It's OK to Liken Shigeru Miyamoto to Walt Disney (NY Times article)

[darksnowman]

I read this article last night, but no-one is yet to make a thread out of it... I found it interesting enough. I'll summarise/ highlight the things that stand out the most to me, but to see the full thing you should check it out for yourself.

 

- theres a few paragraphs generally speaking of how humble and down to earth Shigsy is. How he doesn't come across as being a superstar, and how he doesn't believe he is one, but rather he just wants to help build and strengthen the Nintendo brand as best he can.

“What’s important is that the people that I work with are also recognized and that it’s the Nintendo brand that goes forward and continues to become strong and popular,†he said by way of comparing Walt Disney’s role in the larger brand with his. “And if people are going to consider the Nintendo brand as being on the same level as the Disney brand, that’s very flattering and makes me happy to hear,†he added, through an interpreter. (He understands spoken English well but does not speak it beyond a few phrases, a twist of considerable amusement to him given that his father taught English.)

 

- Wii + WiiFit... rescuing the industry?

 

But it isn’t just traditional gamers who are flocking to Mr. Miyamoto’s latest creation, the Wii. Eighteen months ago, just when video games were in danger of disappearing into the niche world of fetishists, Mr. Miyamoto and Satoru Iwata, Nintendo’s chief executive, practically reinvented the industry. (Mr. Miyamoto’s full title is senior managing director and general manager of Nintendo’s entertainment analysis and development division.) Their idea was revolutionary in its simplicity: rather than create a new generation of games that would titillate hard-core players, they developed the Wii as an easy-to-use, inexpensive diversion for families (with a particular appeal to women, an audience generally immune to the pull of traditional video games). So far the Wii has sold more than 25 million units, besting the competition from Sony and Microsoft.

 

- An inspiration to gamers and developers alike.

“Without Miyamoto, Nintendo would be back making playing cards,†said Andy McNamara, editor in chief of Game Informer, the No. 1 game magazine, referring to Nintendo’s original business in 1889. “He probably inspires 99 percent of the developers out there today. You can even say there wouldn’t be video games today if it wasn’t for Miyamoto and Nintendo. He’s the granddad of all game developers, but the funny thing is that for all of his legacy, for all of the mainstay iconic characters he’s designed and created, he is still pushing the limits with things like Wii Fit.â€

 

- Why are characters like Mario and Link so popular? Not necessarily because of the characters themselves, but because of the fact that the games they are in are so fun.

According to Mr. Miyamoto, gameplay systems and mechanics have always come first, while the characters are created and deployed in the service of the overall design. That means a focus on the seemingly prosaic basic elements of game design: movement, setting, goals to accomplish and obstacles to overcome.

 

“I feel that people like Mario and people like Link and the other characters we’ve created not for the characters themselves, but because the games they appear in are fun,†he said. “And because people enjoy playing those games first, they come to love the characters as well.â€

 

- Shigsy on Mii's.

“I see the Miis as the most recent character creation from Nintendo,†Mr. Miyamoto said. “What’s interesting is that regardless of the user’s age, if they’re looking at a Mii, it’s their Mii. Before, when you’re playing as another character, it’s more typical of more passive entertainment, and by creating a Mii you’re becoming more a part of the entertainment experience.â€

 

The full thing is here and is worth a read. (it does mention Walt Disney, honest!)

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/25/arts/television/25schi.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2&ref=technology

 

[Hellfire]

Some exageration here and there ("Eighteen months ago, just when video games were in danger of disappearing into the niche world of fetishists," lol), but a good article.

[Emasher]

Great Article. I'm actually now considering buying wii music.

[The Bard]

Yeah, I think it is, but not through way of the Wii. The Wii has really done fuck all the advance or improve gaming beyond what it was in the previous generation, all it's done is pandered to the ignorant masses who were never really going to take gaming as anything more than a way to pass an idle hour.

 

Miyamoto is a king though.

