Good old Shigsy. Just where would we be without the father of the modern videogame? Hard to say really, but let’s give it a try. Let us, for one moment, suspend our disbelief and envision a world in which Miyamoto simply doesn’t exist. The Saint
Without Shigsy behind the creative helm, Nintendo wouldn’t be the industry super power it is today. There’s simply no doubting his colossal contributions to the company. Is he a groundbreaking industry player? Unequivocally yes. We’ve all heard of the butterfly effect - the idea that one butterfly could eventually have a far-reaching ripple effect on subsequent historic events. Well it’s not hard to see Miyamoto as the catalyst for Nintendo’s good fortunes. And it’s possible to pinpoint exactly where it all began.In 1981 Donkey Kong single-handedly helped Nintendo make a name for itself in the U.S. and, consequently, cash in on the lucrative American arcade market. The protagonist of Donkey Kong, known then simply as Jumpman, went on to become the most recognized videogame character in the world, staring in over 200 videogames. I’m talking about, of course, that iconic Italian chubster, Mario.
The portfolio of games that Shigsy has worked on since reads like a guide to The All Time Greatest Videogame Classics: The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox, Pikmin, F-Zero. And then there’s the small matter of the Wii and that divisive motion sensing controller – love it or loathe it, it well and truly launched gaming into the mainstream. Unsurprisingly, everyone now wants a piece of the motion sensing action: Sony with Sixasis and Microsoft with Prjoect Natal. Like I said, Shigeru Miyamoto’s influence on the industry is impossible to underestimate. Without him Nintendo might never have made it.
But is there another side to this coin?
The Sinner
Can Miyamoto really be described as a self indulgent egoist? Surely not. How can Japan’s favourite son and one of Time's 100 most influential people, ever be accused of possessing such an unflattering disposition? It could be the case that all this unflagging success and constant sycophantic adulation may have gone to his head. And why wouldn’t it? He’s only human.
Could it be that behind the cheeky grin and the ever-youthful bowl of thick black hair lurks something a little more sinister than meets the eye? Here’s a snippet from an interview with Nintendo Official Magazine:
NOM UK: It seems as though there is a conflict between your real self and your public image that's been built up as this kindly, slightly batty, old man who makes cutting-edge video games for little kids. What do you say to that?
Miyamoto: You want to know my reputation among Nintendo staff members? I'm loud and hard on everybody; I stick to minute detailed points; I'm the guy who changes his opinions one after another; and I'm the guy who is still fighting for his opinion past midnight. People who don't know me say that I just spout things out from my gut feeling, but as they come to know me better they think of me as more of a logical type.
It’s an interesting insight into Miyamoto’s character and perhaps not quite what you’d expect from the brain behind the ultra cutesy Nintendogs. Even Nintendo’s President Satoru Iwata has revealed that, “Miyamoto-san gets pretty scary when he's angry”. Okay, so the man’s a little stubborn when he needs to be. You gotta kick a little ass to get things done, right? Fair play, but there’s a time when stubbornness can veer dangerously close to egotism – like that time when he told Entertainment Weekly, “I could make Halo. It is not that I could not design that game. It is just that I choose not to. One thing about my game design is that I never try to look for what people want and then try to make the game design”. Again, fair play, but we can’t ignore the fact that a Halo-esque FPS is exactly what thousands of Wii owners want - which would explain why The Conduit has stirred up such intense interest. What’s wrong with giving the fans what they want?And has Miyamoto simply gone too far with the creation of Demo Play . The next Mario game and “future games, too” are to include this controversial little addition. Demo Play is “essentially an option to allow the game to play itself when the player encounters an area too difficult for them to handle.” A game that plays itself? Who on earth wants that? Miyamoto seems to be taking the notion of accessibility in videogames to its most absurd conclusion.
Could this be a sign that Miyamoto no longer cares about the thrill of challenge or the sense of accomplishment that gamers experience when they’ve finally bumped off Bowser? Is accessibility – cramming as many people as possible into the Nintendo demographic – now all he’s concerned about?
Conclusion
While researching this article, the overriding feeling I got from all the interviews, biographies and news articles is that Miyamoto is on OUR side. It’s a well know fact that as a boy he’d often explore his natural surroundings: Rice fields, canyons, grassy hills, waterways and deep dark caves. It was a period of his life that informed all his future endeavours.
Miyamoto wants us to experience the same childlike joy of exploration, creation and discovery that he enjoyed during his own childhood. He wants to share. And there is absolutely nothing egotistical or self indulgent in wanting to communicate the delight of gaming and its infinite possibilities to as many people as he possibly can. If he has to change the way we play – swapping traditional button heavy controllers with a more accessible motion sensing device – he’ll do it.
Yes, he’s a man who follows his own star - refusing to chase trends in favour of innovation. And yes, he may come across as a little stubborn, but it’s exactly this unwavering self belief and intuitive nature that has made him an icon of the videogame industry. If you were to ask the fans, I’m sure they wouldn’t have him any other way. I’d like to conclude this article with my all time favourite Miyamoto quote:
“Video Games are bad for you? That's what they said about Rock 'N' Roll”
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