it starts all kinds of crazy rumors of what the company will do I would. Not stop doing what I'm doing though, but stop commenting on them when interviewed as a Nintendo employee. Not that I don't have the right to talk about them, but I'd feel it would be wrong in that context if they company didn't want me to.

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    7. Re:That's a bit scary by Enderandrew · · Score: 1

      They're not saying he can't discuss his personal life with friends and family. They don't want him discussing his personal life with the press. It sounds odd, and yet at the same time, Steve Jobs won't allow pretty much anyone from Apple to give interviews other than him. Everyone controls exactly what the press gets to hear.

      --
      http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
    8. Re:That's a bit scary by Tacvek · · Score: 1

      The simple fact is that Miyamoto is unfireable. Iwata is more fireable than Miyamoto. I would argue that the only reason Miyamoto is not President of Nintendo is that Nintendo (an Miyamoto himself) would rather he not waste his time on administrative things when he could be spending that time on game and system design.

      --
      Stylish sheet to fix many problems in Slashdot's D3: https://gist.github.com/801524
    9. Re:That's a bit scary by mkcmkc · · Score: 1

      Yes, but they generally don't involve your personal life, what you can't talk about is work material and you're not allowed to make official company statements. Hobbies are part of your personal life...

      I'm not sure about this. The "intellectual property" terms of my current employer stipulate that they own everything that I produce, regardless of whether it's during off hours, etc. So, for example, all of the family pictures I've taken since I started here are technically owned by them.

      Now, as a practical matter, AFAIK they haven't taken any interest in exercising these rights, and in fact they're reasonably generous about releasing Open Source software, etc. But still, I consider it to be one of the worst parts of my job.

      --
      "Not an actor, but he plays one on TV."
    10. Re:That's a bit scary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But, that's usually only as it pertains to company information. If Miyamoto is actually only talking about his hobbies, then this seems a bit draconian. What if his daughter or son took up baseball and then he got interesting in Wii WiffleBall?

  8. Hint at upcoming product? by ShaunC · · Score: 1

    I guess it'll be interesting, then, to see whether or not the "Wii Jack" makes it to retail...

    --
    Thanks to the War on Drugs, it's easier to buy meth than it is to buy cold medicine!
  9. So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    So the next game will be about somebody who has been banned from talking by his corporate overlords.

    1. Re:So... by dougisfunny · · Score: 1

      So Mr. Miyamoto what good is a phone call... if you're unable to speak?

      --
      This is not the funny you're looking for.
    2. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ...we can look forward to the Wii Gag (order)?

    3. Re:So... by newr00tic · · Score: 0

      ...we can look forward to the Wii Gag (order)?

      ..More like 'Wii Surrender,' or, 'Wii Succumb.'

      --
      A horse can't be sick, you know, even if he wants to.
  10. Furriest post by Bloke+down+the+pub · · Score: 2, Funny

    The first rule about hobbies is, you don't talk about hobbies.

    --
    It's true I tell you, feller at work's next door neighbour read it in the paper.
  11. Me too by Telecommando · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'm barred from talking about my hobbies by my employer as well.

    Might have something to do with all the razor blades and dismembered animal parts.

    --
    Beta sux! Join the Slashcott! http://hardware.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=4760465&cid=46173047
  12. WTF kind of article is this? by iamhigh · · Score: 5, Interesting

    218 words. 6 paragraphs, 3 of which are in TFS. No source. No links. Few details.

    I do agree, that is an interesting tidbit there, but it's an idle story at best. Fark material IMO.

    --
    No comprende? Let me type that a little slower for you...
    1. Re:WTF kind of article is this? by legoman666 · · Score: 1

      Indeed. I'm left doubting the story's accuracy. It's on a website I never heard of that was slow as molasses when there were still 0 comments on this article.

    2. Re:WTF kind of article is this? by walshy007 · · Score: 1

      transparent proxy at your isp's end?

    3. Re:WTF kind of article is this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's no excuse. The real WTF is why slashdot thinks it is acceptable to have to wait more than two hours between postings.

      Lol. Captcha: postpone

    4. Re:WTF kind of article is this? by Vexorian · · Score: 1

      I mean... the slashdot summary had as much information as the article!

      --

      Copyright infringement is "piracy" in the same way DRM is "consumer rape"
  13. old news is old by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    holy crap this is some old news.

  14. Frist Psot? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Could it really be?

  15. lolwut? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    lolwut?

  16. Bizarre by AKAImBatman · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If knowing Miyamoto's hobbies is enough to scoop Nintendo, then why can't competitors even touch his track record?

    I think Nintendo is confusing ideas with implementations. Having ideas is great. Anyone can have ideas. In fact, they're a dime in quantities of tens of thousands. The problem is getting those ideas implemented. And without Miyamoto-san's insight into the implementation, I sincerely doubt competitors are going to be able to get ahead of Nintendo.

    This seems like a case where Miyamoto should ignore his employer and just do his own thing. Unfortunately, I think he's too nice to take a stand on this. He will probably go along with his employer's request. Thankfully, however, I imagine that this requirement will loosen and fall off with time.

    Which can only be good for fans. I can't speak for anyone else, but I have found the stories behind the development of Miis and Wii Fit to be fascinating. (And hilarious. "You guys are useless!" :-P)

    --
    Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
    1. Re:Bizarre by Speare · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I think Nintendo is confusing ideas with implementations. Having ideas is great. Anyone can have ideas. In fact, they're a dime in quantities of tens of thousands. The problem is getting those ideas implemented. And without Miyamoto-san's insight into the implementation, I sincerely doubt competitors are going to be able to get ahead of Nintendo.

      While I agree with you to a point, I would have to say that there are a lot of dollars at stake in being the trendsetter or the follower. Ideas are shopped around and cloned so blatantly in motion pictures, usually with much worse (cheaper) script and production values. Pixar: Finding Nemo / Dreamworks: Shark Tales. WarnerBros: Happy Feet / Sony: SurfsUp.

