Shigeru Miyamoto designed board games?!

[KIWASABI]

Hey everybody,

 

I heard on an episode of G4's show 'Icons' that video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto (creator of such video games as Mario, Zelda, Star Fox, Donkey Kong, etc) got his start at Nintendo working on card games and board games. I looked up all board games listed under Nintendo on boardgamegeek.com and unfortunately there weren't any listed from the late 70's / early 80's. Anybody have any ideas as to what games he might have worked on? I did some google searches but didn't find anything promising. Any ideas would be very appreciated.

 

-Adam

[+Charlie Cat]

Hi Adam,

 

At the time Miyamoto (before DK) was so low at Nintendo (during his early years) that mostly his superiors received the credit on what he design & worked on. It went to either his former boss Gunpei Yokoi or someone else. In corporate Japan, the bosses get credit in the beginning from upstart employees that just been employed. He started in 1977, so really his first 3 years before Donkey Kong he really didn't receive credit on his designs & concepts unfortunately.

 

For that, Miyamotos 1977-1980 credited work is virtually unknown however he was credited for some side panel art on Arcade units. But that's about it.

 

Anthony....

Edited January 10, 2009 by fdurso224

[KIWASABI]

Hi Adam,

 

At the time Miyamoto (before DK) was so low at Nintendo (during his early years) that mostly his superiors received the credit on what he design & worked on. It went to either his former boss Gunpei Yokoi or someone else. In corporate Japan, the bosses get credit in the beginning from upstart employees that just been employed. He started in 1977, so really his first 3 years before Donkey Kong he really didn't receive credit on his designs & concepts unfortunately.

 

For that, Miyamotos 1977-1980 credited work is virtually unknown however he was credited for some side panel art on Arcade units. But that's about it.

 

Anthony....

 

Thanks for the info! That's all not very surprising; such is life in the corporate world. Any idea what board games were created by Nintendo at that time though? It would be cool to track them down and try to guess what he worked on.

 

-Adam

[chrisbid]

Hi Adam,

 

At the time Miyamoto (before DK) was so low at Nintendo (during his early years) that mostly his superiors received the credit on what he design & worked on. It went to either his former boss Gunpei Yokoi or someone else. In corporate Japan, the bosses get credit in the beginning from upstart employees that just been employed. He started in 1977, so really his first 3 years before Donkey Kong he really didn't receive credit on his designs & concepts unfortunately.

 

For that, Miyamotos 1977-1980 credited work is virtually unknown however he was credited for some side panel art on Arcade units. But that's about it.

 

Anthony....

 

 

 

this is unique to japan?

[+Charlie Cat]

Hi Adam,

 

At the time Miyamoto (before DK) was so low at Nintendo (during his early years) that mostly his superiors received the credit on what he design & worked on. It went to either his former boss Gunpei Yokoi or someone else. In corporate Japan, the bosses get credit in the beginning from upstart employees that just been employed. He started in 1977, so really his first 3 years before Donkey Kong he really didn't receive credit on his designs & concepts unfortunately.

 

For that, Miyamotos 1977-1980 credited work is virtually unknown however he was credited for some side panel art on Arcade units. But that's about it.

 

Anthony....

 

Thanks for the info! That's all not very surprising; such is life in the corporate world. Any idea what board games were created by Nintendo at that time though? It would be cool to track them down and try to guess what he worked on.

 

-Adam

 

 

Hi Adam

 

Good idea. I have to see as well. I had a japanese friend in junior high school that mention a few Nintendo board games. But he said they weren't that good. Unfortunately, I forgot the names of them. But I guess when he said they weren't good was the reason I guess I didn't do that much research or cared after, until now.

 

Anthony....

Edited January 11, 2009 by fdurso224

[+Charlie Cat]

Hi Adam,

 

At the time Miyamoto (before DK) was so low at Nintendo (during his early years) that mostly his superiors received the credit on what he design & worked on. It went to either his former boss Gunpei Yokoi or someone else. In corporate Japan, the bosses get credit in the beginning from upstart employees that just been employed. He started in 1977, so really his first 3 years before Donkey Kong he really didn't receive credit on his designs & concepts unfortunately.

