Shigeru Miyamoto Wants Nintendo To Be As Big As Disney, But Concerned Parents Are Making It Difficult

Dont look at the moustached man hon, he is very violent

I wish them the best, I'm interested in what parents have against Mario, though.

Mario and Nintendo is better then Disney and the mouse for ages now anyway

If Nintendo getting bigger means more manpower working on games, revivals of old series' as well as more movies, animated shows I'm all for it. But Nintendo shouldn't strive to be like current Disney though, that'd probably end badly.

I know there are a lot of people here who are going to be like "backwards evangelicals who won't let their kids play video games!" Or "just discipline your children so they don't play all day!" And I don't think it's wrong for children to play video games and I remember enjoying playing video games with my dad and sister. But to play devil's advocate, they are a huge time and money sink. A video game consistently asks for 20+ hours. Kids are impulsive, they lie, and they get obsessed with stuff. I definitely lied to play video games when I wasn't supposed to, and it sometimes was something that ate up every moment of free time I had, to the detriment of other pursuits. I could imagine a parent not wanting to deal with it, especially if their kid is an athlete or musician or is otherwise doing something that requires daily practice.

Having the parents see the sheer amount of"Gimme gimme gimme, pay pay pay!" gubbins on the Mobile Apps probably isn't helping.

I have kids. I love when they play games. They have to interact, think, plan, etc. Multiplayer makes it social, even.

The influence of social media (which can be vicious, unpleasant, and deceitful) is a far greater concern for kids. I think the "video games bad!" meme about parents is dated.

@ClassSonicSatAm Disney is an IP clearinghouse. Companies like PIXAR make great content. Disney just does marketing and distribution now.

Nintendo makes its own stuff and brings it to market themselves. They should be celebrated as one of the few remaining independent media companies.

I just hope the theme park does well and all, but if they wanted to grow, they really should make carefully-curated movies and animations. That's where the money and growth are.

@Kalmaro I suspect it's more "but if they start playing video games they'll never do their homework!/video games don't make you go outside and make you become lazy"/etc

Which tbh is a mixed thing though as some of them might argue back, with reasons, that "at least a movie is over when it's over" which might have a point considering how many genres of games(especially "just one more match" multiplayer ones) thrives on what one could call theoretically endless gameplay loop if one doesn't set themselves limits/etc

Which is not mentioning the direct money investment of a game console and games. Unlike Disney where the movie are the only "ovbious" direct expense and most of the rest is merch that might not be directly seen as much of an expense in term of themed toys/clothes/merch and even then might still remain a lesser expense than a console+games/accessories

@Ainz yeah superhero/show fatigue (DC had over 20 year of the villain comics these past 2 weeks and I swore off it, and when Marvel had a buncha monthly movies I was tired of it too). Could you imagine everyone getting a spinoff game/series like Bowser Jr, Waluigi (though some petition for him in Smash lol), Daisy, and Ridley?

I'd recommend the mario maker games for kids honestly. Help them get creative. I liked using RPG Maker when I was a teen and adult, and it was a lotta fun thinking about storylines and battle systems. We're at an age of game engines, and democratized user-generated content too, though the 3ds version kinda goofed (though you can download Wii U levels which is a saving grace, as well as local for a party event), and the switch needs nintendo online I believe.

Mario and Zelda comics were cool, and they should make another F-Zero series (that anime was legendary). I know Metroid had its manga fans too, and Fire Emblem has a ton of mangas.

Do feel Miyamoto is overreaching though, but nothing to lose I suppose given the switch sold so well, and smash bros update for Terry (and don't forget Kirby makes a DLC mirror match) makes the fighter's pass mandatory.

@Jayenkai yeah lol some may stay away if a kid overspent on Mario Kart Tour on mobile. At least make Wario rip off the kiddies lol surprised he hasn't had the microgames there as it is a precursor to mobile, with throwaway quick games one will delete.

Nintendo are already big enough to ignore consumer concerns about the service they provide, I don't want them to get much bigger.

@Dodger Exactly this. Grew up playing games, still sink countless hours into it, but at the end of the day I've not gained anything from it other than a distraction from life.

Would prefer my daughter picks up a productive hobby instead.

To be as big as Disney, you'd have to buy out pretty much every big and small name developer and publisher and bring back the glory days of the late 80s where "Nintendo" was synonymous with "video games." (I kid.)

Video games can be beneficial to kids. Hours of playing Tetris and Columns taught me how to keep cool under pressure and keep reacting, keep strategizing several moves ahead, a big help on tests. But with all the microtransactions, the need to keep buying in-game items to stay competitive in certain games, and the cosmetic skins that draw you in but are only available via loot boxes, I don't blame parents for not wanting their kids to game.

Personally I'm more hesitant to let my kid watch many of Disney's movies than I am allowing him to play Nintendo games.

@Ludovsky That sounds like "I'm too lazy to discipline my kids so I'm removing games from them"

@Dodger I logged in just to say that you don't have a single clue about children! If you're a parent, you need to think about this because your words make zero sense and I am genuinely concerned for the children you will (or are) raising.

Children are not all impulsive or lying. If they're lying and getting addicted to stuff, then they will do the exact same thing when they'll get older - the only thing that will be different is their reasoning. Not even mentioning the possible workaholism which is something that's being encouraged in our society. It's not "children", it's them being humans, the exact same human that you are. There's no miraculous change of character when you reach 18 or 21 years old mark - are you out of your mind?! Do you genuinely believe that people change with age?? Bad news: they don't.

