ShigeruMiyamoto
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Happy birthday, Shiggy!
How could we possibly let the birthday of our overlord, Shigeru Miyamoto, pass unnoticed? He's at the center of all our favorite (photoshopped) pictures, he's funny ... oh, and yeah, he is responsible for a few video games or something. Who are we kidding? We can't be coy. Miyamoto is the reason we're here every day; if not for his crazy creations, we might be doing something else, and that would be a tragedy. Here's to you, Mr. Miyamoto, and may you have 54 more.
Joyswag: Miyamoberg is a hit!
After trawling through a considerable number of entries for our latest Joyswag contest and being subjected to images both hilarious and infinitely disturbing, we've finally picked four winners. There were plenty of superb entries, though it was certainly alarming to note how quickly we became numb to decapitated Sony executives, Indiana Jones crossovers and, lest we forget, gigantic male genitalia.
Iwata: Nintendo to intensify software development
Though we wouldn't normally pay much attention to something called a "Corporate Management Policy Briefing," we'll make an exception when it comes to Nintendo and their beloved Wii. Fielding some questions regarding the system's impending launch, Satoru Iwata attempted to assuage some concern over Nintendo's previous cubic console and its muted commercial success. He noted that Nintendo's inability to consistently and timeously release new games after launch stuttered the system's momentum, a problem which, if all goes to plan, won't rear its snarling head in the next round."To avoid repeating this with Wii, we have been intensifying the software development, both internally at Nintendo and at developers outside the company, in order to prepare aggressive software lineup for Wii at and after the launch." However, Shigeru Miyamoto (who admits to being occupied by a super secret project) added that Nintendo hasn't greatly increased the number of people working on projects, with over 1,500 people already banging keyboards and waving wiimotes in the hopes of generating more Nintendo classics. In that case, how exactly does Nintendo plan to intensify software development? If they have stricter management and curtailed development times in mind, how will that affect their forthcoming titles? Careful Nintendo -- striking the perfect balance between quantity and quality isn't going to be easy.[Update: See comments.]
Miyamoto: Wii Sports will be flagship title, Wiimote not finalized
Speaking with Famitsu, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto emphasized that the goal for Wii is to encourage a daily regimen of gaming. Nintendo aims to design "[hardware] that you'll want to turn on every day," Miyamoto told Famitsu. With that goal in mind, Miyamoto described Wii Sports as the console's flagship title. Of course, Miyamoto assures us that Nintendo will continue producing its staple franchises (e.g. Zelda), but the focus will turn toward developing software that promotes daily use.Miyamoto also noted that the Wiimote has not been finalized. Nintendo is "still debating on the area of how many buttons to use."
Wiimote getting more changes?
Take this for what you will, but IGN is reporting that a comment made by the esteemed Shigeru Miyamoto in an interview with Japan's Famitsu may indicate that the supposed "final design" of the Wii controller that we saw at E3 isn't so final after all. Responding to a question about problems the company had in developing the Wiimote, Miyamoto stated that in fact "we're still debating on the area of how many buttons to use," which could be taken to mean that Nintendo has PS3-like changes in mind for the controller before the console ships. Of course, it could just as easily mean that although the design has been finalized, the Wii development team still discusses its merits and detriments amongst themselves, and the fact that the interview was translated over from the native Japanese only further muddies the issue, as Miyamoto's comments may have been taken out of context or lost the meaning he intended. Like we said, this is all just pie-in-the-sky speculation for now, and we're mainly passing it along so you don't freak out if you go to pick up your new Wii in a few months and the controller doesn't look exactly like you've been daydreaming it would.[Thanks, Dave Z.]
Halo 3 has a happy ending, or how I learned to love YTMND
The animated .gif addicts over at YTMND have been very busy lately revealing the truthiness behind recent video game rumors. Here are some of those OMIGOD NEWS FLASH! announcements from YTMND's gaming posse: The PS3's 100% official start-up screen REVEALED! Nintendo's bunker busted REVEALED! Halo 3 ending REVEALED! World of Warcraft in space REVEALED! Shiggy's secret N64 formula REVEALED! Half-Life 2's plotline REVEALED! (take that, suckas) YTMND's formula is never going to get old, simply because there will never be a shortage of fanboy ideas and rumors to make fun of. [Via Xbox360Fanboy] More: The Wii zeitgeist, via YTMND, Wiill Ferrell tests Wii accelerometer technology and Dick Hunt!
