http://www.dshandheld.com/index.php?article=38
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Interviewer Hamamura (hereinafter, Hamamura): Since the Nintendo DS (hereinafter, DS) was announced, over 2 million units have been pre-ordered, far more than the number that can possibly be shipped by the end of the year. How do you react to that?
Shigeru Miyamoto (hereinafter, Miyamoto): First of all, we announced it in January. After that, lots of people got to try it for the first time at E3 in May, and we got a considerable response.
Hamamura: It was pretty great, wasn’t it? People waited an hour and a half to try it.
Miyamoto: Really? [Smiles] But, returning to Japan, I asked my kids at home about it and they said, “What’s a DS?” I then realized that the name hasn’t gotten around yet. From the start, the DS has been for a market that doesn’t yet exist, as it was made with the intention of being something that would be more widely used in the world. What that means is, there was no way to be prepared for this news. In this case, I think it’s fortunate that so many pre-orders have accumulated due to high expectations.
Hamamura: President Iwata said so, but up until now, games have been controlled with a d-pad and A and B buttons. In that regard, the DS boldly introduces a touch-screen and voice input for a really unique means of control.
Miyamoto: The d-pad is also on the DS, but I was worried about its removal many times during development. However, it’s used by lots of previous games. Surprisingly, I didn’t know at the time that the DS would also play GBA games.
Hamamura: The design behind the DS aside, it seems that today’s players are worried about the video game industry.
Miyamoto: Looking at society as a whole, we’ve come to understand that there are people who play video games and people who don’t. That sense of crisis really does exist, doesn’t it? During the Famicom era, anyone could play.
Hamamura: It was new to everyone.
Miyamoto: Right, right. [Smiles] When we made Super Mario back then, people would react by saying, “Ah!” When we make Mario nowadays, people only say, “Oh.” [Smiles painfully] Since we want their attention, I think we’re making games on the DS that anyone can play.
Hamamura: From the start, Nintendo established the d-pad and A and B buttons in video game culture. It took some courage to break away from that culture for something new, didn’t it?
Miyamoto: I guess I was just getting tired of my own style of games. Games that just use the d-pad and A and B buttons seemed limited. Nevertheless, adding more buttons makes things more complicated… That’s something I’ve felt ever since the Nintendo 64, and so now we’ve made games like Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, Mario Party 6, and Yoshi’s Universal Gravitation. It’s good that the DS has two screens and a touch-screen. By trying out controls that have not been seen before, can games be designed to use only a stylus? That’s the kind of thing I think we’ll see a lot of.
Hamamura: Is that right?
Miyamoto: We’ve got some ideas rolling around. There will be games with classic controls like Super Mario 64 DS, the kind that can even be played on the latest cell phones, but that’s not the main goal of the games we’ll sell. Therefore, the DS will act as a pillar that won’t flow with the old style. That doesn’t mean that the GBA will be discontinued. We feel that both can continue to be supported.
Hamamura: So conversely, you say that the DS isn’t the successor to the GBA?
Miyamoto: Right, in our minds.
Hamamura: Is that so?
Miyamoto: Yeah. However, the next step for portables is certainly a high-powered GBA. This isn’t the successor. We feel that the DS can do things that the Cube and the GBA can’t.
Hamamura: PictoChat is built into the DS, and so everyone with a system can enjoy it.
Miyamoto: That’s right. I also thought it’d be good for public relations.
Hamamura: Drawing and sending pictures is fresh and really fun.
Miyamoto: Really. Anyone can bring up a new topic and things are kept interesting. [Smiles] For example, “Draw Mario!” and so on. If someone’s drawing is good, someone else will want to add another, spreading the fun.
Hamamura: Our editors are now taking up the subject of Puppy Times (tentative title). Its concept is also different from anything we’ve seen before.
Miyamoto: Although I’m worried that it can’t help but become a game, I think it’d be fine even if it didn’t. Everyone just wants something fun. If a game is fun, then I just think people will want it. In my own experience, women hold interest in games across a wider range of ages than men.
Hamamura: Uh-huh.