[tapedeck]

...The Wii has really done fuck all to advance or improve gaming beyond what it was in the previous generation, all it's done is pandered to the ignorant masses who were never really going to take gaming as anything more than a way to pass an idle hour.

 

But if it has "pandered to the ignorant" doesn't that mean it's advanced/improved gaming...even in a small way?

 

It could be argued that the market actually needed something new. It became too saturated with "me too" titles last gen. If everything carried on like the last gen one company would have gone bust by now...Probably Nintendo.

 

To a traditional gamer the last gen should have been the best ever. But I actually prefer this current gen because of the Wii. It's actually refreshing. Would we be experiencing Wii Sports/Fit/Z&W/Boom Blox/Elebits (and more innovative products) if this gen was just the same as the last?

 

Wii has brought far more to the gaming world than most gamers actually realise.

 

When you look back in a few years and remember playing Wii Sports competitively with your parents or remember playing Wii Fit at your own pace to actually improve your health, you may think that Wii changed everything.

[The Bard]

No, it's not good, because it gives those people an oversimplified impression of what videogames are. Speaking of "me too" titles, the Wii market is inundated with such fodder. Nintendo have really done nothing new this generation that appeals to me as a gamer (TP, MP3, Mario Galaxy aren't new, they're testament to the fact that things were fine the way they were before. Sure, Nintendo may not have been making nearly as much cash back then, but considering their recent output, I can't say that I give a shit.) Ironically, the best thing the Wii has to offer is its collection of retro games.

 

I don't play games like Wii Sports because, in plain terms, they fucking suck. And Wii Fit is not a game, it's a fitness tool. I don't want that. Sure, Nintendo may have come up with a new way to interact, but seriously, it stands as nothing more than a gimmick when the games themselves serve as hardly more than fairly hollow attempts to utilise and justify said controls.

 

Not only that, there is also the fact that the motion controller is pretty flawed in itself. There has yet to be a game that makes good use of gestures, further than waving the controller like a lobotomised monkey and praying that shit happens on screen. Zakk and Wiki, a game that I had fun with, and probably one of the only games on Wii that actually would not be better on next gen consoles (gotta love Capcom), is still missing a fair amount of accuracy.

 

Nintendo seems at war with the best of itself, over simplifying it's flagship franchises and actually coming up with flashier, yet inferior versions of games it released on Gamecube (Smash Bros, and Mario Kart come to mind, although how that pile of anal discharge managed to outdo the fecal matter that was Double Dash is quite obviously something as easily explained as the hordes of sycophantic forum drones who seem to class Sonic and The Secret Rings as something worthwhile...)

 

O the Nintendo freaks are singin...

[Wesley]

No, it's not good, because it gives those people an oversimplified impression of what videogames are. Speaking of "me too" titles, the Wii market is inundated with such fodder. Nintendo have really done nothing new this generation that appeals to me as a gamer (TP, MP3, Mario Galaxy aren't new, they're testament to the fact that things were fine the way they were before. Sure, Nintendo may not have been making nearly as much cash back then, but considering their recent output, I can't say that I give a shit.) Ironically, the best thing the Wii has to offer is its collection of retro games.

 

I don't play games like Wii Sports because, in plain terms, they fucking suck. And Wii Fit is not a game, it's a fitness tool. I don't want that. Sure, Nintendo may have come up with a new way to interact, but seriously, it stands as nothing more than a gimmick when the games themselves serve as hardly more than fairly hollow attempts to utilise and justify said controls.

 

Not only that, there is also the fact that the motion controller is pretty flawed in itself. There has yet to be a game that makes good use of gestures, further than waving the controller like a lobotomised monkey and praying that shit happens on screen. Zakk and Wiki, a game that I had fun with, and probably one of the only games on Wii that actually would not be better on next gen consoles (gotta love Capcom), is still missing a fair amount of accuracy.

