by Ashley King

Earlier this week we told you that Edge Magazine would have a big feature on Miyamoto in next month’s issue, discussing several of the franchises he helped create, as well as his opinions on the current game industry. It’s not surprising to see a few of these quotes leak from the magazine and one that is particularly fascinating is one in which Miyamoto says that he finds the passive attitude of casual gamers as “pathetic.” Here’s the full quote:

“[These are] the sort of people who, for example, might want to watch a movie. They might want to go to Disneyland

Their attitude is, ‘okay, I am the customer. You are supposed to entertain me.’ It’s kind of a passive attitude they’re taking, and to me it’s kind of a pathetic thing. They do not know how interesting it is if you move one step further and try to challenge yourself [with more advanced games].”

Of course, the magazine does make mention that this is the first time any Nintendo executive has stated their thoughts on the casual gamer and it could potentially hint at a shift from pleasing casual gamers to the more well-rounded gaming audience. Nintendo has always gotten flak for being perceived as casual-friendly, when really their image is more about maintaining a family-friendly vibe. Anyone who has played Donkey Kong Country Returns or Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze can tell you just how hardcore some of those levels can be.

The interview in the magazine goes further, with Miyamoto stating that smartphone gaming has taken some of the pressure off of Nintendo to create games that appeal to a mass audience:

“In the days of DS and Wii, Nintendo tried its best to expand the gaming population.”

“Fortunately, because of the spread of smart devices, people take games for granted now. It’s a good thing for us, because we do not have to worry about making games something that are relevant to general people’s daily lives.”

Does this mark a turning point for Nintendo? Will we see more games that are focused on the experience, rather than accessibility as in the past? We certainly hope so, since it could mean the return of games like Fatal Frame to the West.

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