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Miyamoto: Family Focused Titles Will Beat Recession
Shigeru Miyamoto has said that Nintendo plans to ride out the recession by creating family focused products that will continue to be in demand as household entertainment budgets decline.
“Obviously, the recession is bad for everybody and it does have impact in certain areas,” Miyamoto told Mercury News, adding: “but one of the things we look at when we look at entertainment is, if you want something bad enough, you're going to save your money for it, right?”
“(We're) thinking of how a family spends their budgeted entertainment money. Rather than a dad going out and buying something that he wants, (we're) creating something that we can present to them as something the whole family will use.”
According to Miyamoto, Microsoft and Sony face a “big challenge” if they hope to secure widespread adoption of their respective motion controllers.
“One of the challenges is not just to create a natural controller, but how do you get it into the hands of the people? How do you do that cost effectively? And I think we've accomplished that,” he said.
“We have sold millions of controllers at a good price point. And we have that delivery system successfully already implemented. For other companies starting from zero and trying to figure out how to get it out there at a decent price point is a big challenge.”
Miyamoto then commented on the rising importance of digital distribution and expressed scepticism that it would replace the traditional physical media.
“Personally, I'm one of those guys who, even if I have all the songs from iTunes, I want the CD as well... I feel more reassured with that physical media,” Miyamoto explained.
“Entertainment is something that will not just become digital. If I look at Wii MotionPlus, this is something that you're not doing via digital distribution.
“The thing for us is we really don't see the future of videogames being merely confined to digital distribution or moving solely or even to a majority of our products being distributed that way.”
Nintendo recently reported a drop in profit of 60.6 per cent for the first quarter, while digital distribution platforms Steam and Direct2Drive saw downloads climb 97 per cent and 56 per cent respectively.
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WHOA look how the "hardcore" gamers thrash about in the face of shrinking relevance.
Plenty of games for everyone, children.
Nintendo have always danced to the beat of their own drum. And they keep making fun games that sell well, so they're not going to stop anytime soon. I've got a Wii and a 360 and they're totally different machines - I'm a little weary that people still post immature posts about which machine is 'the best'. What happened to just having fun? After spending a few hours on Wuhu Island in Wii Sports Resort last night I played a bit of Gears of War. Great fun. I'm looking forward to what Nintendo are going to be bringing out - and crazily, if I like what they do I'm going to buy it and enjoy it.
That's the ideology of Nintendo, they aren't prepared to go the next step in taking such technologies further, whereas MS/Sony do.
Nintendo haven't got a leg to stand on in terms of internet based services, they are shitebags when it comes to anything internet related.
The Wii, pfff
Shigeru Miyamoto can stick family focused products where the sun don't shine. I want real games, not games dumbed down for fuck-wits.
Amazingly books, movies, music and every other form of entertainment can manage something for everyone.
But only in the immature mind of gamers does every game have to be targeted towards the 13 year old jack-off.
Listen, don't compare videogames with books, movies, music. They are totally different mediums of entertainment, they aren't the same thing.
Personally, i want epic experiences, cutting edge, experiences that push the boundaries of the medium in both graphics, sound, gameplay and narrative. I'm not getting that from the Wii, no gamer is and until Nintendo sort it out, then the Wii will just be a puddle of mud in my books.
Personally, i want epic experiences, cutting edge, experiences that push the boundaries of the medium in both graphics, sound, gameplay and narrative. I'm not getting that from the Wii, no gamer is and until Nintendo sort it out, then the Wii will just be a puddle of mud in my books.
Awesome quote there mate! Couldn't have put it better myself.
I agree, one can't compare books, movies, music with videogames. As for the Wii, yes, that system isn't giving me the epic experiences, cutting edge, experiences that push the boundaries of the medium in both graphics, sound, gameplay and narrative that you speak of.
Hence, why my Wii is gathering dust.
Clearly you're thick as shit. The point is every game isn't made for you because you're not the on this planet but gamers, such as yourself, often are selfish tits and think every game should conform to their idea of what a game should be.
Go QQ about the Wii on MySpace.
^^ Oh shit, Nintendo fanboy alert!!
lol, this is a better one:
^^toadwarrior
This is the best one:
LOL. That guy needs some serious help. Quick style!!
Some mothers do have them!!! lol
Wow, you need to calm down and seek medical help.
The trash talk coming out of your mouth is reminisent of the 13 year old jack-off you speak of.
