Miyamoto: Games based on developers’ personal interests resonate around the world, not those aiming for global appeal | VGC

Submitted ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨villainy@lemmy.world⁩ to ⁨games@lemmy.world⁩

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/miyamoto-games-based-on-developers-personal-interests-resonate-around-the-world-not-those-aiming-for-global-appeal/

cross-posted from: lemmy.world/post/49816572

In an interview in the new issue of Famitsu, Miyamoto was asked why Nintendo‘s IPs are enjoyed around the world.

Miyamoto replied that the key to a successful game isn’t looking at what’s trending and trying to capitalise on that, but starting with ideas that the developers personally find fun and working around them.

“People have long asked me, ‘why does a mustachioed middle-aged guy like Mario sell so well?’ and I always think, ‘that’s a bit rude, isn’t it?'” Miyamoto joked (via machine translation). “Well, I wonder the same thing myself – why did an older guy like this become a hit? But if you look at it simply, it’s because he was introduced alongside incredibly fun games.

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janus2@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
gee, who knew that people prefer art made with passion to “art” designed to make a profit? 🫩

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- mursejoy@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
  It’s the same thing we see with Star Wars. It was a nerdy thing a guy made and the world loved it. Now it’s a corporate market research driven machine that lacks a soul.
  
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  - SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world ⁨22⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    The nerd himself did that to the franchise. Like Ewoks were added to sell more toys and then he made the Prequels which was nothing but corporate slop again to sell more toys.
    
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- cavitationfetishist2@quokk.au ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
  Almost like I’m curious to engage with others and don’t want slop designed to slide down my throat easily, or something.
  
  Oh well; everyone who decides what gets made is a shallow narcissist with no interiority these days.
  
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- ms_lane@lemmy.world ⁨22⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  I don’t even mind if it’s designed to make a profit.
  
  However when it’s designed by a committee or worse a committee of committees, it all feels hollow and soulless.
  
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missingno@fedia.io ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
I suppose the real point here is to just make the games you want to make, and as long as your passion shines through your audience will find you.

But it's interesting to me to contrast Miyamoto's statement with the fact that Nintendo absolutely has been aiming to globalize their IPs - and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Look at Rhythm Heaven for example. DS and Fever had dubbed audio for the international releases, which was somewhat divisive with ~~weebs~~ fans. Megamix featured dual audio for the first time, and that's good because options are good.

But then Groove took a different approach, the game is designed to not need a dub in the first place. There are fewer vocal cues compared to previous entries, and they're either gibberish or in a few cases, English words that are so common to be understood globally (even for the Japanese version, random English words in video games is seen as cool). There simply aren't any games with full sentences like Ringside or Love Rap this time around. So now the audio is just identical in all releases.

Vocal tracks are present, and most of them are Japanese, but they've also included a few in English, French, Spanish, and Italian. And those are again just the same in every version. Rather than swapping out the vocal tracks for localizations, they've opted to give the game a wider mix of more songs in more languages. It's a deliberate change in direction, and it's one I think is pretty cool. Reminds me of how Tekken switched to having every character speak their own native language (with subtitles).

It's a sort of reverse localization, where they've designed the game in a way that minimizes the need to localize much anyway. I think it makes perfect sense to try and move in this direction, and it's clearly worked out since Groove massively outsold its predecessors, but at the same time it's a little sad to think there's probably never going to be anything like Bon Odori in future titles.

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Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨17⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
It’s the same kind of advice that used to float in the Tech Startup world before it became dominated by money men and frauds: the best project is one that scratches and itch you have.

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billwashere@lemmy.world ⁨19⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
I have more interest in someone’s passion than a game designed by committees and interests groups.

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rursta@retrolemmy.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
says the guy censors the fudge out of consumers & fanwork.

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- Jomega@lemmy.world ⁨20⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  You seem to be under the impression that Miyamoto is running Nintendo. Your anger at their legal practices should instead be directed at their actual president, Shuntaro Furukawa.
  
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  - rursta@retrolemmy.com ⁨13⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    You’re also threadiverse illiterate🤦‍♀️.
    Downranking comments does not mean “I disapprove.”
    
    Just reply back why you disagree, or get in pylova, and react it instead.
    
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  - rursta@retrolemmy.com ⁨14⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    I’m actually politically literate enough to tell you you are wrong too.
    When is Miyamoto going to quit, form a syndicate, and pay syndicalists what they yield?
    
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marighost@piefed.social ⁨19⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
He’s a hypocrite because in the same interview, he defends their unnecessary remakes by saying it allows new players to experience them if they can’t go back to play the original versions.

He then confirms that Starfox and Yoshi were released this year to coincide with the Mario Galaxy Movie. So are they games that developers want to play, or marketing stunts? This old man needs to retire.

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thingsiplay@lemmy.ml ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
I think it depends on the genre and even down to each individual game. Especially cheaper the game to produce, the more can be experimented not caring if its a failure. Because some taste might work for a small group and others might work for a bigger group. To me its fine to have games trying to appeal globally, but not in cost of individual games. I like both type of games, as long as they are realized well.

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CosmoNova@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
What‘s Miyamoto‘s history with apes and plumbers? I would love to hear about those stories.

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- Jomega@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
  Oh, I know this one! ahem
  
  So Donkey Kong came about out of happenstance. Nintendo was just getting into the budding arcade scene, and was in the middle of producing a licensed game based on Popeye. In fact, they were so far into production that when some behind the scenes bullshit meant the deal was off they had a nearly finished game that they still wanted to sell and not feel like they wasted all that time, money, and effort. That’s when Miyamoto had the idea to keep the gameplay while changing the games art assets and premise. Popeye, Bluto, and Olive Oil, were replaced with Mario, Donkey Kong, and Pauline respectively. After they unexpected success of Donkey Kong lead to them to do more with these now unaffiliated characters, there came a need to flesh out they world they lived in. Miyamoto always thought of Mario as a cartoon character, perhaps owing to the circumstances of his creation, so the Mushroom Kingdom as it was now came to be known was given a sort of classic cartoon aesthetic, the kind where it feels like anything could happen. The rest is history.
  
  Star Fox doesn’t have quite as interesting story behind, sorry to say. Miyamoto says he had seen Top Gun and wanted to make a game about fighter pilots.
  
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  - janus2@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
    I enjoyed reading this ty
    
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- cavitationfetishist2@quokk.au ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
  Did you ever play Zelda: links awakening? Play that and tell me that isn’t about someone’s childhood spent by the sea.
  
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  - thingsiplay@lemmy.ml ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
    Link’s Awakening (the original on the OG GB) has a very special place in my heart, just like A Link To the Past. For years I debated with myself (no we are not split personalities) about the ending. I could listen to the tunes all day long, especially Tal Tal Heights. :-) You just unleashed a wave of nostalgia feelings.
    
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ChicoSuave@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
Miyamoto-san, the games that are released now are based on the personal interests of the publisher. "Gimme money!"is a game that deeply resonates with their desire.

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ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world ⁨21⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Chud gamers: “This means all games must contain racist and sexist elements!”

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