"something that ate up every moment of free time I had, to the detriment of other pursuits" - YOU ate up your own free time, not games. If it wasn't games, it would have been TV or YouTube, or politics news (another thing parents often disregard or even encourage, and then we have racial/national conflicts, young people dying in wars etc.), or anything else.

You have a serious problem with not being able to understand that adults and children are the exact same humans. Children are not some alien creatures that only care about lying and being lazy, throw out those cheap self-help books and think! If your child behaves that way and if you (!) behaved this way, then they will do the exact same thing later becaause that's in your character. The only thing that changes with age is the realization of law and punishment - it won't be as easy to do bad things because parents won't help and going to jail isn't exactly fun.

I'll say that 75% of people I knew as a child and then saw as adults did not change in any way - they're the exact same brats who would do bad things if they'll feel like they can get away with it. Some children have a genuine interest in being kind and not lying, others develop it after being abused or bullied (minority) but the majority never changes. If you're a good parent (most aren't, this is sad but true), then you have a chance to put your child into those 25% that will be kind towards others and honest regardless of there being law and punishment to scare them.

Lastly, "being athlete or musician" does not make anyone better. I've actually studied with one of the super cool athlete kids and it was one of the worst human beings I saw in my life - he constantly looked down on everyone around him (including his friends), constantly acted like a douchebag and didn't even bother showing up to class .
You seriously need to spend less time commenting on news and watch one of the films where the musician kid ends up the villain. Maybe that will help you with this awful, terrible shaming and generalization.

By the way, why do you spend time commenting? Is that suddenly a "productive hobby"? : )

As an aside, they need to quit C&D'ing fan projects and 3rd party sellers. Take a hands off approach and "steal" good designs and projects, like Disney has. I feel like that will grow the fan base naturally, even if it's not just children in the beginning.

Personally, i prefer Nintendo games rather than Disney despite i still fond with some of Disney movies (Except Star Wars / Marvel, the lousiest thing ever for me).

@YagaMaki @Dodger Nintendo's games typically have pretty good moral guidance or lessons and I'd made plenty of friends (that I definitely wouldn't have made otherwise) in my school years from the multiplayer aspect of them. And that was before things like Discord, Minecraft, Roblox, Fortnite - games are highly social, now. Which, unfortunately, is still a little too valuable in a "not what you know, but who you know" world. Besides, you can't be "working" all of the time - far better to exercise your brain and motor capabilities (possibly with others) in some fashion than to mindlessly guzzle bad foods over TV binges or sports.

They can. They just have to be more open about being a multimedia company. I hope the Mario movie blows Disney Animation out of the park.

I feel like after a point, the bigger something is, the worse it gets. Like youtubers. There was one that I really liked cause he was all chill and cool, now when he talks its in a wierd frantic tone, and he puts skits everywhere when I just wanna see him complete the game!

I feel like if nintendo blows up as big as disney, then they'll be unable to put as much care into their projects, and start throwing random stuff out just to get a paycheque

How much more kid friendly can they be? Honestly, I think sometimes they go overboard with trying to be absolutely kid friendly as it is.

No dont do that Nintendo stay to your belives

Where are these parents who won't let their kids play video games but take them to Disneyworld? Japan? Seemingly every person in Japan is given a smart device at birth, and those who aren't probably aren't going to Disneyland. Same in America. Probably also in the UK/EU.

And no, he can't argue those aren't videogames, Mario is on mobile in both Mario Run and Mario Kart.

I got 2 words for you Miyamoto:

OK, boomer.

And another thing - Disney owns Marvel, Pixar, ABC, EPSN, Hulu, Disney+ and Star Wars along with several theme parks - you're little video game company isn't competing with that no matter how famous you are.

Maybe Miyamoto has Alzheimer's?

Pokemon is already a bigger franchisee than Mickey mouse with a gap of 22 billion. Pokemon is sitting at the top with over 90 billion. I don't think they have a problem.

Sorry, but in order to be as big as Disney you're going to have to be a stone cold killer. You'll need to pander to the lowest common denominator at every point, promote your icons in every medium with every conceivable tie-in, advertise them constantly in every channel, steal other people's ideas on a daily basis, tamper with copyright law, aggressively acquire every independent studio that makes content that competes with yours, and finally leverage every dollar you make into buying all the other popular IPs on the planet so you can control people's entertainment from the cradle to the grave.

Or maybe just don't be like Disney.

@KingBowser86 why, though? Nintendo's strength are the games, they don't need animation. You can't really succeed if all you do is look at someone who is "better" and copy them.

Nintendo succeeded with games just like Disney with animations. The only issue Nintendo has right now is that they can't compete with Sony and Microsoft and associate the word "games" with Mario. Even if you're from USA (let alone Europe or other parts of the world), there's little to no focus on Nintendo.

@Kalmaro he probably wanted to say that parents aren't as suspicious of children watching Disney as they are of kids playing Nintendo games. It mostly comes from the fact that games are associated with Call of Duty and GTA, Fortinite (which replaced GTA). Remember that video Trump showed about violent games? That's pretty much what's this about - parents (who don't know much about games) will see that, then they'll see some yet another killing game ad on TV and obviously they'll think all games are just that. And even if you meet someone who is actually a gamer, chances are they'll be playing nothing but Call of Duty, too and won't have a clue about Nintendo.

