Even after five years, Niantic's augmented reality game Pokémon GO remains popular as ever. It's not just avid trainers who are still obsessed with the game though.
During Nintendo’s 81st annual General Meeting of Shareholders, the heads of the company were asked what their favourite games were, and it seems in recent times the creator of Mario, Shigeru Miyamoto, is still enjoying the mobile take on Pokémon.
The main reason is his whole family and neighbourhood friends can get involved. Here's his full response, courtesy of Nintendo's official English translation:
"I basically tend to play the games I created myself, so I haven’t been influenced much by the games of other companies. That said, the first game that influenced me when I started the job of game development was Pac-Man, and from a design perspective, I think Tetris is wonderful. I’m currently hooked on Pokémon GO. This game, which I’m playing with my wife, is a dream come true of playing a game with my whole family. I’ve been enjoying Pokémon GO with my wife and neighborhood friends for some two years now. The average person playing Pokémon GO in Japan is probably around 60 years old."
For the same question, President Shuntaro Furukawa reflected on his junior high school years and how much he enjoyed Super Mario Bros. on the Famicom (NES). Nowadays, he spends time with various games from Nintendo and other companies.
Shinya Takahashi and Satoru Shibata also made reference to the Famicom years with Yuyuki - a lesser-known adventure game, and Shin Onigashima, while the director and senior executive officer, Ko Shiota, said he had been enjoying Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit with his kids.
Are you still as interested in Pokémon GO as Miyamoto is after all this time? Or do you prefer to play more traditional games? Leave a comment down below.
[source nintendo.co.jp, via nintendowire.com]
Comments 13
Someone please photoshop a big cigar in that smile of his.
i dropped the game a week after it came out, but its good people still enjoy it. from the looks of it he seems to play it for a casual time with family and friends, rather than playing competitively to be a top player, and thats kinda a nice thing to see from any gamer
@BloodNinja
If NL allowed me to share images, I 100% would make that right now
I’m still hooked too! Play almost every day, now that I’m vaccinated. I’m very excited for the new Pikmin game from Niantic, and their next Nintendo game after that!
@PBandSmelly It looks good in my imagination! Like a big, obnoxious cigar the likes of Schwarzenegger.
I wonder why he usually only plays games he made himself? (I've seen him say this before) Isn't he curious what other people are making?
I would probably play it again if I lived in the city, but I live in a small rural place with not very many pokestops and stuff, so it's not that fun to play.
@Clyde_Radcliffe I think he pays attention to what other developers are making. There's been E3's where he's been photo'd checking out the PSP, PSVITA, Xbox Kinect etc.
But I'd imagine he just doesn't personally go out and buy them.
with new generations of AR ard & software this might be here to stay, even though Pokemon Go isn't ruling the world as it used to be. Today's AR phones have some capabilities, that might be pretty interesting for games like Pikmin (if this really ever gonna come out) and at some point, AR Goggles might become reality. It might take many years for them to gain adation, but one cn only imagine what impact all of that might have on the whole gaming industry.
I mean, it's a "game" that requires no real skill to play, has no story, and it's designed for the lowest common denominator. Of course he loves it. It's the game he wishes all Nintendo games would be, if it were up to him.
@Clyde_Radcliffe maybe it’s something to do with that whole Nintendo ethos about them concentrating on their own stuff and not getting blindsided with what everyone else is doing? But on the other hand maybe if he did play other stuff it would open his mind a little to using Nintendo characters in different genres.
Miyamoto reduced to "mario's creator". More like childhood creator, or living legend of the video game industry.
As big as ever? I don't know a single person who still plays it. In it's heyday, even my cousins who don't play games at all were obsessed with it.
Press X for doubt.
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