Yes, video games are a TOTALLY different medium, with nothing in common.....except games that are made into movies.......movies that are made into games..........books that are made into games..........games that are made into books........Hmmmmm, actually you know what?
And don't even get me starting on music, because we all know music adds NOTHING to the atmosphere and feel of a game. When "i want epic experiences, cutting edge, experiences," I know music does NOTHING to add to that. And professional recording artists have NOTHING to do with video games, just ask Guitar Hero, Rock Band, DDR, etc...... Metallica didn't (and Pearl Jam isn't about to) release their songs on Rock Band in unison with the release of their new album(s), they clearly do NOT matter to one another.
All these mediums are very closely intertwined, and anyone disagreeing isn't being realistic.
Yes, video games are a TOTALLY different medium, with nothing in common.....except games that are made into movies.......movies that are made into games..........books that are made into games..........games that are made into books
All these mediums are very closely intertwined, and anyone disagreeing isn't being realistic.
Just because videogames take inspiration from books, movies and music doesn't mean to say they are the samething.
You can't compare videogames with books, movies and music. Videogames are a totally different entity.
"Just because videogames take inspiration from books, movies and music doesn't mean to say they are the samething."
So, a movie tie-in game, where you basically play out the movie, but in video game form, is not basically one and the same thing to you?
So, a movie tie-in game, where you basically play out the movie, but in video game form, is not basically one and the same thing to you?
That's the reason movies based on games are crap, they are totally different entities, plus games as they are just now aren't known for their excellent narrative qualities, yet the movie industry is trying to make a movie out of a medium that has poor narrative qualities. It just doesn't work.
If books, movies and music were the same as videogames, then what's the point in videogames existing as a medium of entertainment?!
You can't compare them. They are so different it's pointless even doing so.
Yeah, Miyamoto's flat out wrong here--you'll note the sales stats at the end of the article.
P.S.
but one of the things we look at when we look at entertainment is, if you want something bad enough, you're going to save your money for it, right?
This guy's so Japanese.
'
I don't know about digital downloads, or the internet, or online gaming. Online is such a fad. "Nintendo's talking about putting its next console inside a robot! It'll actually play with you. Now that's the future!"
Given all that he has accomplished and his influence in not just games but controllers and hardware if he says something about not seeing digital distribution as the future I would at the very least put his opinion to careful consideration, cause I know he has being doing this for at least 20 years and almost always he is the best at it, so I would without a doubt say that he knows more than me and obviously he knows more than you.
Still everyone is entitled to an opinion and you can disagree all you want but don't get all cocky and pretend you know more, you simply have a different opinion, plain and simple.
That's a weird statement.
If you could only comment on people the you, yourself, have more experience, than how could anyone on this site feel entitled to make any statements at all. It stands to reason everyone Edge interviews holds more experience than all of us.
Besides, in my original post I didn't mention controllers at all. I made a comment about many Japanese developers being unwilling to believe in the potential of emerging technologies. Is this really being disputed? This very fact is how Ken Kutaragi conquered the universe. When Nintendo scoffed at CD technology, & Sega - & everybody else, refuted a 3D-focused gaming console, Ken was the visionary the practically buried them.
...And he had a lot less experience than Miyamoto at the time.
By the way, how is disagreeing cocky? Also, wouldn't I have to be in a conversation, with Miyamoto himself, to determine whether I knew more than he? Edge even points to the fact that digital distribution is only growing at the end of the article. Although if I have to bring backup, we could go ask Steve Jobs how well digital distribution's treating him. I hear he's got a lot of experience.
Have you look at the statistics of when digital distribution will start to become main stream? I'm talking in the case of games of course, none of the big companies see it as the future, at least not the near future which is where the companies need to start planning their decision on.
Also if you are using Kutaragi as an example the all your previous comments of the "Japanese Mentality" are useless, cause you know that Kutaragi is Japanese right? Not Korean, but Japanese.
Finally if you have started your previous comments like the last one with more arguments and less rambling I would have maybe agreed with you.
Please do not refer to Miyamoto-san as "this guy."
Feel free to question his opinion on digital distribution if you want, but the fact is he's had more influence on the gaming industry then ANYONE, and too toss his opinion aside is just foolish.
If I told you 5 years ago that something on par with 4 bathroom scales taped together would the biggest revenue generator of this generation, you would've said I was crazy and tossed my opinon aside. And here we are today with Wii Fit's install base nearly as big as the PS3s. It would be wise to listen to Miyamoto, just sayin.