      I think there was a Miyamoto interview recently where he jokingly mentioned what he was dabbling with some new hobby, after specifically being asked about this trend of his. If Nintendo came out with game idea first, it might be interesting primarily through its novelty. If some other house copies the idea faster and cheaper, they will probably get the most money from it, even if Nintendo's longer production leads to a hell of a lot better game. If they appear to be a "me too" on one title, then it's not just that title that suffers, but people might associate Nintendo with "me too" and assume it will be a poor knockoff of someone else's idea, instead of the reverse.

      --
      [ .sig file not found ]
    2. Re:Bizarre by Yvanhoe · · Score: 1

      Still, Nintendo's move has some sense. Imagine that one of their competitors released a crappy WiiFit-like before them. When WiiFit is finally released it will suffer from two prejudices :
      - fit games are crap
      - this is a blatant rip-off of company X

      --
      The Wise adapts himself to the world. The Fool adapts the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the Fool.
    3. Re:Bizarre by cowscows · · Score: 1

      Basically, for a company in Nintendo's position, it's usually easier to create a genre than to try and out-do competitors in an already established genre. It helps when you've got a designer like Miyamoto who's got a proven sense of what others might enjoy, and it also helps that Nintendo works with the new idea and polishes it up and doesn't just shove something out the door really quick.

      So when they ship a new type of game, a few good things happens for them. First, if it's a successful genre, then they've got that whole little market segment all to themselves, at least until someone else manages to spit out a clone. Second, as long as it's a halfway decent game, then they've got a pretty clear path towards developing a franchise. And Nintendo loves their franchises. And third, they get some credit as innovators, which is nice PR and helps them sell other games down the line.

      --

      One time I threw a brick at a duck.

    4. Re:Bizarre by magus_melchior · · Score: 1

      Put another way, Nintendo's design team may have found the next addicting thing from the aforementioned hobby, and they just want to keep it a secret, Apple-style.

      --
      "We are Microsoft. You shall be assimilated. Competition is futile."
    5. Re:Bizarre by PixelScuba · · Score: 1

      ...then why can't competitors even touch his track record?

      Mario
      Zelda
      Pokemon
      Mario
      Zelda
      Pokemon
      Mario
      Zelda
      Pokemon
      Mario
      Zelda
      Pokemon

      I've got it! The other competitors should make a Mario game! Maybe you could drive in Karts or it could be a board game...

    6. Re:Bizarre by Keen+Anthony · · Score: 1

      I doubt Nintendo is confusing anything. I think it's more the writer of the original article confusing "banning" and "hobbies" with something else.

    7. Re:Bizarre by dontPanik · · Score: 1

      nyone can have ideas. In fact, they're a dime in quantities of tens of thousands. The problem is getting those ideas implemented.

      I would disagree to a point. Yes, Miyamoto is a genius in implementing games and his ideas alone can't make a game. But the idea behind Wii Music, that you don't get scored on hitting notes at the right time - you basically just jam to the music and have fun, that idea is pretty simple yet revolutionary.
      If that idea got out at the wrong time, it definitly wouldn't benefit Nintendo.

      --
      "Computers are useless. They can only give you answers." - Pablo Picasso
  17. I heard he likes to eat. by Danimoth · · Score: 2, Funny

    Wiit coming soon to a dining room near you!

    --
    No smoking sigs indoors.
    1. Re:I heard he likes to eat. by LWATCDR · · Score: 1

      umm....
      Cooking Momma anybody?

      --
      See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
  18. Maybe not that silly by EvilIntelligence · · Score: -1

    The issue here is that all his hobbies tend to turn out to be new Wii products. So it is conceivable that anything he mentions about his free time could turn into the next smash hit, and they don't want competitors getting wind of it. I think they should have made him a partner in this rather than an adversary. They should have asked him to generate "disinformation", and let him talk about "fake" hobbies so they would send their competitors on a wild goose chase. Such as: "I like watching fireplaces." Then let Sony make a "start a fire in the fireplace" game, while Nintendo works on the next smash hit.

    1. Re:Maybe not that silly by hey! · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Well, one thing that business has taught me is how little value ideas really have.

      I know it's heretical to say this, but ideas just aren't that valuable. Discernment, discipline, patience, timing, creativity, craftsmanship, relationships with vendors and customers, and of course money have to be added before an idea generates a single penny of profit.

      Take the idea of a car racing game with cute characters driving. Miyamoto's gone to that well multiple times, but nobody else has scored big with it, even though it isn't a copyrightable or patentable thing. He's got a team that gets the details right.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    2. Re:Maybe not that silly by Magada · · Score: 1

      Ah, it's possible. But maybe you're just unable to look beyond your sweeping generalization ("driving game with cute characters") to see the actual original ideas that made his games big.

      --
      Something bad is coming when people are suddenly anxious to tell the truth.
    3. Re:Maybe not that silly by Koiu+Lpoi · · Score: 1

      Take the idea of a car racing game with cute characters driving. Miyamoto's gone to that well multiple times, but nobody else has scored big with it,

      I seem to remember Crash Team Racing and Diddy Kong Racing being incredibly successful at the time, and both feature the idea of "car racing with cute characters."

    4. Re:Maybe not that silly by hey! · · Score: 1

      Which shows why banning somebody from talking about hobbies is silly.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    5. Re:Maybe not that silly by Tom · · Score: 1

      Well, one thing that business has taught me is how little value ideas really have.

      I'm tired of hearing that.

      A single idea very rarely is valuable. However, a connected string of ideas can have a value of many millions. With that I mean not just the original "let's do X" thought, but the string of how to do it at all, how to do it well, how to do it in a commercially viable way, etc. - it's ideas that count, for most of the actual implementation you can hire people.

      The value of people like Miyamoto is that they don't just have isolated ideas, but can string them together to create something of value. But his value is still in the ideas he has. Don't confuse "initial flash of thought" with "idea", that's not the same thing.

