Interview:Games Radar September 3rd 2000

https://web.archive.org/web/20090129151946/http://miyamotoshrine.com/theman/interviews/030900.shtml

DRUK: How do you feel about Gamecube not using cartridges? Miyamoto: Well, Gamecube is going to have a lot of RAM on the console itself, and while we can't tell you how much at this time, it will be a lot. So [as far as loading times are concerned] I don't think you're going to see much difference in terms of having cartridges or not. And, of course, now we're not using cartridges there's going to be much less cost involved. Now we can have much more RAM for less cost, so it's a kind of compromise. Of course, we have to keep mindful of loading times, but we have noticed that many game players on the PlayStation are very generous when it comes to waiting over loading times!

DRUK: Where do you get your inspiration and ideas for your games from? M: I'm having a kind of rational approach here - I always think what I'd like to do myself, and the kind of game I'd like to play myself. So I start with a technical experiment, and have plenty of conversations and discussions, and then, in most cases, I can get some kind of conclusion about the 'play' I want to have. Or, I think "is this going to please game players, or surprise them".

DRUK: Nintendo has mentioned that Gamecube is going to be very easy to develop for - how is this possible? M: I was afraid many of you here today were going to ask about Gamecube! This is a pretty tough question from a technical point of view, but if I can, I'll try to explain. The game designers start working on certain data, they spend a certain amount of time on this, and then they give it to the programmer, who will then try and realise this data [as a game] on the computer screen. First of all, it shall be easier to have a standardised format of these processes. We'll also have a standardised set of development tools, so the cost of developing [for Gamecube] will be highly decreased. So one game designer can afford to have one set of development tools for themselves. And from a programmer's standpoint, the 'computer language' that we use will make programming for Gamecube much, much simpler [than anything else]. As an example, for N64 and PS2 it's tough work to create a good 3D engine; in the case of Gamecube - as you have seen yesterday - we have shown a 'power bar' which indicates the speed or time necessary to realise high-detail effects. So, once you've created an engine, you still need to take into account what effects you need and how it is going to affect the processing time, and to what extent you can, or can't do this. But, as you saw yesterday, whatever effects you want to use will not largely affect the processing time. This is the biggest advantage for game developers on Gamecube, as they don't have to minimise the processing time for special effects. At the show in Makuhari last week [Spaceworld], we unveiled the 1T SRAM technology, and whilst I'm not in a position to boast, this is the world's best graphics chip.

DRUK: It seems that now, with PS2, Dreamcast and Gamecube, there's a console war coming. What are your weapons, and how will you win this war? M: Well, we certainly don't have the intention to fight against anybody else, and don't think that we are cowards, but we are working on the subjects which become necessary for what game users want. In other words, what we have to do in order to make a 'weapon', in your wording, is to make fresh and exciting games. It's not like "who's winning and who's losing", and as far as 'war' or 'fighting' is concerned, please count us out. We like to go our own way. One of the biggest concepts concerning Gamecube is that I want it to be a machine the whole family can use. So that's why it must be reasonably priced, and even small children can use it, and these kind of concepts are enshrined in the controller design, console design and the cheap chipsets. Of course, if we are simply going to make the best games format in the videogame market, and we have the hardware to realise that, then I can tell the hardware people that we must have a cheap chipset. We want the whole family to use it, and it must be easy, and we don't want them to think about how much it's cost. Those of you that have experienced Super Mario Bros. In your childhood may now be of the generation where you have children that are starting to play games. That's what videogames should be - things the whole family can play.

DRUK: Most next-generation consoles that are appearing nowadays are offering all-in-one entertainment, like Internet capabilities and DVD movie playing. Yet you decided to go to a point where you're solely dedicated on gaming purposes and nothing else. What led to this decision? And how helpful has it been to you as a producer of videogames? M: It's very simple. It's the Nintendo company motto that we have to do what only Nintendo can do, and the multi-purpose games machines - meaning that you can do a variety of things - so often end up being the machines that can't do anything. In the case of Nintendo, it's rather different. What Nintendo can be proud of is constantly providing the customer with guaranteed quality software. That's what we can say when we're providing the customer with a new generation of gaming platforms. On the other hand, people are talking about multi-purpose machines, and from the manufacturer's standpoint, they're saying "look, we've made this machine, it's up to you how to use it". Through the many years I've been in this business, I've seen many hardware manufacturers simply ignore what content will be running on their platforms. I have to admit that I don't like these kind of ideas. Now is the time that we, the content creators, have to get together to lead the market. Nintendo is good at entertaining, and we are going to guarantee with this new platform that it is going to be fun. And, of course, it has the capability for 'multi-purpose', but we are not guaranteeing it's going to be multi-purpose, that's all. Having said that, however, Nintendo has been experimenting with the network technologies utilising the mobile [phone] technologies. At this point in time, I have to say, we haven't reached the point where we can name games and content - we have just started these experiments with the Game Boy, and in the near future we are confident we can link several Nintendo platforms together. That's what we 're doing at the moment.

