A game developer whose name has almost become synonymous with Nintendo, Shigeru Miyamoto has been a part of the video game industry since its fledgling days, working at Nintendo since 1984. The creator of Mario and Luigi, arguably one of the most famous sets of twins in the world, Miyamoto recently declared that in theMariouniverse, he is their father.
In a recent interview withThe New Yorker, the game designer revealed a number of other interesting tidbits about his views on video games and the important place they have held in his life. For example, Miyamoto revealed that his two children understandably played a lot of video games while growing up, including those created bySega, a rival companyat the time.
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While this might seem surprising, Miyamoto expressed that seeing his children enjoy Sega games did not make him jealous, but rather inspired him to create better games so that they would prefer to play his instead. His kids, shared Miyamoto, particularly enjoyed the third-person rail shooterSpace Harrierand driving games likeOut Run,a 3D racing simulatorreleased by Segain 1986.
The relationship that the game developer’s children had with video games growing up was a healthy one, Miyamoto clarifies. Like many parents, he would encourage them to play outside on nice days, and there was never a need to restrict their video game access or take them away. “In our household, all the video game hardware belonged to me,” statedMiyamotoin the interview. “And the children understood that they were borrowing these things.”
Miyamoto, who first worked as Nintendo’s General Manager and now serves as the company’s Representative Director, also expressed that it’s important for parents to understand what it is about video games that makes a child not want to stop playing. While it’s understandable that a parent might become concerned if their child shows too much attachment to a game, Miyamoto hopes to “encourage a relationship between a parent and child that is fundamentally nurturing.”
In a 2018 interview, developer Martin Hollis, who worked as game director onRare’s first-person shooter007 GoldenEye, recounted how Miyamoto contacted him about the game’s “tragic” and “horrible” violence. Miyamoto confirmed that sentiment in theNew Yorkerinterview, expressing that it’s human nature to feel joy at hitting a target, but there are many ways to experience fun. It’s not okay to simply kill all monsters, for example, because even the monsters have a reason for being the way they are. “I wish we were all a little more compassionate in these small ways,” expressed Miyamoto.
In this same vein, in a previous interview, the game developer explained whyMario is a plumber and not a superhero. The goal was to create an average man, someone who might be a neighbor. “No matter what worlds he takes on, Mario remains Mario,” stated Miyamoto.
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