 

For that, Miyamotos 1977-1980 credited work is virtually unknown however he was credited for some side panel art on Arcade units. But that's about it.

 

Anthony....

 

 

 

this is unique to japan?

 

 

Hi,

 

Yeah, pretty much. Even when Shigeru Miyamoto was breaking away from Gunpei Yokoi and having his own them, he still gave credit to Hiroshi Yamauchi the President & CEO of Nintendo. Unfortunately, the man didn't even lift a finger in making a game or really part of Miyamoto's team, but since he was the boss, he had no choice and he was labeled as Executive Producer.

 

The next thing that was really interesting was "The Window Seat" example. In corporate Japan unlike here in North America & Europe and you pretty much belly up on a pet project or a project that was a huge dissatisfaction with the public, usually you would get fired and be easily replaced.

 

In Japan they would handle the situation differently. Using the same examples (failed project, etc.), it wouldn't be unusual out there for your superiors to give you a "Window Seat". Once your given a window seat, you would sit in front of a window for weeks (or possibly months) doing meaningless work that wouldn't be beneficial to the company, and let the failed project or product to be next to you while your working. The workers would also ignore and hide from you at the same time until your punishment was over, or reassigned to your original position.

 

I do know that Gunpei Yokoi, and Shigeru Miyamoto are no strangers to the widow seat concept.

 

Anthony....

Edited January 11, 2009 by fdurso224

[Royalshin]

Anothony your making no sense at all.

 

A. In any company when anybody works on a project it is for the company. Not yourself. However if there is an agreement of some sort.

 

B. Miyamoto is a Drafter. He can design really good 2d stuff from shapes using tools we wouldn't even know. He incorperates himself into his games.

 

C. Hiroshi Yamauchi was the brat of the Nintendo's household. Nobody at work liked him or respected him. That is why Miyamoto backed him up if he did.

 

D. Gumpei saved Nintendo from failing period.

 

E. The chair thing is fib. The thing is most people in any job gets two options. Do the work you get and go home or stay after hours and cook up something. Most Japanese people do this today working non stop. There is even sleep qaurters for people who work there...not just the dilbert seat. The thing in Japan is that there is no such thing as overtime. This is why US companies fail.

 

F. Today the same thing is occuring in any company. With a bunch of eager employee's submitting ideas. Take Miyamoto in Nintendo power. They made it seem like the guy designed the N64 by himself.

[KIWASABI]

The chair thing is fib.

 

Actually, the window seat concept is very true. The Japanese are so passive aggressive that instead of telling you how dissatisfied with you they are, they'll do some pretty hurtful things akin to the silent treatment. A very famous example of this was when Gunpei Yokoi created the Virtual Boy. The executives at Nintendo didn't like it and were positive it was going to fail. Because of this, they made Yokoi show off the Virtual Boy at E3 by himself; they wouldn't even associate themselves with him or the project. After the Virtual Boy released and failed, they assigned him to meaningless work indefinitely, which forced him to quit and create the Wonderswan. Sadly, he died in a car accident shortly thereafter.

 

Anthony: I'd be interested in hearing what those board games are, but if you haven't talked to that guy in so long it's probably not going to happen .

 

-Adam

[+Charlie Cat]

Anothony your making no sense at all.

 

A. In any company when anybody works on a project it is for the company. Not yourself. However if there is an agreement of some sort.

 

B. Miyamoto is a Drafter. He can design really good 2d stuff from shapes using tools we wouldn't even know. He incorperates himself into his games.

 

C. Hiroshi Yamauchi was the brat of the Nintendo's household. Nobody at work liked him or respected him. That is why Miyamoto backed him up if he did.

 

D. Gumpei saved Nintendo from failing period.

 

E. The chair thing is fib. The thing is most people in any job gets two options. Do the work you get and go home or stay after hours and cook up something. Most Japanese people do this today working non stop. There is even sleep qaurters for people who work there...not just the dilbert seat. The thing in Japan is that there is no such thing as overtime. This is why US companies fail.