DRUK: There is going to be a modem adapter and a broadband adapter available for Gamecube. Will it launch with games that can use these, or will that come later? M: Of course we are working on this, but I simply cannot say which software will take advantage of it. But we are targeting the launch so that some kind of game will take advantage of the modem. And some kind of modem technology will be launched simultaneously with the Gamecube. When it comes to the specific networking that Nintendo has shown - the mobile adapter that utilises the Game Boy/Game Boy Advance, and enables the linking of Game Boy Advance, Gamecube, and Pokemon Crystal - these kind of things will be launched soon. Basically, we are going to expand entertainment by linking the platforms we have.

DRUK: Many of Nintendo's characters are very well established - can you give us any idea of what to expect from Mario, Yoshi and Link? M: Yes, I have to admit that of course we are working on Gamecube games featuring these popular characters. But, frankly speaking, I don't want a situation where our creative staff is solely occupied with the creation of established game series. For example, at Spaceworld last week, we exhibited a game called Animal Forest; it's a very unique game, we call it a 'family communication' game, and we hope that we can bring these kinds of new genres to the Gamecube. DRUK: So we can expect new characters, then? M: [proffers pen to journalist] Can you write down some new characters that I can use? [laughter] Well, you know Pokemon has become so powerful that I think I better come up with some new characters!

DRUK: With that in mind, will we see a new Metroid game? M:[laughter] It is possible, if my staff members work very, very hard. Of course, you saw Metroid in the demonstrations yesterday, but there was no sign that said "this is a Metroid game"... It's a difficult question, and I sort of answered it earlier. Whilst movie directors are actually making their movies as the cameras are rolling, they always have a scenario in their head beforehand. It's just like the theatre; on the stage, when actors are practising, the director can see what's good and what's bad about the scenario, and then they can make a good play. In terms of Gamecube, what is important is that we start with ideas, and then make characters and so on, and as we go along we can see what's good and what's bad about it.

What is most important is the initial idea; if it's not a good one, then the morale of the people working on that game won't be high. So we start with an idea like 'people can grow in the game, and make themselves better', then we work on that. And whenever we are making this kind of thing, what we always keep in mind is 'what was important for us when we were children'? What was fun then? That is the core of many of my games.

DRUK: With the game and the movie industries moving closer together, where do you see games in the future? M: I think this is interesting, simply because nobody can tell what will come in the future. Some may say the 'movie-type' game can become interesting, but I don't think so. The integration between the movie and the game should not be the main focus of this industry; yes, we can learn a lot from the movie industry, but we should absorb these ideas, so we can improve game contents, so we can evolve the shape of the game. That's the kind of thing that makes sense in this industry. If we are simply trying to make a movie-like game, then I don't think that's so good. After all, we are making interactive entertainment, so we can all be the pioneers of any new entertainment, and create different things from movies and what we have now.

I don't want to say that videogames are transforming into any other existing entertainment medium. President Yamauchi has some different ideas, though... [laughs]. I believe that the entertainment business is kind of an industry which puts different value to 'ordinary stories', so they can sell 'ordinary stories' at much higher prices. This is the kind of business where you can make money out of a simple idea, and when people say 'we are going to make a 'movie-type game', they are saying 'let's spend so much money on the gorgeous graphics and sound'. I don't think that that's the shape of the games industry. We should be spending time and money making magic.

DRUK: On the N64, apart from games that you have worked on, are there any games that you've been particularly impressed with? M: [Thinks] Rare. The Rare company make very good games. But otherwise, there are not many unusual or unique games out there at the moment - and that's what we should all be doing.

DRUK: What steps are you taking to ensure strong third-party support on Gamecube? M: Of course, we never force third-party companies to make games for Nintendo, but with Gamecube it's going to be very, very easy to make games, and the hardware capacity is going to be much, much bigger than the ones introduced by other companies. I believe that third-party developers will find it very easy to develop software for Gamecube, as opposed to the N64, as the cartridge system was quite difficult to work with.

DRUK: We all very much enjoyed your guitar playing yesterday [Mr. Miyamoto played air guitar and danced to the Gamecube Pokemon demo] - do you still play the banjo? M: [laughs] Well, I'm actually very bad with the banjo, but I do enjoy guitar ,and especially acoustic guitar, and I often practice playing it...

DRUK: Can you tell us about a project that you're working on at this time? M: Well, as you may know, I now have a bigger responsibility at Nintendo as one of the board of directors, and I have to see the much bigger picture on the creative side of the games. And, for example, my responsibility now includes the Game Boy Advance, and I am supervising about 30 titles at one time, and I cannot be deeply involved in many of them. So, honestly speaking, I'm only deeply involved in about two or three projects - for example, Zelda and the Mario series. I really want to make something very unique, very different. And now that you've seen the 'Mario 128' demo yesterday, that's a finished, working demo, so I'm hoping I can sell it when we release Gamecube - free of charge!

DRUK: When you started developing videogames, you started with very small teams, perhaps five or six people, and now you are supervising 30 games at a time, with huge teams. How do you feel about that? Do you feel freer to create? M: Honestly speaking, I preferred to have a small team. But if I have to make only one game at one time, it's kind of stressful for me, so I'd rather work on more projects at once. But at the moment I'm seeing too many videogames, so I cannot fully enjoy myself. But as I said, we want games to be played by the whole family, so we're connecting Gamecube and Game Boy Advance, implementing communication networks, and so on, so this is a new approach, and making this work is actually really fun for me right now.