Miyamoto speculates on StarFox Wii
Several sources on the Intertron suggest that Miyamoto recently confirmed a StarFox game for the Wii...sort of. The article cited is an interview from the latest issue of Famitsu, wherein Shigeru Miyamoto suggested that a StarFox game (if Nintendo were to make one, mind you) could make some involving and intricate use of the Wiimote. A shocking revelation indeed, especially in the wake of a Virtual Console that is likely to feature the original, and dare we say good, StarFox titles. No offense to those that enjoy frolicking around on the ground in the company of dinosaurs, of course.If Nintendo takes Miyamoto's ideas and develops a full game (and they almost certainly will), we can only hope they keep the Fox's feet off the ground and well within the space opera house.[Thanks Nikolai!]
Miyamoto talks Wiinaming, caricatures
In talking with CNN Money's Chris Morris, omnipotent game designer Shigeru Miyamoto expresses what just about everyone has been thinking, at least until recently: "Revolution" is a much better name than "Wii." Miyamoto notes that a large part of the decision to change to the shorter and much easier to mock name came from the belief that non-gamers would feel threatened by a term normally used for violent uprisings and/or anti-parasitic pet medications. "When we first thought about it, myself and others felt that the name Revolution was very appropriate to what we were doing, but [Revolution] is a name that was almost threatening to non-gamers. It wasn't acceptable. So we thought this was more friendly and inviting."In the same article, Miyamoto also hints that the Iwata and Reggie caricatures seen in Wii Sports: Tennis aren't just an in-joke, but a customizable feature of the game. The thought of playing as (more) deformed versions of ourselves has us amused and intrigued--could there be another Wii secret in store, such as a camera attachment or the ability to read photos from a USB storage device? Nah, it's most likely just an avatar creation utility like those found in Animal Crossing: Wild World or Mario Kart DS, albeit a much more advanced one thanks to the Wiimote's abilities.[Via Joystiq]
Spielberg of gaming and Spielberg of movies play Wii
The AP managed to snap some shots of Shigeru Miyamoto -- often called the Spielberg of video games -- and Steven Spielberg -- the, uh, Spielberg of movies -- playing a quick round of tennis in LA last week, as celebrities are wont to do. Couple things though: they played using Nintendo's new Wii console, and they did it in amidst the frenzy of E3. Really wish we got in there for this although, judging by the relatively empty space behind them, it appears Nintendo had these VIPs isolated from the unwashed masses. That reminds me, things to do before I die: play a Nintendo game with Shigeru Miyamoto.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Who's got a Joystiq T-shirt?
Our limited-edition Joystiq T-shirts are rolling out to our biggest (and speediest) fans right now. Then there's our not as limited-edition Joystiq E3 shirts that we were giving out at the show. Did you grab enough business cards from Joystiqers on the show floor, like the Joystiq luchador did? Did you make it to the AOL booth during our short, one-hour handout? Or were you gracious enough to grant Joystiq an interview, like Peter, Perrin, Shane, and Miyamoto-san? If you're sporting a Joystiq tee, let us know what you think. Didn't get one? We'll be giving away the orange shirts on the site so keep your eyes peeled. And if you see somebody sporting one on the street, stop 'em and say hi. They're either Joystiq readers or one of us.Big thanks to Philip and Yann for the incredible designs. Seriously, we're humbled.
Joystiq Video: Shigeru Miyamoto Interview
If you haven't already read the transcript of our interview with the inimitable Shigeru Miyamoto, we've gone to all the trouble of putting video of it online. Get his thoughts on everything from the Wii to the PS3's new controller, why the HD-era isn't quite here yet, and why the interface is where innovation is coming from. Unfortunately, we're wrapping things up, preparing for the trip home from E3, so we didn't have time to cut this video up into bitesized chunks for you as of yet, however, we are working on a bittorrent feed of it and will be adding the bits and pieces soon. Until then, right-click and save the 542.2MB file. Our very large video: 542.2MBs, 25:25 long, 480x360 3ivx Quicktime [link] Make sure you also check out AOL Games' video interview with Miyamoto.
