Shigeru Miyamoto talks Wii and Nintendo at the Shigureden in Kyoto. The legendary game creator talks about how moving outside of the isolated game industry has helped the company understand what players want that much more. He states:
The games industry is like a 'big village.' The centre of the village is the most active and healthy part of the games industry and by staying there, it means you can no longer see the outside world. There you'll be pampered and be surrounded by enthusiasts. But a few years ago, I heard in society that Nintendo was losing its place from the centre... It gave us the chance to slip away and understand the game market more... We've been calmly surveying the market and it's not that we're no good in the games industry anymore; it's just that we've surpassed being a 'village company' and in the centre of the spinning world, we've had a chance to think about how Nintendo should continue in its existence. It was a good opportunity and that's when we came up with the catch phrase, 'something that people aged 5 to 95 can enjoy.'
Gaming is insular, and by moving out of it, Nintendo is hoping to expand it. Though, Miyamoto says that he heard the company was losing its place in the industry's center. Can't help but wonder: If Nintendo's current generation had been as successful as previous ones, what direction would the company have taken?