Miyamoto: Fewer people like big games nowadays

Wii News | Zelda sales below Shiggy's expectations.

Nintendo games guru Shigeru Miyamoto has said he believes consumers are increasingly reluctant to play big, lengthy games, such as the Zelda titles.

While admitting that sales of Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess were "okay" in North America, Shiggy did tell EW.com that he wasn't entirely happy with how the game had gone down in Japan, where it has been outsold by both Wii Sports and Wii Play (the latter of which came bundled with a Wii remote). "To be honest with you, Twilight Princess is not doing very well at all in Japan," confessed Miyamoto. "It is very disappointing."

When asked to explain why people had shied away from Zelda compared to Sports and Play, Miyamoto replied, "I think a lot of people who bought the Wii are not necessarily the types of people who are interested in playing that kind of game. And a lot of the people who would want to play it [due to chronic shortages of the console] can't find a Wii! But mostly, I think it's that there are fewer and fewer people who are interested in playing a big role-playing game like Zelda."

Elsewhere, Miyamoto also discussed the subjects he would deal with if he ever made a game about real-world issues (though his answer of young people not getting up to offer elderly people a seat wasn't quite as heavy as the issues addressed by the likes of PALGN favourite Defcon, which Miyamoto described as having a "powerful message").

And he also took a dig at what he saw as a general lack of innovation in games, arguing that, "I could make Halo. It's not that I couldn't design that game. It's just that I choose not to. 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."

For the entire interview, click here.

Related The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Content

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Review
07 Dec, 2006 Deep, engrossing, beautiful - Link's return is a triumphant one.

Wii sells 600,000 in US
29 Nov, 2006 Zelda picked up by 75% of Wii owners.

Twilight Princess manual surfaces online
17 Nov, 2006 Link to the Pamphlet.

Page12 3 4 Next

83 Comments

Spanca

6 years ago

"It's not me, it's you"

littlemo

6 years ago

How about the fact that all the true 'big' games aren't on Nintendo consoles... when people only get fed mini games and licensed filler there is no appetite for 'big'

ugh the boot

6 years ago

It seems to me like Nintendo were all talk before the Wii came out and now that it's out all I hear are a bunch of excuses.

DancesInUnderwear

6 years ago

Zelda would have sold well in Japan had Nintendo themselves not completely changed the market there. But since Common Sense Training costs less than Twilight Princess to make, we're gonna get screwed.

-1 for the Shigster.

Jim Dash

6 years ago

"I think a lot of people who bought the Wii are not necessarily the types of people who are interested in playing that kind of game."

Idiot. They either gave into the fad, being non gamers, or are Nintendo fans, there for the Zelda, Metroid, Pokemon, Mario, etc franchises.

LeonJ

6 years ago

ugh the boot wrote

It seems to me like Nintendo were all talk before the Wii came out and now that it's out all I hear are a bunch of excuses.

I didn't get that from the article? Go check the sales figures. Last time I checked Nintendo were rolling in cash due to the Wii and DS. Out selling the PS3/360 happily. Espically in Japan! Nintendo owns that place right now. Last week they had 5 Wii games and 5 DS games in the top 10.

RE: Zelda. Shiggy, you can't keep doign the same thing over and over. It's time to shake up Zelda. LOZ:TW has a master peice, but was OOT done right.

ugh the boot

6 years ago

Firstly it's not about the DS....secondly they are excuses...."We could make Halo"....so in other words "If we didn't want to be so innovative we could make games like Halo and get sales" = excuses, excuses.

Also I don't care if it sells 1 billion machines....mine and most others are sitting there gathering dust, so it doesn't mean sh!t to us how many they sell.

Karai Pantsu

6 years ago

Yeah, that whole 'I could make Halo if I wasnn't so busy innovating" bit was lost on me, too. What was so innovative about TP again? Was it all that stuff that's featured in Zelda games for years, or did I miss something?

