Miyamoto "is not God", says Iwata

By Ellie Gibson Published 22 May, 2009

Even though he made weighing yourself fun.

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has said his most famous employee isn't infallible - even though he doesn't half come up with a good idea now and again.

"The games [Shigeru Miyamoto] has worked on have a high batting average to produce big hits. However, he is not God," said Iwata, speaking in an investor briefing.

"Even Miyamoto himself cannot hit the mark every time nor always predict how long it takes to complete development."

Which is why it's Iwata's job, he said, to set timeframes for the development process and work out when launch new products. Besides, Miyamoto may be known for creating Mario, Zelda, Wii Fit and all the rest, but plenty of other Nintendo designers have contributed to the success of such products.

"He is just another human being, so it is not possible that every single idea contained in these software was the sole creation of Shigeru Miyamoto," said Iwata.

"Certainly, when it comes to identifying and verbalising some of the important major findings, few people can easily succeed him. For example, few people other than Shigeru Miyamoto can declare that weighing yourself everyday must be fun for everyone.

"However, the fact that Nintendo software is always full of unique and fun ideas attest to the fact that there are many good game creators at Nintendo. Together with Shigeru Miyamoto, all of them have been making what are called Nintendo software."

So what have they been making lately? Iwata declined to say, but he's probably saving it up for E3. Roll on June...

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (41) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • CordableTuna #1 3 years ago

    You take that back!

  • the_dudefather #2 3 years ago

    'Are you a god?'

    '.......no'

    'then....DIE!!'

  • ZuluHero #3 3 years ago

    Thats funny - we we're just talking about this yesturday in the forums...

  • LazyDan #4 3 years ago

    Is he God's son then?

    /Shigeru Miyamoto is Jesus confirmed

  • NegativeZero #5 3 years ago

    Next you'll be telling me that Steve Jobs isn't the digital messiah and Chuck Norris couldn't roundhouse kick me into next month.

  • ArcMonkey #6 3 years ago

    But does he address the rumors about Miyamoto being the antichrist? No!

  • superted1974 #7 3 years ago

    Clearly worried that Shigsy might snuff it and effect their share price!

  • penhalion #8 3 years ago

    Yea I've said it for ages now. Miyamoto is damned good but, he's not the be all and end all of gaming goodness. I haven't really enjoyed the last few Zelda games for instance. Some nice ideas but, the same story re-told every time. Same with Mario.

    I had hoped he would continue the Ocarina and Mask seires as those were excellent, especially the way they followed each other. I felt real empathy for the link in those two stories. Tricked by Zelda into taking the master sword and then leaving the end game celebration banquet (in his honour), which no-one even noticed he'd left! He turning up in the Majora's Mask kingdon where, once again he had to play hero to save people oblivious to their own fates. That had the makings of a magnificent trilogy right there!

    I have a Wii fit board at home that I used a few times and then simply gave up on. Like most things Mayamoto comes up with. They are great novelties until you realise there is nothing else out (that uses the items) that is any fun.

  • skillian #9 3 years ago

    Clearly worried that Shigsy might snuff it and effect their share price!

    Affect.

    Sorry to be a dick, but that one really bugs me.

  • Xerx3s #10 3 years ago

    Miyamoto is jumping ship this E3, CONFIRMED!

  • Burkey123 #11 3 years ago

    ''Yea I've said it for ages now. Miyamoto is damned good but, he's not the be all and end all of gaming goodness. I haven't really enjoyed the last few Zelda games for instance. Some nice ideas but, the same story re-told every time. Same with Mario.Same with Mario''

    Although I disagree with your comment on Zelda, I can see where your coming from.
    Although the story is the same, have you played Mario Galaxy? Pure gaming bliss and the best game of this generation.

    Miyamoto is definitely not God but he is a genius even though he created Wii Music.
    Edited by 2 at 22/05/09 @ 09:48

  • Malek86 #12 3 years ago

    He's talking about Wii Music. I told ya sales were under expectations.

  • ardamillo #13 3 years ago

    Slow news day eh?

  • cymro #14 3 years ago

    Miyamoto isnt a god to Iwata, he's a profit.

  • superted1974 #15 3 years ago

    @cymro

    Quality!!

    :-)

  • superted1974 #16 3 years ago

    @ Skillian

    You are right you know - I apologise

    [link url=http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/affect-versus -effect.aspx
    ]http://gr ammar.quickanddirtytips.com/aff...[/link]

    But hey - you should stay away from interweb forums - they must really wind you up - some people don't even spell check their posts!

  • MyPointIs #17 3 years ago

    "Even Miyamoto himself cannot hit the mark every time nor always predict how long it takes to complete development."

    WHY the hell would you waste his genius making him work on how long it takes to complete a game???

    If they have him working in scheduling (in ANY way) ... something is seriously wrong at Nintendo.

  • spammage #18 3 years ago

    If you remove Miyamoto's body of work from the Wii you are left mostly with shovelware.

  • penhalion #19 3 years ago

    @Burkey123

    I liked Galaxy but, I guess I can't get too enthusiastic about rescuing Zelda for the millionth time or Defeating bowzer yet again. With Majora's Mask I felt some genuine freshness. There was no Zelda to rescue and you felt like a chain had been broken from around your neck. I would have liked Miyamoto to take Link further out into the Hyrule world for some even more interesting adventures. It was even hinted at at the end of Mask. Sadly he never persued the idea for whatever reasons.

