In an interview, renowned game developer Shigeru Miyamoto outlined his retirement plans, and it appears there are no such plans for retirement anytime in the immediate future.
Since 1981 and the creation of the Donkey Kong arcade cabinet, Shigeru Miyamoto has been an iconic figure in the gaming landscape and is often referred to as ‘the father of modern gaming’ due to the profound impact he has had on the industry (although he’s no fan of these exaltations). This week, in an interview with The Guardian, the legendary figure sat down to discuss the prospect of retirement after his 71st birthday just passed. It turns out that Shigeru Miyamoto has no plans to retire yet.
During the interview, Miyamoto also reflected on his current position with Nintendo by saying, “[These days] I don’t think of myself as a game designer,” and goes on to detail how he can benefit Nintendo in the future with “I’m about finding unique opportunities for Nintendo. The way things work here is that, more so than having a plan and following it, we come across certain things and from there, we try to find our own new path.” This is about the many ventures Nintendo has recently embraced, from amusement parks to The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
But regarding the topic of retirement, Miyamoto rejects the notion with “More so than retiring, I’m thinking about the day I fall over,” while also reflecting on the proposition of a successor, saying, “In this day and age you have to think about things in a five-year timespan, so I do think about who I can pass things on to, in case something does happen.”
While his creations have been around for over 40 years, Shigeru Miyamoto believes so many other people have nurtured them that he no longer feels total ownership over them, but he still hopes everyone remembers him as the legendary creator he has proven he is over his storied career. Fans can head to The Guardian to check out the entire interview.
