Mario's Dad.

I have just read an article (Master of Play, Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo’s man behind Mario, New Yorker - December 2010) which sweeps across a several of the key concepts we’ve been reviewed over the last few weeks.

Beyond profiling Miyamoto, claiming him to be a video games auteur, the article explores the idea of play. Nintendo was founded in 1889. Long before it created it’s first video game it had been in the business of creating analog tools of play… “karuta”  or playing cards. In 1949 Nintendo, under license, produced Disney character cards that became hugely successful. Understanding the dynamics of play have been part of Nintendo’s culture for over 120 years.

Talking of his game development experience, Miyamoto explains the need for “kyokan”…”Kyo is the sharing and Kan is the emotional feeling”. I found this relevant to the course discussion on high/low culture in finding a balance in a experience that will appeal to a wider range of gamers.

In reference to lowering barriers to immersion Miyamoto says “I always remind myself, when it comes to a game I’m developing, that I am the perfect, skilful player. I can manipulate all this controller stuff. So sometimes I ask the younger game creators to try playing the games they are making by switching their left and right hands. In that way, they can understand how inexperienced the first timer is.”

He gives compares game development to writing a detective novel, giving the player just the right amount of information at the right time.

Explaining agency Miyamoto says “The difficulty with video games, unlike movies or novels, where authors themselves can lead the audience to the end, is that in games it’s the players who have to find their own road to the end.”

The article is useful in reviewing applying some of the concepts covered so far in the context of one the industry's creative leaders and the contribution of Nintendo.