Just hours after it was reported that Shigeru Miyamoto had changed roles at Nintendo, the company has released statements denying the story.
An official spokeswoman for Nintendo stated the following:
“This is absolutely not true. There seems to have been a misunderstanding. He [Miyamoto] has said all along that he wants to train the younger generation. He has no intention of stepping down. Please do not be concerned.”
The statement comes after Nintendo’s stock dropped by 2%, and going by the “do not be concerned” part of the statement it would seem like the company are trying to reassure investors all is well.
To further expand on the first statement, Nintendo released another one shortly after, in which they said:
“Video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto’s role at Nintendo is not changing. He will continue to be a driving force in Nintendo’s development efforts. In discussing his priorities at Nintendo in a media interview, Mr. Miyamoto explained how he is encouraging the younger developers at the company to take more initiative and responsibility for developing software. He attempted to convey his priorities moving forward, inclusive of overseeing all video game development and ensuring the quality of all products. Mr. Miyamoto also discussed his desire to pursue fresh ideas and experiences of the kind that sparked his initial interest in video games.”
Well, it seems like Nintendo has a bit of a situation on their hands here. Was Miyamoto interpreted incorrectly during his interview with Wired, or are Nintendo trying to claw back information that wasn’t meant to revealed? Either way, it will be interesting to see what Mr Miyamoto has to say next. We’ll be sure to keep you posted.
Sources: Reuters Japan and IGN