 

Nintendo seems at war with the best of itself, over simplifying it's flagship franchises and actually coming up with flashier, yet inferior versions of games it released on Gamecube (Smash Bros, and Mario Kart come to mind, although how that pile of anal discharge managed to outdo the fecal matter that was Double Dash is quite obviously something as easily explained as the hordes of sycophantic forum drones who seem to class Sonic and The Secret Rings as something worthwhile...)

 

O the Nintendo freaks are singin...

 

Couldn't of said it better myself.

 

Yet, still, as you even said, Miyamoto is king.

[Gaijin von Snikbah]

In Japan they were probably about to disappear...

[DomJcg]

Personally...i think its not through the wii he's made waves, but certainly in the handheld market, where they have always nominated and then brought out the DS and changed how games were played. As for the wii, i have only franchises on my wii (save no more heroes) i'm looking for a gritty shooter style or a gripping RPG,

 

where are theeeeeeeeeeeey!

[tapedeck]

No, it's not good, because it gives those people an oversimplified impression of what videogames are. Speaking of "me too" titles, the Wii market is inundated with such fodder. Nintendo have really done nothing new this generation that appeals to me as a gamer (TP, MP3, Mario Galaxy aren't new, they're testament to the fact that things were fine the way they were before. Sure, Nintendo may not have been making nearly as much cash back then, but considering their recent output, I can't say that I give a shit.) Ironically, the best thing the Wii has to offer is its collection of retro games.

 

I don't play games like Wii Sports because, in plain terms, they fucking suck. And Wii Fit is not a game, it's a fitness tool. I don't want that. Sure, Nintendo may have come up with a new way to interact, but seriously, it stands as nothing more than a gimmick when the games themselves serve as hardly more than fairly hollow attempts to utilise and justify said controls.

 

Not only that, there is also the fact that the motion controller is pretty flawed in itself. There has yet to be a game that makes good use of gestures, further than waving the controller like a lobotomised monkey and praying that shit happens on screen. Zakk and Wiki, a game that I had fun with, and probably one of the only games on Wii that actually would not be better on next gen consoles (gotta love Capcom), is still missing a fair amount of accuracy.

 

Nintendo seems at war with the best of itself, over simplifying it's flagship franchises and actually coming up with flashier, yet inferior versions of games it released on Gamecube (Smash Bros, and Mario Kart come to mind, although how that pile of anal discharge managed to outdo the fecal matter that was Double Dash is quite obviously something as easily explained as the hordes of sycophantic forum drones who seem to class Sonic and The Secret Rings as something worthwhile...)

 

O the Nintendo freaks are singin...

 

By trying to keep both camps happy you would expect them to drop the ball. And by creating new "franchises" and casual titles, Nintendo have seemingly ballsed up the hardcore gamer? I call bullshit to that. They've released FAR more games of quality in the last year on the Wii than they ever put out on the N64 and GC. The fact is that 3rd parties have been severly lacking. Therein lies the truth. If the Wii had 2-3 AAA shooters/racers/RPG's/Online MMO titles everyone would be singing it's praises. But it has shovelware shite instead.

 

Trouble is, gamers expect the world from one console. it doesn't work like that anymore. You probably NEED more than one console if your a traditional gamer. Traditional gamers WANT flashy graphics and they actually WANT innovation. Only a combination of Wii and ps3/360 can provide that.

 

The dissapointing thing with the wii is definately the 3rd party output. But yeah, Nintendo aren't whiter than white. The dallying over online infrastructure was typical of them and the whole mii system being limited is terrible in the face of something like HOME or even the 360 acheivement system.

Nintendo aren't perfect but the truth is they are TRYING to push boundaries like they always have. And they are doing a damn good job of it. By having Mario Kart/Brawl/Galaxy/Prime/Twilight Princess we think we are in limited supply of the "golden days"... Depends how you personally see it I guess.

[Goron_3]

Bard, everything you said in the post pretty much sums up the situation perfectly.

