The Nintendo Wii is an incredibly influential and important piece of video game hardware. While it can often be remembered for its silly shovelware and waggle controls, Nintendo created a home console that broadened the spectrum of who could enjoy the fun. From hardcore gamers slashing Bulblins in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess to grandmas bowling a 264 in Wii Sports, the Nintendo Wii truly was a special console when it launched fifteen years ago. But according to a recent interview, the idea may have been conceptualized far earlier than when it was sent off to the masses on November 19, 2006.
Shigeru Miyamoto has a unique leadership style at Nintendo, and he has helped mold the company for decades. Not only has Miyamoto crafted games like Mario and Zelda, but he has also been the brain behind consoles and even Super Nintendo World. Recently a Gamers' Republic Magazine article was discovered from 1999 in which Miyamoto talked about his thought process in how games were are not always designed for everyone, but Miyamoto wanted to change that.
In speaking with Gamers' Republic Magazine, Miyamoto commented that games should be enjoyed by everyone. He believed that it was the duty of Nintendo to make that possible through creative game design. There is a balance. Nintendo has a duty to make new games for its hardcore players but also create experiences that new audiences will be able to consume and enjoy. Although ambiguous, this sounds a lot like what the Nintendo Wii ended up being. The Wii and its library had its ups and downs, but the console as a whole was a massive success in bringing players together of all verities and all levels of experiences.
Although it is in fact a part of Nintendo's responsibility to also provide new games to those hardcore gamers, we should instead always think about new entertainment possibilities for everybody.
Shigeru Miyamoto may be the most influential figure in video game history. The gaming side of Mario, Zelda, Pikman, and Star Fox are just the starting point, as those franchises have provided endless hours of joy to gamers. On top of that, Miyamoto has taken charge at Nintendo with helping create hardware that is entirely creative, with each new piece of tech being a total overhaul from the previous, quite unlike what the other hardware manufacturers come up with.
Nintendo is always finding new ways to innovate. But perhaps most importantly, and most relevant to the idea that Miyamoto was thinking of Nintendo creating games for everyone decades ago, The Big N makes games for all. Somehow a game like Super Mario Odyssey or Animal Crossing: New Horizons, for example, can simultaneously speak to a child, a senior gamer, or the most seasoned Nintendo fan--and that is truly special.