RhysDeschain

6 years ago

Ahhh... so good to hear more like-minded ppl (except LeonJ). It's true; ALL THERE IS on the Wii are weak PS2 ports and lame minigame compilations. I bought this system for innovative ways to play sweet Nintendo games, not badly done ports with gimmicky controls. If Shiggy means what he said, its bad news. Good-bye Metroid, hello Raving Rabbids 6 :I

legend166

6 years ago

UGH STOP TALKING OUT OF YOUR ASS.

ugh the boot

6 years ago

If i'm talking out of my ass...i'd hate to know what you're talking out of cuz you're way more full of sh!t. Also try and make a valid contribution to the thread instead of just insulting people when you disagree.

realitybites

6 years ago

Well you know one of the biggest issues is they delayed Zelda TP for over 18 months so they could use it as a launch title for the Wii.

Now that's Nintendo's perogative BUT you can't expect the legions of Nintendo fans to be very happy about that fact given they promised it on the GC. You can argue your bush lawyer tactics they did but only after much public indignation. Which isn't the best way to win loyal friends.

Nintendo have constantly and historically shown they give little thought to their fans hence their dwindling fan base. The Wii is off to a great start but Nintendo to me still have the same leopard spots. They still promise great games somewhere in the future and what a lot of people have realised is Nintendo don't necesarily make the best games anymore and such is the shift to consoles like the Playstation.

As for not wanting long games I think that's bollocks what they don't want is to invest money into big budget productions with a small user base. Expect more lengthy delays in future on AAA titles.

slapshakle

6 years ago

ugh the boot wrote

If i'm talking out of my ass...i'd hate to know what you're talking out of cuz you're way more full of sh!t.

Shiggy wrote

I never try to look for what people want

Yeah, I hate when game developers make games I want too.....

Capoeira

6 years ago

I actually thought he said what he did in response to Zelda being outsold by the casual game market, not as a definitive statement.

But remember that he said it was people who bought a Wii that aren't necessarily after big budget games and I've got to agree with him. The Wii was positioned as a console for casual and non gamers to enjoy so you can't be surprised when games targeted at that demographic start outselling the hardcore market.

Hardcore gamers that thought this would be a console for them are kidding themselves and I include myself in that statement. It was too drastic a shift from what we were accustomed to and the change was jarring. Plus Nintendo's archaic decision to by stunt the power of the console rubbed many people the wrong way, which when coupled together equals many unhappy gamers.

When I bought my Wii, I was after something new and different but it didn't live up to my initial expectations. I'm more pissed off about that, not the fact that I won't be getting many 'big' games on the console. If I wanted 'big', I'll stick with the more capable consoles.

LeonJ

6 years ago

ugh the boot wrote

There is no point in Nintendo trying to create Halo clone or tap America gaming tastes. As a Japanese developer they cannot break into that market. Do you think Nintendo have the mindset to create an adult FPS? No, they should stick to what they know best. And that is trying to create new fresh ideas into gaming.

I think his dissapointment with Zelda should not have been a shock. The hype for the game was no where near the level of OoT. I mean I'm a Zelda nut, but I wasn't as pumped for this game as I have been for older Zelda titles. As much as I hate to say it, Zelda is a bit stale now.

But, like every console, we need to wait before the games begin to flow in. The PS3 and Wii have nothing of interest at the moment. Like the 360 did when it first came into the market. I think it's harsh to write of the Wii as a dusk collector at this point. I for one have chalked up twice as many hours on the Wii then the PS3 to date.

EvilHayama

6 years ago

It might happen that, now that the Wii has a large and growing userbase, people will make more games for it? That won't happen overnight except for crappy ports as it takes ages for a game to be made from scratch, so even if they started making a decent game when wii sales went nuts it probably won't be out till next year, which sucks for anyone who only has a Wii!

I reckon that a lot of publishers would have held off on starting Wii games until it looked to be going better than the GC.

David

6 years ago

Quote

This is a key issue. The Wii is so popular in Japan that a lot of gamers can't get one. This is obviously a problem, but Super Paper Mario is selling very well, and Zelda keeps on selling every week, so they're slowly getting their hands on the console. It's not like Zelda's bombed, it just that it's been overshadowed by Wii Sports.