The Engadget & Joystiq Interview: Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto (again!)
When we found out Shigeru Miyamoto wanted to give us a second round to ask him about the latest in the world of Nintendo here at E3, I found that same inner-child fanboy Peter reminisced about when we last interviewed him start to emerge. Suddenly I wanted to play all those games I grew up on again, but we had to know how he thinks the Wii is going to change the future of gaming. Vlad Cole and I somehow managed to pull ourselves together long enough to ask him about whether the sedentary gaming world is ready for full-body frenetic gameplay, how he's influencing the next generation of Nintendo games and game designers, the media agendas of the 360 and PlayStation 3, and even a little on HD gaming.So, thank you very much for meeting with us, I really appreciate it. The Wii represents a major step forward for Nintendo in terms of functionality and capabilities. One of the things we're really curious to know is what Wii is going to enable you as a game maker to create that you've never been able to create before.Well, I think the greatest strength of the Wii is that it allows you to create games that are very intuitive and very easy to pick up and play, such that people who've never played a video game before can easily pick up the controller and start playing. And that's kind of the concept behind the games like Tennis and Golf and Baseball and the Wii Sports Series, and these are really kind of the very basic games that we're looking at doing.And then of course thinking about the types of games that the gamers have come to know and play over the years, the unique features of the Wii controller, such as the direct pointing device on the Wii Remote will allow gamers to now more directly interact with the types of game screens that they've seen, where they're pointing directly at a place on screen to interact with it.Is there a type of game that even now you still can't or for whatever reason create?I can't think of any off the top of my head. I don't really have any ideas that stew in my brain for long periods of time. I really just focus on what I'm working on at the moment.The one thing that I have been thinking about for a long time is this problem we've had with 3D games, where as we've been making 3D games, 3D worlds and the control schemes have becomes so complicated. People who don't play games can't easily jump into those interactive worlds and experience them. And I think we've been able to overcome some of that difficulty with the functionality of the Wii controller. So now as we go forward and create software I have to continue to think of ideas of how to take advantage of that to overcome that barrier.
E3 recreation: Miyamoto flashes gang sign
Late last night, Shigeru Miyamoto was spotted throwin' up his gang sign ... Wiiiii-siiiiide! [No pictures were snagged, so we pieced together this accurate recreation.]
TIME gets hands-on with the Nintendo Wii
We knew we should have taken that call from Miyamoto the other day, but our loss was TIME magazine's gain, because the Mario and Zelda creator was looking for someone to, wouldn't you know it, take the upcoming Wii for a little spin. TIME's five page article is so full of interesting deets that we barely have room to scratch the surface here, but suffice it to say that Lev Grossman not only reports on his hands-on experiences with a number of games, he's also able to get inside Nintendo's head, if you will, and tease out a bit of the methodology behind what some hardcore gamers perceive as the company's madness (Wii? those controllers? Nintendogs?). As for the actual gaming, Grossman got to play some tennis (the sensors even allow you to add spin), slay some dragons (brandishing the controller like a sword in Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess), and bring those wacky Warioware minigames into the third dimension (think: fishing, weight lifting, cooking, etc.). Geez, this thing sounds like so much fun that we may just skip the Sony keynote this afternoon and see if the folks from Nintendo will let us play with their goodies.
Miyamoto a martinet making Metroid Prime
Allen Varney has written a fascinating look at the making of Nintendo's 2002 masterpiece -- and series reinvention -- Metroid Prime. By complimenting the community's fear of updating the venerable franchise with the story of a production environment that warranted such fears, you get a tangible understanding of the pressure and passion that is bound up in a title of Prime's quality. His characterization of Miyamoto as a brilliant, dedicated, and -- most interestingly -- demanding taskmaster stands contrary to many gamers impression of the designer as "a Gepetto whose genius and imagination turned a heap of technology into a living world of delight" (to quote the writers of Smartbomb). Take, for example, this description: "In 2000, Miyamoto himself visited Retro, an event compared to the Emperor visiting the Death Star." Ouch!It's tough love though. Reading about the storied excesses of Retro's founder and the studios subsequent mismanagement, then reflecting on the end result being the excellent Metroid Prime series is a welcome reminder: you have to squeeze coal really hard to make a diamond.
