Nintendo’s Miyamoto on game delays
Friday, August 24th, 2007 at 4:05pm by Blake
For as much as I despise delays (especially when they are for strategic reasons), this wise and famous quote by Shiggy really puts things into perspective.
A delayed game is eventually good; a bad game is bad forever.
Oh, and you’re a jaded Som’B if you don’t like Miyamoto…
August 24th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
When I read the headline of this article, I thought it was going to deal with the fact that Miyamoto doesn’t keep his promises with game releases. Granted, I agree with the quote, but he specifically said that:
a) Metroid Prime 3 was going to launch with Wii.
b) Super Mario Galaxy was “probably going to launch with Wii,” and that if it did not, that we would “definitely be release within the 6 months following the launch.”
Again, I am all about making sure the game is the best it can be, but Nintendo doesn’t want the reputation of delaying games so frequently that it becomes a negative label.
August 24th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
^It doesn’t have to be a Negitave label. I think it depends on how you think of it; You either think they delay too much, or you think that perfection is very important.
Doesn’t that quote bring you back to the good o’ days of waiting for Twilight Princess?
August 24th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
I insist that it has become a negative label. When Nintendo announces a release date, they should make it reasonable, taking into consideration (BEFORE they announce that date) the amount of time it will take to perfect a game. Instead of doing what they did with LoZ:TP, SMG, SSBB, and MP3 (among countless other titles), they should announce a release date only when they know that the game is DEFINITELY within 6 months of perfection.
Delays are inevitable, but should happen only everyone once in while (at MOST twice a year, especially with these bigger titles); it shouldn’t become a habit! Nintendo can still achieve game-perfection by sticking to original release dates… IF that release date is well thought out.
August 24th, 2007 at 6:33 pm
I think I have become immune to delays, and am only disappointed by cancellations of what I thought to be a promising title. Delays have become a part of life in the game industry and it seems that the greatest and most enduring games, were victims of delay at some point, but as the wise Miyamoto implies, it is not the delays people remember.
It is the games that follow a strict time line and are released on the day and date of a deadline that often feel rushed or incomplete. I believe this is often the reason movie based games are so bad as to correspond to a film’s release (note that Goldeneye a movie based game, was much delayed and I believe rumored to be vaporware at one point, then released to much acclaim and is still one of my favorite titles).
August 24th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
Knowing near nothing about Mario Kart Wii, do you HONESTLY think that it (and WiiFit) will be release within the first quarter — first TWO quarters, even — of 2008?
With a 0 for 4 record with Twilight Princess, Corruption, Galaxy AND Brawl… why SHOULD we believe them?
Don’t get me wrong: I LOVE Nintendo… and when these games finally come out, they are / will be INCREDIBLE. But like I said, Nintendo should be able to stick to a release date.
August 24th, 2007 at 6:49 pm
Miyamoto needs to have a word with Ubisoft:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Infendo/~3/147815894/
August 24th, 2007 at 9:19 pm
That comment brought a smile and a tear to my eye. If only I could express my love for Miyamoto in words… And no, it’s not that kind of love. =/
August 25th, 2007 at 1:26 am
If Kabukii is as shallow as the first Raving Rabbids game, or as clumsy as Red Steel or as awful as Far Cry Vengeance, it’ll only prove Miyamoto’s point yet again.
August 25th, 2007 at 3:09 am
I read that quote a while ago and I couldn’t agree more. Now if only he could give a firm punch in the face to EA and Ubisoft to hammer in this philosophy.
August 25th, 2007 at 6:20 am
Far be it for me to diasagree with Miyamoto, what about a certain game with a pointy-hat elf and a talking boat?
Also, I’m not against (slightly) shorter games. I think the 96 exit Super Mario World is about the right lenght and find the 120 stars in Super Mario 64 / Sunshine to be excessive.
Also agree with Bryan. Within reason, cut the content and get the game out. Content removed can always be added or improved upon for the sequel
Super Metroid is considered to be one of the finest (non Miyamoto developed) games if it’s type but many at the time were berating it for it’s length.
