Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto has told the Wall Street Journal that he has no plans to retire, discounting reports from earlier in the week that he would be stepping down from his current position and refocusing his efforts within the company.
When asked whether Nintendo could survive without his guiding hand, Miyamoto was quick to note that he his role at Nintendo wouldn't be changing anytime soon.
“We have to construct the structure so that the organization so that it can make it without me,” he said. “I should also admit that it might be better without me; I mean that a different approach and different talent might emerge, though I shouldn’t dwell on this because then the article might indeed say ‘Mr. Miyamoto is thinking about retiring,’ because that is not the case.”
There's been more than a little confusion over Miyamoto's future at Nintendo over the past few days. Two days ago, Wired published an interview in which the gaming icon said he would be retiring from his current post to focus on smaller projects within the company. In response, the company's shares dropped 2% on the Nikkei Index, spurring an official statement that claimed the news was "absolutely not true" and the product of a "misunderstanding."
Earlier today, Wired editor Chris Kohler defended his article to G4, claiming that Miyamoto's comments were presented accurately and with full context. Likewise, he claimed that a mistranslation was unlikely, as the interview was conducted with the aid of Miyamoto's long-time personal translator, Yasuhiro Minagawa.
“It was Mr. Minagawa; who has been Miyamoto’s translator for a very, very, very long time,” Kohler stated. “I did an interview with Miyamoto in 2002, and Mr. Minagawa was Miyamoto’s translator then. It is Nintendo’s translator, not ours.”
It's worth noting that the Journal's interview was conducted yesterday, meaning Miyamoto's comments were likely made in direct response to the fallout from Wednesday's Wired piece. Whether these clarifications represent a more accurate reflection of Miyamoto's long-term plans or corporate spin designed to restore investor confidence remains to be seen.