 

Nintendo shouldn't be simplifying games like Mario (it was still amazing though), Smash Bros (it's a party game now) and Mario Kart (*shudders*) to sell to the new wave of gamers. They should stick to making the best of their old franchises and aim them at the hardcore whilst using Wii Fit and sports to appeal to the new lot. It's this problem which is why i'm glad there is no F-zero on Wii.

 

So basically, don't fuck over you're old IPs, give the casual new IP's and be honest to your old games.

[Tyson]

Bard, everything you said in the post pretty much sums up the situation perfectly.

 

Nintendo shouldn't be simplifying games like Mario (it was still amazing though), Smash Bros (it's a party game now) and Mario Kart (*shudders*) to sell to the new wave of gamers. They should stick to making the best of their old franchises and aim them at the hardcore whilst using Wii Fit and sports to appeal to the new lot. It's this problem which is why i'm glad there is no F-zero on Wii.

 

So basically, don't fuck over you're old IPs, give the casual new IP's and be honest to your old games.

 

If anything I'd say that Mario Kart is better than it's ever been. Online is fun, a huge improvement on the DS game, and they actually dared to mix it up a bit with tricks and bikes, which as far as I'm concerned paid off.

 

Chrono Trigger sucks.

[david.dakota]

No, it's not good, blah blah blah

 

The simple fact is, as analysts seem to have commented, compared to the previous generation, the 360 and PS3 are underselling -a clear sign that the industry is (without Wii) in decline. Thats a serious situation, Mr Bard and something I think your underestimating. As I recall Capcom have said that their 'Next Gen' output is being subsidised by their Wii output? Is that honestly a sustainable business model? Without Wii, could Capcom have gone under, along with numerous other companies.

 

Now, admittedly i'd rather play new ideas, but 'Me too' titles are, along with subcontracted licenses (yes, the bane of Gamers'), the bread and butter for smaller code houses - those who don't have the luxury of being tied to a big name publisher and injected with cash when the going gets tough. Would you rather see these coders working in Sainsburys, or Carphone Warehouse, or would your rather let them cut their teeth there and, hopefully, progress onto greater things? Its plain shortsightedness and perhaps a little predudice for you to critisise.

 

You mention those traditional franchises, here's some stats from Gamerankings:

 

Smash Bros

N64 - 80.2% Melee- 89.8% Brawl- 93.9%

 

Super Mario

SM64 - 95.9% SM Sunshine - 91.7% SM Galaxy 97.3%

 

Zelda

Ocarina: 97.6% / Majoras Mask 92.3% Wind Waker 94.8% Twilight 94%

 

Metroid

Metroid 3 - 96% Prime - 96.3% Echoes - 91.9% Corruption - 89.7%

 

These key franchises you've bemoaned about are gaining extremely positive critical reviews, comparable with previous iterations, bettering them in some cases. Note, that while Mario Kart Wii scored the lowest in the franchise - 81% - thats a good score (and fair in my opinion).

 

Arguing that the best games on Wii could be made on last gen tech is irrelevent though, traditional gamers aren't too fussed with excessive waggle, but the inclusions in the big titles are nice touches (and i'd argue improve the product and immersion). Remember that Metroid, Mario, Smash Bros pander to the traditional gamer and secure the traditional cash, while WiiSports, WiiFit, and dare I say it Carnival Games are there to expand a dwindling industry and bring in new greens. Keep in mind, games companies are businesses and therefore need to remain profitable (especially with the recent economic downturn) - by hook or by crook, they need our cash, now if that means changing the boundaries, like Cinema has, or the music industry, then so be it.

 

And when exactly does WiiFit stop being a game? Its fun and enjoyable to the masses, its also played on a games console, so exactly how is WiiFit any but a game, regardless of its percieved health purpose? If you don't like WiiFit then I have a really simple suggestion for you, don't buy it. Solved. But millions of people are enjoying it worldwide, and in all honesty I actually think its rather insulting to dismiss the pastime they enjoy (I'm sure you'll the first to complain when same random newspaper dismisses your gaming pastime as 'childish'). So, why shouldn't Nintendo invest in products for people other than gamers?