      --
      Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
    6. Re:Maybe not that silly by Magada · · Score: 1

      There must be some part of your reasoning that I'm missing. If the guy (who's something of a genius) bleats publicly for half an hour on what *exactly* he likes about poker, a team of people just as competent and dedicated as his own team might be able to get all the inspiration they need from that to create one of the best chance-based games of all time. Ideas are very valuable but eminently stealable.

      --
      Something bad is coming when people are suddenly anxious to tell the truth.
    7. Re:Maybe not that silly by hey! · · Score: 1

      If the guy (who's something of a genius) bleats publicly for half an hour on what *exactly* he likes about poker, a team of people just as competent and dedicated as his own team might be able to get all the inspiration they need from that to create one of the best chance-based games of all time.

      I know that people think this is a huge danger, but I can't really think of any examples of anything like that happening.

      After the fact, when a successful product has been launched, sure imitation is a problem. But after the fact you benefit from all the thought and problem solving that went into original product development, as well as from real world response to those decisions. A well funded competitor is very dangerous in that respect. However a company that relies on having lots of money to invest doesn't stay that way if it chases every will-o-the-wisp. Better to let the little guys prove the market exists for a product then crush them like a bug before they get too big. Second mover advantage is a very real for second movers with deep pockets.

      But preempting a product by stealing its idea? It very seldom happens.

      Creating products is hard, and expensive. It's more like piloting a ship than aiming an arrow at a target. Chances are if you are well positioned to exploit an idea, you've got plenty of your own.

      Companies, like Apple, that are ostentatiously secretive about upcoming products primarily benefit from controlling the product buzz. Even after all these years, competitors have yet to build an iPod killer, because the iPod's strengths don't boil down to any single idea or small set of ideas. There's a kind of product gestalt that, if it qualifies as an idea, is not something you can glean from some offhand remarks. It's more of a system property.

      This applies to Nintendo's games. Suppose Miyamoto lets it slip that they're working on Wii Philately. So, you whip up your own stamp collecting game to steal his thunder. How likely is that to work? How close would your game be to his?

      I'm not saying that ideas don't sometimes need to be kept secret -- although that's different than saying they are valuable in themselves. But you have to have a number of exceptional circumstances, few of which are likely to apply to games. In most cases the value of keeping an idea secret is marginal. Where you have somebody with lots of ideas, letting him blab about them might actually leave competitors less informed.

      I'd be much more concerned about Miyamoto talking about the philosophy of game design, or the things that work or don't work about his development team, than the fact he really likes to collect stamps. Creativity is about coming up with the right idea at the right time, then doing the right things that generate additional right times. It's 90% about mastering the process.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    8. Re:Maybe not that silly by Magada · · Score: 1

      But preempting a product by stealing its idea? It very seldom happens.

      You are conflating my argument with a previous poster's. I never suggested that some competitor could (or would want to) preempt anything. A better scenario would be a second-mover scenario where you have stolen the idea and developed it, yet wait for the originator to develop, launch and take the inevitable early popularity hit from minor game mechanics glitches and launch-time bugs. You hit the shelves two weeks later, with a bigger and better thing - one that also has your own secret sauce added.

      Suppose Miyamoto lets it slip that they're working on Wii Philately.

      That's another strawman you're fighting. It matters not one whit what he's working on. The angle, the spin, the original twist is everything. If the company knows that his musings about newfound hobbies usually turn into original ideas about games and gaming, well...

      Other than that, you're still missing the point with all that talk about creativity being process. It's not. Everybody who's somebody has process down pat.

      You talk about an iPod killer. That's Microsoft talk, big bureaucracy crapolanguage. "Og smash!" is not a recipe for creativity.

      Apple killed the iPod themselves - they let the iPhone gobble it up, while everyone was scrambling to produce a better iPod than the iPod.

      Well guess what, you can't be a better Catholic than the Pope is. All you can do is start your own religion, be Luther - a revolutionary, not a process guy whose thinking is limited to "everything you can do, we can do better".

      --
      Something bad is coming when people are suddenly anxious to tell the truth.
  19. Fut ist gut, wenn stinken tut. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Fut besser, wenn gresser!

  20. Animal Crossing by tepples · · Score: 4, Funny

    Actually, we already had Star Fox.

    And Animal Crossing.

    1. Re:Animal Crossing by geminidomino · · Score: 1

      And Donkey Kong Country.

    2. Re:Animal Crossing by nidarus · · Score: 1

      And Tetris.

      No, wait, wrong fetish.

  21. The people of Middle-Earth don't mind by guruevi · · Score: 4, Funny

    I don't think a game based on Hobbits would do that well.

    --
    Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
  22. Makes sense to me.... by Kral_Blbec · · Score: -1

    "You talking too much could allow competitiors to copy your works, so to prevent that we are firing you and losing all your works from the beginning just so we are safe..."

  23. Future Ideas are at Stake by Hoi+Polloi · · Score: 3, Funny

    Clearly Nintendo is looking to base their future games on his personal interests:

    "Super Eating Out Mario Bros"
    "Wacky Workout"
    "The Chronicles of Shopping"
    "Watching Reruns on TV Fiesta"
    "World of Internet Porn Surfing"

    --
    It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
    1. Re:Future Ideas are at Stake by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "World of Internet Porn Surfing"

      Nunchuck used as mouse. Wiimote used similar to running in Wii Olympics.

  24. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  25. That's because new hobby = Surfing Pron by Adeptus_Luminati · · Score: -1, Redundant

    If you think the Wii was hard to find and buy, wait till the pr0n games come out for their new console. Oh yeah, and the things that new controller will do... Ohhhhhhhhhh God!!!!

    --
    No trees were killed in the making of this post; however, many trillions of electrons were horribly inconvenienced.
    1. Re:That's because new hobby = Surfing Pron by Enderandrew · · Score: 4, Interesting

      There was a DS homebrew contest and I remember reading about a girl who won the contest by developing a game in which you stroked the fluffy parts of a bunny with your stylus just right to make the bunny happy, and then it exploded into a bunch of butterflies. The developer flat out said the game was a simulation of getting a girl off. I'm sure a similar homebrew game for the Wiimote will eventually come out.