 

F. Today the same thing is occuring in any company. With a bunch of eager employee's submitting ideas. Take Miyamoto in Nintendo power. They made it seem like the guy designed the N64 by himself.

 

 

Hi,

 

What I mention in is true.

 

What your mentioning is right but a little off.

 

1. The Window Seat idea is very true and still practice in Japan today.

 

2. Miyamoto had to back him up because he was his boss and had no choice. Its also common in his games that Hiroshi Yamauchi's name is always first mention in the games.

 

3. The rest seems to be fine. But I was mentioning corporate Japan mostly. We in America have our things, and Japan has there's.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anthony....

Edited January 11, 2009 by fdurso224

[+Charlie Cat]

The chair thing is fib.

 

Actually, the window seat concept is very true. The Japanese are so passive aggressive that instead of telling you how dissatisfied with you they are, they'll do some pretty hurtful things akin to the silent treatment. A very famous example of this was when Gunpei Yokoi created the Virtual Boy. The executives at Nintendo didn't like it and were positive it was going to fail. Because of this, they made Yokoi show off the Virtual Boy at E3 by himself; they wouldn't even associate themselves with him or the project. After the Virtual Boy released and failed, they assigned him to meaningless work indefinitely, which forced him to quit and create the Wonderswan. Sadly, he died in a car accident shortly thereafter.

 

Anthony: I'd be interested in hearing what those board games are, but if you haven't talked to that guy in so long it's probably not going to happen .

 

-Adam

 

 

Hi Adam,

 

I haven't talk to him in years and lost touch unfortunately. But I can definitely try to do some research for you if you like. I can ask some of the guys on Nintendoage.com ( that's very good site). Some of there members are my age or higher, so they probably no what were talking about.

 

Anthony....

Edited January 11, 2009 by fdurso224

[Royalshin]

In responce to KIWASABI,

[KIWASABI]

Hi Adam,

 

I haven't talk to him in years and lost touch unfortunately. But I can definitely try to do some research for you if you like. I can ask some of the guys on Nintendoage.com ( that's very good site). Some of there members are my age or higher, so they probably no what were talking about.

 

Anthony....

 

If you're curious enough about it, definitely ask around and see what you can dig up. There is absolutely nothing available online so it looks like talking to people on a forum like nintendoage may be the only way to find anything out.

 

In responce to KIWASABI,

 

It looks like you deleted most of your post somehow.

[+Charlie Cat]

Hi Adam,

 

Right, this got me curious again. Usually I don't fall asleep with things from Nintendo (maybe I was in La La Land during the time).

 

As for searching on the web, the only thing that was a boardgame was Donkey Kong & Nintendo Monopoly. Unfortunately, that's not were looking for.

 

Is there a Japanese website or forum that strictly does boardgames from Japan that has a English translation section. Or better yet, a boardgame website?

 

 

Anthony....

Edited January 12, 2009 by fdurso224

[Royalshin]

I got a idea, why not stage a interview with Miyamoto like most people does. He is very approachable right now. Also considering that Nintendo wants him to shut up about his personaly activities and what makes him so great.

 

It looks like you deleted most of your post somehow.

 

feel asleep with towel on lap.

[Scooterb23]

The problem you're likely to find as you search (and in the brief search I did) is that Nintendo even seemed to kind of "outsource" their work to other companies. So, if you found a board game made in Japan in the 1970's or early 80's, not only would it not have Miyamoto's name on it, it's very possible to not even have Nintendo's name on it.

 

 

This is extremely popular practice (sadly) even today. If Hasbro publishes a board game, 95 out of 100 times, you will not see the designer's name anywhere on the box at all. Very unlike the European style games that have gained popularity over the past 20 years, where the designer actually tends to get a heading above the actual game title.

[frenchman]

No he didn't, he started at Nintendo doing artwork for arcade cabs:

http://www.nintendoland.com/home2.htm?history/hist2.htm

Edited January 12, 2009 by frenchman