@Shonenmon Oh no, I'm not disagreeing with them. I'm just saying that it sounds like lazy parenting. "I don't fully understand the situation so I'm just going to take the nuclear option!"

@Kalmaro yeah. )

The state of gaming at the moment doesn't exactly help gain trust and this time Nintendo isn't the savior like they were in the 80s but rather part of the problem (e.g. Mario Kart Tour's monetization). I hope this mess is only limited to mobile but if it doesn't I fear the next EA may be upon us.

@Dodger I know what you mean. Just from personal experience, my grades definitely would’ve been helped by not playing games so much as a teen.

That said, video games can also be a positive influence. I was heavily into JRPGs which definitely improved my reading skills. Also this is going to sound odd but the “making of” DVD extra of the Final Fantasy movie inspired what would eventually become my career.

Also, there’s a social aspect to gaming, especially when young. I used to regularly game with friends and family, and plan to do the same with my children. I think it’s healthy in moderation, similar to TV/movies. You can have too much of anything and gaming is just another thing to balance.

It definitely can be. They just need to avoid bad representations (Super Mario Brothers movie of the 90's), keep open ties with other companies (i.e. Smash Brothers Ultimate and Guest characters), have good cartoons (maybe revive old ones like Captain N), and make consoles accessible and convenient to all (i.e. Switch). I know they like to experiment with weird things like the N64 controller but they can't lose that core audience now.

I hate capitalism, but I’m willing to turn a blind eye for Nintendo 😌

@Shonenmon I still have fond memories of the Mario and Zelda cartoons. Not to mention Sonic and his SATam show. If the cartoons are good then that only gives strength. I mean, I associate Mickey as King Mickey from Kingdom Hearts because it is such a strong title.

@Dodger it's called being a responsible parent. If you don't want to deal with it then don't have kids but keeping your kids from doing something because you don't want to deal with it is being a bad parent and can in fact hurt the child in a long run. Parents should always welcome new things for their children to broaden their minds and not doing so is only holding their child back and hurting them in the end.
Just be a responsible adult and parent.

@gloom you wouldn't have 90% of the things you do today that make your life easier and entertain you if it wasn't for capitalism.

@Kalmaro it isn’t something against Nintendo, it is more against video games in general

Nothing can make you more violent than making puffins for Piplup in Pokémon Platinum 🤣

I think a Zelda OoT anime series would be nice.

A 52 episode series of 30 minutes, and then extend with 25 more episodes for Majora's Mask.

please no mr. miyamoto, disney is crap

....Better than wanting to be like EA, I guess...

Nintendo ought to be PROUD that they aren't like Disney. I like to think that Nintendo has a heart and a sort of core moral code. Disney is just... "buy everything, crap out some soulless content, make money. Rinse and repeat" now.

@Sanangelo89 Yes please.

I don’t want them to be like the current Disney but I wouldn’t mind if they evolved and became a more dynamic company especially if it meant a remaster/remake of Eternal Darkness.

Star Wars is somehow losing money right now, Marvel comics collapsing and their movie will make less from now on (probably.... idk), the theme park losing their momentum as it seems and less people are coming And merch sales are falling for many Disney properties
Not hating on Disney, I love many franchises including Star Wars and Marvel and many of their own movies

Today in the US and in Japan kids know Mario before they know Mickey

Nintendo grew significantly in the last 2 years with new game studio+ increasing their teams, movies and tv shows, building 2 them parks, opening Physical and digital stores to increase the brand and the company stuff grew significantly as they hired about 1000 people in the last year or so....

And they have tones of money to invest to grow now, Disney is light years ahead of them in size of course but they are working hard to grow now

@Kalmaro there can be definitely some of that but I was also speaking from the viewpoints of some of these people.

There is also the folks who believe that if their kids are introduced to games too early they'll abandon ALL the other toys that "don't require a screen to be fun"/etc

To be fair, going to the cinema to see a Disney movie is significantly cheaper than buying a Switch and Mario Odyssey. It’s the upfront cost that puts many parents off. Let’s be honest, you can entertain kids for cheaper than the price of a console but if it’s a hobby they end up loving for life, then get your child a Switch by all means.

@HeavyArmsSS Don’t sockpuppet (edited because I get my terminology mixed up 😅) in this comment section, you’re already getting the dislikes from the people believing you’re serious. At least put a winky face or something because it’s not helping anyone.

Console or dedicated handheld video games still have a stigma with some parents, which is always exceptionally frustrating to me. They are usually older parents or grandparents, or new age parents who raise their kids all organic with no screen time, but the idea behind it is daft anyway. There is fundamentally no difference between them playing with their legos or building in Minecraft, and yet because it is a game somehow it is not worthy of time. Some of these same parents let their kids watch nonstop YouTube or TV, which requires no interaction at all, at least video games require participation.

I wonder how much longer we will have to deal with this idea of video games being a negative thing for kids.

@Ludovsky Guess that kid is never getting a phone and isn't allowed to watch TV.

@Dirty0814 I was making a joke comment, but actually I do wish I could live with less if it meant less plastic and other waste on our planet.