      --
      http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
    2. Re:That's because new hobby = Surfing Pron by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh great, now I can never look at a bunny in the same way ever again.

    3. Re:That's because new hobby = Surfing Pron by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Man, Grand Theft Auto for the wii would be my "wii fit"!

    4. Re:That's because new hobby = Surfing Pron by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Can you point us to this home brew game?

    5. Re:That's because new hobby = Surfing Pron by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is it, looks like he isn't releasing a DS ROM, and I don't feel like installing that web browser plugin.

      http://www.moboid.com/lapis/LapisDemo.htm

  26. Puzzle Games by Enderandrew · · Score: 4, Informative

    No one ever thought of doing puzzle games before.

    And no ever thought of doing work-out games before (we actually own the XBox virtual personal trainer game that my wife used to work out with).

    And no one ever did music games before.

    And since when was Wii Music a big hit? I thought it hadn't even been released yet, and all the hype has been about Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero: World Tour.

    --
    http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
    1. Re:Puzzle Games by jimicus · · Score: 1

      Few of the ideas are original - but that's been the case in gaming since.... oooh, a very long time ago.

      Most of the ideas are remarkably well executed - now that is something rather rarer.

    2. Re:Puzzle Games by MikeBabcock · · Score: 1

      I remember a PS2 work-out program that was quite popular with some of my wife's friends, not to mention Dance Dance Revolution and how many mats Konami sold before the Wii introduced the balance board.

      Many of these things are not new -- just don't tell that to the Wii fanatics :)

      --
      - Michael T. Babcock (Yes, I blog)
    3. Re:Puzzle Games by Neoprofin · · Score: 1

      If it makes you feel any better, (and this is obviously just my prediction, before some troll points out to me that this is obviously just my opinion) these games are all hype and in five years they wont even be a blip on the radar.

      Will WiiFit have the same cherished memories as using your hands on the NES track pad to achieve super human speed?

      Will BrainAge be remembered for its minigames beyond something like Mario Party (shudder) or even Wario Ware?

      Will Wii Music outshine any of the Guitar Hero, Rock Band, or hell even DDR offerings?

      I know there's a cult of Miyamoto in the gaming industry, and there are few people who garner the automatic recognition and reputation that he does, but these are not the pinnacle of his work. I'd go so far as to say that treating these as a sign of his gaming genius is a disservice to a lot of the incredible work he's done on other series.

    4. Re:Puzzle Games by Enderandrew · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Exactly my point. Nintendo is worried about being scooped, and they shouldn't be. Nintendo and Apple are about style.

      The wiimote isn't the best motion sensitive controller I've ever used. I have an ancient flight-stick from a Comdex about 10 years back or so that I move in the air to control a plane in a filght-sim. The controls are marvelous, and it never caught on.

      The wiimote conversely isn't horribly accurate, doesn't feature enough buttons to offer the complexity I personally crave, and is very frustrating as a mouse-type tool.

      That being said, I enjoy my Wii as do many others. Nintendo focuses on gameplay and design. Microsoft can copy the avatars and such, but neither Microsoft nor Sony seem to get what it is that Nintendo does so well.

      --
      http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
    5. Re:Puzzle Games by Enderandrew · · Score: 1

      I tried out a DS in a WalMart and didn't like the interface. I didn't like juggling back and forth between holding it with two hands to reach buttons and then going for the stylus. There didn't seem to be any good, comfortable way to hold the device. That being said, they sell like mad.

      My wife doesn't enjoy gaming on the PSP, but I imagine if I put a DS in her hand she'd love it. Retirement homes are going nuts over the Wii, where as I'm more interested in getting Fallout 3 and Force Unleashed on my PS3.

      These are very different products for very different crowds. I somewhat my Wii and my PS3 side-by-side. I don't think Sony and Nintendo are really competing with each other, so much as Sony and Microsoft are.

      --
      http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
    6. Re:Puzzle Games by Neoprofin · · Score: 1

      I'm not arguing about popularity and marketing, I know his games will sell like hotcakes. By the same token, just because something sells well doesn't mean it's very good, and that's part of my point with longevity.

      This is about the time when Wii-Fanatics begin talking about how it doesn't have to be well made, "It's just fun!" That's fine, everyone is entitled to their opinions about what's fun and what's not. Children and cats love playing in cardboard boxes, people will play Bejewelled for hours on end. People like what they like, but I'd like to think their's some partially more objective scale outside of that personal preference. I never got into the Zelda series, personal preference, but I understand and impressed by the work he's done on the series.

      If Scary Movie 10 were in production right now I'd say not for me, but I'm not the target audience, that doesn't make a shining spot on the resume of the Cohen Brothers.

    7. Re:Puzzle Games by cowscows · · Score: 1

      What's your criteria that defines this objective scale? Graphics? Gameplay? Innovation? Ambition?

      Bejewelled is a very well made game, it was just designed with a less ambitious scope in mind. It doesn't try to dazzle with graphics or storyline or anything like that. It's all about addictive gameplay, and it's certainly managed to hit that target. The Wii* games have been created around a somewhat similar philosophy.

      Generally, I don't see the point in necessarily even grouping together something like WiiFit and, for example, Grand Theft Auto. The only thing they really have in common is that they're both "video games", which is such a broad term that it isn't really useful for drawing opinions. And I would say the same thing about Scary Movie 10 vs. the Cohen Brothers' work.

      There are people who can take a pencil and a piece of paper and make an incredible work of art. Give me the same two items and you'll be lucky to get a legible grocery list. But even though those two creations have a common low-level similarity doesn't mean that you can draw any sort of meaningful comparison between them.

      --

      One time I threw a brick at a duck.