Miyamoto on PS3: We're not competing
In a recent interview with the Guardian Gamesblog, esteemed game designer Shigeru Miyamoto was questioned about Sony's recent announcement of a PS3 delay. Rather than respond with an assortment of boomerang jokes, Mr. Miyamoto calmly stated that he simply doesn't view Sony's machine as competition. "It depends on what expectations people have of the PS3 and Revolution. Sony has taken a long time to create their machine but it is obvious that the direction we are taking is different to the PS3."It may seem like an arrogant stance, but when your machine literally eschews traditional controller design and the current trend of cramming more technological power into a box, it's a fair statement to make. He goes on to say that rather than taking on the other two corporate giants in terms of graphical power, Nintendo would rather stick with what they do best and create appealing games that strike a balance between technology and playability. On the other hand, it would perhaps be unwise to think that the PS3 (or Xbox 360) and Revolution aren't competitive in a traditional sense. After all, the end goals of providing a gamer with his entertainment are the same. The execution and mindset may differ, but it still boils down to giving you the games you want to play. Nintendo may very well be going after the untapped casual market but hardcore gamers, who fall under Sony and Microsoft's marketing umbrellas, are sure to be just as interested in the Revolution. What say you?[Via Eurogamer]
Miyamoto: Twilight Princess uses Revo controller
Has the saga finally come to a climactic end? It would seem that we can finally lay this epic opera of speculation, magical allusion and straightforward denial to a well deserved rest: According to a Nintendo of Europe interview with recently knighted design genius, Shigeru Miyamoto, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess will take advantage of the Revolution controller."I would say that we are progressing well with completing it. And one of the most important features is that, because Revolution can run GameCube software, when you play Twilight Princess on Revolution you can take advantage of the Revolution controller.”Now, how exactly one would take advantage of the Revolution controller is up for debate (get your mind out of the gutter, please), though we're quite prone to the idea of tossing boomerangs, swinging swords and ensnaring innocent fish. For the rest of the interview, you'll have to either get a bothersome Nintendo VIP membership upon following the link or pay a visit to the GAF forums. [Via GamersReports]
Miyamoto knighted in France
Today, Shigeru Miyamoto, along with Michel Ancel (Rayman, Beyond Good and Evil, King Kong) and Frederick Raynal (Alone in the Dark), became the first game creators to be knighted under France's Order of Arts and Letters. Technically, the accolade does not include the addition of "Sir" to one's name. But screw that. Three cheers for Sir Shiggy!Jeux-France has complete coverage.[Thanks, Tim; via GameBrink]
You may rise, Sir Shiggy
Eurogamer reports that masterful game designer Shigeru Miyamoto is set to be awarded with a knighthood in the Order of Arts and Letters next week by the French Minister of Culture. Though the ceremony will sadly be devoid of pompous accents, damsels in distress and fire-breathing dragons, one can easily draw parallels between the crusades of a knight against an evil king and Mr. Miyamoto's strive for innovation in a tough industry. But really, we just want to picture Shiggy running around in a suit of armor and lopping off limbs (it's only a flesh wound). He'll be joined on the occasion, which marks a first for game designers, by Frederick Raynal (Alone in the Dark) and the disinctly awesome Michel Ancel (Rayman, Rayman 2, Beyond Good & Evil, King Kong). Though we'd prefer they be rewarded with large cash prizes and instant sequel greenlights, a fancy French knighthood is at least indicative of some well deserved recognition for this trio of extremely talented game designers. Seriously, play their games.A further note of interest is that, unlike a British knighthood, the recipient of this award does not get to attach a regal "Sir" onto his name. That's quite a disappointment, what with "Sir Shiggy" having such a great ring to it. Are there any other game designers worthy of knighthood?
Shiggy to have live webchat
Nintendo's own Shigeru Miyamoto, the father of that lovable portly plumber and chicken-abusing Hyrulian, is to be conducting a live webchat this Friday via Webchats.tv. While the duration of this most magnificent event is only 30 minutes (being held between 2 and 2:30pm EST), Shiggy will in fact be taking questions. Here's your chance to try and squeeze some more Revolution information out of him. What questions would you like to ask Miyamoto-San? [Via Gamecloud]