As a 37 year old gamer who is married with 4 kids, a career and a life, gaming has always been a part of it. I’ve thought that as I got older, I’d cut back, but I haven’t. My switch is with me everyday for my hour lunch, and I play with my kids everyday. They all have other interests, sports, play with other toys, and spend time gaming or watching tv. Somedays I don’t stop them from playing all day, other days they don’t touch them. They are just a part of our lives. They are not our lives.(although I think one of them wants to be a programmer)

@Shonenmon Again, gaming stigma. Had Frozen debuted as a game series, it would have been Gatekept HARD. But since it debuted as a Disney movie, it gets all kinds of mindless attention (independent of deserving or otherwise). Nintendo's movement into animation would make consistent use of their graphics teams (if not outsourced) and would be a very natural expansion of their product line.

It's a shame parents are keeping Nintendo from making Disney sized Ninten dough.

I'd much rather have my kids play Mario games than Fortnite.

It probably won't happen, but who knows.

Disney needs broken up.

Disney being okay and Nintendo not? I think parents had better watch The Black Cauldron from Disney.

@Anti-Matter Just to point out the two things you don’t like about Disney (Star Wars and marvel) we’re not created by Disney at least.

Not that this pointless fact changes much !

@rjejr
Bad take.

He said it was going to take multiple generations before they could even hope to challenge Disney so he’s not saying they are to that point right now.

(But with the rapid decline in quality at Disney, simply standing still should be enough to surpass them eventually).

And it’s not so much parents that won’t allow their kids to play video games but parents that view it in a different light. You can watch all the movies you want but, no more than an hour of video games. We are moving in a direction of more acceptance but we are not there yet.

Even if one concedes mobile gaming falls into that category, it doesn’t change the fact there is still a stigma towards traditional gaming on a dedicated platform. Pointing at mobile gaming and saying aha! doesn’t change that fact.

@Muddy_4_Ever I mean, that's semitrue. But they also act as the publisher for plenty of other semi-to-fully independent developers like HAL, Intelligent Systems, MonolithSoft, NDCube, Creatures, Good-Feel, GameFreak, Platinum, indieszero, Koei Tecmo, Retro etc. Obviously some of these are different (NDCube and Retro was created for the sole purpose of creating games for Nintendo and are owned by them, so do they really count as independent?)

But that's not necessarily a bad thing. All of their major IPs were generated in partnership with Nintendo instead of bought out (Kirby, Pokemon, Fire Emblem, etc). And they provide a huge amount of creative freedom to the developers, instead of micromanaging them. I mean, the only IPs I know of they 'bought out' later would be 'Xeno' (They don't actually have the IP), and 'Bayonetta' (which they never bought out, they just finance) and 'Adventures of Lolo' which was bought out, but hasn't had a game in decades).

The day Nintendo becomes Disney is the day I stop buying Nintendo products. Period.

I didn’t know there were parents out there who feared Mario. Especially with video games being as huge as they are at this point. I thought the parents who feared video games felt that Nintendo was the safe choice, instead of not allowing their children to play at all.

@HeavyArmsSS The point isn’t that you’re getting dislikes, the point is that clearly trolling and pretending to be a ‘typical SJW’ literally helps nobody. The dislikes just prove that there’s people here buying into your BS.

I have always regarded Nintendo as the Disney of the Gaming world. They have a certain magic no over company can match.

@NTELLIGENTMAN Not sure if I'm more disappointed in that pun or that I gave it a like.

that guy is an absolute legend

I'm a bit wary about Disney comparisons here. Disney's got a monopoly on TV and movies, to the point where they created a second streaming service to earn more money despite already owning Hulu. The axe is sure to come down on Disney's nonsense, and probably sooner rather than later. Hoping Nintendo doesn't throw themselves on that executioner's block as well.

Most companies are "soulless" are to an extent but I feel Disney has been becoming especially soulless.

If Nintendo can become as big as them but still remain as cool as they are now, then Disney would have some real competition.

I'm interested in finding out why some parents would restrict their kids from playing Mario games (at least Mario Bros/3D Land or World) considering they are about as child friendly as you can get in gaming.

I would love to see animated series from nintendo, man man man, did i love those mario cartoon series. I only hated zelda "excuse me prinsess" hahaha.

When I went to church with my family, we had some very, VERY religious friends who didn’t allow their kids to play Mario because there were ghosts in it.

I'll take Nintendo over crappy Disney any day.Disney sucks so bad that nothing Disney is allowed in my house

Being a parent is hard. “There are no rule books or user manual” is a cliche but true. Often the only guide you have as a new parent is to look at how your parents raised you.

For me, I have a simple rule, “moderation.” I love playing Mario kart with my little one and I know she will get plenty of fun with Minecraft when she’s just wanting a bit of playtime to herself. But....I won’t let games dominate her time (I’m the grown up, I can say “enough”). Time to go out and play, see museums, go and do some crafts or cooking. You know, just live a full and interesting life. Life gets hard, and for some kids sadly, is hard. Why deny a simple pleasure? Just use some sense. Mario, yes. Wolfenstein for a child, erm...no.

There are parents who don't even let their kids watch frikin Disney.

Sometimes Nintendo can be as bad as Disney on a different format. Can't you create a safe enviroment while remove things that restrict interactivity like friends codes? And release a better game with more free content on mobile if you want to compete with Disney

@gloom Agreed, but less waste doesn't mean we should do away with capitalism. In fact capitalism gives every individual the choice on how they want to live by. That includes how much we pollute. Socialism, communism, that gives the State the choices. If people are inherently evil, then why trust just a few to make so many choices? If you don't like a big business, you can boycott it. You can't boycott a tax. Big government is way worse than big business. That's just some points on capitalism to take into consideration, since people crap on it so much lately.

