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We told you: Colbert mocks Miyamoto
When Stephen Colbert came third in the Time 100 poll, we pretty much knew that he wasn't going to be happy. Of course, as is his style, he takes quite a bit of time to lash out against Korean pop star Rain, his new arch-nemesis. But, Colbert also takes a jab at gaming icon (and winner of said poll) Shigeru Miyamoto, who you helped skyrocket to the top of the rankings.Check past the break where we've embedded the video of Colbert attacking the gaming legend.
Miyamoto is your Time Person of the Year
We all made it happen. The man, the myth, the legend himself, Shigeru Miyamoto, has crushed the competition on the voting block and secured his rightful place at the top of the list for Time Person of the Year. Of course, this doesn't actually mean he's going to be on the cover of Time magazine, but it's good to know he's at the top of the list. If anything, this will mean that Stephen Colbert will make fun of him on his show (check past the break).Good job, everyone. You've done your duty, soldier, now enjoy some much-needed R & R.
Miyamoto voted 'Your' Time Person of the Year
You did it! You helped beat out politicians, celebs, scientists, babes, a funny man, and even a weather-oriented Korean pop star. You've nominated fitness guru Shigeru Miyamoto as Time's (not officially Time's) most influential person of the year. Sure, this may appear to be just another pointless popularity contest, but never underestimate free advertising and its potential to sell a few more (million) Nintendo-brand scales later this month. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in. (Mr. Miyamoto thanks you too!)]
Famitsu knows a legend when it sees one
Now might be the right time to construct a bigger, stronger mantelpiece in the Miyamoto household, because Nintendo hero Shigeru Miyamoto has just won another damn award. This one comes courtesy of Japanese gaming bible Famitsu, which recently held its own awards ceremony in recognition of its 1,000th issue.As Miyamoto picked up 2007's MVP gong and subsequently burst into tears on stage, it seems fitting that two of his most ubiquitous Wii creations also did rather well, with Wii Sports (not a pack-in game in Japan, remember) bagging the Best Hit award, and Wii Fit grabbing a trophy of its own for innovation. So congrats, Shiggy -- even if you don't return our daily letters asking to meet up IRL for a chat, some chamomile tea, and a round of Wii Sports tennis (he'd be really good), we still love ya!
Miyamoto, DS take home some Famitsu awards
Hey, who doesn't know how awesome Shigeru Miyamoto is? Your grandmother? Shove her to the ground. Seriously, the man is a legend and your grandmother's frail, aged bones need to recognize that.Speaking of recognition, Miyamoto and select titles on the DS recently got themselves some, as Famitsu dished out awards to the gaming icon and some titles available on his company's handheld system. The games that got the nod were Mario Party DS, Phantom Hourglass, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Time and Darkness and Dragon Quest IV. All of these games received an Award for Excellence, where newcomer Professor Layton and the Curious Village got itself a Rookie award. Miyamoto himself received top honors, as he accepted his time in the spotlight and thanked everyone by stating that he was happy to "get an honor like this, it makes me glad to have worked so hard over the past thirty years. This is going to sound a bit like a lie, but it's like a dream. That said, I didn't think five years ago that I'd be making Wii Fit. I thought I'd be making more Mario and Zelda."Well, if there's someone who should be used to accepting awards, it's him.
