Earlier it was stated in an interview with Wired.com that Shigeru Miyamoto was going to step down. However it seems that after this was made public that not only did Nintendo’s stocks drop by 2 points but Nintendo is out to put the worries to rest by stating that Shigeru Miyamoto is not stepping down. They go on to state that the interview was misunderstanding and that he has no plans to step down at all.
“This is absolutely not true,” said a spokeswoman for Nintendo. “There seems to have been a misunderstanding. He has said all along that he wants to train the younger generation.
“He has no intention of stepping down. Please do not be concerned.”
CBS news followed up with Nintendo and received the following email response;
“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.”
Something seems amiss here. It’s really hard to misunderstand when someone says they step down or quit, especially when you are talking to them directly. That’s kind of like someone giving you the finger and you misinterpreting it as a “Thank You”.
So what’s the real deal here? Noone but Shigeru Miyamoto knows and I’m pretty sure now that he isn’t even sure.