    8. Re:Puzzle Games by randyest · · Score: 1

      The wii fit board has only trivial things in common with a DDR mat, such as you set both on the ground and step on both. They are, for the most part, entirely different devices with entirely different mechanisms and purposes.

      --
      everything in moderation
    9. Re:Puzzle Games by Neoprofin · · Score: 1

      And my point, for the third time, to use your analogy, is that if you spent half your life producing cutting edge art that really advances the entire industry, and the other half drawing dirty stick figures that sell really well, I'm not going to look upon the later years as your claim to fame or the highlight of your career. I'd probably just not talk about it. I think Miyamoto has done much better work in his career and all of these recent mass-market successes are really the low point of his work.

  27. This is a VERY good thing by rehtonAesoohC · · Score: -1, Redundant

    Because his latest hobby is directing Porn movies.

    Wii Money Shot!©

    1. Re:This is a VERY good thing by Ngarrang · · Score: 1

      Because his latest hobby is directing Porn movies.

      Wii Money Shot!©

      Wii Stripper. Complete with brass pole.

      --
      Bearded Dragon
    2. Re:This is a VERY good thing by Magada · · Score: 1

      Wii Extreme Penetration. Playable with just the original nunchuks.

      --
      Something bad is coming when people are suddenly anxious to tell the truth.
  28. It's not about being scooped, per se. by wattrlz · · Score: 1

    I don't think Nintendo is worried so much about someone coming out with a better game. Their worries probably run more along the lines that a rival company will come out with a game first and either sue or just saturate the market with an inferior pre-knockoff.

  29. Really? by denzacar · · Score: 5, Funny

    And here I thought that it is the next logical evolutionary step for the Wii.
    http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=227

    --
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
    1. Re:Really? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He suggested some new Wiimotes.

      http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=165

    2. Re:Really? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This joke works better when Bobby Lee is involved.

  30. PCMAG proclaims: Best Buy to Sell Apple's iPhone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Every single one of them say the SAME DAMN THING !!

    http://www.pcmag.com/category2/0,4148,30,00.asp

    John C. Dvorak
    Best Buy to Sell Apple's iPhone
    Best Buy will be the first national retailer to sell Apple Inc's iPhone in the United States in a partnership that could help drive sales of a device expected to be one of the hottest gadgets this holiday season.

    view all John C. Dvorak >

    John C. Dvorak's Inside Track
    Best Buy to Sell Apple's iPhone
    Best Buy will be the first national retailer to sell Apple Inc's iPhone in the United States in a partnership that could help drive sales of a device expected to be one of the hottest gadgets this holiday season.

    view all John C. Dvorak's Inside Track >

    Jim Louderback
    Best Buy to Sell Apple's iPhone
    Best Buy will be the first national retailer to sell Apple Inc's iPhone in the United States in a partnership that could help drive sales of a device expected to be one of the hottest gadgets this holiday season.

    view all Jim Louderback >

    Lance Ulanoff
        Are Some PCs Born Bad?
    Sometimes a PC, like a car, can simply be a lemon.

    view all Lance Ulanoff >

    Bill Howard: On Technology
    Best Buy to Sell Apple's iPhone
    Best Buy will be the first national retailer to sell Apple Inc's iPhone in the United States in a partnership that could help drive sales of a device expected to be one of the hottest gadgets this holiday season.

    view all Bill Howard: On Technology >

    Tim Bajarin
    Best Buy to Sell Apple's iPhone
    Best Buy will be the first national retailer to sell Apple Inc's iPhone in the United States in a partnership that could help drive sales of a device expected to be one of the hottest gadgets this holiday season.

    view all Tim Bajarin >

    Dan Costa
    Best Buy to Sell Apple's iPhone
    Best Buy will be the first national retailer to sell Apple Inc's iPhone in the United States in a partnership that could help drive sales of a device expected to be one of the hottest gadgets this holiday season.

    view all Dan Costa >

    Sascha Segan
    Best Buy to Sell Apple's iPhone
    Best Buy will be the first national retailer to sell Apple Inc's iPhone in the United States in a partnership that could help drive sales of a device expected to be one of the hottest gadgets this holiday season.

    view all Sascha Segan >

    Robyn Peterson
    Best Buy to Sell Apple's iPhone
    Best Buy will be the first national retailer to sell Apple Inc's iPhone in the United States in a partnership that could help drive sales of a device expected to be one of the hottest gadgets this holiday season.

    view all Robyn Peterson >

    Michael J. Miller: Forward Thinking
    Best Buy to Sell Apple's iPhone
    Best Buy will be the first national retailer to sell Apple Inc's iPhone in the United States in a partnership that could help drive sales of a device expected to be one of the hottest gadgets this holiday season.

    view all Michael J. Miller: Forward Thinking >

    Bill Machrone: ExtremeTech
    Best Buy to Sell Apple's iPhone
    Best Buy will be the first national retailer to sell Apple Inc's iPhone in the United States in a partnership that could help drive sales of a device expected to be one of the hottest gadgets this holiday season.

    view all Bill Machrone: ExtremeTech >

    Expert View
    Best Buy to Sell Apple's iPhone
    Best Buy will be the first national retailer to sell Apple Inc's iPhone in the United States in a partnership that could help drive sales of a device expected to be one of the hottest gadgets this holiday season.

  31. I think I understand by typedef · · Score: 1

    they don't want titles like "Wii fap to tentacle rape hentai" and "Wii subway groping" to come out.

  32. Pikmin? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I could have sworn I heard that Pikmin came from Miyamoto being a gardener.

  33. Route around the damage by Atriqus · · Score: 1

    Next time he's giving a presentation: "My best friend Shawn Michaels has gotten into (insert new hobby here) lately."

    --
    Hey, look! It's Bono's brother.
  34. think he's into .... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wii Pr0n!?