@Dirty0814 Agreed.

I appreciate the strategy in guaranteeing Nintendo IP's longevity by diversifying their licensing to include theme parks, animated movies and the like, but as important as longevity is, it's vital not to forget where your bread is buttered. People saying that animated movies are where the growth is are foolish to think so, as movie-going audiences are fickle, and oversaturation is as serious a detriment to brand longevity as it is a short-term boon. The legacy of the Lion King IP is that much worse today with the stain of a poorly-received realistic CGI film on its record than it was ten years ago. Nintendo will not be remembered in 2119 for their theme park rides and animated Mario movies. Good games must always come first.

get an animated Mario Movie out that will grab their attention maybe then parents would be more willing to let their kids play Nintendo

i feel gaming gets a bad rep because whenever it's in the news it's for something like violence, sex or the whole lootbox thing, it's only a small side of it but unfortunately it paints the entire industry with the same brush and makes it all look bad

but i guess that's all news does now a days only shows the bad and sensualizes it, anything for the clicks hey

@Kalmaro i don't think it's so much Mario, I think it's more of games in general.

We do have to admit, there are some really dumb parents out there...
I remember when i was a kid, I met someone who was never allowed to play Super Mario games because his parents thought Bowser was the devil cause of the horns
-facepalms-

Do you remember back when Pokémon used to be "diabolical" ?
Maybe you don't, but your folks probably do lol

My son is a lot more familiar with Mario and Sonic than he is Mickey Mouse... Of course, he has a dad who's commenting on a video game blog, so...

Clarification: I meant to type "I don't think it's morally wrong for kids to play video games." I blame my phone keyboard. Edited that in.

Again, playing devil's advocate, a reasonable and good parent who is "just parenting their child" can say "I don't think my child is able to control themselves enough for it to be wise to have video games around" or "I believe it would be better for my child to not have video games around as an option for them to use their time." That's perfectly within their authority and it could be responsible parenting.

And not wanting the money sink around is fine too. My dad banned Pokemon cards when I was young not because he thought Pokemon was morally evil, he didn't think that, but because he didn't want to pay for the cards. He bought me other toys.

@Tedikuma That's a new one honestly

I've never seen people who bonded to Mario and Sonic as kids first before Mickey Mouse

At least Shigeru Miyamoto isn't a N*zi sympathizer.

As someone who has loved video games his whole life, I have to say that some attitudes towards gaming is strange to me. Here are some of my observances:

The idea that gaming is a waste of time is an opinion, not a fact. So much of what we as humans do can be viewed as a waste of time. For example, is learning to play the piano a more valuable activity than playing video games? Most parents I've talked to would rather have their kids practice piano for an hour than play video games for the same amount of time. Learning piano makes beautiful music, they can share their art with others, it grows their mind and so forth. That is true but if the piano player only plays songs others composed, hates playing in songs in front of people but they love playing the piano as a means of relaxing and recharging after a long day, mastering a song and then finding a new song to master. Sounds a lot like my gaming hobby. I see nothing wrong with the piano player in my example because the activity is enjoyed and helps bring them life after giving in so many other ways through the day. In the same way I wish my hobby wouldn't be looked at as a waste of time.

When video games get in the way of other things that are important than yes I see that as a problem but I believe this isn't a problem with video games themselves as anything can seem to get in the way of what's important. Working hard or spending a lot of time with friends is great, but not if you have a family at home that feels neglected. I have seen a lot of things tear families apart, I can't think of case I've seen that had video games at the root but I'm sure it probably happens.

When it comes down to it no matter what we do someone might come along and tell us we are wasting our time. Playing video games? Waste of time! Working hard to amass a ton of money? Waste of time? Being a stay at home parent? Waste of time! Being involved in a religion? Waste of time! I could go on and on, and I don't think any of these things are necessarily a waste of time but I have heard them all talked about as being such. I know someone who spends a lot of money and time on video games and related stuff and people look at that and think it is such a waste, and they could be right, that money and time could be used for all sorts of other things. What people who don't know this person always account for (mostly because they don't even know) is how much more money they give away to more noble purposes, how much time they actually spend volunteering, most of which is behind the scenes and you wouldn't even know it if you didn't look for it. Sure this person could give more money and time to these things if they didn't like video games, but their family is well cared for, the work they do is done well, if there family or friends need something they can count on them for help. So who cares if they play video games to unwind? You can tell a cook that they could feed more people if they didn't waste food and cooking times to feed themselves but that's ridiculous because we know if the cook doesn't feed themselves they will soon collapse and no one will get fed. If we don't spend time on activities that we enjoy and refresh us we will burn out.

I know someone else who spent their teen years under pressure to do their best at everything. They were well respected in the community for their intelligence, athletic ability, musical ability, as well as their personality among other things. She felt a lot of pressure to become a doctor or some other important profession but before becoming and adult the pressure broke her and she became severely depressed. She eventually had to learn more about herself and what she needed to do for herself on order to also serve others because a lot of what she did before was based on what she thought others expected of her. On the other side of depression she is an excellent, wife, mother and teacher now and she also knows the importance of recharging her batteries which sometimes now includes wasting her time playing video games.

