Nintendo faces a new challenge: how will it satisfy the need of both its loyal core players and the new mainstream gamers it has attracted with Wii and DS? Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto has said that fun is key, and that high-difficulty gaming isn't the way to go.
Speaking about pleasing both types of gamer, Miyamoto told Famitsu magazine: "The fact is, I don't think there is such a wall between both audiences. While there are indeed games designed for core and casual markets, core users are also enjoying casual gaming."
He goes on to explain that it's all about balance: "It is very hard to tune the difficulty just for the core market. Even for us, we would still have difficulty finding the right balance."
Above: A screenshot from Super Mario Galaxy (being playedon legendary difficulty)
"But I think the future is games that are not difficult and yet very fun to play," he said. "What I mean is that there is no point in making a difficulty level the fun factor of a game. We are making Super Mario Galaxy as a new and fun experience which aims at providing a very appealing, convincing and - before all - fun experience. If we managed to do so, then I'm sure even the core gamers will find it appealing."
He goes on to summarize: "We need to release more games which feel like games. It is important that people who are playing them feel that the games are indeed fun to play... Now there is this concept I always focus on, which is you have to feel the fun of a game by only trying it, and that concerns Super Mario Galaxy, of course. Should it be fun by only playing it a short time, this indicates already it has a big value as a product... It is very important that the full fun of the game is being felt in the first stage 1-1."
Source:Next Gen
August 15, 2007
