Summary
Many gamers would considerNintendocreative mastermind Shigeru Miyamoto to be a genius, but he himself recently played off such a claim, instead looking at his accomplishments with more humility. Miyamoto’s impact on not onlyNintendo, but the video game industry at large is substantial, having helped create iconic franchises likeSuper Mario Bros,Donkey Kong, andThe Legend of Zelda. These franchises have gone down in history as some of the most well-known and financially successful of all time, making Nintendo a household name in the process.
Miyamoto has said that he isn’t retiring anytime soon, and continues to share valued insights into the ever-changing video game landscape. From the use of generative AI in game development to the relevance ofgraphical performance in the ongoing console wars, Miyamoto’s thoughts on gaming carry much weight among players and fellow creators, with many ranking him among the industry’s greatest visionaries.
An investor recently went as far as to call Miyamoto a genius during a Nintendo financial Q&A session, which was shared and translated byNintendo Life. Miyamoto reacted to the interviewer’s use of the word “genius” by explaining thatNintendo employees who attend his annual lecturesoften comment on how surprisingly “normal” he comes across as. As such, he doesn’t consider himself to be a genius necessarily, but someone who thinks about how to work more efficiently to make sure his next project is a hit.
Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto Doesn’t Call Himself a “Genius”
It’s worth noting that the translation in question isn’t an official one, but it seems to be in keeping with Miyamoto’s documented humility toward his many accomplishments in the gaming world. These accomplishes have started to branch out beyond video games, as Miyamoto has had a hand in recent Nintendo ventures likeThe Super Mario Bros. Movieand theSuper Nintendo World theme parks, and he is producing the upcoming live-actionLegend of Zeldafilm alongside longtime Marvel producer Avi Arad.
Miyamoto still works at Nintendo as a “Creative Fellow,” providing feedback for games in development. In this capacity,Miyamoto continues to share the experiencebuilt over nearly 47 years of crafting some of the most beloved games and properties of all time, and many might be forgiven for calling him a genius. However, Shigeru Miyamoto seems to see himself as a regular person making his way in the world, something that has reportedly taken his employees atNintendoby surprise.
