Miyamoto Focusing on Nintendo's Next "Big Hit"

[Mike Kayatta]

Miyamoto Focusing on Nintendo's Next "Big Hit"

After years of supervising his most popular creations, Miyamoto says he's finally ready to let someone else spend time on Mario while he spends time on something fresh.

Legendary Nintendo game designer Shigeru Miyamoto has told a group of Nintendo investors that he will be shifting his focus from overseeing popular company mainstays such as Mario and Zelda to discovering the company's next "big hit." Though he's traditionally continued involvement with his most famous franchises after their creation, Miyamoto now feels others are finally able to continue maintaining his series, thereby allowing him to spend more time doing what's he's become famous for: coming up with new ideas.

"I am spending more time than before on finding new ideas for new developments," Miyamoto said, "rather than focusing my energy on work in my teams in order to solidify the contents of franchise titles."

Miyamoto has always taken the time to develop new ideas and turn them into little moneymaking factories for Nintendo (most recently that's been Pikmin, Nintendogs, and Wii Sports) but until recently, he's needed to spend a substantial amount of his time managing the stewards of his work. Now, after years of "nurturing" his team, he's finally ready to step back and focus on what he describes as his "basic job."

"There have been many people who have observed how Mr. Miyamoto works," explained Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, "or have been left in situations where they have to take on more significant responsibility without being allowed to be dependent upon Mr. Miyamoto.

"I am confident that people are growing," he continued. "Even for the development fields that required Mr. Miyamoto's involvement in the past, the situation is changing."

But just because Miyamoto is taking more time for new endeavors, that doesn't mean he's abandoned the properties that he's, in some cases, spent over twenty years developing.

"Of course, I do not let everyone go totally unchecked," Miyamoto explained. "I supervise whenever necessary."

"I am acting with the understanding that one big hit title can change multiple phases of a situation in the entertainment business, and I feel that finding such one big hit is my basic job."

It would be difficult to downplay the importance of Miyamoto and his various creations for Nintendo. After all, he's been responsible for a massively popular series on every Nintendo console since the NES. With the Wii U just around the corner, it should be interesting to see what he's able to cook up with unprecedented processing horsepower and a whole lot of extra time to think.

Source: Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-01-31-miyamoto-concentrates-on-conjuring-nintendos-next-big-hit]

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[eventhorizon525]

Nintendo trying something new (franchise wise)? I must admit I am really curious about this.

 

[PunkRex]

but until recently, he's needed to spend a substantial amount of his time managing the stewards of his work.

Thanks, now I have the image of Miyamoto 'suckling' his dev teams with that face... *shudder*

I heard he spent a lot of time swimming and his hobbies tend to crossover into his ideas. It would be cool to see a game based almost entiely underwater. Don't think ive seen that before... im to young for Echo the Dolphin.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

Is this the first step towards Nintendo laying their former flagship franchises to rest before the udder of fan-service gets completely shriveled to nothing and to start replacing them with fresh new IP?

If so, then hoo-fucking-ray! I'm no sequelphobe, but good God Mario needs a long break, preferably accompanied by Zelda, Metroid, and Pokemon (also Sonic, but that's a whole different discussion).

 

[Lunar Templar]

I'm no sequelphobe,

yes you are (sorry, had to XD)

but good God Mario needs a long break, preferably accompanied by Zelda, Metroid, and Pokemon (also Sonic, but that's a whole different discussion).

Mario and Zelda i agree with, but Metriod? really?
theirs only like 8 or 9 Metriod games, in total, which give how old the series is, is really not that many even when compared to, well, any other series that been around since the 8bit days.

but a new IP with Miyamoto's full attention? i see Nintendo making even more fat cheddar then they already do

 

[Therumancer]

but until recently, he's needed to spend a substantial amount of his time managing the stewards of his work.

Thanks, now I have the image of Miyamoto 'suckling' his dev teams with that face... *shudder*

I heard he spent a lot of time swimming and his hobbies tend to crossover into his ideas. It would be cool to see a game based almost entiely underwater. Don't think ive seen that before... im to young for Echo the Dolphin.

You might try an indie game called "Aquaria" I think it's in one of the humble indie bundles, so should be quite affordable. It's set entirely underwater, a sort of action-adventure game where you play a mermaid.

That said, I have mixed opinions about Miyamoto, to me he's always seemed a bit too family oriented, and I think a lot of his best creations have survived largely due to being established early, familiarity, and nostolgia. I can't help but wonder if his style is actually going to mesh well with what are current, serious gamers, when they aren't operating off of nostolgia.

Of course then again, he has done quite well catering to the casual market with things like Nintendogs. I'm not sure how much credit he actually deserves there though because it was just a more technologically advanced virtual pet.

