Nintendo will not be hosting a regular press conference this year before the start of E3. They will, however, still be hosting a much smaller press conference where attendees can learn about the games that will be on show, and also get some time with those games. At the moment, we’re not sure if this will be live streamed.
Shigeru Miyamoto, perhaps the most influential game designer ever to exist (and I use “perhaps” loosely, since I think it’d be very hard to argue against this detail), was recently asked, “What continues to inspire you?” And here’s what he said:
I can take a look around at anything which is happening around me or around the world and sometimes I can notice that for this particular thing, even though it is one of the very ordinary things surrounding us, if we can apply an interactive nature or game technology to that, it’s going to be something very unique. That’s going to be something that people will enjoy.
And:
In the case of the Nintendo DS, you can bring the Nintendo DS anywhere, that’s why I was able to think in terms of how it could be used at the museum, for example. And in the case of Wii, Wii is supposed to be inside the house, most often in the living room where families get together, I always thought in terms of how it could expand the joy inside of the living room.
In an interview with EDGE magazine, Shigeru Miyamoto has explained his desire to make games:
I think my starting point was I wanted to write and draw manga. Basically, this hope of mine materialised in game creation. So, to put it very simply, it’s my job. My driving force is that I really love surprising people, creating fun experiences and moments for them, [and] finding ways to help them enjoy themselves.
And I think it’s safe to say he’s been successful in regards to that driving force.
I was sure Nintendo would release a redesigned 3DS (such as the 3DS XL) next year, but Miyamoto has said that he is “satisfied with the 3DS hardware as it is” and feels “like it’s the best for this generation”. As a result:
What we’re thinking about right now is probably going to be for a future generation of handheld.
That doesn’t mean we should expect to see what comes after the 3DS in a couple of years. Nintendo always starts to work on the next thing as soon as they’re finished with the current thing. But now I’m curious if we’ll see any sort of redesign. What do you think?
Nintendo gave hundreds of 3DS units to the Louvre in Paris to be used as audio guides when exploring the museum. If you’re not planning on heading to Paris in the near future though, then feel free to live vicariously through Shigeru Miyamoto. He’s toured the museum with the 3DS, and you can click here to see the video, or check after the break to see a few photos.
In lighter news (okay, so all this news is fairly light), here’s a photo of Shigeru Miyamoto sitting in one of the life-sized Mario Karts. There’s another one after the break.
Wired reported that Shigeru Miyamoto was retiring from his current role at Nintendo and would from here on out only pursue smaller projects. As it turns out though, this is incorrect. Here’s a new statement from Nintendo:
Video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto’s role at Nintendo is not changing. He will continue to be a driving force in Nintendo’s development efforts. In discussing his priorities at Nintendo in a media interview, Mr. Miyamoto explained how he is encouraging the younger developers at the company to take more initiative and responsibility for developing software. He attempted to convey his priorities moving forward, inclusive of overseeing all video game development and ensuring the quality of all products. Mr. Miyamoto also discussed his desire to pursue fresh ideas and experiences of the kind that sparked his initial interest in video games.
So yeah, that’s good.