Beyond the Rhetoric

“A delayed game is eventually good, a bad game is bad forever.”

I’m still trying to recover from my E3 trip, attempting to digest all of that video game-fueled goodness that I observed last week. While there, I had the opportunity to walk through the Nintendo booth and see what had to offer in the next little while. I didn’t get to see Shiggy himself, but I did see the fruits of his labor.

In case you’re not as familiar, Shigeru Miyamoto is the General Manager of Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development (EAD). He’s probably better known simply as a game designer and he consistently shows up as one of the most influential people in the world. He can be credited for all sorts of titles, including everything from Mario to Zelda, Pikmin to Animal Crossing.

Shown above (right) next to his Nintendo partner in crime Satoru Iwata (left), Shigeru Miyamoto has certainly taken more than his fair share of risks when it comes to video game innovation. The rest of the industry thought that the Wii was going to be little more than a waggling fad, but it has gone on to really reshape how mainstream society perceives video games. It’s because of people like Miyamoto that we have titles like Wii Fit and Wii Sports, for example.

Nintendo is also known for having its fair share of delays. People have been waiting for a second Zelda title on the Wii ever since the release of Twilight Princess in 2006. It was only at this year’s E3 that they revealed Skyward Sword. Nintendo wanted to get it right, so they figured it was better to delay a “good” game than to simply release a “bad” game to appease the gamer’s appetite. Similarly, while promptness is certainly important, we should also take the time to make sure we get “it” right.

Amicably known as “Shiggy” on the Internet, Miyamoto truly is an inspiration and we can all apply a few of his lessons to both our careers and our personal lives.

Tags: memorable quotes, nintendo, urgency

Filed under Personal Development.