Shigeru Miyamoto: meet the mind behind Wii Fit
Posted by Lorrie Lynch
If there's one electronics item that could rival the iPod in terms of popularity, it's the Nintendo Wii. When it was released a year and a half ago, stores couldn't keep them in stock, and the little white box was being sold on eBay and Craigslist for hundreds of dollars more than the set price. Now Nintendo has released the game Wii Fit, which lets users try all sorts of exercise activities, from yoga to hula hooping to soccer (pictured at right). In this weekend's issue, writer Scott Jones interviews game inventor Shigeru Miyamoto, the mastermind behind Wii Fit (not to mention classics like Donkey Kong, Mario and Zelda) and one of Time's 100 Most Influential people this year. Read the full story here, and click below for a little more from Scott's interview.
I've interviewed Shigeru Miyamoto twice in my career and both times I experienced what can only be called "Wizard of Oz Syndrome." In other words, pull back the curtain, and like Dorothy, instead of finding a daunting, near-mythical creature, I found a quiet, humble, thoughtful, earnest man who seems as astouned by his success as you are.
Miyamoto listens very carefully to the questions he's being asked, and does his best to respond honestly and openly. He never has a Blackberry or cellphone, or any tech-y distractions nearby. I can't same the same for most of the athletes, musicians, or distracted actors I've interviewed over the years.
Realizing that many of my journalist peers had already spent hours grilling the man on more serious matters, in New York I tried to bring a little levity to our conversation, and asked Miyamoto if working for Nintendo — a nerdy video game company — ever hindered his chances with the ladies. Miyamoto laughed (as did his translator), then responded, "You'll have to ask my wife that question. She's been married to me for many years now."
(photo courtesy nintendo.com)
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