 

Judging by your last sentence, you'll have already dismissed this post as the ramblings of a whore to Nintendo. Not the case, I've always beleived gaming should be as valid a pastime as TV, cinema, whatever and not exclusively for sticky boys in dark bedrooms (come on, how many times have forum readers, maybe even yourself, tried to get someone playing Street Fighter II or Goldeneye 007, with no success - ask someone now and they'll probably give WiiSports, WiiFit a go). Whether it be Sony with Eyetoy, or Nintendo with Wii, its all good - Consoles are finally earning a place in the living room.

 

As they used to say, Get N or Get Out.

[The Bard]

If anything I'd say that Mario Kart is better than it's ever been. Online is fun, a huge improvement on the DS game, and they actually dared to mix it up a bit with tricks and bikes, which as far as I'm concerned paid off.

 

Chrono Trigger sucks.

 

Tie him up and burn him.

 

A man with the audacity to praise the online component in a Nintendo game, a Phantasy Star Online avatar, and yet one without any appreciation of the greatest RPG to come out of Japan, is clearly someone who shouldn't be allowed near the gene pool.

[Hellfire]

And here we go again with Goron saying Nintendo has been simplifying their games.

I'm out of here. Maybe.

[ultrajamie]

:awesome:

No, it's not good, because it gives those people an oversimplified impression of what videogames are. Speaking of "me too" titles, the Wii market is inundated with such fodder. Nintendo have really done nothing new this generation that appeals to me as a gamer (TP, MP3, Mario Galaxy aren't new, they're testament to the fact that things were fine the way they were before. Sure, Nintendo may not have been making nearly as much cash back then, but considering their recent output, I can't say that I give a shit.) Ironically, the best thing the Wii has to offer is its collection of retro games.

 

I don't play games like Wii Sports because, in plain terms, they fucking suck. And Wii Fit is not a game, it's a fitness tool. I don't want that. Sure, Nintendo may have come up with a new way to interact, but seriously, it stands as nothing more than a gimmick when the games themselves serve as hardly more than fairly hollow attempts to utilise and justify said controls.

 

Not only that, there is also the fact that the motion controller is pretty flawed in itself. There has yet to be a game that makes good use of gestures, further than waving the controller like a lobotomised monkey and praying that shit happens on screen. Zakk and Wiki, a game that I had fun with, and probably one of the only games on Wii that actually would not be better on next gen consoles (gotta love Capcom), is still missing a fair amount of accuracy.

 

Nintendo seems at war with the best of itself, over simplifying it's flagship franchises and actually coming up with flashier, yet inferior versions of games it released on Gamecube (Smash Bros, and Mario Kart come to mind, although how that pile of anal discharge managed to outdo the fecal matter that was Double Dash is quite obviously something as easily explained as the hordes of sycophantic forum drones who seem to class Sonic and The Secret Rings as something worthwhile...)

 

O the Nintendo freaks are singin...

 

 

I think this is a really, really interesting POV.

 

You'll see nintendo refocus of some decent GAMES at E3, I'd bet my last dollar on it.

 

Also interesting is that Sony chose to refocus on software last TGS with Kaz's speech... and Nintendo's recent 'wii gamers are hardcore' PR.

 

 

Nobody wants to lose that small chunk of buyers who buy a disproportionate amount of games - regardless of how big the 'wider' market is.

 

 

However... I do disagree on one point: Sonic and the secret rings was an OK game!

[darksnowman]

Soooo... what about Shigsy then? We have a good few other threads for talking about hardcore this, AAA that... too many casual games, the Wii is a failure etc.

 

I don't want us to get bogged down in the Wii has saved/ damned gaming but seeing as the article is in the NY Times and not a games publication, isn't it possible that to other people it looked like gaming was stale and getting boring?