Miyamoto thinks Wii Fit could change family life
At first, we weren't going to post about Shigeru Miyamoto's Wii Fit interview with The Times, as it seemed fairly unremarkable. There are the usual platitudes from Shiggy about reaching out to all ages, and some tiresome examples of how mainstream press outlets still expertly patronize gamers (according to the article, the games industry "has long been the preserve of obsessive, nerdy teenagers, mostly called Alan"), but there's actually some interesting parts there also, tucked away amongst the fluff.For starters, it appears that Miyamoto is an absolute hard ass when it comes to parenting. Well, not really, but the Nintendo legend does reveal that he's always nagging his kids to get off of their backsides and go outside when the weather is good. And this guy is trying to sell videogames?More intriguingly still, the Nintendo legend speaks about how he hopes Wii Fit will have an impact on family life. As Miyamoto puts it: "In Japanese households, suddenly new conversations are springing up between fathers and mothers, fathers and daughters, talking about Wii Fit. We would love that to happen in Britain."Can you folks envisage a day when your family time is dominated by talk of your BMI and hula hoop personal bests?%Gallery-4745%[Via videogaming247]
Revealed: Why Mario isn't in Wii Fit
Had you described Wii Fit to us three years ago, we'd have gambled our entire gashapon collection on Mario, a man with a quite ridiculous number of pastimes, being on the front of the box. A title such as, ooh, we don't know, "Mario Workout" wouldn't have been out of the question. Not any more, though -- not in the age of the expanded audience. Nowadays, Mario doesn't have a divine right to appear in every vaguely sporty Nintendo game.And we're glad about that. Not only do we totally dig Wii Fit's sleek, minimalistic look, but Mario is already in enough stuff, and even Mario's daddy, Shigeru Miyamoto, agrees with us (great minds and all that). As Shiggy explained to MTV's Stephen Totilo: "We wanted to create it so that people of all ages could look at it and feel it was for them. I think [including Mario] might have limited its ability." So including Mario might limit the appeal of something? How novel!%Gallery-4745%
Miyamoto begins Wii Fit media blitz
Our drinking buddies at GameDaily were invited to an exclusive, two-hour roundtable with Mr. Wii Fit himself, Shigeru Miyamoto yesterday, along with several other industry outlets like IGN. But Miyamoto also stretched his way over to 1UP and MTV News in what we can only imagine is the warmup of a pretty significant Wii Fit media blitz. While there isn't much you haven't already read in the Wii Fit installment of Nintendo's Iwata Asks series, there are a handful of interesting comments. Iwata discussed a Wii Fit game modeled after Sumo wrestling, called "Ultimate Balance Test." It was pulled from the final product for being "too difficult" but, lucky for you Sumo wrestlers out there, will be available as a hidden game. While there's talk of a Wii Fit channel to bring additional content to the game, Miyamoto mentioned they've been "tinkering" with the idea of DS connectivity. He also talked about other uses for the Balance Board peripheral, suggesting they may incorporate it into other games – he pondered a rhythm game where you tap your feet – or even a Mario game, though it wouldn't likely be a requirement in that case.A seemingly innocuous comment to 1UP – intended to assuage worries that Nintendo has gone totally casual – has curiously generated the most internet interest though: "The Zelda team is forming again to work on new games!" So, a team of developers that recently shipped a game are working on a new game? Incredible. But seriously folks, we're heartened to hear that too. Read – Shigeru Miyamoto on Wii Fit [GameDaily]Read – Creator Demos Wii Fit [IGN]Read – Miyamoto on Wii Fit, Hardcore Gamers [1UP]Read – Shigeru Miyamoto MTV Interview Preview [MTV Multiplayer]
Miyamoto: Zelda team back in action
It's Shigeru Miyamoto speaking, so really we could have pulled any quote from Jeremy Parish's 1UP interview and stuck it in the title, or just said "MIYAMOTO SPEAKS: YOU READ IT NOW," but this is the most directly newsy bit out of the interview, which was ostensibly about Wii Fit. He denied that Nintendo is abandoning its core franchises (and audience) in part by saying "we do have the existing teams at Nintendo working on the kinds of products we've always made over the years. The Zelda team is forming again to work on new games! But to me, it's about finding these new interactive experiences and bringing them to people."Miyamoto spent much of the interview talking about Nintendo's love of the "hardcore gamer." Interestingly, he sees the upcoming Japanese launch of Link's Crossbow Training as the opposite of the normal Wii strategy -- the first step toward getting Japanese gamers used to first-person shooters.
Miyamoto nominated again for Time 100
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Help_Make_it_Happen_Miyamoto_Nominated_Again_for_Time_100'; It's that time of year again, folks -- the point at which we implore you to help us shamelessly rig an internet poll so that Nintendo design guru and all-round hero Shigeru Miyamoto can climb as high as possible in Time magazine's list of the year's most influential people.The Shigster is amongst 207 names to be shortlisted for the final Time 100, and currently lies in 25th spot, after coming ninth last year. At the time of writing he's sandwiched between Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg (who, as a self-made billionaire of 24, we find eminently punchable) and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, son of the assassinated Pakistani politician Benazir Bhutto.On his profile page, the magazine mentions the usual Miyamoto achievements (Donkey Kong, Mario, father of modern videogaming, etc.), but also refers to Super Mario Galaxy and Wii Fit, and ponders whether the latter will help "reverse gravity for all the obese, video game–playing kids out there." If it does, we'd say that's worthy of a top five spot next year![Via Eurogamer]
Iwata asks about the many Wii Wheels of Nintendo
In a new edition of the contrived Iwata Asks, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto and product development guy, Kenichiro Ashida, sit down with president Satoru Iwata to talk about the Wii Wheel shipping with Mario Kart Wii. Ashida regales that in early 2007 the product development team got the first build of Mario Kart Wii and started messing around with developing a steering wheel. Some 30 prototypes laters the team had a design that was about the size of a real go-kart steering wheel and added a B button to the underside of the wheel for a child's fingers to reach. Mario Kart Wii drives into stores April 27... coincidentally, two days before that other driving game.
