Shigeru Miyamoto, the creative director of Nintendo, has reaffirmed that he has no intention of leaving the company.
The man behind some of the most cherished Nintendo and video game properties (including Super Mario, Donkey Kong, and Legend of Zelda), Shigeru Miyamoto, has no intention of retiring. It appears that the renowned developer, designer, and executive still intends to maintain his workload despite reaching 71 years of age and working for Nintendo for 46 years.
In a recent interview with The Guardian, Miyamoto expressed his thoughts on the future, emphasizing that retirement isn’t on his mind as much as planning for unexpected situations. He said, “More so than retiring, I’m thinking about the day I fall over. In this day and age you have to think about things in a five-year timespan, so I do think about who I can pass things on to, in case something does happen.”
He reflected on the need to consider the future and the possibility of passing on responsibilities to others in case anything happens. Miyamoto expressed gratitude for the energy surrounding the projects he’s been involved in, acknowledging that they’ve evolved beyond his sole ownership and have been nurtured by various contributors.
Miyamoto said, “I’m really thankful that there is so much energy around things that I have worked on. These are things that have already gone out into the world … they’ve been cultivated by others, other people have been raising them, helping them grow, so in that sense I don’t feel too much ownership over them any more.”
Despite his immense contributions to Nintendo, including creating many of its best-selling game franchises, he has taken a step back from hands-on game development in recent years. He has been involved in overseeing projects like The Super Mario Bros Movie and the Super Nintendo World theme park attraction.
Miyamoto humorously mentioned in the interview that as younger developers have taken the lead in developing his iconic franchises, there might come a time when he’s forgotten.
While Nintendo undoubtedly still has its seasoned rock stars, it also appears to be developing a sizable pool of fresh talent to go on with its legendary properties. Super Mario Bros. Wonder placed a significant emphasis on the concepts developed by younger artists to innovate the Mario formula. In light of this, Miyamoto stated that he believes Mario and his other Nintendo products have developed well past his control. However, he hopes that the teams he collaborated with will remember his contributions to these creations.
He said, “There is a scene in Iron Man where the president goes to his own company and the guard man doesn’t let him in, and he points at the portrait and says: ‘That’s me!’. But I really hope that the teams I work with, at least, remember me as the creator of these things!”
Reflecting on the future of Nintendo without his presence, Miyamoto expressed confidence that the company’s essence and vision are deeply ingrained in its executive team and creators. He emphasized a shared understanding within Nintendo about its identity and principles, suggesting that the essence of Nintendo wouldn’t significantly change even after he retires.
Miyamoto’s comments coincided with Hideo Kojima, the creator of Metal Gear Solid, sharing similar sentiments about not wanting to retire on Twitter. Well, both creators, despite their tremendous success, expressed a desire to continue their work, acknowledging their privilege to make such choices and stay engaged in their professional lives.
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