Miyamoto: The musical performance in Jam with the Band is also really fun because humming into the microphone can create a musical score.
Hamamura: The DS can be found to have fun experiences in totally different ways in its games, right?
Miyamoto: It’s not something to find, it’s truly there.
Hamamura: Is that so? Well then, I’m sure there’s more to come.
Miyamoto: Although there are lots of jobs to make regular video game that respond to customers’ expectations, unpredictable games are now appearing more and more. Which, when made, will be unable to stop the joy! [Smiles]
Hamamura: Sounds great.
Miyamoto: Further, worried game designers have looked at the DS since last year and were convinced of this. Will the different means of communication be interesting? A DS placed inside of a bag can automatically detect another system within 30 meters and can give rise to changes in games.
Hamamura: That’s a great breakthrough! With new concepts and actions, the DS is a machine that offers something we really haven’t seen before, isn’t it?
Miyamoto: Yes. [Smiles]
Hamamura: Nintendo has said that the Internet is not worthwhile to its business framework, but would rather find out how it can make playing fun. I think the recognition of that is spreading through society in general. However, something more was said: when there’s a use that lends itself naturally to play, then preparations will commence. The former statement seems very strong, and has given Nintendo an image of being against networking. Even at the presentation a few days ago (10/7), Mr. Kawazu of Square-Enix spoke very little about it during his appearance. Can you expand upon this at all?
Miyamoto: The management of the company has lately had talks with all sorts of other companies about whether we should handle the Internet. However, that will probably bear fruit after three or four years.
Hamamura: That long of a time span?
Miyamoto: With the DS, I think it’ll be faster. I think it will take more time to get users and investors to the same level of interest. In shaping the future, we’re moving in a positive direction. I can’t say anything more until it’s formally announced.
Hamamura: I see. For something that interesting, I don’t think Nintendo will be lacking.
Miyamoto: Yeah, because of our cooperation with Square-Enix. [Smiles] I think there’ll be a hint hidden in Animal Crossing.
Hamamura: With the DS offering so many new ways of playing, will the Revolution, with its heterogeneous goods, also expand the horizons of what consoles have been able to do?
Miyamoto: Like professionals, the players’ expectations won’t stop pointing the way. If we betray them, then I believe our products will lack value. The basic art form of creating interesting video games to play is still full of potential. Please look forward to the results.
Courtesy of DS Update
I'm going to go out on a limb, without even reading that, and know the whole interview they just kissed Miyamoto's ass, and didn't offer any hard hitting questions at all.
I knew it. I just scanned it, and the interview was just an ass kissing session with Miyamoto and the DS, like 100% of the other interviews done with him.
Nothing to see here, move along...
Miyamoto does say that they've had recent talks about online gaming, and that they will "bear fruit in 3-4 years." He also hinted that Square-Enix is involved with it, and that evidence of it could be found hidden in the next Animal Crossing.
Good lookin' out, Roufuss. I won't even bother reading it now.
Yeah, it's good to have others make up your mind for you. Makes like just a bit easier. I rather enjoyed that interview, and that new info is pretty intruiging.
This is probably the most truthful thing hes ever said and I'm glad that he actually lives in reality.Quote:
Miyamoto: Right, right. [Smiles] When we made Super Mario back then, people would react by saying, “Ah!” When we make Mario nowadays, people only say, “Oh.” [Smiles painfully] Since we want their attention, I think we’re making games on the DS that anyone can play.
And my mom plays Feel the Magic X___X So I guess hes right there too.
Quit being so bitter before we put you back in your box, Blindy. You're taking Diff's crown as most distracting thing on the GD board and no one likes you enough to let you slide on the ban.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeremy
Oy! Bitter? It simply bothers me to see folks, like SK in this ONE instance, let others make up their minds for them. It's not hard to read the thing, and yet he opted to forgo even THAT, so I commented on it. The blindy comment certainly wasn't needed, but hey, it was against me, so I'm sure it's just fine and dandy. And hell, if "blindy" can manage to read through an interview, anyone should be able to.