Mr Miyamoto is the man no question about that, in the world of video games he is a creatve genious, but....he isnt going to be around forever. Question is do Nintendo have the next Miyamoto? Maybe a young apprentice waiting in the wings, or will Nintendo need to get on a scouting mission to find the next prodigy?

One prodigy they aren't likely to have, but if you've been watching the various Iwata Ask features, you see a fair few younger folks working on various important projects

I'd say that they're preparing for the day when Miyamoto isn't coming in to the office. I think he's teaching every producer over at Nintendo everything he knows :P

Gonna use a Sony example here, but it's what I know so I think it's apt.

Jason Rubin & Andy Gavin left Naughty Dog at the end of the PS2 era. But that Naughty Dog magic is still around in the studio, better than ever in some respects (depending on your opinion). Why?

They raised a culture in the team. They taught people to think the Naughty Dog way, if you will. I have no doubt that - with or without Miyamoto - Nintendo will continue to churn out classics in their franchises by following this same route with their newer employees.

He's a great man though. I have huge respect for him and I hope he doesn't step down any time soon.

In a perfect world, Mr. Sakurai would take over.

They already have many young people ready to take a his spot if he steps down, which I truly hope he doesn't, but he's getting older so he must sooner or later.

Like what Mr Khan wrote, there are quite some young people working on some important projects.
At least Miyamoto has not done his final game yet and I can't wait for his new IP, that he has been teasing us about.

He was supposed to be taking a step back, but i suppose with all thats been going on with 3DS and WiiU game development he is still a busy chap. Some good comments on how Nintendo have prob got things at the ready for when the great man finally hangs up his joypad. My only fear is if the next person in line lets it go their head a bit and they become a bit cocky or complacent, or god forbid try to take the company in a different direction and that direction being the wrong one.

In my opinion.

No one has the next Miyamoto.

I mean... look at the guy. Who has come close to making as many industry standard huge games, in so many divergent genres?

I don't think the way game making works will allow someone to work that varied again... let alone be talented enough to make it all work.

Right. Shiggy is part of the group who is really foundational to gaming, visionary developers who did not have the luxury to be "artists," but who are developers at heart, and who lived through the era when it was easy to make games of vast different genres, whereas game designers (less so with artists and real code-makers) may spend their whole career in a single genre.