Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo’s Ace, has some words of wisdom in Scott Steinberg’s new book. He and several other industry figures talk about the factors that set them apart from other developers, and why their game products see success when others see the bargain bin.
Most of the smash hit franchises you’re known for aren’t just huge moneymakers – they’re also 20 years old and still generating massive returns to this day. How do you continue to pump out the blockbusters?
Well, if you look back at [franchises like] the Mario and Zelda series, we don’t really update those games until we have some type of new capability or technology to apply to them. We don’t take the same engine and just create a sequel. Every time we create a follow-up to a title, we rebuild the game, recreate its systems and create an entirely new game. I think that’s one of the biggest reasons we continue to innovate and do so well.
Be sure to be on the lookout for the book Get Rich Playing Games from the former Sega, current SCEA figurehead.