  • retr0gamer #20 3 years ago

    He's right

    Wii Music.

  • Triggerhappytel #21 3 years ago

    Sounds a little like sour grapes to me!



    ;)

  • oerhoert #22 3 years ago

    <eM>"If you remove Miyamoto's body of work from the Wii you are left mostly with shovelware."</em>

    Ha. Ha.

  • kangarootoo #23 3 years ago

    I wonder if Shig is planning to retire or someting? And perhaps Nintendo want to make sure everyone doesn't assume that his retirement will sign the end of all the games they love so much?

    It just seems an odd thing to come out with otherwise.

  • Darren #24 3 years ago

    Miyamoto stopped being a god in my eyes the moment he sold his soul to the devil a.k.a. casual masses and released the terrible, terrible Wii Music. If ever there was a game that typified Nintendo's whole attitude to the Wii, it's that despicably shallow game IMO.

  • sneetch #25 3 years ago

    @skillian
    Clearly worried that Shigsy might snuff it and effect their share price!

    Affect.

    Sorry to be a dick, but that one really bugs me.

    While we're on the subject of pet peeves, people: please remember the word is ridiculous and not rediculous.

    (Not you, Skillian, just the hordes who get that wrong again and again.)

  • schnide #26 3 years ago

    Agreed, he's talking about Wii Music. Pikmin wasn't exactly a roaring success in the long term either was it?

    As for Zelda, remember that Miyamoto has been more and more hands off when it comes to each successive Zelda with various new producers having greater input.

  • EvilBob_leeds #27 3 years ago

    Yes he is.

  • rob7red #28 3 years ago

    The key quote of the article is this one:

    "However, the fact that Nintendo software is always full of unique and fun ideas attest to the fact that there are many good game creators at Nintendo. Together with Shigeru Miyamoto, all of them have been making what are called Nintendo software."

    Iwata is simply clarifying that TEAMS MAKE GAMES, not individuals.



  • oerhoert #29 3 years ago

    Which should be unnecessary really, but people are stupid (and auteurism is central to entertainment culture), so I guess it's a useful statement.

  • HermitArcader #30 3 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011

  • Slipstream #31 3 years ago

    Isn't Miya a girls name?

  • Lamb #32 3 years ago

    According to the Gospel of Mario, Shigeru is the messiah of video games. :D

    Having briefly met the great man at a megastore signing several years ago. I can personally say that he is very patient to greet his loyal fans and that makes him all the more endearing.

    He even signed a couple of Sega products by bemused request. :p

  • spekkeh #33 3 years ago

    GET OUT YE PITCHFORKS! LYNCH THE BLASPHEMER!

  • chicknstu #34 3 years ago

    That's awesome. Too many 'Gamers' and the media seem to latch on to individuals, forgetting that a lot of people would have worked these games. It must be quite demoralising for a team to work their asses off only to see a single guy takign all the credit for your work. It'd be like workign in the the public sector!

  • MrsPacMan #35 3 years ago

    I think Mario should get more credit. His is just a plumber after all.

    And...Penhalion you're a 'C'
    Edited by 1 at 25/05/09 @ 22:03

  • man.the.king #36 3 years ago

    I don't know if Xerxes was being serious, but I think there may be a grain of truth in what he posted - Miyamoto may indeed be jumping ship, maybe to Sony or Microsoft, and so Iwata is distancing Nintendo's success from his star designer, so as to not affect Nintendo's stock prices (?)

  • spekkeh #37 3 years ago

    A Japanese leading guy in a company moving to a rival? Unheard of in Japan. He could be jumping ship, but more likely retiring or making toys.

  • Dan234 #38 3 years ago

    @MyPointIs

    "Even Miyamoto himself cannot hit the mark every time nor always predict how long it takes to complete development."

    WHY the hell would you waste his genius making him work on how long it takes to complete a game???

    If they have him working in scheduling (in ANY way) ... something is seriously wrong at Nintendo.

    Christmas 2006:

    - And we need something good for Christmas 2008 on the Wii. Be as creative as you want but it needs to be out by then.
    - Right 'ho, boss.

    Christmas 2008:

    /tumbleweed

  • smelly #39 3 years ago

    If he moved to microsoft (for example) - i could just see the fanboys suddenly start liking his games..

    But nah.. he'll be backstage ready to rush out to reveal new mario..

  • smelly #40 3 years ago

    @Darren : "a.k.a. casual masses and released the terrible, terrible Wii Music. "

    I've take it you've played it then? It's not terrible, it's a game aimed at children. Kids love it.

    Just because YOU dont like it (as it's not aimed at you) doesnt mean it's terrible. That's like watching an episode of sessame street and comparing it to (i dunno) "Lost" or something - and concluding therefor that sesame street is terrible - and the people who make it dont know what they're doing.

    i.e. you're wrong.

  • Lamb #41 3 years ago

    Actually you got it backwards Lost is terrible and Sesame Street was awesome a long long time ago! :p