Legendary Nintendo game designer Shigeru Miyamoto has confirmed that he has no plans to retire in the near future.
In a recent interview with The Guardian, Miyamoto spoke about his long tenure with Nintendo and the impact he’s had on some of gaming’s most iconic characters. During the interview, the discussion transitioned into what may come next for the famed designer.
“More so than retiring, I’m thinking about the day I fall over,” Miyamoto said. “In this day and age, you have to think about things in a five-year timespan, so I do think about who I can pass things on to, in case something does happen.”
At 71 years old, Miyamoto has had a profound impact on Nintendo and the games industry. He began working for the company in 1977. Throughout the years, Miyamoto has been responsible for creating some of the most iconic characters and games that still exist in the mainstream today. This includes the likes of Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda.
Today, Miyamoto continues to use his skills to help shape some of the biggest games on the market. However, as of 2015, the game designer has taken more of a step back. More commonly, Miyamoto is a part of Nintendo’s support network alongside Genyo Takeda, providing feedback and guidance to Nintendo’s game directors throughout development. He’s also worked as a producer on The Super Mario Bros. Movie and has been an intrinsic facet in the design and construction of Super Nintendo World.
“I’m really thankful that there is so much energy around the things that I have worked on. These are things that have already gone out into the world… They’ve been cultivated by others, other people have been raising them, helping them grow, so in that sense, I don’t feel too much ownership over them anymore.
Miyamoto concludes his interview by reflecting on how his creations have grown into their own thing both in and outside of Nintendo. The designer hopes that his legacy will be remembered across the teams he works with.
