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Miyamoto and Reggie talk storage solutions, peripherals
In a recent Club Nintendo interview, Reggie Fils-Aime and Shigeru Miyamoto both touched on some important things on the mind of all Wii owners. The first thing that many are still asking about is the lack of a hard drive. Well, Miyamoto commented that the company is still working on it and exploring all of the possible technologies, to which Reggie added that the company hasn't specified a traditional hard drive or another kind of storage, but will create a solution that is "better than what we have now."Miyamoto was also asked about MotionPlus and incorporating it into future Zelda games. Miyamoto said that Nintendo was working on a new Zelda game (and also Pikmin), but would not comment as to each title supporting Waggle 2.0. He also commented that we shouldn't expect any new peripherals any time soon, seeing as how there are so many available for the Wii now. We're glad for that, because our limited closet space has meant that storing them all has been a big hassle.So, the biggest thing to come out of this piece for Club Nintendo is more of the hard drive talk, although we guess we can't call it that, since Nintendo may want something different than a traditional hard drive. What other kind of technologies could they mean? What could be a comparable storage solution to a hard drive and yet not be a hard drive?
Miyamoto's hobbies are now trade secrets
According to the Times, mysterious "sources" inside Nintendo report that the company has banned its most famous producer from speaking about his hobbies. This makes sense given that Shigeru Miyamoto often claims to draw direct inspiration for his games from the activities he does on his time off. He decides to start gardening, and Pikmin is born. He gets into exercise, and Wii Fit appears. He takes up pretending to play the saxophone, and the idea for Wii Music is born. The idea is, then, if somebody asks Miyamoto what he does in his spare time, and Miyamoto answers, the secret of Nintendo's next huge hit will be revealed. And thus his life must be shrouded in secrecy until such time as his next game is announced and he can start the PR talk about how it was inspired by his life.[Via Gamasutra]
Miyamoto, Inafune keynotes at CEDEC conference
Next month's CESA Development Conference (CEDEC) in Tokyo will feature keynote presentations from Shigeru Miyamoto and Capcom producer (and Mega Man creator) Keiji Inafune. Miyamoto's talk, "From where should we create?" (or something like that), will look at the development process of Wii Music, the philosophy of game production and "universal design," and the small problems that come up every day.Inafune's talk has yet to be outlined, but he is producing the boldly retro-minded Mega Man 9. A keynote about the challenges of strictly limiting yourself technologically could be interesting. It'll probably end up being about the Lost Planet movie, though.[Via Develop]
Microsoft: 'Miis didn't influence Avatars. Honest. No, really.'
What's that you say? Microsoft's new Avatars system for the Xbox 360 is just a rip-off of Nintendo's Miis? Poppycock and slander! Microsoft man John Schappert has explained to MCV that Avatars are merely a natural development of Microsoft's online strategy. Like, obviously."It'd be remiss to say that we don't enjoy playing on the other systems and we have a lot of respect for the work that Miyamoto-san and Nintendo do," remarked Schappert, warming up for a "but," "but I think it's a logical extension of our Gamercard, Gamertag and Achievements." Commence reverse peristalsis!Schappert's denial is kind of predictable, as nobody will ever be able to absolutely prove just how much Miis influenced Avatars. With Schappert's beloved Miyamoto admitting to being "quite flattered" by Avatars, we have a hunch about what Nintendo might think.
Famed Nintendo designer Miyamoto checks out Killzone 2
Nintendo's famed game designer Shigeru Miyamoto may be known for his involvement in casual games, such as Wii Sports and Nintendogs. But, let's not forget his involvement in hardcore series, such as the original Mario and Zelda games. It looks like he made his way over to Sony's E3 show floor and checked out Killzone 2. Considering the amount of hype Guerrilla's FPS has received, we aren't surprised that a man like him would take some time to see what the PS3 is capable of doing. We wonder if he walked away impressed. [Thanks, Fernando R.!]
