07-19-2007, 01:54 PM
Here's some of the key points from an interview between Wired News and Shigeru Miyamoto.
Wired News: I was just playing Super Mario Galaxy, and I was really interested in the two-player mode. Could I hear about why that came about?
Shigeru Miyamoto: One of the driving forces behind it was that we felt that since Mario 64, a lot of people have had a hard time playing the Mario games because of the move to 3D. So this time, we really wanted to create a Mario game that everybody can play -- but we still wanted to do something in 3D. So that was really the genesis of the idea.
The other thing is, with the Mario games, if you're playing and there are people sitting next to you, they're always saying, "Oh, go over here, go look at that thing." And so we thought that with the Wii remote and the pointer we would be able to make it more interactive for the people sitting on the couch next to you, who could guide you along the way pointing at different objects.
WN: And (Wii Fit)'s actually coming out this year in Japan, right?
SM: Yes. We've already started manufacturing the Balance Boards.
WN: Getting off this subject, can you tell me what's going on with Wii Ware? It's been announced, but we haven't heard any details.
SM: Wii Ware is something that we've had planned all along for the system, so even though we've just announced it it's not something that's very new for me. But, our group isn't specifically focused on developing any Wii Ware. But we have in our internal development teams who are constantly doing different experiments and will have different ideas about games. And oftentimes a lot of those experiments can't be fully fleshed out into, say, a Mario game or something like that. But those individuals will often want to find a way to take those ideas to market. So it's possible that we might be able to take advantages of some of those resources and turn them into small and compact Wii Ware games.
But really, I think the advantge of WIi Ware is that it allows a lot more freedom -- they can take something that's a much smaller concept or idea and turn it into a game that they can present to the public. So I think it adds another layer of freedom for the developer.
WN: Tell me more about Wii Music. I thought maybe that game would be a shoo-in to get shown at E3.
SM: We had a few too many titles to show off this year at E3, so we decided to hold that one back. I think it will be another big step forward in terms of Touch Generations style games for Wii, so you'll just have to wait until we can talk about it.
WN: Is that still on for this year in Japan?
SM: I kind of focus on games in order, one by one. I'm focused on these right now. So I'm thinking Wii Music might be good for next year sometime. Mario Kart, as well.
WN: Tell me more about Wii Music. I thought maybe that game would be a shoo-in to get shown at E3.
SM: We had a few too many titles to show off this year at E3, so we decided to hold that one back. I think it will be another big step forward in terms of Touch Generations style games for Wii, so you'll just have to wait until we can talk about it.
Some of the things Miyamoto-san has to say are very interesting, but then, an interesting man doesn't even describe Mr. Miyamoto's diet dress sense.
Unlike many game designers, Shigeru Miyamoto thinks not about improving upon ideas that are already there, but rather on including concepts that haven't been considered.
"Oh, go over here, go look at that thing."
How often does this happen to us when our friends are visiting? For me, it's all the time. But of course, you don't want to hand them the controller, because you're afraid they'll take the credit or something else selfish. Having to tell a friend to pick up the other Wii Remote seems like a much simpler prospect, and also is a great way to keep guests entertained.
"They can take something that’s a much smaller concept or idea and turn it into a game that they can present to the public. So I think it adds another layer of freedom for the developer." This is the future of gaming. Rather than relying on big time developers to create games for you, why not let the small, garage developers from your local village do it?
From this interview we can also breath a sigh of relief that Wii Music is still on track, but we may not see it until deep into 2008. But, with the strong third-party support that Nintendo can boast about for both Wii and DS, I can't see many gamers caring. Besides we all know that Miyamoto is a perfectionist, and some perfectionist he is.
Wired News: I was just playing Super Mario Galaxy, and I was really interested in the two-player mode. Could I hear about why that came about?
Shigeru Miyamoto: One of the driving forces behind it was that we felt that since Mario 64, a lot of people have had a hard time playing the Mario games because of the move to 3D. So this time, we really wanted to create a Mario game that everybody can play -- but we still wanted to do something in 3D. So that was really the genesis of the idea.
The other thing is, with the Mario games, if you're playing and there are people sitting next to you, they're always saying, "Oh, go over here, go look at that thing." And so we thought that with the Wii remote and the pointer we would be able to make it more interactive for the people sitting on the couch next to you, who could guide you along the way pointing at different objects.
WN: And (Wii Fit)'s actually coming out this year in Japan, right?
SM: Yes. We've already started manufacturing the Balance Boards.
WN: Getting off this subject, can you tell me what's going on with Wii Ware? It's been announced, but we haven't heard any details.
SM: Wii Ware is something that we've had planned all along for the system, so even though we've just announced it it's not something that's very new for me. But, our group isn't specifically focused on developing any Wii Ware. But we have in our internal development teams who are constantly doing different experiments and will have different ideas about games. And oftentimes a lot of those experiments can't be fully fleshed out into, say, a Mario game or something like that. But those individuals will often want to find a way to take those ideas to market. So it's possible that we might be able to take advantages of some of those resources and turn them into small and compact Wii Ware games.
But really, I think the advantge of WIi Ware is that it allows a lot more freedom -- they can take something that's a much smaller concept or idea and turn it into a game that they can present to the public. So I think it adds another layer of freedom for the developer.
WN: Tell me more about Wii Music. I thought maybe that game would be a shoo-in to get shown at E3.
SM: We had a few too many titles to show off this year at E3, so we decided to hold that one back. I think it will be another big step forward in terms of Touch Generations style games for Wii, so you'll just have to wait until we can talk about it.
WN: Is that still on for this year in Japan?
SM: I kind of focus on games in order, one by one. I'm focused on these right now. So I'm thinking Wii Music might be good for next year sometime. Mario Kart, as well.
WN: Tell me more about Wii Music. I thought maybe that game would be a shoo-in to get shown at E3.
SM: We had a few too many titles to show off this year at E3, so we decided to hold that one back. I think it will be another big step forward in terms of Touch Generations style games for Wii, so you'll just have to wait until we can talk about it.
Some of the things Miyamoto-san has to say are very interesting, but then, an interesting man doesn't even describe Mr. Miyamoto's diet dress sense.
Unlike many game designers, Shigeru Miyamoto thinks not about improving upon ideas that are already there, but rather on including concepts that haven't been considered.
"Oh, go over here, go look at that thing."
How often does this happen to us when our friends are visiting? For me, it's all the time. But of course, you don't want to hand them the controller, because you're afraid they'll take the credit or something else selfish. Having to tell a friend to pick up the other Wii Remote seems like a much simpler prospect, and also is a great way to keep guests entertained.
"They can take something that’s a much smaller concept or idea and turn it into a game that they can present to the public. So I think it adds another layer of freedom for the developer." This is the future of gaming. Rather than relying on big time developers to create games for you, why not let the small, garage developers from your local village do it?
From this interview we can also breath a sigh of relief that Wii Music is still on track, but we may not see it until deep into 2008. But, with the strong third-party support that Nintendo can boast about for both Wii and DS, I can't see many gamers caring. Besides we all know that Miyamoto is a perfectionist, and some perfectionist he is.
Written by: CZMQFRG
Reported by: Kindrik
Reported by: Kindrik