And if he's disappointed with Zelda's sales in Japan, I'd hate to think what Sony (and Microsoft) are thinking. Zelda has sold almost double the #1 selling PS3 game (Gundam Musou).

ugh the boot

6 years ago

Yea somehow I don't think Sony were really relying on Gundam Musou to sell....whereas Zelda is a different story, Nintendo have been slaving over it for years.....Gundam Mosou looks like it was whipped up in an arvo.

Also the best games at the moment are on the 360 and that is barely selling at all over there....which basically shows the market is completely different over there or that they're too ignorant for their own good.

I used to think japanese games were the only games worth playing but after experiencing stuff like Halo and God of War and with awesome titles like Bioshock and Alan Wake on the horizon....i'm less and less interested in japanese games.

There's only so far Nintendo can get on 'charm'.

David

6 years ago

^^It's not just Gundam Musou - I only mentioned that game because it's the highest selling PS3 game in Japan. And Namco Bandai had huge expectations for it - they announced they hoped to sell 2 million (yet it sold about 240,000).

Other games, including some very big Japanese names (Virtua Fighter 5, Ridge Racer 7, Motorstorm) have absolutely bombed. Zelda has sold more then six times VF5.

ugh the boot

6 years ago

I don't see any of those games being big in japan except maybe Virtua Fighter 5 but the arcade scene is HUGE still in Japan so I can see enough people getting their Virtua Fighter 5 fix at the arcades instead of buying a $1000 system for it.

Watch how it sells when stuff like Heavenly Sword and Final Fantasy come out.

And there's only so far games like Ridge Racer can go with the exact same mechanics over and over and over and over.....

Infact i'm glad crap like Ridge Racer doesn't sell.

ObsoletE

6 years ago

Capoeira wrote

But remember that he said it was people who bought a Wii that aren't necessarily after big budget games and I've got to agree with him. The Wii was positioned as a console for casual and non gamers to enjoy so you can't be surprised when games targeted at that demographic start outselling the hardcore market.

agreed, i don't think the headline should've been (paraphrased) "All Gamers don't want longer games", but rather "Wii Gamers don't want longer games".

i also think DIU is onto something too, it's like the current TV climate, "reality" TV is cheap as chips to make, hence we get a lot of it, and quality TV i losing out.

i'm not saying Brain-Age and so on are crap, or not Quality, but if you promote a console with this image (casual, not crap), don't be surprised if thats what people want from it.

to say that Zelda length games aren't wanted is blatantly wrong, just look at how well Final Fantasy sold, but this isn't what he said.

Tom101007

6 years ago

he must still accept that people love the zelda games and other games like it, if he wants proof that people still like rpgs then look at all the online rpgs those are huge games and people like them

Crestfallen

6 years ago

Comprehension my fellow posters.

article wrote

"I think a lot of people who bought the Wii are not necessarily the types of people who are interested in playing that kind of game. And a lot of the people who would want to play it [due to chronic shortages of the console] can't find a Wii! But mostly, I think it's that there are fewer and fewer people who are interested in playing a big role-playing game like Zelda."

Shiggy acknowledges the shortage and the n00bs, but he says that the reason Zelda isn't selling well is MOSTLY due to people not wanting to play those kind of games.

I take this a sign that the Wii is only going to go downhill in terms of games. Nintendo are laying the foundations to a future of casual games, and letting everyone know so we don't feel sold out down the road.

I don't think Nintendo will ever be the same. They've been dominated for 10 years now and have left the race. Technically they're not dead like Sega, but this is close enough for me.

Qbert

6 years ago

^Overreaction much? Because Miyamoto says that there are fewer people wanting games like Zelda, you take it as a sign of Nintendo as a whole are doomed! Geez, it's not like Mario, Metroid and Brawl are all withing 12 months of release...

People from Nintendo have been saying this for years, but that has not stopped all the quality, long and content rich games being released on their systems.

Page12 3 4 Next

View as forum topic

Add Comment

Like this news?

Share it with this tiny url: http://palg.nu/1aj

| More

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Pre-order or buy:
PALGN recommends: www.Play-Asia.com

Australian Release Date:
  Out Now
European Release Date:
  Out Now
Publisher:
  Nintendo
Developer:
  Nintendo EAD
Players:
  1

Read more...

Related Media

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Review