Nintendo is a company built completely off of making fun, family-friendly experiences. Before that, however, they made simple playing cards and novelty toys. One man’s influence was all it took to completely change what Nintendo to become. We all know of the influence that Shigeru Miyamoto has had on the gaming industry. Now, he is leaving the Mario, Zelda, Metroid, and other classic brands that he has overseen for a quarter of a century to pursue smaller, more personal games that will take less time.
I know that the title may be a bit misleading (quotation marks can only do so much), but he is retiring. At least, from his current position. Think of it as “stepping down.” Here, I’ll let him clarify, via an interview with Wired:
“Inside our office, I’ve been recently declaring, ‘I’m going to retire, I’m going to retire,’” Miyamoto said through his interpreter. “I’m not saying that I’m going to retire from game development altogether. What I mean by retiring is, retiring from my current position.”
“What I really want to do is be in the forefront of game development once again myself,” Miyamoto said. “Probably working on a smaller project with even younger developers. Or I might be interested in making something that I can make myself, by myself. Something really small.”
What this sounds like to me is a return to his early days, where new IP were spawning left and right. We may never see an icon quite like Mario or Link, but a something fresh is definitely welcome. After all, this is the guy who practically rebuilt the industry. We can expect details on the project as early as next year.
UPDATE: A spokeswoman for Nintendo has clarified. “He has no intention of stepping down. Please do not be concerned,” she said. You can read the full details in the published story by Reuters.