I know I am often long winded on here so I am going to conclude but I could go on and on about this topic. In conclusion, video games are among the various activities that can make life more enjoyable. Love them or leave them.

@Dodger ok boomer

@Wavey84 EXACTLY.

As someone who has loved video games, particularly nintendo games, for much of my 31 years, I have to say:

My parents were and still are very anti-video games. They didn't want us to have them. My aunt literally shamed my mom into letting us have a Game Boy, and later shamed her into the Nintendo 64.

We had extreme limitations on play. These were not to replace the wonder and excitement of exploring the outdoors – the very same wonder that Miyamoto felt exploring the hills and forests of Kyoto as a child (which inspired his design on The Legend of Zelda).

There are legit reasons why video games are shunned by many parents reacting to an increasingly technophillic world. We're addicting our kids to smart devices from infancy now. There is something wrong with this equation.

I myself have a very addictive personality, and it's easy to get wrapped up in any sort of entertainment, especially video games, only to discover hours have passed deep into the night. This is something we see more and more because it's accessible to more and more people.

This is not to say that games do not bring very positive things as well with them. We just need to achieve balance of stimulae.

Movies and television can be similarly addicting, though they lack the immediate feedback loop of an interactive medium. I believe Miyamoto is speaking more to the hypocrisy of families allowing unlimited access to Disney+ content but banning video games at the same time. I'd say something like Labo or Ring Fit is far more creative and stimulating for the brain than watching Frozen or Star Wars for the hundredth time (not to say those are bad forms of entertainment either; I enjoy Disney too).

We just need to find balance in the forces. I believe if any gaming company can find that, it's Nintendo. This is a game company that began with card games and branched into video gaming from a very tactile, creating standpoint. I think they'll continue pursuing these avenues of life-improving games, especially as they explore that mysterious third pillar they've spoken long about. Pokémon GO, Pokémon Sleep, Labo, Ring Fit Adventure, Wii Fit, Brain Age… these are just a smattering of great Quality of Life ideas they've come up with over the last decade and a half. They'll come up with many more.

@HeavyArmsSS Yes, because a company's popularity totally revolves around their most popular icon's race and sexuality.

No, that's not how this works. That's not how any of this works.

EDIT: I'm not sure how, but somehow I weren't able to pick up that you were clearly joking. Sorry!

@YagaMaki What is 'Life' though?

Can you offer me many better ways to spend your time than to 'Play'?

All that productivity you've missed out on would have counted for Jack **** in 100 years time anyway. Just enjoy the time that you have.

@gokev13 Great words friend, they made me smile. As a piano player for many years, I totally agree with your analogy about playing the piano and playing games. Thank you for posting!

@Ainz agreed. I don't want to see Nintendo become a monopoly like Disney. But I have no problem with Nintendo competing for brand space. I would love to see them expand and use their up in more areas like we're seeing mow with merch.

@Wavey84 Where did the article or have any of the comments mention the negativity being mostly from women? Many of us just fly under the radar to avoid the crap we tend to draw on many websites.

If the parents are gamers, there's a good chance the kids will be also. I've been gaming since Pong. The first time I made that are plumber run and jump i tell in love. Both my kids, son and daughter played. There were rules, ie homework done first, I was the judge as to appropriate games and things like that.

Being widowed this year has made me grateful for gaming as a hobby: it helps me get through the nights.

@Dodger I do see your point that video games may be considered by some parents as a waste of time and money in the pursuit of their kids' life skills. However, Miyamoto contends that those same parents will allow their kids to watch Disney. Passively watching TV is far less useful in the pursuit of life skills than actively working on hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, reaction, some games' deep decision making, critical thinking, puzzle solving, handling adversity/winning/losing, and cooperative teamwork and/or competitive competition. How could a large number of parents see these skills as less useful than passive TV watching?

@Wavey84 @k8sMum
It is not just mom's but perhaps mom's get a bad rap because so often they are the ones doing the majority of the kid raising. Unfortunately, I can think of a number of sets of parents in my life where the mom has to constantly lay down the law but if the Dad is in charge it's more of an anything goes attitude. That being said I also know situations where it is opposite.

I have met a number of people who have a bad attitude towards video games and I really can't lump them into a group because there have been Mom's, Dad's, old, young, farmers, Urbanites, Religious and Atheists.

One friend of mine told me that they would never have a gaming system in her house. She told me she was watching her younger cousins at the time sit and play a Mario game they got for Christmas and in her words they were staring at the TV like zombies all afternoon. Her husband liked video games though but he submitted to his wife and went with it. After many years her attitude has obviously changed especially since recently she told me how nice it is that her husband and son can bond so well together playing a Mario game. Yes, and interestingly enough she was the one who started to bring video games into the house. She bought her husband a Wii (they had one before I even did) because she liked the active elements it brought to the table. Last year her husband asked me for information about the Switch because his wife asked him if they should get one. I don't think she plays much herself but I was impressed in how see slowly warmed up to them, even using them to educate her kids and stuff like that.

I do find that a lot of people I talk to who don't seem to like video games are ignorant of the wide range of experiences that video games can offer.

I am sorry for your loss K8sMum. I wish you all the best in your future!

