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Miyamoto is feared and is harsh with employees, but pushes for quality

Upending tea tables and kidnapping employees are just some of the actions that Shigeru Miyamoto has been known for during development cycles. Even with that in mind, however, one might be surprised as to how Miyamoto interacts with other members of a team.

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Valay - contributor
Published: 169 days ago | News | Wii | Industry News | Dev News

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knox - 169 days ago

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1 -

AHAHAHA Miyamoto you funny guy

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Raiinstorm81 - 168 days 23 hours ago

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1.1 - Lol

Sounds like an @sshole to me. You dont have to be a di*k to make a "good game"

@disagree

So you DO have to be an @sshole to make a good game sorry i didnt know.

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MEsoJD - 168 days 22 hours ago

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1.2 - haha

sure he looks like a nice guy

but!!!

behind closed doors he beats his workers, spits on them, makes death

threats on their families, cuts his wrist in front of them, shoves dirt

in their faces, and pistol wips them every time they make a mario game.

^_^

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sidar - 168 days 20 hours ago

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1.3 -

Raiin,
Being critical isn't a matter of being nice.
He is obviously strict with his work.

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Timesplitter14 - 168 days 19 hours ago

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1.4 -

I've always thought of Miyamoto as a very kind person who always offers cookies to his employees.

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andyo13 - 168 days 17 hours ago

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1.5 - well in contrast

with naughty dog, they also push for quality, they don't have slackers working there. but they're not pushed unfairly like these guys. I mean naughty dog even has their own pitbull around the work area that they can play with. They make great games such as uncharted.

now with miyamoto, who pushs for "quality" well... just look at wii music... or any wii series. wii sports was the best and that wasn't even that good.

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sidar - 168 days 3 hours ago

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1.6 -

@Andy,
Every company tries to have a "Cool" working area, but its always the one who tells people what to do being an ass from time to time.

If you honestly believe ND is all about laughter and hugs, you are dead wrong.

" now with miyamoto, who pushs for "quality" well... just look at wii music."
Fun fact is that it wasn't even his project, just an idea.
If you read his interviews he was barely involved with the development.

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That_Whore - 168 days 23 hours ago

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2 -

Not sure how many times you can bust balls over a Mario game.

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Captain Tuttle - 168 days 23 hours ago

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2.1 - I'd say alot...

Judging by how many f*cking Mario games there are.

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butterfinger - 168 days 23 hours ago

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2.2 - lol

Good point, Captain.

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heroicjanitor - 168 days 23 hours ago

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2.3 - I never knew he doesn't actually come up with the ideas..

He just says if they are dull or not? Most people can do that

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Max Power - 168 days 23 hours ago

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2.4 - Where was he...

for Wii music, that one sure squeaked by. Maybe he was out with a cold or had bad mushrooms.

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Sarcasm - 168 days 23 hours ago

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2.5 -

I'd imagine Miyamoto was like this after the sale of Wii Music.

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

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Downtown boogey - 168 days 22 hours ago

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2.6 - @2.3

"I never knew he doesn't actually come up with the ideas..
He just says if they are dull or not? Most people can do that"

Most people can point out their opinion, yes, but only a few can be completely objective. Many lack in experience and be prejudiced and biased to at least to some extent.

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SmokingMonkey - 168 days 23 hours ago

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3 - "kidnapping employee's"?!

I'm sorry...but the princess is in another castle

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FantasyStar - 168 days 21 hours ago

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3.1 - I'm sorry...but the princess is in another castle

GOD ****ING DAMMIT! I HATE THIS STUPID GAME!

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butterfinger - 168 days 23 hours ago

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4 - I am...

surprisingly not surprised by this at all.

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Max Power - 168 days 23 hours ago

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4.1 - I am...

surprised by your lack of surprise.....surprise!

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butterfinger - 168 days 21 hours ago

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4.2 - lol

I set myself up wonderfully for that. :P

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SpoonyRedMage - 168 days 23 hours ago

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5 -

If you didn't know about this you don't know much about Nintendo. They're constantly referring to Miyamoto as a diva and stuff..

But they always agree with his decisions in the end.

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Max Power - 168 days 23 hours ago

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5.1 - it is...

pretty funny that Miyamoto pushes for quality and then Nintendo throws out its seal of quality.

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mastiffchild - 168 days 21 hours ago

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5.2 -

Maybe it hasn't actually been canned at all but Miyamoto just doen't feel anything deserves it!