E308: E3 no longer ideal for core games -- Miyamoto
Shigeru Miyamoto has weighed in on the grand debate that has raged over Nintendo's E3 press conference, addressing fan complaints that not enough "core" titles were shown. According to Shiggy, the shortage of more traditional games could be attributed to one thing: E3.Whereas once E3 was perceived as an event for those who treated gaming as serious business, Miyamoto argues that the industry's red-letter day is now better suited to showing off "new concepts and new types of play that we intend to bring to the broader audience, particularly because of the media that gathers at E3 now."Nevertheless, Miyamoto did reassure diehard fans that classic franchises were being worked on, with the Zelda, Mario, and Pikmin teams all concentrating on new games. "... We're still working on many of those titles," Miyamoto told MSNBC, "But [E3 is] just not the type of event where we'll be showcasing that anymore."It's interesting to note the different perspectives on this issue taken by Miyamoto and Reggie Fils-Aime. Whereas Reggie refuted the suggestion that Nintendo could have offered more "core" games, Miyamoto seems to admit that yes, there was a lack of such titles at E3, but that E3 itself was the reason behind this.[Via GamesIndustry.biz]
E308: Miyamoto 'flattered' by Microsoft Avatars
Shigeru Miyamoto played the role of diplomat to perfection when IGN asked for his views on Microsoft's (plainly Mii-influenced) Avatars. The Nintendo guru claims he found the nabbing of his personalized, blobby creations to be "quite flattering," and then went on to suggest that "the basic ideas behind those two different systems are different, and because of that I think they will probably develop in different ways."Way to stay on the fence, Shiggy. We like to think he was privately fuming inside.
E308: Miyamoto comments on Wii's storage solution issue
Kind of weird how storage issues never came up at the E3 keynote, huh? We thought so, too. And, when Shigeru Miyamoto got cornered by the folks at IGN, they asked him about the lack of storage love."There isn't anything that we can announce today, but we have been thinking along a variety of different lines regarding this matter for some time now," Shiggy said. "So my hope is that sometime in the not too distant future we will be able to discuss some concrete solutions." So, all hope is not lost. Nintendo is at least still on the case. It's just that they're taking longer than we'd all like.
E308: Miyamoto explains fusion of Wii and DS Zelda teams
If the DS Zelda team is helping out the Wii Zelda team, it could mean either of two things. One -- the next Wii Zelda is going to be beyond awesome. Two -- will the DS successor to Phantom Hourglass be neglected for longer than desired? It could cause longer development cycles, but the overall product will surely benefit from the extra talent.Mitamoto explained that "the DS team is mixing in with the Wii team and working on the Wii version." Possible theory -- instead of a "realistic" Link for Wii and "cartoon" Link for DS, the two games might just be linked by more than just the name. All speculation, but speculation is fun!
E308: Miyamoto says DS and Wii Zelda teams collaborating
As if the prospect of a new Legend of Zelda game isn't good enough, Miyamoto mentioned to IGN that not only are the regular old Zelda team hard at work on a Wii entry, but that the folks behind the DS title The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass are also pitching in. "The Zelda team in particular always works on Zelda titles. The core members of the Zelda team have for a very long time now been focused on Zelda games, and continue to focus on Zelda games, so they are hard at work and working away," Miyamoto commented to IGN. "And then, of course, we have the DS Zelda team as well, so even there we're having some switching of people in and out where the DS team is mixing in with the Wii team and working on the Wii version."As you can imagine, our mind is racing at the prospect of a new Zelda game. One that combines the best of the console titles and handheld entry, creating a new Zelda that is so appealing that to be without it would surely end in your death.
