Meeting Mr Nintendo

Last Modified: 20 Oct 2008
By: Benjamin Cohen

To fans of video games, he's like Steven Spielberg and Robert de Niro rolled into one: the brains behind everything from Donkey Kong to the Wii, which turned Nintendo into a household name.

But now Shigero Miyamoto has condemned the increasing use of violence in many games - and he's urged developers to find other ways of attracting players.

Miyamoto was speaking in London where he's launching a new game - and despite the economic downturn, he's hoping for another success.

Shigero Miyamoto: in his own words

I don't want to curb freedom of expression but I am concerned that many developers focus just on excessive violence in order to stimulate people's mind. I believe that there are more ways of grabbing players' attention than violence alone.

We need to eat in order to live - that's our first priority but entertainment and the enrichment of our souls must come in second place.

Nintendo's mission is to improve and to take advantage of cheap technology to create reasonable and affordable entertainment. Our games are good value.