August 25th, 2007 at 11:01 am
@ Bryan and MIS - How long have you been playing Nintendo games?
August 25th, 2007 at 11:37 am
Since NES in my case.
August 25th, 2007 at 12:57 pm
Since NES.
August 25th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
A delayed game is eventually good; a bad game is bad forever.
Very ture.
But, if it was a truly BAD game, would it not be canned ealry on?
Is that not what happened to H.A.M.M.E.R ?
August 25th, 2007 at 1:45 pm
@Bryan and MIS - Really? Because you should be used to game delays by now really…
August 25th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
too many ‘really’s is that previous comment…
Hm, It is just that Nintendo delays games so often and for so long that most Nintendo gamers realize that they company can only produce so many top tier titles per year. I mean they are Nintendo, but they are also human beings (the exception being Miyamoto). I just doubt that any other company in the world could produce hardware and software and maintain such a high quality. Heck zero of Sony’s good games come from their in-house studios, and MS doesnt make games either, they buy companys to do that for them. I mean as much as it sucks, get used to it.
August 25th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
^(Edit:Current Sony games for the PS3)
August 25th, 2007 at 3:13 pm
Game delays really only started from the onset of Zelda: OoT for the N64.
As for games being delayed: I’ve NEVER been used to it - usually when games are delayed I normally just don’t get to play them. The demands of my time and attention just shift elsewhere.
Did Twilight Princess being repeatedly delayed for the GC help or hinder sales? I would’ve probably played TP when it was due to be launched on Nov 2005. But with the barrage of DS and other Wii titles, I just lost interest…
August 25th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
@MIS - Even if I give, and lets assume the first game ever delayed was OoT…Nintendo has therefore then had delay problems since November of 98, here we are almost nine years later and you havent gotten used to it yet? Wow.
Secondly, would releasing Twilight Princess for the gamecube exclusively have hurt sales, as well as releasing a less perfect version of the game? Yes undoubtedly so. As the Wii has the far superior control scheme I would say that the delays actually helped this game out (sales-wise) AND made it better by doing so. I am very sorry that you lost interest in the best fan-service Nintendo has ever given, maybe you should pick it up sometime?
(As a side note, I would have played the game on ‘05 as well. We are on a Nintendo enthusiast website, anyone here would have. The game is not any worse for being delayed, though you did really miss out on a fun one, if in fact you did not pick this title up because it got delayed, sorry)
August 25th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
What I find peculiar about the delay and eventual porting over to Wii of both Twilight Princess and Super Paper Mario is that these are both CORE Nintendo games. Nintendo fans could have still played the said two games on the wii with it’s GC back-compatablity. And the casual player base wouldn’t normally be interested in these titles.
I just don’t understand the reason for their delay and eventual porting to the Wii.
August 25th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
That is kind of like releasing God of War 2 on the PS2 when the PS3 just came out, it cannibalizes sales of the new hardware. Whereas with the delayed approach, they can provide BOTH hardware owners the experience. The only suspicious part of TP’s delay was the gamecube version being released after the Wii version. But it makes perfect sense, give more gamers the game by making on another platform…just like most 3rd party devs do…more platforms, more quality, more money.
September 4th, 2007 at 11:20 am
Actually… i agree. While Miyamoto has a point, MIS has a point as well. I’m not that old, only being 18 (no comment), but I’ve been around since SNES and haven’t experienced delay issues. My attention shifted as well.
While I agree with Miyamoto, the TP delay actually caused me not to buy the game. The delay of SSBB caused me not to buy the Wii TO THIS DATE. So, with that said, Nintendo really should create a reputation of screaming release dates when they are ready for release. I would prefer the surprise of “Brawl! In stores NOW!!” and scramble for loose change than to wait for what may seem like a decade, slowly buying burgers, tacos, and fries until my $300 turned into $7.93…
I may have exaggerated there… but the point is, if I expect something to come out, i prepare for that time. And if it doesn’t show, I don’t see why I should “wait on the curb” when they’ve already stood me up. I have other things to do, and that money can be used in other ways.