  35. Nintendo.... by Darkness404 · · Score: 1

    I used to be a fan of Nintendo, but they seemed to totally screw everything up this generation. First they don't release enough games onto the Wii's Virtual Console, then they tell various third party publishers release dates then release non of the games they told them. Wiiware is much of the same, various publishers have said that they had no control on when the games they made would be released. And now this. Nintendo has become even more of a control freak then even in the NES era, and for no good reason.

    --
    Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
    1. Re:Nintendo.... by pembo13 · · Score: 1

      You realise that this article is at best a rumour right?

      --
      "Thanks for all the money you paid to us. We've used it to buy off ISO among other things" -Microsoft
    2. Re:Nintendo.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I used to be a fan of Nintendo, but they seemed to totally screw everything up this generation.

      What, other than the whole pwning the competition while making a profit on each console sold thing?

  36. Dogs and Gardening by vitaflo · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Don't forget playing with his dogs (Nintendogs) and gardening (actually where his idea for Pikmin came from).

    A lot of people know he does this, so many journalists like ask him what he's doing in his free time and then try to parse his words to figure out what future new games he may be working on. If they really are quelling that, I'm not very surprised, given how secretive the company likes to be.

  37. So what are they going to do? by russotto · · Score: 1

    If he doesn't obey? Fire him? Not likely. You don't kill the goose who lays the golden eggs without a better reason than that. It being Japan, he'll probably not even consider disobeying, though.

  38. Sweeping generalizations by dj245 · · Score: 1

    Take the idea of a car racing game with cute characters driving. Miyamoto's gone to that well multiple times, but nobody else has scored big with it, even though it isn't a copyrightable or patentable thing. He's got a team that gets the details right.

    I thought Diddy Kong Racing was pretty good. A lot of other people did too, from the article. Miyamoto is a good game designer, but he isn't the only one.

    --
    Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress at this period in history.
  39. Not a dumb move by Tebriel · · Score: 1

    I'd venture that Nintendo just doesn't want others to try and do things first. I mean a lot of his previous hobbies and the way they translate into games aren't completely non-obvious; granted Miyamoto has great talent in that translation and what is really "fun" about them in a game, but if you follow that trend, someone's going to say "hey, how DO you make this into a game" and go from there. It's more of trying to prevent others from even getting the idea of "hey this _would_ make a cool game, wouldn't it."

    --
    The Blaster Master Fighting for Truth, Justice, and Evil Pie since 1979
  40. We are all in trouble... by Bullfish · · Score: 1

    if our hobbies can be classified as trade secrets...

  41. Censorship?!? Come on... by ActusReus · · Score: 1

    I think all the people crying about "censorship" by Nintendo are overlooking one key point. If it were not for his employment with Nintendo, no one on the planet would CARE what his hobbies were. Half the people on this thread are running personal blogs where they talk about their hobby of collecting Star Wars figurines or studying Esperanto. However, no one's reading... and no one cares (sorry!).

    It's only due to his employment situation, and penchant for turning new hobbies into games, that any of that information has interest in the first place. If you were a biochemical engineer for Pfizer back in the 90's, it would have been pretty reasonable for them to say, "Hey, can you please not blog about your obsession with impotence until we get this new Viagra thing through the FDA approval process?" Besides, if Miyamoto wants to write about his fascination with Firefly under the posting handle "SummerGlauRULEZZ"... no one will know (or care... or read).

  42. It's free market for labor by Yungoe · · Score: 1

    Perhaps EA or some other game development company is following this story. To pick up this talent would be benefit, one would think.

  43. Mod parent up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yes, the release is stupid. "any glimpse inside his head could be worth billions" - right. Making a game takes two grueling years and it's not the original idea that is valuable, it's the execution.

  44. Ahhh, Slashdot. Full of stupid by The+End+Of+Days · · Score: 1

    I have a quick reminder for all you "freedom" trumpeters trying to explain how things should work - Miyamoto is perfectly capable of making up his own mind. Your half-baked uninformed opinions about the conditions of his employment are stupid. Plain freakin stupid.

  45. How long by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    until we see Wii Goatse!!?

    I can definitely see Miyamoto getting into that.

  46. I know his hobbies by hansamurai · · Score: 1

    I think we can infer from his resume what he enjoys in his off time:

    Popping mushrooms.
    Dressing up in short green skirts and cutting up bushes with a sword.
    Getting drunk and tossing empty kegs at frat boys.
    Pretending to ride shotgun with forest animals in space.
    Inhaling food with cheeks puffed.

    --
    Reviewing just the first hour of video games.
    1. Re:I know his hobbies by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, Zelda came from him exploring in the woods.

      I guess Kirby is eating?

    2. Re:I know his hobbies by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong, Star Fox, and Kirby.

  47. self-imposed? by norminator · · Score: 1

    And given the success and fame he's had since he's been at Nintendo, this "ban" could be just as much if not more so self-imposed than imposed by the company. I'm sure he probably sees that the success of the company is tied to his own success, and he probably doesn't want to sink the company.

  48. obviously by discogravy · · Score: 1

    there's an orwellian fascism game in the works.

    --
    FreeBSD for the impatient.
  49. Hobbits? by Mathness · · Score: 1

    What's next, he isn't allowed to talk about Lord of the rings?

    --
    Carbon based humanoid in training.
  50. Rumour has it... by Hanners1979 · · Score: 1

    Rumour has it that Nintendo have asked him to take up plumbing and Italian in his spare time.

  51. I don;t think we were meant to take it seriously by 91degrees · · Score: 1

    Sounds like someone made an off-the-cuff joke suggesting that Miyamato's hobbies should be a trade secret, rather than actually stating company policy.

    Of course, this has worked remarkably well, getting Nintendo a lot of press, so if it was a joke they're going to stick to their story.

  52. Word has it... by phillymjs · · Score: 1

    ...that he's moving to Massachusetts and taking up amateur chemistry.

  53. New game "Wii love to play Wii!" by Tragedy4u · · Score: 1

    The concept? The hobby of playing Wii...ON you Wii. Involves you moving your Mii around with the remote, while your Mii plays Wii! It'll rock, seriously!