I doubt the appraoch he uses would be tolerated as much in the west though-I get the feeling those masochistic Japanese quite buzz off his behaviour! That said I'd love to see him overseeing a game with Jaffe or Cliffy B directing it just to see their reactions when he did it to them! "These bald, grumpy, muscly men are DULL! Scrap it, start again. I don't care how many people bought the other games!"

Cliffy would pop and Jaffe would waalk off in a huff and blog for WEEKS! But would we have seen Kratos emerge with an afro and Marcus with an Elvis coiff?

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u got owned - 168 days 23 hours ago

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6 -

Sometimes you have to be harsh when you want quality, when you are to soft people don't take you seriously.

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Jecht - 168 days 23 hours ago

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6.1 - Hmmm, maybe....

Tell that to Kojima. He doesn't need to upend tea tables or kidnap employees to make a game as epic as MGS4.

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Sitdown - 168 days 22 hours ago

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6.2 - Haha..

your picture goes great with your comment.

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sidar - 168 days 20 hours ago

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6.3 -

Jecht,
You honestly believe mr.Kojima never has these moments?
It can never go without, think about it, they aren't always stress free.

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Jecht - 168 days 2 hours ago

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6.4 - @sidar

Kojima is described as a reserved and humble individual, whereas Miyamoto is described as a diva. This comes from the people they work with, as well as outside sources. Stress is one thing, flying off your nut is another. You don't have to bully your staff to make quality games, Kojima proves that with every MGS release.

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sidar - 168 days ago

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6.5 -

Who says he was a bully?
Just seems he was more objective about it.

To give Criticism isn't about bullying someone.
That would be nonsense.

If you think this was " flying your nuts off" then be prepared how cruel this world actually is. He is obviously just more strict.

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Jecht - 168 days ago

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6.6 - @sidar

First, I don't need lectures on how the world is, I'm 26 years old and I know.

Second, do the words "upending tea tables" and "kidnapping employees" sound "objective" and "just strict" to you? He has done those things, the employees are scared to breathe around him. That's not being strict, that's being a bully because he thinks he knows better.

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sidar - 167 days 22 hours ago

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6.7 -

I was talking about the game industry.

" "upending tea tables" and "kidnapping employees" "
yeah lets take things that literary...

Yep he just sounds more strict to me.
Not a bully at all. He is basically the boss, its his job to push he knows better. Thats why he is where he is.

" That's not being strict, that's being a bully because he thinks he knows better."

Apparently he knows better doesn't he?

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Jecht - 167 days 22 hours ago

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6.8 - @sidar

Doesn't matter what you were talking about. Miyamoto is known for being a diva, for making his employees uncomfortable, and for being basically an ass when he thinks he's right. That's not being strict. Being strict is expecting hard work, being strict is cracking down on slackers. Being condescending, rude, and a general d1ck is very different.

Fact is, he makes those he works with nervous.

And as for him being right, tell that to WiiMusic. He isn't right, he's a diva. Have you tried arguing with a diva? Mariah Carey says hi.

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sidar - 167 days 21 hours ago

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6.9 -

" Being strict is expecting hard work, being strict is cracking down on slackers. "

So he doesn't expect hard work? nor he is he strict on slackers?
And you know this how?

Im not sure why you take all those things as fact as other developers have stated that it was great to work with him.

" Fact is, he makes those he works with nervous. "
This doesn't mean sh/t. Lots of people are nervous around their boss because they want to show that they are doing their best.

So not sure why this guy is suddenly an ass if he is just doing his job.
And "Wii-music" was just an idea of his, he was barely involved with the development.

Its still hilarious if you honestly believe kojima never had his moments.

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bjornbear - 168 days 23 hours ago

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7 - I guess its the way he works...

I had a teacher recently who was incredibly harsh yet very constructive. You don't need to be mean, but stating the truth as it is is enough, some people just get affected by it more than others, but obviously its never fun =P

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dirthurts - 168 days 23 hours ago

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8 - Feared? Lol

And I don't see a mario game being that hard to make. Sorry. Just don't.

Feared?! Seriously. Lol lol lol.

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knox - 168 days 4 hours ago

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8.1 -

well he made that employee tremble during his presentation

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KilZoneGeneralStrife - 168 days 22 hours ago

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9 - LOL MIyamoto?

Not our child friendly game making Miyamoto?lol

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MajestieBeast - 168 days 22 hours ago

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10 -

I could see miyamoto as the slavemaster on a roman boat with his little whip. Make those games worthless peons. You dont always need tough love cause Kojima didnt use it same as others, maybe he could have slapped Ryan Payton a few times. *Cause he wasnt there to make a name for himself and move on* Yeah right like anyone believed that.

