Shigeru Miyamoto is a video game pioneer. He entered the industry in 1977 and has been instrumental in changing the way we play games. He knows where we've been, but does he know where we are going?
"Thirty years ago, I couldn't imagine the technological innovation that there is today," Miyamoto said at a recent symposium held by the Japan Media Arts Festival. Likewise, predicting the future is difficult. Thirty years is a long time, but Miyamoto sees the importance of youth. "Lots of young people is good for the health of the game industry."
Who would have thought twenty or even ten years ago that Nintendo would have scored a monster hit with Wii Fit. At the symposium, Miyamoto talked about how Wii Fit and its Balance Board has sold over 30 million copies (the tally appears to include Wii Fit Plus).
"That makes it the biggest selling scale in the World," Miyamoto joked. "It's selling more than (Japanese scale maker) Tanta's."
Miyamoto started working on arcade games like Nintendo's 1979 game center title, Sheriff. At the symposium, the game designer noted differences in approach. While making arcade games, Miyamoto said he would wonder how he could make players want to play again. Now, he wonders how he can make an interesting experience.
Forget market research and market trends. According to Miyamoto, "I'm making games about things that I have personally found interesting and want to communicate."
「文化庁メディア芸術祭京都展」で宮本茂氏・養老孟司氏が講演。「固定観念を崩す」などゲーム開発の持論を展開 [GAME Watch] [Pic]