He's a game designer, & a great one, but his hardware ideas are really hit & miss. This Guy only thinks about how hardware aids in the creation of his own games.
I think your confusing him with Gunpei Yokoi - R.I.P.
The guy has had more influence on hardware, especially controllers, than you think and considering every controller is pretty much modelled after a nintendo controller then I'd say he's had a huge influence on that front.
That's still Gunpei Yokoi.
The only controller Miyamoto designed was the Gamecube controller; after Yokoi resigned from R&D1 in 1996. Even the wiimote is based on a canceled Dreamcast project. Both companies were always copying each other. Which is fine; as more controller innovation occurred during the Sega/Nintendo "Arms Race" than any other time period.
I'm not sure how you think I confused him with Gunpei Yokoi. This argument has gotten off to quite a tangent about hardware, hasn't it? My fault for mentioning the balance board, I s'pose. I will reiterate that Miyamoto was the primary influence behind the design of the balance board, but I said that originally only to point out his influence--I didn't mean to digress to a hardware argument.
Miyamoto's involvement on controller design not withstanding (this article really doesn't have that much to do with hardware anyway), his influence of the industry is unparalleled. From early genre establishments in platformers and adventure games, to trends today like exergaming and widespread use of avatars, his trend setting can not be argued against. As such what i meant is that it would be wise to take heed of his ascertations on the industry's general trends.
And to return to his argument here, sure, digital distribution could be a very powerful method in the future, but as an entire way of distributing content it is not a basket you want to put all your eggs in yet. Just look at the music industry... yes digital distribution of songs is widespread today, and the music industry has lost a big chunk of revenue to digital distribution, but you know what? 70% of all music sales are still from physical media. I won't say that digital distribution isn't a wave of the future, but many people in our circles think it's a lot more powerful than it actually is, while the mainstream crowd hasn't fully accepted it yet.
That's part of the reason i believe PSP Go won't do well at retail. It's too expensive, and it's too soon for current audiences to accept, (despite the fact it is a great piece of hardware).
How is the music industry losing money on digital distribution?
because people pirated the songs a lot more frequently once they were easy to transfer between computers.
Also because the studios had heavy investments in retail stores. Many of these stores' profit margins were too slim to withstand the digital revolution, and as such they were hit hard enough to where they had to close entirely (see: Sam Goody, Virgin Megastore, Blockbuster Music, Media Play).
Now that the music industry has wised up and made good deals with itunes, amazon, and other online outlets, the situation is not nearly as bad. But if you get in a time machine, go back 7 years and mention "Napster" to any record label executive, you'll see what i'm talking about.
That's not losing money on digital distribution, that's losing money on piracy. They are, in fact, making plenty of money off digital distribution. Ripping my CDs into MP3s and sharing them is not digital distribution, buying songs from iTunes and Amazon is. The 2 are similar, but are not one and the same.
I will agree however that the do have heavy investments in retail stores and that is why these labels are dragged, kicking an screaming at every turn, into the "digital age>"
Sorry but you're talking shit.
For starters the N64 controller was built almost entireley around around the requirements of SM64.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/specialArt.cfm?artid=1783
Secondly Sega never made a "wiimote" for the dreamcast. A guy a Midway made a primitive wired controller setup that pretty much would only be useful for Ready 2 Rumble and no one wanted to take it further. His controller, at best, resembled the nunchuck, not the Wiimote. Sure he thinks he was ripped-off but patent attorneys say otherwise and he certainly didn't invent motion controlling which there were two devices on the NES for movement based gaming, the powerglove and U-force.
Nintendo's hardware has always revolved around software and the game experience as clearly demonstrated by the Wii or even the Gameboy which was black & white unlike all of its competition.
People buy Nintendo hardware for Miyamoto so of course he has influence on the hardware and Gunpei wasn't a hardware only guy. He has a long list of software tied to his name including the Metroid series.
Wow! A lot of people are mad that I didn't bow to the great Miyamoto.
He's a famed designer, so are Carmack, Molyneux, Romero, Bushnell, Kojima, Suzuki, Naka; you could name a lot more, and none of them are omniscient. They just make games that a lot of people like to play. It's like when the actor from your favorite movie decides to go save African refugees.
