3. Something Special about Mr.Miyamoto
Itoi Mr.Miyamoto has been unique to think that "if the players don't understand it, their's fault in the design I made". Were there many designers who thought that way?
Iwata No, I think he was very unique. Often, people only look from the designer's point of view.
Itoi Must be so.
Iwata Many designers put their personal perspective into their design as if it represents everyone's opinion. In reality, based on the fact on how the player reacts, you should draw a hypothesis, and then you should figure out how to solve the problem from the root. But, people often mix the facts and presumptions, and push that mixed opinion through without solving the problem based on the fact.
Itoi That just leads to throwing subjective opinions at each other in the development meetings, doesn't it?
Iwata Yes, although that's not totally useless. Creation always has an aspect of expressing one's ego. Mr.Miyamoto's no different. He does have that side in him. As long as you're creating something, you can't avoid being an egoist. What's special about Mr.Miyamoto is that he is unthinkably egocentric in one way, but he never loses an objective point of view. He's always alert about people's initial response to his creation. If he finds they don't get it, he simply drops it and looks for an alternative.
Itoi He must be talented in shifting his viewpoint.
Iwata Exactly. He can examine something very closely, and the next second he can switch to a macroscopic point of view, and make a fresh start from there.
Itoi You think he's using a magnifying lens, but he may already be switching to a view from 10,000 meters high.
Iwata He can do that instantly. It's often the case that when you examine something closely, you keep on getting closer to the subject but not alter your viewpoint.
Itoi True.
Iwata I think the "idea which solves multiple issues at once" can't be found when you're looking at something real close. You need to be able to switch your point of view. That's not an easy thing to do. Mr.Miyamoto can do it easily. He's the type of person that can come up with a solution that can truly save someone when he/she's in danger, and not rescuing him/her at the cost of another.
Itoi I can see why you call yourself "the researcher of Miyamoto studies". (laugh)
Iwata (laughing) Oh, yes, I'm the world's number one researcher of Miyamoto studies.
Itoi You've been calling yourself that for quite a long time. (laugh)
Iwata He must be sneezing now.
Itoi Didn't Mr.Miyamoto major in industrial design in college? That's something significant that makes him who he is now, isn't it?
Iwata I think so. I think it's a huge factor that he used to study ID(Industrial Design). It's not about how artistic it is, it's all about how the product meets its objective.
Itoi He is really making use of what he studied.
Iwata Knowing Mr.Miyamoto as he is today, it seems to me that it sort of was inevitable that he studied ID, and not by coincidence.
Itoi The logics he acquired through studying ID must make up a significant part of him, how he picks out the correct answers through people's responses.
Iwata Definitely. The majority of people think he's the person of art, full of inspiration, with a natural talent coming up with ideas one after another, as if he was guided by God.
Itoi But that's not how it is, right?
Iwata Not at all. He's extremely logical, but that's not all. He creates a mixture of left-prefrontal-oriented elaborate logic, and dramatic ideas that people are blown away by. To be honest, I have to say I envy this.
Itoi You always talk like you don't have that kind of mixture, but I think every programmer has that within himself.
Iwata Well, I don't say I lack it, but surely I wouldn't want to compete with right-prefontal-oriented people like you or Mr.Miyamoto on your grounds.
All (laugh)
Itoi Really? (laugh)
Iwata I know I only have a slim chance of winning. (laugh) I'd rather compete in my own field, than someone else's.
Itoi That's another thing you've been saying for a long time.
