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Shigeru Miyamoto And Nintendo Not Interested in Generative AI

Shigeru Miyamoto discussed his thoughts regarding AI to The New York Times, stating that Nintendo would “rather go in a different direction.” This interview was for the new Nintendo Museum in Kyoto, which will open for the public on October 2, 2024. [Thanks, Nintendo Everything!]

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Miyamoto has stated that though he doesn’t know why he creates the things he creates, he’s having fun. That’s his drive. This sort of passion and originality is a principle at Nintendo, which is also why it seems to be doing things that are the opposite of what other game studios are pursuing. The full quote that Miyamoto gave The New York Times in regards to Nintendo, originality, and AI is as follows:

“It might seem like we are just going the opposite direction for the sake of going in the opposite direction, but it really is trying to find what makes Nintendo special. There is a lot of talk about A.I., for example. When that happens, everyone stats to go in the same direction, but that is where Nintendo would rather go in a different direction.”

Though Miyamoto does not condemn AI here, he makes it clear that Nintendo will not consider its use. In a previous shareholders meeting, Shuntaro Furukawa of Nintendo also discussed Generative AI’s place in creative spaces. He acknowledges that issues may arise from intellectual property rights, as well as states that Nintendo will “continue delivering value that is unique to Nintendo and cannot be created by technology alone.”

Nintendo recently announced that it will be suing Pocketpair, the developer of Palworld, over patent infringement. Many people have noted even before the game came out that the Pals in Palworld look suspiciously like Pokemon, or like mishmashes of various Pokemon assets. In contrast to Miyamoto and Nintendo’s stance, the CEO of Pocketpair, Takuro Mizobe, also posted several times between 2021 and 2023 about his enthusiasm and interest in Generative AI.

The Nintendo Museum in Kyoto will open up on October 2, 2024.


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Stephanie Liu
Stephanie is a senior writer who has been writing for games journalism and translating since 2020. After graduating with a BA in English and a Certificate in Creative Writing, she spent a few years teaching English and history before fulfilling her childhood dream of becoming a writer. In terms of games, she loves RPGs, action-adventure, and visual novels. Aside from writing for Siliconera and Crunchyroll, she translates light novels, manga, and video games.