Miyamoto Discusses Game Length, Hardware Unveilings

Nintendo luminary Shigeru Miyamoto has spoken out, in more forthright terms than normal, against modern trends in video game design and the recent Microsoft and Sony hardware unveilings, in a recent press interview. Speaking in Chris Morris’ Game Over column on CNN.com, the creator of Mario Bros., Donkey Kong and The Legend of Zelda has commented: "There's not a lot I want to play now" with regards to today's video games. "A lot of the games out there are just too long. Of course, there are games, such as Halo or Grand Theft Auto, that are big and expansive. But if you're not interested in spending that time with them, you're not going to play", suggested Miyamoto. These comments, alongside the promotion of recent 'software toys' or productivity software such as Nintendogs, Electroplankton and DS Training For Adults: Work Your Brain, are perhaps the most insightful clue yet as to Nintendo’s plans for software going forward, particularly with regards to the GameCube follow-up console currently codenamed Revolution. Appearing to assuage fears that the Revolution would be notably less powerful than its rivals, Miyamoto added: "The Revolution will use cutting edge technology, but it's ultimately about how that technology is used. We asked ourselves 'Why would a family need or want to have a gaming console?' The answer is what's driving development of the Revolution." "Rather than thinking we have a new console, let's make epic games, I want [developers] to make more unique products," he added. Finally, commenting on the pre-E3 presentations from Sony and Microsoft, Miyamoto claimed not to be impressed. "Most of what you're seeing are not even the first projections of games," he said. "They're just shiny computer graphics. They're things anyone using a computer can do." The full CNN article regarding Shigeru Miyamoto is now available on the CNN Money site.