We're not looking forward to the day that Shigeru Miyamoto retires from Nintendo, but sadly, it's inevitable. The legendary video games producer, who turned 60 last November, said in a recent interview with GameSpot that it would be strange not to be thinking of retirement, but the various projects and his workload hasn't changed.
Miyamoto noted that he's preparing for the day that he no longer serves his time at Nintendo:
Instead, what we’re doing internally is, on the assumption that there may someday be a time when I’m no longer there, and in order for the company to prepare for that, what I’m doing is pretending like I’m not working on half the projects that I would normally be working on to try to get the younger staff to be more involved.
He also added that the people he works with tend to look to him for direction, but he wants to break down that structure so the producers take control of their own individual projects. Not only this, but he doesn't want them to aim to please him — but to satisfy the consumer:
And as I like to say, I try to duck out of the way, so that instead of them looking at me, they’re looking at the consumer and trying to develop their games with the consumer in mind rather than me in mind. So it’s really more of looking at this as sort of an opportunity to really try to help develop them and bring them up.
Brace yourselves for the day he announces his retirement. It's going to be emotional.
[source nintendoeverything.com, via uk.gamespot.com]
Comments 72
My Sensei is so awesome. ;_;
In b4 the hipsters bawling about something. :V
Whenever it does happen, I'll feel like part of my childhood retired.
Nooooooo he's never allowed to leave! I won't be able to accept it!
I hope not but if does end up retiring soon, he deserves some rest anyways so I'll be fine.
*Appreciates what Miyamoto has contributed to Nintendo.
*Looks at Sticker Star.
*Not sure of cares about Miyamoto retiring.
It will be a sad day indeed when he finally turns in from his time at Nintendo. I think there's plenty of creative minds still at work within the company to keep the games still top-notch and fresh. He hasn't been as involved lately as many would like to think. I think even without one major individual, Nintendo as a video game developer will continue to produce exceptional game experiences for many years to come.
@DarkKirby
All Paper Mario games are from Intelligent Systems. :/
@ChaosAngel
http://tinyurl.com/ctzer2n
http://tinyurl.com/bb7ru7a
He's not that old yet. He has been doing for a pretty long time too. He wil probably work on games till he can't. He just doesn't want to see Nintendo go through sow real trouble and also not have the games suffer from when that day comes.
@DarkKirby
In your second link:
"We wanted to clearly differentiate the game from the Mario platform games which Mr. Miyamoto is in charge of."
"However, for Sticker Star, Mr. Miyamoto asked us to create a game using only characters already found in the Mario world rather and not any of our own."
This only prove that he asked them to make a game and it's different from what he works on. It, however, does not prove that Miyamoto made Sticker Star or any of the Paper Mario games.
http://bit.ly/9EWOjB Sticker Star isn't listed but the others are and
http://bit.ly/ZdyCP1 the title screen clearly shows that it's INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS property as well as Nintendo. Nintendo was only involved because of their IP's.
@Joshers744 +1
@DarkKirby - So out of all of the other games Miyamoto's involved in; you're questioning his worth for one game that isn't even bad? How selfish/heartless can you get...
I think this Is why they have the Mario Cram school because When Miyamoto does leave there will be a new set of gamers to Make and bring us Mario So Mario doesn't turn into Megaman
if ever he does then he deserve it!
It'll only be a sad day if his replacement isn't nearly as good as him.
Don't get me wrong, he'll be missed but it would help benefit Nintendo in different and exciting new ways if he was to retire.
I won't start on Mario again but some new blood and some fresh ideas would be great.
like i said in the forum topic, he's gonna be one of those guys who winds up stepping aside and 'retiring', and then he'll keep working on side-projects because he'll get so bored of being retired. he'll never be free of video gaming. :3
Thats fine by me as long as he makes Star Fox U and Zelda U before he goes.
Miyamoto-sama has to retire at some point and yes it's going to be a sad day but I think it's going to be a great day too, because that day Nintendo will focus in developing more content for it's consumer and not for his company. Maybe Miyamoto-san can start developing his own software company too and we will get amazing games from him. I really see his retirement very unlikely, but until that day comes HE MUST DO ZELDA U haha.
Paper Mario: Sticker Star aside (which I loved), you will be missed, Miyamoto-san.
the dude shouldn't be imprisoned in the gaming industry forever. i hope that once he does retire, he finds things that will make him happy.
@theblackdragon #19
He would probably go back even if they fired him
I agree with TBD. I think Miyamoto will retire, but continue to make games and/or have input. Miyamoto's a genius, and he won't just stop being a genius when he retires. The scale of his games might change, but I seriously doubt he'll disappear.
@theblackdragon that or kick the bucket after he retires because all he is is videogame and after that what else?
Maybe Nintendo could work on a robotic version to keep the magic going forever.
Call it Asimoto.
You'll be missed sir... and good call on making Metroid Prime 1st person.
Hopefully even after he can't run around an office all day he still has time to sit down and do a little design. Maybe working on smaller projects with smaller teams like when he notoriously claimed to be "stepping down" a few years back. (Remember that? That was weird.)