Wii Warm Up: Give us your three cents about E3
You've read the drunken ramblings of the Fanboy team as they stumbled through the revelations of the Nintendo press conference. Now it's time to have your say, and let us know just how impressive the lineup of presentations was. Is Cammie a decent enough public speaker with the whole world watching? Will Wii Music stink out concert halls worldwide, or receive a standing ovation? Is Iwata cooler than you? Absolutely.Go on, Nintendo can take your punishment. If you hated it, let fly with reasons why. If you loved it, gush about your favorite game (aside from the default selection of Animal Crossing). All in all, was E3 2008 a success or a blunder for Nintendo? You decide.
E308: Wii Music this year, with Balance Board support [Update 1: Screens]
Wii Music has finally been (roughly) dated, and it looks even better than we expected! The game, which will include more than 50 instruments and Balance Board support, is set for release this year. During the E308 conference, it was announced that the game would be available without the Wii MotionPlus add-on, but will still translate motions similar to those used to play real instruments. Therefore, how you move the Wiimote and Nunchuk, along with the timing in which you press the buttons, will affect how you sound. You can also use the Balance Board for certain instruments, like the drums (where it's used as a pedal). That's probably good news for those of you who were worried about more Rock Band-like peripherals clogging up your homes.Wii Music was made with people who can't play instruments in mind, so that they can "experience the joy of making music," too. Since Miyamoto wanted this game to be accessible to the music illiterate, it doesn't require any note reading and won't rate your performances.Also interesting is that songs can be recorded and made into music videos (starring your Miis). Furthermore, the game supports up to four players (per Miyamoto), but we were slightly confused when it looked like five were performing the Super Mario Bros. theme on stage.Being the competitive music junkies that we are, we're a little bummed that the software doesn't even give you the option of performance evaluation. Even so, this looks like a pretty rad piece of kit.[Update 1: Screens added! See the gallery below.]%Gallery-27713%
Speakers for tomorrow's Nintendo press conference revealed
Proving that no bit of news is to trivial for E3, Computer and Video Games presents (via a Nintendo press release) a list of the presenters planned for tomorrow's Nintendo press conference. They are: Nintendo Co Ltd. President Satoru Iwata Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime Designer/producer/supervisor/god Shigeru Miyamoto NOA Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing Cammie Dunaway NOA Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Affairs Denise Kaigler Exciting, no? Really, there's nothing especially revelatory about this list of speakers. The question remains though, what will they all speak about? We'll find out tomorrow morning at 9 AM Pacific. Until then, of course, rampant speculation is welcome using the comments link below.
Miyamoto's quality control: Ninten-do what Sega doesn't
Though we usually award it to a particularly irascible commenter, the latest Justin T. McElroy Memorial Burn of the Day Award simply cannot be pried from the clutches of one Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Donkey Kong, Mario, Zelda and just about half of your best childhood memories.Tucked inside Wired's 15th Anniversary retrospective, a quick interview with the renowned developer reveals his secret to maintaining "quality control" in a company as large as Nintendo. "I'm always instructing my game designers on the history of the characters and worlds we've created," says Miyamoto. "Often we're in development and I'll say, 'Oh, this looks like a Sega game. We need to make it look more like Mario.'"Oh my. Not to worry, Sega, at least Mr. Miyamoto knows about your games. He's never even heard of Ratchet & Whatshisface.
New York Times talks Miyamoto, Wii Music
Following Time Magazine's announcement of Shigeru Miyamoto as the most influential person of the year (as chosen by you!), The New York Times has a lengthy biography of the legendary game designer, focused around a candid talk with the man.Among other things, Miyamoto discusses his emphasis on gameplay over characters (it sounded strange to us too), and Nintendo's transition from fantasy games to those grounded in reality. He also briefly discusses Wii Music, Nintendo's original music title, which will emphasize creating original musical compositions, unlike Guitar Hero or Rock Band. More details on Wii Music are expected this summer.
