Miyamoto Shrine> The Man: Bio

Name: Shigeru Miyamoto
DOB: November 16 1952
Home Town: Sonebe, Japan (picture)
Occupation: General Manager, Nintendo Co Ltd.

Born and raised in a rural community near his current home of Kyoto, Japan, Shigeru Miyamoto was humbled by the natural world surrounding him. Add to that the lack of a television set growing up, and you have a boy whose sense of adventure and imagination was limited only to what his own mind could produce. Lucky for us that young man grew up to use said imagination in the world of electronic games, where he would eventually create some of the most recognizable characters the world would ever know, and in doing so create some of the most revolutionary, meaningful, and profitable interactive experiences ever conceived.

Miyamoto would often explore his natural surroundings in Sonebe to bide the time. Rice fields, canyons, grassy hills, waterways. the ideal setting for such an adventurous young man. Then one fateful day, Miyamoto made a discovery that would later resonate in his future endeavors, as would many things from his childhood. Shigeru had discovered a hole in the ground. Not just any hole, but a large hole. Upon closer inspection it was obvious that this hole was actually something more. It was in fact, the opening to a cave.

Young Miyamoto returned several times before building up enough courage to enter. Armed with only a lantern, he ventured deep inside until he came to another hole that led to another section of the cave. This was breathtaking for such a young man. Unforgettable even. And Miyamoto certainly never forgot.

The list of games that Miyamoto has been involved with reads like a guide to videogame classics. From the original Super Mario Bros. to Ocarina of Time and beyond, Shigeru Miyamoto has never ceased to satisfy or exceed the ever-growing demands of gamers, nor has Miyamoto ever failed to produce blockbuster system-sellers for his employer.

Growing up, Miyamoto wanted to make something that would astonish the world. Anything really, just as long as he could share it with others. He considered being a puppeteer or painter, and later made toys as an outlet for his creativity. When Shigeru entered the Kanazawa Munici College of Industrial Arts and Crafts in 1970, he studied industrial design. Although hard to believe, it's said that he only attended class about half the time, making his stay at the college longer than it would have been... a full five years.

When he finally did graduate, Miyamoto wasn't about to jump into a career he didn't like. It took a lot to hold his interest, and a normal job just wasn't going to cut it. So he pondered, and one day in 1977 inspiration struck. Miyamoto had his father contact an old friend who ran a toy company. The friends name was Hiroshi Yamauchi. The company was Nintendo.

Shigeru was 24 and sported shaggy hair when he first met Yamauchi, who, after meeting Miyamoto, asked him to return with ideas for toys. Miyamoto did just that, returning with a bag full of goodies and a portfolio that landed him a position as Nintendo's first staff artist. That was fortunate, considering that Nintendo didn't actually need one at the time.

It wasn't until 1980 that Hiroshi Yamauchi brought Miyamoto into his office to announce that he wanted a videogame made. He was curious to find what Miyamoto knew of these unique new things. Shigeru loved them in college a few years back, and explained to Yamauchi that he would love the opportunity to work on such a project. After certain licenses fell through, the game concept Miyamoto developed for Yamauchi became known as Donkey Kong.

Donkey marked the birth of Mario (who at the time didn't have a name,) and became the launching pad for Nintendo's radical success in the videogames. Arcade games were just the beginning for Shigeru Miyamoto, who soon went on to use his wild imagination and art skills to revolutionize videogames in the home, with Super Mario Bros. The Legend of Zelda soon followed, and game playing would never be the same in Japan, or throughout the world.

Eventually romance caught up with Shigeru, and it happened in the offices of Nintendo no less. Shigeru dated and eventually married a woman named Yasuko who worked in Nintendo's general administration department. After they married, Miyamoto and Yasuko bought a small house near Nintendo from which he would either walk or ride a bike to work every day.

Today, Shigeru Miyamoto's place in the spotlight has grown considerably over what it was in years past. He's been called the "Spielberg" of videogames. He's been honored with countless awards and praise. Look at the back of your Gamecube packaging. Amongst a host of screenshots you'll find a Miyamoto quote very similar to one used in David Sheff's excellent Nintendo tell-all, Game Over. It's obvious that Nintendo is aware as we are, that Miyamoto has clout in the eyes of gamers that no corporate marketing campaign could ever hope to compete with. Muttering the name Miyamoto alone speaks volumes to the informed gamer.

So what's the secret to his success? Is it purity, a childlike sense of wonderment, humbleness, or an unusual understanding of fun that allows Miyamoto to produce the games that he does? I, for one, have to think it's all of the above with a pinch of magic added in for good measure. What Miyamoto has given us in his games is not only a great escape from reality, but an awfully good reason to step outside and open our eyes to a world waiting to be explored. For that inspiration alone, his games will forever be held above the rest.

Carl Johnson