@Gen0neD
http://www.retrostudios.com/games.asp
It only proves that Retro Studios made it. I think he might have something to do with it. Supervision, perhaps?
If he ever does retire, It'll probably be like how TBD said.
From what he is saying, I imply there is new blood at Nintendo, they are just repressing themselves. He wants them to step out of his shadow but they don't dare to. It is nice to see he is forcing them to gradually stop relying on him so much.
And when that day comes, he will be gone but never forgotten.
@ChaosAngel
I don't know if it's mentioned in the specific links I posted but it was mentioned by the developers that Paper Mario 3DS was already in development with unique characters, a story, and the usual Paper Mario battle system. Then Miyamoto comes in and says the game doesn't need that, and should be focused on short segments with no story or unique characters, essentially make it closer to traditional Mario and less like Paper Mario. With all the Mario. Bros. clones Nintendo releases nowadays Miyamoto seems quite fond of the original concept he made for Mario platformers, storyless, get from point A to B. Maybe that's what he thinks Mario should be about, BUT THAT'S NOT WHY PEOPLE LIKED PAPER MARIO. Miyamoto seems not to fond when Nintendo takes his creations and has them used for things he did not come up with and approve of, he famously criticized Donkey Kong Country for being terrible and Americans for being stupid liking the game for it's graphics (which he later "changed his mind" about likely at the behest of Nintendo). As I said in my original post, l appreciate the things he's created, but it does not mean I support all his decisions or think it's impossible for his ideas and visions to be selfish or outdated.
@DarkKirby I agree 100% about Sticker Star, but I recall reading an interview where Miyamoto said he wasn't sure why people thought he hated DKC as he had actually closely collaborated with Rare on it, or something along those lines.
And he suggested turning Dinosaur Planet into Star Fox, so your argument about him wanting his characters used only as originally intended doesn't really hold water. And he was the one who stopped Square from giving Mario a sword in SMRPG and suggested a hammer instead, so clearly he hasn't had a negative influence on all Mario RPG games.
It will be a sad day when he retires, but he has to someday, right? Still, we will always have all of the great work he did forever. He deserves some rest and Nintendo will get a chance to maybe even improve their creativity with some new, younger people.
It will be a sad day when Miyamoto retires. But he sounds like he does have a good batch of new blood ready to replace him at Nintendo. Which I'm actually excited to see. Saying that, I'm still excited for his new IP and Pikmin 3.
He sure is a Smarty Pants. I think its a Brilliant idea to prepare young Nintendo developers for his inevitable retirement
@Jukilum As I recall, Miyamoto only said those things about DKC because the higher ups wanted him to use those types of graphics for Yoshi's Island when he really wanted to do something different visually (which he did).
We don't have to worry for a while.
If you were making millions a year, you would milk it for all it was worth. And he is getting paid to do what he loves.
NOOOO! Just remember what happened to Charles Schultz when he retired!
@ChaosAngel: I'm well aware Retro made Prime but, it was Miyamoto's decision to make it 1st person. This is true my friend.
It doesn't matter if you are a Nintendo fan boy, a Sony fan boy or a Microsoft fan boy. Everyone should acknowledge the fact that without Mr Miyamoto, the games industry would probably not have evolved into what it has become. He deserves the respect of the entire gaming community. Like many, I don't want him to leave Nintendo, but I know it is inevitable. I just pray the company can survive without his brilliance. Maybe he can carry on as a creative consultant or something. Check in once a month and give pointers.
He has been saying this for a long time now.
It certainly is inevitable, but then again, so is death.
@Trikeboy: Your point is very valid there. And yet so many people seem to forget that without him, that crash would've lasted much, MUCH longer.
Really heartbreaking to see a video game developer legend retiring his position in such a successful game.
I just hope he finds a worthy successor to take his place once he leaves, and that's a tall order.
NO dont retire! the games wont be the same T.T
I actually hope he gets to put aside all his management and just work on some small experimental games at Nintendo. eShop games. I'd love to see what he'd come up with and I think he'd be much happier if at all possible. He has said that's what he wants to do, but I fear that the current challenges at Nintendo must be pulling him away from that.
I don't really mind to be honest... He is, imo, the greatest game creator of all time, & will most likely never be surpassed. But he's an old man now, & he deserves time off. Nintendo will continue to thrive after he has left, & I will continue to enjoy Nintendo's games. His influence is great but Nintendo is still Nintendo at the end of the day. That's what i think.
Shigeru is just awesome. I have so much respect for him and what he has done for video games worldwide. It will indeed be a sad day when he decides to retire and once that day comes, I will be looking back fondly on some of the greatest video games of my childhood that he helped create.
In reference to the awesome picture, I'd so be down for a Wii retirement party with Miyamoto!
Some fresh talent and new IP could come of it. Just take Zelda back to TP.
As said above, a lot of respect for the man but Nintendo needs another person who will lead them into the year 2000. They are still stuck on rehashing Mario and Zelda. Time for something new and a new direction.