New York Times: Miyamoto is awesome
The latest interview to come out of Shigeru Miyamoto's New York press meetings is with the New York Times, who, rather than just asking about Wii Fit, chose to profile the man behind the haircut. Accordingly, most of their article is a historical look at just how great Miyamoto is, and how influential he has been to game development, with supporting quotes from Game Informer's Andy McNamara and Disney Interactive's Graham Hopper. The most interesting bit is when Miyamoto discusses his game design influences. We've all heard how gardening inspired Pikmin and a scale led to Wii Fit. Miyamoto acknowledges that this is somewhat of a change from his previous game design process: "Whereas before I could kind of use my own imagination to create these worlds or create these games, I would say that over the last five years I've had more of a tendency to take interests or topics in my life and try to draw the entertainment out of that." Coming next year -- Wii Make Games!
Miyamoto 'stressed' by Wii Fit
According to Time's latest interview with Shigeru Miyamoto, there may have been some genuine upending of tea tables during the making of Wii Fit, as opposed to the metaphorical kind that Shiggy prefers.Chatting to the publication to promote the game, Miyamoto confessed that the he and his team felt "a lot of nervousness" while developing the title, and that the lofty expectations of other people caused some stress. The article also mentions that the game's development "nearly led his 15-person development team to quit in frustration," though we've no idea whether that's Time slightly embellishing a story, or what Miyamoto actually said.All this talk of feeling stressed, Shiggy, and yet our letters offering slow, sensual shoulder rubs still go unanswered. He can't complain.%Gallery-23307%[Via Go Nintendo]
Miyamoto talks WiiWare launch, American devs
Now that the WiiWare service is up and running (and we got to play at least one game so far), you're probably as curious as we are concerning the lack of Nintendo games available for download. With an entire catalog featuring nothing but third-party titles, it might seem like a silly idea to launch a Nintendo service with no Nintendo games on offer. It's something that we thought was very much against what Nintendo's usual operational procedures are.Then, like a knight in shining armor, Shigeru Miyamoto charges in and tells us why we need not be concerned. "I think America has always been better at creating unique products," he says. Wow, we're flattered! Miyamoto is a big fan of the North American indie game scene, commenting they are "able to let their own personality and their own kind of unique interests really flourish in the games that they're creating." This is one of the reasons why Nintendo felt safe with the WiiWare line-up unleashed on us today.[Via Joystiq]
Miyamoto: 'America has always been better at creating unique products'
WiiWare's up and running now in North America and not a single one of those games comes from the big N itself. Speaking to Wired, Shigeru Miyamoto, head of Nintendo's game development division, says the company wanted to foster indie games, which are more prolific in the US than Japan, with Wiiware. In fact, Miyamoto says, "I think America has always been better at creating unique products."Excuse us one moment while we crack open a Bud and beat our chests ... OK, back. Miyamoto explains that US indie developers have managed to acquire the skills and hardware needed to "let their own personality and their own kind of unique interests really flourish." Asked if he would ever consider getting involved in making a small-scale game again, the Nintendo guru responded that it might be "fun" to do.
Miyamoto: Link's Crossbow Training is FPS Training
Now that Link's Crossbow Training is coming out in the region that matters (Japan), Nintendo has begun promoting it with one of their "Iwata Asks" interview series. This time, Shigeru Miyamoto is back in the hot seat -- and at the beginning of the interview, he expresses surprise that producers Takashi Tezuka and Eiji Aonuma aren't there as well. Right away, the surprises begin. Describing his motivation for Link's Crossbow Training, which he sees as an introduction to the FPS genre, Miyamoto reveals himself to be an FPS fan: "I've always been into first person shooter (FPS) style games, 3D games in which you can walk around freely and see things from your own point of view. " He describes the perspective as "more comfortable, more natural," and then upturns the interview's tea table, saying that he originally wanted The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time to be in first-person.Since this is an interview between Iwata and Miyamoto, you know that can't be the only awesome quote. There's a bit in there about explaining Link's gun use with a Terminator-esque story. You should really just go read the whole thing.