THIS IS NINTENDO!!!!!

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Alvadr - 168 days 22 hours ago

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11 -

There Japanese what do you expect.

TQM, Kaizan, continuous improvment is their philosiphy.

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Djinn - 168 days 21 hours ago

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12 -

Sounds like an asshole

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Xander-RKoS - 168 days 21 hours ago

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12.1 -

Sounds more like a boss. That's who Miyamoto is now, he is a boss and people have to get everything approved by him.

And as one person already, they are Japanese, this kind of behavior is expected in their culture. They don't treat failure with cookies and pats on the back.

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3rdDimension - 168 days 20 hours ago

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12.2 -

People don't realize that quality comes at the price of being able to except when something you do may not be good. If you work at anyplace that sets the bar high, you better be able to handle criticism of your work. In the end it only pushes you to bring out your best.

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mastiffchild - 168 days 20 hours ago

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12.3 -

Anyone who's been in a band with any kind of pretension to being successful knows this. People, at first, treat every song they write like ut's their child! They get really upset when you tell them it's a bit crap but it has to be done and the best songwriting teams are usually the most honest with each other and know they have to accept that not every song is gonna be great.

I expect the same is true of pretty much every creative endeavor-thing is there are degrees of tact here and I don't see Miyamoto's being freely accepted as much outside of his culture. Does NOT look like he wants to sugar coat those pills!

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djslapdash - 168 days 18 hours ago

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13 -

I'm surprised miyamoto acts like this.

From what I heard most Japanese management types tell their employees they dont like thier work more politely e.g.

"This is wonderful work, but next time, be more confident and express yourself more."

However after reading this about miyamoto, he's probably learnt the western way of dealing with employee performance. e.g.

"This game is crap.",
"No, No, No, Start over.",
"You've had one minute, and your already wasting my time."

Kinda reminds of Alan Sugar (Apprentice UK)

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sidar - 168 days 3 hours ago

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13.1 -

if you haven't learned the western way, how would the eastern way be then?
Criticism isn't asking one to have hugs and kisses.

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Shnazzyone - 168 days 10 hours ago

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14 - sounds good to me

If more people actually read articles.... they would see that this all only pertains to his involvement in Wii sports resort. Sounds to me like he's a boss who doesn't step around things. He called the biking game in resort "dull" which is exactly what the ign podcast folks said. He was telling the truth. What i find funny is the part where they recall an employee terrified to show the archery mode to him and ended up shaking so bad out of nervousness he decimated his accuracy. LOL! That's a good boss. That's all their is to it. You know he's working on more then one game at one time my guess is he doesn't have time for crap!

BTW... Kidnapping employees :D More proof Nintendo was founded by Ninjas. Bet those employees disappeared in clouds of smoke. People in japan were all like, "Nintendo got another one..."

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Mahr - 168 days 8 hours ago

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15 -

Pfft. So Miyamoto utterly destroys the odd employee every now and again. Even if he were to physically beat them up, his presence would still be a net good for the industry as a whole.

I mean, how many employees would he have to put in a hospital with his own hands in order to cancel out the fact that he brought us Pikmin? I figure it would have to take at least a couple hundred thousand crippled developers before it even came close, and there's no way he's pulling those kinds of numbers all on his own.

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Wiimaniac - 168 days 18 hours ago

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1 -

Wasn't this a well known fact? I mean, when Nintendo were launching the Wii there was a set of interviews were Iwata was the one making the questions to the people that worked on the project and in many other Nintendo games in the Nintendo official site and most employees were saying that Miyamoto was very hard to please. Some of them even said that they got very scared every time Miyamoto called someone because that meant something bad like "I don't like this start over!".

The set of interviews were called "Iwata ask", now go and read them if you haven't because they are very interesting even thought they are old, it shows a little of how Nintendo works.

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Ripyealip - 168 days 18 hours ago

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2 -

lmao. he made them his Bee ltch

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Pope_John_Paul_II - 168 days 17 hours ago

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3 -

Mayamoto: were making a new Mario Game.

Mayamoto Employee: Huh? Again!? WTH hell man, lets making something new!

Mayamoto: STFU, you do as I say or else!!!

Mayamoto Employee: Or else Wha...

***SLAP!!!!***

Mayamoto: Dont Correct Me B*tch.

***Employee gets Hammered in the head with a Mallet***

Mayamoto Employee: ok, I give up, Im sorry. :'( ***CRIES LIKE A LITTLE GIRL***

The Pope approves of such methods for quality games.

LOL

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