Edit: Thanks for your comments though Wavey84. You are right that there can be such a double standard between what is okay and what isn't. My wife once complained that she wished she could bring the 3ds to a Doctor's appointment that she knew she was going to be waiting for awhile. When I asked her why she couldn't she told me that people judge a grown woman playing a 3ds in public differently than one just looking at her phone. I kind of get what she means, though, even though I have played video games in waiting rooms I usually just bring a book. Maybe the stigma is imagined but apparently both my wife and I feel judged when playing games in public.

@electrolite77
Thanks! Have a great day!

@dugan
I'm glad a piano player likes the analogy. Even though I don't play an instrument myself I appreciate the talent and practice it takes musicians to be able to play music well.

I also appreciate the talent and practice it takes for someone to speed run a difficult video game. 😉

@Dodger
Yes, there are reasons for parents to limit video games or even not want them in the house. When my son first got interested in video games he learned pretty quick that if he was throwing tantrums when losing or when it was time to turn it off that he wouldn't be playing again for awhile. Through that he managed to learn how to manage those strong feelings in better ways rather than lashing out at everyone around him.

One of my friends had to keep packing up his console and putting it away for awhile because he said every time his kids were allowed to play video games tempers flared and tantrums happened even when the kids had ample warnings that if there were problems the games would go away again.

Not sure if it was the video games themselves or the competitive nature of the games that seemed to bring out the worst in his kids but when playing sports the same kids seemed to have similar problems.

My son was playing Mario with his cousins recently and told me after that it was horrible because if they all died the cousins would get more and more angry at each other.

One positive influence video games taught me in life was how to handle difficult and frustrating situations with more patience. In my opinion if a video game is going to make you lose your cool you will probably have difficulty keeing it when it actually matters.

@Shonenmon your first paragraph summed it up perfectly.

I'm guessing this is why Odyssey being rated CERO B was a big deal there.

whether vid games (or any inanimate object) is good or bad is dependant on the mind of the user (how it's used). If their intention is healthy, the activity is good, etc.. Vid games don't kill people/cause fights, mean people do. ( read as stoodpid Peepul doo.) (sound familiar?)
(misspelling intentional)

Nintendo is fine the way they are now. Power corrupts, and if Nintendo were to gain as much influence as modern Disney I'm sure even they would succumb to becoming exactly what modern Disney is now

Look, People, if you don't teach your children coping skills and leave it to TV/net/society to do that, don't be surprised when your kid throws a rod when not getting his/her way. It is mostly your fault (privilege and responsibility) as an adult to teach them to handle their emotions in a healthy manner, regardless of the activity. This simple task likely leads to fewer shootings in schools too. Big Surprise there!

@JaxonH "He said it was going to take multiple generations before they could even hope to challenge Disney so he’s not saying they are to that point right now."

Not sure where you read that, not here I don't think, I was just replying here to what I read here, and here's his direct quote that I read here, no mention of generations, multiple or otherwise.

"Many parents want to keep their children from playing video games. But these same parents have no problem allowing them to watch Disney movies. We cannot seriously challenge [Disney] unless parents start feeling comfortable about their children playing Nintendo."

And my "OK, boomer" still stands until he starts trotting out interviews or polls for that "Many parents..." opening. Sounds like simply his opinion to me. And my opinion is that his opinion is wrong.

@rjejr
There’s more to the report.

In terms of cultural impact as well as financial success, Miyamoto believes Mario can stand up to Mickey Mouse. However, Nikkei relays that “he still thinks he has a long way to go before Mario becomes as thoroughly ingrained in the global psyche as Mickey, a journey that may take generations.”

On a side note, I think the “ok Boomer” is a lazy argument used as a crutch to dismiss people based on their immutable characteristics they have no control over rather than hash out why they’re wrong, and personally, I find it rather disrespectful to our elders who are chock full of wisdom and experience. Besides which, stupidity is impartial to age.

He very well could be wrong. But if I had to take a guess I would say his opinions are based on statistics from the worlds’ finest, as every multi-billion dollar company has plenty on their payroll. It’s what drives their decisions and what shapes their opinions. But if he is wrong I think that’s fair grounds to argue the point, but I don’t think age has anything to do with it. Miyamoto has always had unique points of view.

I do believe there is a stigma attached to playing video games on a dedicated gaming console that is not attached to watching movies or even playing games on a phone. Playing games on the phone is often seen as a small time waster on a device everyone is justified in owning. Playing games on a dedicated console brings with it a certain disdain from a segment of the population, parents included. Nothing is black-and-white in this world. It’s a gray area where prejudice varies from person to person. Some grew up playing games and see them as we do, while others did not, and those are the ones who view gaming differently. They might still let their kids play games, but they don’t view it the exact same way they would view watching a movie. That I totally agree with.

It’s why, when having a conversation with a person I work with, if I tell them I watched a movie last night it would be normal conversation but if I started telling them about what game I was playing last night, it could get awkward. Because they aren’t as accepting of it, in a relative sense.

i love disney movies but the company / enterprise itself is high key sort of evil .

The argument against letting kids spend tons of time playing video games has always been a strange one.

"No, I don't want you spending hours in front of a screen playing games"

"Here's some cartoons and movies, watch them to your hearts content."

Surely it's much better to play video games where your brain is working, instead of idly staring at moving images?

