Miyamoto feels responsible for slugging Wii U sales

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In an interview with Computer and Video Games, Mario and Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto opened up on why the Wii U has been off to a slow start this console generation. In part, Miyamoto feels he’s partially responsible that the Wii U hasn’t met the company’s expectations midway through 2013.

CVG: Wii U has had a slow start. Do you personally feel the responsibility to help steer the ship around with software?

SM: I definitely think I have responsibility. Certainly with the Wii U hardware itself, first and foremost we designed this to be a system that is incredibly convenient to use in the living room, but the challenge with the Wii U system is you don’t really understand the benefits of it until you have experienced it in your living room.

“FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE YOU WANT TO CREATE A GAME THAT PEOPLE WILL WANT TO KEEP AND KEEP PLAYING FOR A LONG TIME”
What we’re finding is that people that own the system and that have played the system enjoy it – their satisfaction level is quite high, but the challenge is we haven’t had enough Nintendo software to provide a broader audience incentive to go out and purchase the system.

It’s particularly clear at E3 this year that with Pikmin 3 and the other games that we’re showing, I finally feel like I’m fulfilling my responsibility by providing people with the type of software that we think is going to make them want to purchase Wii U. And then once they bring it in to the home and they start to understand what kind of convenience it brings through the Gamepad and TV, I think we’re going to start to see people really enjoy it.

You can read the entire interview with Shigeru Miyamoto here, where he also discusses DRM and his love for the banjo.

Harrison Milfeld is a writer, editor, and freelance journalist from Missouri. Ever since he could walk, Harrison has been an avid fan of the world of Nintendo. For years, he has purchased every one of the company's subsequent products (yes, including the Virtual Boy and eReader). It wasn't until he was a young teen when he bought a PS2 that he began to embrace cross-console relations, a decision he doesn't regret. When he's not gaming, Harrison is looking to break into the magazine journalism industry and realize his dream of becoming a features reporter.