 

The Wii has definitely freshened things up by capturing new gamers and, in other cases, recapturing the imagination of ex-gamers. Before now the Playstation was the best known brand... and look at how slow a start the PS3 has had. Where have all those gamers between PS2 and PS3 gone to? If it wasn't for the Wii, then we would have Nintendo toiling like they did with the GC and other people would just not be playing games anymore.

 

But yeah, what about Shigsy? Anyone want to discuss his philosophy of Mario, Link, DK and all only being so well known and long standing mascots due to the games they feature in, not the actual characters "coolness factor?"

 

What about Mii's? Will they ultimately take over?

[Tyson]

 

Tie him up and burn him.

 

A man with the audacity to praise the online component in a Nintendo game, a Phantasy Star Online avatar, and yet one without any appreciation of the greatest RPG to come out of Japan, is clearly someone who shouldn't be allowed near the gene pool.

 

Neither should someone who weighs a persons value on taste in games, and dares to judge people, constantly may I add, despite from my recollections being some kind of manic depressive who wasted a year of his life when he had the potential to do something with it?

 

Sort your life out, you typical up-your-own-ass internet nerd, instead of venting your petty frustrations on a fan forum of a company you seem to loath so much. Then you might have the right to say who should or should not be in the gene pool.

[Shino]

Shit, meet the Fan.

[The Bard]

Neither should someone who weighs a persons value on taste in games, and dares to judge people, constantly may I add, despite from my recollections being some kind of manic depressive who wasted a year of his life when he had the potential to do something with it?

 

Sort your life out, you typical up-your-own-ass internet nerd, instead of venting your petty frustrations on a fan forum of a company you seem to loath so much. Then you might have the right to say who should or should not be in the gene pool.

 

Oooh, did I hit a nerve?

 

Of course, your mistake would be believing everything an "internet nerd" (which by the way is clearly the pot calling the kettle black) writes about his life on a forum, as well as being anal and pathetic enough to recall such a parody, which strikes me as being indicative of your own social ineptitude. Shit, why the fuck else would you selflessly attach yourself to a videogame manufacturer? Being a whiny, overly defensive and petty (hey, we all got our double standards) character yourself, without anything of value to add to the discussion at hand, or any discussion, so far as I, or anyone else can tell, it'd be best if you kept your idle musings to the relevant.

[Tyson]

 

Oooh, did I hit a nerve?

 

Of course, your mistake would be believing everything an "internet nerd" (which by the way is clearly the pot calling the kettle black) writes about his life on a forum, as well as being anal and pathetic enough to recall such a parody, which strikes me as being indicative of your own social ineptitude. Shit, why the fuck else would you selflessly attach yourself to a videogame manufacturer? Being a whiny, overly defensive and petty (hey, we all got our double standards) character yourself, without anything of value to add to the discussion at hand, or any discussion, so far as I, or anyone else can tell, it'd be best if you kept your idle musings to the relevant.

 

I only read and post on forums once in a blue moon, and when I do it's far from in-depth, so I'll just leave it at this. I don't give a damn about companies' or their well-being, 'nor do I care what you or anyone else here thinks of me.

 

However, I do think you're the worst kind of ****, the kind of **** with the brainpower to be a **** with credibility, and who uses it to turn things back around on people.

 

So, knowing how this will end I'll not continue flinging shit, I don't read the forums enough to know when you're making shit up and when you're not. All I know is that everytime I see red letters it's followed by putting people down and whining, and that you're not a likable chap.

[Falcon_BlizZACK]

Microwaved the popcorn - this was destined to happen. ^^

[The Bard]

It's what I do. Of, course, what you could do is, like everyone else, take it as it's intended. Tongue in cheek.

 

Getting back on topic: The Wii is the platonic conception of erectile dysfunction. Discuss.

[Tyson]

turn things back around on people

It's what I do. Of, course, what you could do is, like everyone else, take it as it's intended. Tongue in cheek.

Yep. Hate speech over.

[ultrajamie]

Microwaved the popcorn - this was destined to happen. ^^

 

 

LOL

 

What flavour?