@Shonenmon With you until the strange last couple paragraphs, are you trying to say children that have been abused or bullied are less likely to be a good person? That's a possibility, but it depends on the degree of hardships and trauma. Some vully victims may have a short temper and others get addicted to the feeling of power over others because of how weak they felt. Going down the other path some abuse victims develop narcissistic attitudes (always the victim because of the terrible things they had to endure early on) and some are so unfortunate that they develop other mental disorders, such as ptsd, schizophrenia, etc. but that doesn't necessarily mean they're bad people. It means they're troubled. You can consider the same with the "adults". Really, aging certainly gives lessons, but if those lessons are always bad then the answers we find are often harmful, too. Sometimes it takes a while to unlearn those lessons, too, especially in adulthood when the patterns in thought and actions become habit.

I would MUCH rather let my little ones play Mario then watch Disney. At least there's no clear corporate agenda being chucked in everything Nintendo produces, other than make good product for profit. Also, why would I want to support a company that is clearly attempting to gain a majority of the industries capital? Not to mention the other things they've been accused of. Screw Disney.

its nice to have goals but there is 0 chance that Nintendo ever comes close to Disney's level

@gokev13 Thank you for the kind thoughts.

Between our daughter's leukaemia and my husband's last couple of years I have spent more time in hospital/doctor's waiting rooms than most people. My various 3ds systems kept me sane. Perhaps others were judging an adult woman playing games but why care what strangers think? Judge away, people who are nothing to me and my life. I'd get curiosity from medical personnel and people in chairs my near me, but I ignored any perceived negativity, I guess. Compared to what I was dealing with it meant nothing to me.

@nessisonett movies can be expensive! Sure, it is $360 for Odyssey and a Switch, but after a while the cost per hour drops substantially compar d to a movie, especially if you get drinks and popcorn.

That said, you are probably right in that many parents are reluctant to even spend $80 on a 2ds initially....

@k8sMum
Wow that sounds rough. So sorry for what you are going through. I can't really imagine what it would be like to go through all that at once. Praying for you and your family.

Glad you have a hobby that helps you get through.

@gokev13 Again, thank you.

It wasn't all at once. Wednesday will be the 14th anniversary of losing our K8. I'm going to be immersed in DQXIS. Escapism can be a real help in life sometimes. Some may judge me for that. It's not worth caring about.

But my point wasn't 'poor me'. It was that we needn't be deterred from something like gaming in public due to fear of being judged by others. It's much less intrusive than someone chatting loudly on their phone thinking the rest of the world has a scintilla of interest in their conversation. What other people think just doesn't matter.

Best to you and yours.

@rockodoodle Yeah, for 2 hours entertainment, movies are getting seriously expensive. I think there’s also the fact that the parents see it as a ‘day out’ whereas gaming still has that stigma of sitting in with the blinds shut on a sunny day.

Parents are so weird sometimes.

@k8sMum

Don't worry, I didn't think you were trying to get sympathy or anything and I appreciated your thoughts it's just stories like yours tend to make me feel empathetic so that was what I ended up focusing on.

You are right though, nothing wrong with playing games in public, people shouldn't judge others for it, and my wife and I should feel free to do it if want whether we are judged or not.

Thanks again and take care!☺️

I would rather my kids play Nintendo than embrace Disney any day. Disney has sold out to politics while Nintendo is very clearly against politics being represented in anything they are associated with.

@monkeydude Amen to that. I hope and pray Nintendo never caves to the SJW loons, ever!

Disney is pretty much one of the top commisars of the SJW/communist agenda, together with Apple, Facebook, Google, Liberal/socialist politicians.

Concerned parents should be more worried about Disney and the SJW nonsense in their movies and tv shows, than Mario games from Nintendo, i mean they let their kids play mobile games for crying out loud. Disney is totally anti-children and anti-family now. Nintendo is 100 times more child friendly and family friendly than Disney. When parents buy Disney stuff, they are literally paying Disney to brainwash their kids into SJW zombies.

I don't play mobile games and i would never let my kids play mobile games, i prefer consoles like the Switch or 2DS/ 3DS. If consoles or arcades ever die out, that would be the end of video games for me.

@JaxonH "There’s more to the report."

I don't doubt it, but I was only responding to what I read here as I wrote it here. If NL took the time to post more of the interview I probably would have reacted differently.

"OK, boomer" is just this years "Whatever" or 'Get over it' or 'Keep on truckin". Well maybe not Keep on trucking, but you know what I mean. "Misremebered", "my bad", "I know you are but what am I".

It fit the moment, so I used it. I've been thinking Miyamoto is too old for a few years now, I don't think he's impressed me since Pikmin. I'd rather see Sakuriai or the Spaltoon guys get more face time. But Nintedo is an old Japanese company bound by tradition, and tradition dictates respect your elders. Not saying Miyamoto doesn't deserve respect, he deserves all the respect in the world, he's the godfather of videogames, but I'm not hiring Ben Hur to drive a car in Ford vs Ferrai just b/c he could drive a chariot. Times change.

Same goes for 77 year old Bloomberg. Though he's too old to be a boomer.

reminder: the pokemon company is bigger than disney

No Nintendo. Right now, you do not want to be like Disney. They're not seen in as favorable a light as they used to be. Disney has long since traded its magic for bloated corporate greed.

You guys are the biggest and most beloved vg company in the world and are very awesome and magical in your own right.

Never lose that.

@Gamecubed so, like Microsoft?