Anyway, I'm pretty sure that when it came to hardware, Nintendo relied mostly on the efforts of Research & Development: Division #1. That's the department that handles Nintendo's hardware, & the one Gunpei headed. After the Virtual Boy debacle, he committed suicide. It was very sad. Nintendo came out & stated that he designed pretty much every piece of hardware they had, & impossible to replace. In the interim, Miyamoto talked about how he worked very hard, himself, on designing the Gamecube controller in his absence. Nobody remembers this? I was just out of school, & it was very sad for me.
...& Toad - Just because you didn't own a Dreamcast remote doesn't mean there wasn't a concept; complete with a manufactured, & holdable, prototype. Do you think everything companies design make it to your house? In Sega's case, the Dreamcast wasn't around for long enough to see its fruition. They also had plans for a DVD-Addon, & Zip-Drive. Come on Toad...is it so hard to wrap your mind around it? If there was an add-on, Sega had it. God, the problem was keeping them from releasing everything that came out of that office. The actual designers in both companies were huge fans of each other, & often emulated each other's designs simply because they were excited about the work.
The point is that while Miyamoto is mainly a software guy, he has had influence on hardware too, even more so since the departure of Gunpei and after Miyamoto's rise up within the ranks.
Personally, you could argue that you're doing Gunpei a disservice by making him out to be some osrt of hardware guy when he's responsible for some of Nintendo's best software too. A lot of people forget that purely because his biggest achievement is in hardware, it's the Gameboy. Where as Miyamoto's biggest achievement is Mario so people see that more than the fact he's done hardware too.
No one says you have to like everything Miyamoto does but the fact is, as the guy originally pointed out, there are very very few people to have as much influence on gaming as he has. It's about respecting that, not loving all his games.
Carmack is a genius and I think he's another guy who had a huge impact on gaming. I still think his mobile games are boring and some of their post -Quake 2 stuff was meh but that doesn't detract from the fact I respect the guy and, like Miyamoto, think very few people have contributed to gaming what Carmack has.
I know Gunpei made Metroid, & I'm sure Myamoto's had a lot to do with how controllers are made. I think it's more like Miyamoto determined the "flow" of Nintendo's titles, & Nintendo's all about synergy.
To be honest, I don't know how we got to this point. The post went from me "knocking" his last comments, to controllers, to influence at lightning speed. I don't dislike Miyamoto - Hell, I think I own about 90% of his games. I don't doubt his influence. He is the Walt Disney of gaming. I just think his comments, at the end of the article, are pretty short-sighted. He's old. He talks like an old guy. I haven't downloaded any stolen music, but I haven't bought a CD in about 10 years. That's why companies hire new employees. Things change.
I have no Doubt Gunpei was a great guy, and a marvelous inventor, but he's like the inventor of a musical instrument. Sure, it would be impossible to have Yo Yo Ma with out the inventor of the Cello, but the fact is, no one remembers the inventor of a musical instrument, they just remember the artist who made the instrument sing.
And I don't really buy your actor analogy. Yes those guys are great developers, but they didn't ever invent a genre. Miyamoto is to video games what Charlie Chaplin is to early film. It was around before him, and better after him, but no one ever captured the imagination of audiences WORLDWIDE in his time quite like him.
As for proof, ask random people on the street (anywhere in the world, mind you) if they know what Wolfenstein, Fable, Metal Gear Solid, et. al. are. Chances are you'll find only a slim few who know what your talking about. Now ask the same people what Mario, Donkey Kong, or Wii Fit are--I assure you you'll have a much higher percentage of correct answers in the latter category.
Hell, there was a time when more Canadians knew who Mario was than their own Prime Minister:
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/13/mario-more-recognizable-in-canada-than...
Dont get me wrong, I do wish Solid Snake and others had that kind of following, and maybe someday they will, but as of today they simply do not.
Before I respond to this, I should say that your right about the hardware aspect of thread - when you said the whole point is that it isn't about hardware - but further spinning out of control....
Aren't we talking about the instrument, the controller? Even if it's true that no one remembers who invented the cello, Andrea Amati, that doesn't mean that Yo Yo Ma invented it.
I did try to find people like Miyamoto, most of them did invent genres. If Miyamoto's Charlie Chaplin, then Nolan Bushnel's Thomas Edison.
- Peter Molyneux: Invented God-games
- John Carmack: Invented First-Person Shooters
- Hideo Kojima: invented stealth games
There are other examples: Shooters, Adventure, RPG, etc. Miyamoto is one of the most important games designers ever, but he didn't create all genres. I think he only created one, but he does take existing genres to levels no one ever thought of before. I think that's his greatest ability.