The top guy at Nintendo talks about possibly retiring, mass hysteria ensues
Matt Hawkins Maybe you’ve heard of him? Shigeru Miyamoto, who aside from creating Nintendo’s biggest hits, is their primary creative force, the reason why they still make awesome games at the end of the day. And he’s quitting. Maybe.
In many ways, Miyamoto is to Nintendo what Steve Jobs was to Apple; Shiggy as he’s know among the cool kids, is the greatest thing ever to happen to video games. Period. His masterworks is what sets the pace for the game industry as a whole, and most agree that if not for him, Nintendo would not be anywhere they are to today.
So if anything was to happen to the guy, it would be a disaster of epic proportions in my many people’s minds. Though much like Jobs, Shiggy isn’t the only reason why Nintendo makes kick ass games. He certainly set the bar, no doubt, but there are countless folks who help make things happen that don’t get all the proper credit.
Still, when a Wired interview popped up last night in which he claimed that it was time at last for him to step down from his post, to work on smaller, more personal projects, mass hysteria began to ensue. Nintendo’s days were finally up in the minds of many gamer dorks, who thus argued the point well into the twilight hours on various message boards and the like.
Though more importantly, Nintendo’s stock took a dip, causing Nintendo to issue a response, in which they claim it was all a big misunderstanding. Yes, he wants to help the next generation of game designers, but he’s not going anywhere and stepping down from his position.
Interesting to say the least. On one hand, this wouldn’t be the first instance in which something fairly important got lost in translation in an interview. Also, last night’s sentiments betray earlier statements, in which he joked about the fact that he’ll keep making games till croaks, since Nintendo honestly doesn’t pay him that much money. On a side note, it’s been revealed that many of the top game creators in Japan actually make jack, which is yet another problem plaguing that end.
Though some theorize that he might be the whipping boy for the 3DS’s failure. Another weird thing about Japanese business is how if something flops, they pick someone to blame, even if it honestly wasn’t their fault. And Miyamoto might be it this time. Is that fair? Hells no. Is it surprisingly? Unfortunately not. When the Virtual Boy (remember that?) tanked, Nintendo pinned the blame on a guy name Gunpei Yokoi, who helped lead the project (much Miyamoto did with the 3DS).
And when the black and red system that was never went to be was mothballed, Yokoi… despite having been a hardware genius behind the original Game Boy, plus the creator of Metroid… was forced to leave the company as a disgraced failure. Point being, anything’s possible. But yeah, Nintendo without the man who created Mario and Zelda would not be a good thing.
Back to the Nintendo/Apple comparison, at least when Jobs passed away, his baby was in good hands. Meanwhile, Miyamoto’s latest and greatest, Skyward Sword, is the greatest advocate of motion controls ever for a video game, as well as the reason why the Wii should exist in the first place.
And it’s the same sentiment that many share heading towards the Wii U. Hell, he’s the only reason why I’ll be getting one. Many others feel the same way, which Nintendo knows, so it’s in their best interest to keep him around. And by any means necessary, like giving him a huge raise, keeping him healthy, and making sure he doesn’t get hit by a car.
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