Iwata Asks: Mario Kart Wii
After Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Wii Fit, Mario Kart Wii has become the latest title to appear in the excellent "Iwata Asks:" series of interviews. Featuring producer Hideki Konno, Wii Wheel project leader Kenichiro Ashida, and Shigeru Miyamoto (in fully relaxed, shirt-open mode) getting grilled by Satoru Iwata, it's a treasure trove of information for Mario Kart enthusiasts.Alongside an enjoyably lengthy dissection of the series' history, there's also discussion about Mario Kart Wii's online play. The online matchmaking in particular sounds a treat, in that it allows players to join a race once it's finished, thus avoiding races becoming one-on-one affairs (as so frequently happened in Mario Kart DS). Players can use the Mario Kart Channel to check which of their friends are currently playing online, and even join them instantly.Producer Konno and Miyamoto also explained the decision to include bikes in this game, with Konno admitting that his own hobbies influenced the choice, and Miyamoto stating that the bikes are there to "make the world of Mario a little more for boys [by] adding an extreme-like element to the game." (Apparently, the title was originally known as "Mario Kart X," with the "X" taken from "extreme") Finally, we hear more on the Wii Wheel, and the reasoning behind it. As expected, the peripheral is designed to make Mario Kart more approachable than ever before, and project leader Kenichiro Ashida reportedly created "about thirty" prototypes (many of which you can see in our gallery). Oh, and he even made gold and black versions -- just for the hell of it. Do want!%Gallery-4772%%Gallery-19823%
Iwata Asks Wii Fit: Volume 3
For those of you who just love the interviewing skills of one Nintendo pres Satoru Iwata, then you should know the next segment in the interviews revolving around Wii Fit has gone live. This time around, Iwata chats with Hiroshi Matsunaga and Tadashi Sugiyama, two folks who oversaw the software development of the game.As you might imagine, the interview not only focuses on the introduction of the title from a developer's standpoint, but also fleshing out Miyamoto's idea to something more than an application for weighing yourself every day. Oh, and did you know that Wii Fit was originally planned as a DS game?
The skinny on Wii Fit is that it won't make you skinny
Once Iwata's Brawl interviews ended, we started having severe "Iwata Asks" withdrawals. Yet, we're glad we waited before turning to heroin, hash, or horse tranquilizers to fill the voids in our hearts.* Our patience was vindicated, and a few days ago Iwata once again started up his Q&A segments, this time questioning Miyamoto about Wii Fit. If you were hoping that Wii Fit would be the answer to your love handles or scrawny limbs, though, think again. Wii Fit isn't a get-thin-quick plan, it's a life lesson. As was clarified by Miyamoto in the interview, "I don't think Wii Fit's purpose is to make you fit; what it's actually aiming to do is make you aware of your body."Since body awareness is part of attaining a healthier lifestyle, don't be too deterred. It's possible that Wii Fit can still get you on the right track to becoming fit, if you let it. Still, at the end of the day it's just a video game, not Richard Simmons.*Seriously -- don't do drugs. [/Public Service Announcement][Via CVG]
Nintendo's Miyamoto, Iwata discuss Wii Fit origins
In the latest edition of "Iwata Asks," a series of articles in which Nintendo president and CEO Satoru Iwata interviews colleagues about their recent work, Shigeru Miyamoto finds himself discussing the origins of Wii Fit. Much like Pikmin and Nintendogs before it, the popular balancercise board has its roots in Miyamoto's everyday life. After a hectic work schedule heaped pressure and extra pounds onto the renowned designer's body, he swapped smoking for swimming and steadily grew more conscious of his body and his weight. Next came a special diet which required frequent measurement and recording of body weight. "Personally, I quite enjoy doing things that become habitual, as if it was daily routine work," explains Miyamoto. "I put the scale and graph paper in the bathroom, and after continuing the pattern for a month, it became like a ritual before getting into the bath. I wasn't able to relax without doing it!" Transforming the habitual measurement into something fun was the next step, one that preceded months of prototyping and "upending the tea table" -- a reference to Miyamoto's tendency to make last-minute decisions and cause a panic right before a deadline.
