Games.net

Shigeru Miyamoto's GDC keynote may not have answered many questions, but it sure did present some pretty big ones. Here's our unique take on this unique press conference.

In the opinion of many media pundits, Shigeru Miyamoto's GDC keynote was a bit of a letdown, lacking in concrete news that can be summarized in a quick headline. As an inside look at one of gaming's most prolific minds, however, it certainly had some merit, and the points he made were quite resonant of the industry, and the people that cover it.

Much was made of Miyamoto's efforts to simplify games (like Wii Sports and the Mii Channel) to make them accessible to the non-gamer, which in turn will attract the hardcore fanbase too. It seems as though his most popular creation may be moving far away from that premise, though. Super Mario Galaxy, from what we've seen of it, looks like it will be the gaming equivalent of ADD, as Mario frenetically hops from planet to planet, with little regard for gravity or conventional gaming mechanics. For the casual fanbase whose memories of Mario are relegated to 2D, "left-to-right" movement, this new title could be a tough sell.

This means something.

Miyamoto's dedication to simplicity is a method that has certainly revitalized the company, but can it be applied to the gaming media as well? Miyamoto asked the gaming media in attendance to consider adding a category to game reviews, in which the game's accessibility for non-gamers is addressed. It was an interesting question that begs to be expanded upon. How can publications geared for the hardcore gaming audience reach for the non-gaming audience without alienating current readers? Should gaming journalists work harder towards educating gamers on the accessibility of current games and hope they dissapate that knowledge? Or is this a responsibility of the mainstream media that already has a connection with the general public? It's certainly a tough question to answer, but with the gaming industry growing by appealing to a more casual audience, the media has the chance to do the same. It'll be interesting to see if Miyamoto can make the same change in the gaming media as he has in game development.

Comments [ 0 ] Post your comment subscribe to this rss feed

Post Your Comment

Games.net's Countdown to...