ONM: Exclusive Interview w/ Shigeru Miyamoto

[Adr990 2]

ONM interviews Shigeru Miyamoto, asking him questions how he wanted things, and how it turned out.

It's pretty large, go check it after the jump!

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ONM: Recently, you said that you’ve wanted to create a multiplayer Mario game for 15 years. Why did it take so long to come to fruition?

Shigeru Miyamoto: We’ve been experimenting with many different approaches over the years. As a result, through trial and error, we realised we finally had the know-how to create a multiplayer mode. But the biggest change was the availability of the technology within the Wii hardware.

Before then, it was not actually possible. It’s quite a technical thing you are talking about – to enable multiplayer mode in one fixed screen like in Super Mario Bros – and we really had a great many challenges to overcome. For example, when there are multiple players appearing on one screen, if somebody is late to catch up, then naturally without zooming out the total visible area of the screen, then that player might get left out. They would be off the screen and would not be able to play. And because each character is moving with their own AI, it required a great deal of processing power and that was provided by the Wii.

ONM: Was online multiplayer considered for the game at all? Was it just too difficult to get it to work without any lag?

SM: Well, it’s not for purely technological issues that it wasn’t included. After all, as you know, we already have online play in Smash Bros., and technologically speaking, I don’t think it’s creating a high amount of lag. It’s just a matter of our priorities when it comes to the creation of a game. We just prioritised on making a multiplayer mode where four players can sit together and play while seeing each other’s faces.

We thought that this was more important as far as this New Super Mario Bros. was concerned, but we don’t know about the future. Because network environments are getting better and better every day, it may be possible in a future edition to incorporate that type of multiplayer online mode for a real-time action game. But I am just talking about the technological aspect here. What’s more important, of course, is if it’s going to add to the fun aspect of the game.

ONM: Would you say that’s part of the overall strategy with the Wii – that you wanted to get away from the traditional image of the lone gamer in the bedroom? Was it a deliberate decision to make local multiplayer games so that the family could all sit in the front room and play together?

SM: No, I would not say that. I just mean that it so happens that the Wii hardware now is often hooked up to a big television in the living room, so with those kind of circumstances, when we thought about what kind of Super Mario Bros. game we should make, we imagined that multiplayer mode would enable and invite the whole family to play together.

That’s not just confined to this specific project but I myself am a self-declared avid gamer – for my age! – and I’m always fond of playing the single-player mode and trying to conquer everything myself. But also, there are many Nintendo employees who are really good at the Super Mario Bros. games and when they try out New Super Mario Bros. Wii’s multiplayer mode they enjoy themselves very much.

In addition to being able to enjoy the game’s single-player mode, they said that they were able to discover this new joy that they hadn’t experienced with previous versions of the Super Mario series.

So in addition to the solid fun being delivered by the single-player mode, the fact that we were able to add the multiplayer mode was a significant improvement. Coin Battle is going to be really exciting!

ONM: You’ve spoken about making Super Mario Galaxy 2 more difficult. Will we see the Super Guide return in that game?

SM: Well, as far as the challenge of Super Mario Galaxy 2 is concerned, I think it’s going to be a really challenging game, but whether or not we are going to incorporate the Super Guide, I just cannot tell. In general, wherever and whenever appropriate, I think we will want to incorporate that kind of thing, but I cannot commit myself to anything specific right now.

[Read the Full Interview at ONM]

Source: Wiinintendo.net

[Eka 387]

SMG 2 being more challenging? Alright! =D