  54. But is this... by Lookin4Trouble · · Score: 1

    A case of art imitating life, or life imitating art?

    Did Miyamoto mentioning his love of puzzles spur developers to make puzzle games, or did it take that discussion to prod the public into saying "Hey, where's the puzzle games?", which spurred developers to make said puzzle games...
    Did Miyamoto take a sudden interest in fitness because he really cares about his health, or did he wake up one morning and say "Hey, I know, there's nobody trying to make people exercise to their consoles since the Track and Field pad on NES, why don't we do something about that?!"

  55. Fuck you Nintendo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is this the thanks Miyamoto gets for making you the company that you are today?

    You should be kissing his bare feet and wiping his ass with your hands, you tightwad corporate fuckheads.

  56. Strategy by CopaceticOpus · · Score: 3, Funny

    The next step is that Nintendo allows Miyamoto's hobbies to "accidentally" get leaked in order to get Microsoft and Sony to waste all their time.

    Word on the street is that he's taken up knitting, and he's started a rock garden. Run with that, Xbox dev team!

    1. Re:Strategy by Translation+Error · · Score: 1

      The scary thing is that I could actually see him coming up with a killer game based on those hobbies. Grids, patterns, building and placement, aesthetically pleasing designs...

      --
      When someone says, "Any fool can see ..." they're usually exactly right.
    2. Re:Strategy by discord5 · · Score: 1

      Word on the street is that he's taken up knitting, and he's started a rock garden. Run with that, Xbox dev team!

      Knitting Master 2 : the revenge of the wool

      • Knit unique sweaters
      • Over 37 different colors
      • Includes a "shave the sheep" mini-game
      • Intricate patterns for advanced players
      • Over 200 hours of intense knitting-pleasure

      Oh I think I struck gold... brb programming

    3. Re:Strategy by Aladrin · · Score: 1

      Hmm, a rock garden!

      They just released Shiki Tei on the PS3 in Japan. All you do it make a garden. That's it.

      A rock garden game on the DS, if done right, could really make some money.

      --
      "If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." - DM
  57. Plant False Information by PPH · · Score: 1

    From Shigeru's blog:

    Latest hobby: Sitting in my parents basement, masturbating to on-line p0rn.

    Competitor: We're gonna beat them to market. We'll call it "Slashdot".

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  58. Larger Issue - Popularization by Roxton · · Score: 1

    I think this speaks to a much larger issue.

    There are a few ways for a company to actively popularize its content.
    1) Ads.
    2) Feature the content prominently on their own popular website.
    3) Have respected community members recommending your product. (e.g. blogs, delicious/Democracy-Player-style peer-trust-based popularization)

    If you cut off your employees' relationships with the public, you lose an important vector. Individual employees can become community rock stars. Some of my favorite technical articles come not from faceless MSDN entries, but from individual Microsoft employees who speak candidly about their work and their environment.

    Of course, if you let an employee become an unofficial face for the company, you stand to lose a lot if that employee leaves or if that employee decides to say anything negative. This isn't so much a dilemma as a reflection of two different models regarding the role of companies and their employees. The relatively new existence of community-models of popularization just makes the good-company-open-employee model a little more favorable than it used to be.

  59. his decision to accept the ban by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I seems it would really be up to him to accept the ban. What would Nintendo do if he said no to it? Fire him? Let some other company hire him and benefit from all his future ideas? If he wasn't willing to hide his interests from others, I don't think Nintendo could be able to force him. He's too valuable to lose.

  60. Wii Quit by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

    ..guess we'll just see how long Nintendo manages to keep him around with ridiculous policies like this in place..

    See subject.

    --
    My God, it's Full of Source!
    OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
  61. If his games are based on his hobbies... by thetoadwarrior · · Score: 1

    Does this mean Miyamoto likes eating funny mushrooms and kicking turtles?

  62. How sensationalized has this been? by argent · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Manager: "Please don't talk about your hobbies publicly."
    Miyamoto: "OK"

    Co-worker: "What was that about?"
    Miyamoto: "They don't want me talking about my hobbies."

    Co-worker: "They won't let Miyamoto talk about his hobbies."

    [several layers of 'the telephone game' later]

    "Miyamoto banned from talking about hobbies."

    1. Re:How sensationalized has this been? by Cloud+K · · Score: 1

      That's Slashdot for you. It's almost exactly like a British Newspaper - I think it'd most likely be a tabloid, perhaps the Mirror...

      OT: Even if he was "banned" (by contract) from talking about his hobbies so that Nintendo can own his brain, isn't that just Japanese employment culture? I remember reading about it once, how you basically devote yourself and your heart and soul to the company. (Maybe this is why you often see "someone put his heart and soul into this" style quality from their technology)

    2. Re:How sensationalized has this been? by black_lbi · · Score: 1

      ORLY?
      Slashdot you say?

      How about Kotaku?
      http://kotaku.com/5035242/ninty-forbids-miyamoto-to-discuss-his-hobbies

      Or Gizmodo?
      http://gizmodo.com/5036013/miyamoto-gagged-by-nintendo-apple-style

      I know Slashdot bashing is very popular, but then again, what are you doing here if you hate it that much?

  63. It's not the idea, it's the execution by LKM · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Exactly. The ideas in Miyamoto's games sometimes aren't particularly inspired (collect carrots in a garden?) and often aren't really important to the core gameplay. What makes Miyamoto's games unique and universally great is the incredible polish and attention to detail, his ability to see what doesn't work and call out bad ideas, and the well thought out and extensively tested gameplay mechanics used in his games.

    As always, it's not the idea, it's the execution.

    I guess there could be some brand dilution if others come out before Nintendo, but then, it's Nintendo. People pay attention to them whether their ideas are new, or whether they have been done before (Kinetic Combat was before Wii Fit, Guitar Hero was before Wii Music, and so on).