Iwata Asks Miyamoto about Wii Fit
The Iwata Asks interviews with Masahiro Sakurai were interesting not just because of the revelations about Smash Bros., but also because they reminded us that Iwata was once just some normal guy who programmed video games for HAL Laboratory. We were pleased to see another Iwata Asks so soon -- and he's interviewing Shigeru Miyamoto this time about his latest project, Wii Fit.As usual, Wii Fit was born of one of Miyamoto's hobbies. Seeking a new, healthier way to relax, Miyamoto quit playing pachinko and took up swimming. He then started graphing his weight daily. This was the basis for the "Wii Health Pack" project, which, at first, didn't have any design specs except measuring weight on a graph. The actual game, then, came from the need to integrate exercise with a device that measured weight. This began with an experiment with balancing on two scales.The old rumor that Nintendo would be designing a new Balance Board for our big American clown feet is also called into question by the fact that Reggie and other large-footed staffers were brought in to test the Japanese board.
Miyamoto: 'DS was designed with mothers and school in mind'
For its 1,000th issue, lucky old Famitsu got quite the gift: a chance to sit down with Nintendo design guru Shigeru Miyamoto and chew the fat about Nintendo's past, present, and future.As you'd expect, numerous topics were broached, with the DS talked about at length. Miyamoto explained how Nintendo approached designing the handheld, revealing that the company aimed for "something Mom won't hate," as well as a system that could help out at school.As for what the future holds for the dual-screened wonder, Miyamoto said Nintendo was focused on making games that people would want to play at both home and, well, everywhere else: "When you take your DS out on the town, you'll be able to do all kinds of fun things with it in public spaces. This year we plan to challenge ourselves with that kind of system."Elsewhere in the article, Shiggy discusses how his dismay with the GameCube controller directly influenced the development of the Wii Remote (the reporter apparently tried to defend the controller, but Miyamoto was having none of it), and reassured fans that Mario and Zelda still had big roles to play in Nintendo's future.
Get a signed GBA to go with your Phantom Hourglass DS Lite
Signed units are nothing new to us here at DS Fanboy. We've seen our fair share of them. But, when you have a limited edition GBA SP like this, signed by the man who made so many of our beloved Nintendo mascots a reality, we take special notice.Should you be the bidding type, this auction for the pictured GBA SP is live until January 19th, giving you enough time to go over the decision to toss your coin in for this Miyamoto-signed GBA SP. It's a pretty sweet handheld, if we may say so. However, the starting bid of $500 is probably a tad bit ridiculous and has us questioning the seller's state of mind. We wouldn't drop that much dough on this item ourselves.What about you, though? Is this GBA worth several hundred dollars?[Via Go Nintendo]
A very special deal on a Miyamoto-signed DS [update]
More than most autographed DS systems, this one has, uh, personality. Character. It looks like it's got a few stories to tell. Like the story of what that orange stuff is, and the story of how its top screen got that awful crack. And in case you're distracted by those two issues, this DS has in fact not been autographed by Shigeru Miyamoto, and it's selling for (a current bid of) just $18.35.It's unlikely that you'd buy an autographed DS to play anyway. Items like that are strictly for display or bragging rights. So why not save yourself a little money and buy one that is less than perfectly functional? We were being sarcastic when we first started typing that, but now we think it's actually a pretty smart idea.(Update:) Here's why: it's not really signed. As pointed out by commenter GCN Sean, it's a sticker. But hey, broken DS with a sticker on it for like $18, right? That's actually ... a terrible deal. Well, at least we think we've found the Worst DS on eBay. Really, we think the thing's a lot more entertaining now that we know it's a hilarious scam. [Via GameSniped]
Nintendo, Monster Hunter score big in part one of Famitsu's end of year list
Famitsu has published (via 1UP) the first part of its reader's choice awards looking back at the year in Japanese gaming. A number of gamers and retailers were given a questionnaire by the magazine, and this week's issue debuted the initial results.The major winner is Nintendo, who topped the developer lists for both gamers and stores, the hardware lists (DS for retailers, the Wii for gamers), industry figures (Miyamoto), and even won the category for what kanji character represents 2007 best? (Readers picked "Nin," the first character of Nintendo's Japanese name.)Capcom (thanks in no small part to the Monster Hunter series), Sony and Level 5 (Professor Layton) also placed high on the lists, and Mistwalker founder Hironobu Sakaguchi tied with Miyamoto on the stores' list of which industry figure put in the best showing. Conspicuously absent from the list? Microsoft. Okay, we're not that surprised.