I definitely have to agree with @theblackdragon on this one, a guy like Miyamoto isn't going to just stop having anything to do with the industry because hes no longer getting paid for it. If anything he'll just officially "retire" and game design will turn into a hobby.
Hes worked at Nintendo for so long the people there are probably like family to him, so I imagine still he'll pop in once in a while and maybe give some advice to the new guys. Its kinda funny to think about, but can you imagine Miyamoto playing Nintendo games after his retirement.
I bet it would kind of suck to work under Miyamoto because you'd second-guess every single one of your own decisions and feel like your own ideas are completely inadequate.
Miyamoto cannot retire! Without him I think I am not interested in Nintendo, not that much... Why an artist should retire? He can enjoy more free time is he asks for it and dammit he's not even old!!
The man has done alot , im glad i was born in the era where he worked his earliest magic. We are not worthy , bow to the master. (bow)
The day this dude leaves the VG industry will not only be a sad day for Nintendo fans but it should be a sad day for ANY person that likes video games.
@Joshers744
Absolutely!
And from unexceptionally all i ever heard from him he seems to be a wonderful and modest person.
Mr. Miyamoto is the most beloved public figure for me, I appreciate and honor him for his contribution for the gaming universe. In a way I have been raised with him.
That said, it's a good thing he will retire eventually and new blood will take the reins. Nintendo should hire people that grew up playing Nintendo games, have great taste and know what makes a gamer like themselves happy.
When Miyamoto does retire, I hope he will take on drawing again. I'd love to buy his graphic novels or something like that.
As corny as the following may sound, let's just get it out of the way:
Miyamoto leaving the industry maybe won't impact the gaming industry as a whole, but it'll leave a wound within Nintendo for sure. And for us Nintendo fans, it will be a sad day indeed.
However, it'd be also selfish of us just to worry for how we'll feel, given that artists (may they create music, write books, or in this case, be at the helm in games' development) should be free to do their job as long as they feel like it. If Miyamoto feels like retiring, I won't object.
Besides, forcing him to continue would impact the quality of his output anyway, given that if there's one thing that makes art what it is, it's freedom. Freedom is the driving force of art, and without it, art just isn't art anymore. Stating the obvious here, but still.
That said, as soon as any artist even considers retirement, he or she should also look for his or her successor. Not a replacement, a successor. They're not the same thing. Just like (if I recall correctly) Donald Duck's previous voice actor, Clarence Nash, acted as a mentor to his eventual successor Tony Anselmo, so should do Miyamoto. You know, showing another game designer the ropes whenever he sees himself in him. Yeah, I know I'm putting it in an emotional way, but that's the way it is. Miyamoto's work goes far beyond mere game design. The heart he's always put into his works has the magic - outright magic - that couldn't possibly be pulled off by someone else unless that "someone" had Miyamoto as his or her mentor. Even then there would be a difference, but it would be minimal compared to a Mario game directed by just-some-guy.
That aside, more cynically, remember when Mark Hamill said he'd retire himself from voicing the Joker in Batman Arkham Asylum? Yeah, he reprised the role for Batman Arkham City afterwards, although that one seemed to stick. Or what about Leonard Nimoy? He said he'd retire from acting at all after voicing Master Xehanort in the PSP title Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep, before reprising that very same role for Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. Yeah, retirements are too much of a wild card to possibly predict.
Miyamoto, show someone what it takes to create a good game. Your legacy will live on forever. And your magic will do the same, whether through that same legacy or with the help of a new apprentice.
At least the younger developers are getting good experience.
I hope that whenever it does happen, he lays one last golden egg, one last swan song, that just blows everyone's minds! A new character, new game. Where would us Nintendo gamers be without Miyamoto!
Please don't retire yet. At least make sure the wii u gets the greatness it deserves
Ultimately Nintendo should do fine without Miyamoto's involvement. Steve Jobs is gone but Apple is still doing well.
Here's some Fridge Horror (as always, check Tv Tropes out) for ya - this news came just a few days after EA's statement about "Microtransactions everywhere!".
As much as I hate to say it (especially after all those "Doom 'n' gloom" articles), this might well be the end of gaming as we know it.
An artist cannot ever retire. He will probably retire for a time an the urge is gonna come back at him some day
@Jukilum Apple as done nothing new since Steve Jobs left
@DarkKirby - You make some good points, but I thought Paper Mario: Sticker Star had a lot of problems, and lack of a decent story was just one of them.
This guy is what me love gaming and I might cry when he retires
@Tsuchiya You have the dopest pics hehe. Miyamoto-san definitely deserves some R&R but I doubt he'll free himself entirely from being involved w/game development in some way, shape, form, or fashion. Then again, I could be wrong and he'll enjoy doing something different w/his life.
Too bad his kids can't do his job
(They aren't intrested in video games)
I am torn on this matter: On one hand I don't want him to leave, but on the other hand he messed up pretty bad the past few years! I have a feeling he has lost his connection a bit regarding what gamers want in a game! Making everything easier/streamlining everything isn't the way to go!!
Show Comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...