Miyamoto Could Have Made Halo
via ign
Shigeru Miyamoto, the famed Nintendo game designer who was recently picked as one of Time's 100 most-influential people, says he could have made Halo, had he wanted to. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Miyamoto reveals that he is not interested in making the games people want -- he's trying to make the games people don't even know they want, yet.
"I could make Halo," Miyamoto says. "It's not that I couldn't design that game. It's just that I choose not to. One thing about my game design is that I never try to look for what people want and then try to make that game design. I always try to create new experiences that are fun to play."
Shigeru MiyamotoThe designer also shares his unique approach to market research. Instead of focus groups and demographic analysis, he watches the expression on a gamer's face while his game is being played. "When I show a game to people I don't ask their opinion or give them a survey. I just watch their eyes and their face while they play. Do they smile? Do they look frustrated? So I guess I do test my games -- but it isn't very scientific."
Sometimes his sense of what gamers want to play isn't 100% accurate, as the disappointing sales of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess in Japan show. Miyamoto believes the audience for an epic, hardcore adventure game is shrinking, which could mean we can expect more casual games from Nintendo. The designer says Twilight Princess is selling "okay" in the U.S.