  64. Miyamoto barely ever touches Mario anymore by LKM · · Score: 3, Interesting

    You still can't deny almost every single game [Miyamoto] comes up with stars Mario in some form or another.

    Au contraire. The Nintendo fanboys are constantly complaining that Miyamoto has abandoned them because he has abandoned his old franchises such as Mario and Zelda. Miyamoto was only a producer on Galaxy, and he was barely involved in the development of New Super Mario Bros; I don't think he's made a Mario title in a decade or so.

    1. Re:Miyamoto barely ever touches Mario anymore by TedRiot · · Score: 1

      Wii Fit has Mario in it. :)

      Wouldn't say starring, though.

    2. Re:Miyamoto barely ever touches Mario anymore by LKM · · Score: 1

      Yeah, it has Mario's head on some stones in the jogging game. Anywhere else? That's the only one that comes to my mind right now...

    3. Re:Miyamoto barely ever touches Mario anymore by TedRiot · · Score: 1

      No, not that I know of, but I think it had to be mentioned.

      In the jogging game it's in several places around the island.

  65. Why Miyamoto is still at Nintendo by LKM · · Score: 1

    I'm guessing one reason he's still at Nintendo is because he has total creative freedom and basically development control of the whole company. He's involved in most of Nintendo's project in some way, software or hardware. He can do whatever project he wants, no matter how outlandish, with all the resources he requires. Even if he were to go to Microsoft or Sony, he would never get that kind of control.

  66. iPhone: Best phone I've ever owned by LKM · · Score: 1

    To be comparable with the jesus phone they would have to cripple the range and make it drop out regularly.

    Gotta be the most overhyped POS of the last 10 years.

    The iPhone is the best cell phone I've used in my entire life. I've hated using my cell phones since I first bought one. I've owned Nokias, a Treo, a few Symbian smart phones and others.

    Every cell phone I've ever used sucked.

    The iPhone is not perfect. It should be more open. Bluetooth should not be crippled. I want a fucking blinking LED so I can see when I got an SMS.

    But it's still the best phone I've ever used, because it

    1. Works
    2. Is fast
    3. Does not use superfluous eye candy like the shitty P990i which thought it would be a good idea to have menus roll into the screen, taking away half a second of my life each time I opened a fucking menu
    4. Does not crash (except version 2.0 :-)
    5. Has a ton of well made, useful software (unlike that piece of shit from Palm with ten thousand ugly shit ass apps)
    6. Syncs with my Mac, my PC, and our Exchange system without me having to go through hoops
    7. Lets me connect to wifi networks without calling up a wizard which requires me to enter a shitload of information about the network - just the password if one is required
    8. Does not require me to go through 17 steps to enter an appointment
    9. Does not put the quick call list right below the "end call" button so I call somebody accidentally every time I want to end a call but the other person ended it half a second sooner
    10. And a million other little and big things

    In short, every other cell phone I've owned sucked due to the death of a thousand cuts. Every time I had to use it, it managed to annoy me in some little or big way. Every time I use the iPhone, I'm happy at how elegant most stuff on that phone is.

    If you think it's "the most overhyped POS of the last 10 years" because it "drops out regularly" (do you actually own one? Mine has never dropped a call, but perhaps that's because Europe's cell phone networks don't suck donkey balls), you're probably missing the point.

    1. Re:iPhone: Best phone I've ever owned by Falconhell · · Score: 1

      Yeh, your anecdotes are in contradiction to the pile of reports and complants about the Iphone.

      Everything you say about your iphone I could say about my 02 XDA2.

      See the recent thread http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/08/17/1143209
      MAny many problems for many users.

      You are missing the point!

    2. Re:iPhone: Best phone I've ever owned by LKM · · Score: 1

      Yeh, your anecdotes

      What anecdotes? I described a few existing, testable features that the iPhone has, which none of my previous phones have had.

      are in contradiction to the pile of reports and complants about the Iphone.

      See, now those are anecdotes. "The iPhone can connect to my Exchange system" is not an anecdote, it's an actually existing feature found in every iPhone running 2.0 or later. "The iPhone constantly drops my calls", however, is an anecdote. I'm not sure you understand the difference; I guess you just like to drown people you discuss with in jargon, hoping they would not notice.

      Everything you say about your iphone I could say about my 02 XDA2.

      And that's great for you. I'm not trying to take anything away from you. The difference between the iPhone and a Windows mobile phone is the user interface. If you prefer a stylus, go ahead and use a Windows mobile phone.

      Apropos anecdotes, there are plenty of them of people who have huge issues with the XDA2:

      I have had my O2 XDA 2 mobile phone for just over 18 months. I have not used it for the last 5 months. It is still in the repair centre! This time having the third main board replaced. From the day I purchased it, the unit has crashed repeatedly. Endless enquiries to the support hotline were of no assistance.

      But as I said, as with the iPhone, these are anecdotes and not statistical data points.

      You are missing the point!

      That is certainly possible, but if so, you'll have to explain "the point" to me. GP said "Gotta be the most overhyped POS of the last 10 years", and I replied to that. So what was the real point, the one I missed?

  67. Interesting hobbies? by phision · · Score: 0

    I know, one of his hobbies is collecting stamps.
    Oops, I unleashed the secret of the next hot game.

  68. Wii Fleshlight? by DifferentBreed · · Score: 1

    oh wait , isnt that a one player game?

  69. Criticism != Hate. by Cloud+K · · Score: 1

    Who said I hated Slashdot? I'm just agreeing that it's sensationalised, and that it's often guilty of that style of reporting. Who *originated* the sensationalism is irrelevant; what makes a paper or news site is which angle of a particular story they choose to publish. I don't really know Kotaku or Gizmodo, maybe they're similar.

    However I'm more than capable of accepting news from the internet or tabloids with a pinch of salt and still enjoying reading them.

  70. Slashdot, love it or leave it! by argent · · Score: 1

    what are you doing here if you hate it that much?

    Cor! A Geekriot!