Wired.com yesterday reported Shigeru Miyamoto was retiring from his current role within Nintendo to work on smaller projects. He is most associated with Mario, Zelda. Hours later, as Nintendo stock prices dropped following the news, company representatives flat-out denied the report.
In a report to Reuters, a Nintendo spokeswoman was quoted as saying, “This is absolutely not true… There seems to have been a misunderstanding. He has said all along that he wants to train the younger generation. He has no intention of stepping down. Please do not be concerned.” Nintendo also gave a lengthier quote to IGN UK, stating:
“Video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto’s role at Nintendo is not changing. He will continue to be a driving force in Nintendo’s development efforts. In discussing his priorities at Nintendo in a media interview, Mr. Miyamoto explained how he is encouraging the younger developers at the company to take more initiative and responsibility for developing software. He attempted to convey his priorities moving forward, inclusive of overseeing all video game development and ensuring the quality of all products. Mr. Miyamoto also discussed his desire to pursue fresh ideas and experiences of the kind that sparked his initial interest in video games.
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