Then again, no matter what this guy does he's going to be heralded as a messiah by some. If his new product happens to be a pet rock simulator, that makes your game deck just sit there, and perhaps comes with a REAL rock in the package with the blank disc, I'm sure he'll have at least a few fans calling him a visionary... he and George Lucas are two of the only people who could make money off a stunt like that (albiet it would only work once).

 

[EHKOS]

WONDERFUL! Everything Miyamoto touches turns to gold! I cannot wait to see what new franchise he'll come up with. Hopefully something a little less kid friendly. Like a Ratchet and Clank T rating would be nice.

 

[PunkRex]

Is this the first step towards Nintendo laying their former flagship franchises to rest before the udder of fan-service gets completely shriveled to nothing and to start replacing them with fresh new IP?

If so, then hoo-fucking-ray! I'm no sequelphobe, but good God Mario needs a long break, preferably accompanied by Zelda, Metroid, and Pokemon (also Sonic, but that's a whole different discussion).

As a Pokaddict, I'VE KILLED FOR LESS! *hugs cuddly Charmander*

Even when Nintendo do make another big sequel I just always end up hopeing they change it up abit. Like what they did with Wind Waker, I LOVED WIND WAKER. And thats coming from someone who never had a N64.

 

[Torrasque]

Whatever it is, I hope it is something that lets you use the Wii U's new controls and gadgets, but doesn't rely on them.
I like being able to tell my men where to go with the touch screen for Advance Wars on DS, but I prefer using regular controls. I hated any DS game or mechanic that forced you to use the touch screen sooo much...
Miyamoto sensei, please make a game that is good on it's own merits, not because of the cool new fangled controller =|

 

[Atmos Duality]

Good. "New blood" in their lineup will hopefully help them get out of this slump they're in, and Miyamoto isn't exactly new to creativity even though the rest of Nintendo relies on him entirely too much IMO (recall how the mere rumor of his retirement sent Nintendo investors into a momentary panic).

Though I had better keep my praise of this move relatively quiet.
Now, if you call Nintendo out on their HEAVY over-reliance on cannibalizing their core franchises (created mostly by Miyamoto himself), you get blindly called a Yahtzee fanboy because apparently he did it "first"...

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

I'm no sequelphobe,

yes you are (sorry, had to XD)

but good God Mario needs a long break, preferably accompanied by Zelda, Metroid, and Pokemon (also Sonic, but that's a whole different discussion).

Mario and Zelda i agree with, but Metriod? really?
theirs only like 8 or 9 Metriod games, in total, which give how old the series is, is really not that many even when compared to, well, any other series that been around since the 8bit days.

but a new IP with Miyamoto's full attention? i see Nintendo making even more fat cheddar then they already do

Well, with Metroid it's less about it being overused and more just that after the Other M debacle, Samus needs to go away for a while and figure out what she wants to do with her life.

 

[ShaneGunWolf]

For the love of all that is good, PLEASE let there be a new StarFox game or two for the new console...

...Please?

 

[Lunar Templar]

I'm no sequelphobe,

yes you are (sorry, had to XD)

but good God Mario needs a long break, preferably accompanied by Zelda, Metroid, and Pokemon (also Sonic, but that's a whole different discussion).

Mario and Zelda i agree with, but Metriod? really?
theirs only like 8 or 9 Metriod games, in total, which give how old the series is, is really not that many even when compared to, well, any other series that been around since the 8bit days.

but a new IP with Miyamoto's full attention? i see Nintendo making even more fat cheddar then they already do

Well, with Metroid it's less about it being overused and more just that after the Other M debacle, Samus needs to go away for a while and figure out what she wants to do with her life.

true ... i tend to forget about Other M, till people bring it up >.>, they could always put the sires in the hands of some one who know wtf they're doing story wise

 

[CardinalPiggles]

That has to be a bit of a downer for his underlings when they heard this.

'You guys can't anything right can you, fine, art will have to wait'.

 

[SnakeoilSage]

This may get me in trouble again but I just gotta say it: when was the first big hit?

Oh.

The Super Nintendo.

Right.

Didn't Yahtzee already predict this? Some new console will come out with some gimmick, hardware that will fail to impress and another set of Mario, Link and Samus games? Not to make him or myself into too much of a prophet but if their next "big hit" tries to push the limitations (and patience) of game controllers, includes technology the PS3 and XB360 have long since abandoned, and expects another free ride on the nostalgia ticket, well it might sell like hot cakes to someone but I (and Yahtzee) will have still called it.

 

[Palademon]

(Ok, since the previous time caused an error, I shall repost and hopefully not cause double positngs)

I eagerly await this development.

Let's hope he can still work the magic.