Mario Creator Shigeru Miyamoto Talks AI, Says Nintendo Wants To "Go In A Different Direction"

As someone who grew up playing Super Mario Bros and Zelda, I can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgic admiration for Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo. The company’s unique approach to game development, underpinned by a desire to stand out from the crowd, has always been a breath of fresh air in the gaming industry.

Shigeru Miyamoto, a trailblazer at Nintendo, has spoken about their approach towards artificial intelligence. He expressed that the team behind Mario intends to take a unique path.

In a conversation with The New York Times, Miyamoto stated that people often view Nintendo as a company that goes against the flow and acts eccentrically for no reason. However, this is not accurate. Instead, he clarified, Nintendo’s intention is to be distinct, and the same rationale applies to their approach towards AI. Unlike many other companies that are integrating and championing AI, Nintendo might choose a different path.

Miyamoto expressed that Nintendo’s goal is to discover what sets them apart from others. He also mentioned that when discussions around topics like AI arise, everyone tends to follow the same path, but Nintendo prefers to take a unique route instead.

Previously, Nintendo’s President Shuntaro Furukawa highlighted potential uses of AI in innovative manners. However, he emphasized the need to address complications related to copyright laws as well.

In a recent discussion, Furukawa highlighted that while cutting-edge Generative AI holds immense creative potential, there are also concerns about intellectual property rights that need to be addressed. On the other hand, Nintendo is actively embracing technological advancements but primarily depends on their seasoned team members to craft distinctive video games at this time.

For over several decades, we’ve mastered crafting exceptional gaming encounters for our audience. Though we embrace advancements in technology, our focus remains on sustaining the distinctive worth that only Nintendo can offer – a value that goes beyond what technology can achieve independently,” Furukawa expressed.

Nintendo’s approach towards AI differs from other significant players in the video game industry. Unlike Electronic Arts, where their CEO Andrew Wilson envisions AI as a tool for faster game development, Nintendo seems to take a more unique standpoint. In contrast, Microsoft is deeply engrossed in AI technology and aims to incorporate it across all its products, such as Xbox, while Ubisoft plans to develop AI Non-Player Characters (NPCs) capable of engaging in dialogue with players.

For several decades, AI technology has been integral to game development, but the recent surge in interest is centered around something known as generative artificial intelligence. This advancement has sparked some worries about potential job displacement in the industry, with companies like EA acknowledging these fears as valid in the near future. However, long-term proponents of generative AI, such as Wilson of EA and others, see it as analogous to past labor revolutions that initially caused short-term job losses but ultimately spurred growth.

2023 and 2024 saw a wave of severe job cuts within the gaming industry, yet it remains unclear how advancements in AI technology may have contributed to these reductions.

It appears that Nintendo is getting ready to unveil their upcoming console, rumored to be the Switch 2. Some sources suggest that this announcement might happen around Nintendo’s next financial briefing in November, although an official release date has yet to be confirmed.

2024-09-26 16:09

Mario Creator Shigeru Miyamoto Talks AI, Says Nintendo Wants To “Go In A Different Direction”

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