Shigeru Miyamoto Chief Managing Officer of 'Nintendo' Date of Birth: 16.11.1952 Country: Japan

1. Biography of Shigeru Miyamoto
2. Early Life and Education
3. Early Career
4. Creation of Donkey Kong and Mario
5. Contributions to Nintendo
6. Wii and Later Achievements
7. Personal Life

Biography of Shigeru Miyamoto

Shigeru Miyamoto, the Chief Executive Officer and one of the key creators of the Japanese corporation Nintendo, is renowned for his contributions to the world of video games. He is the author of famous game series such as Mario and Zelda, and has worked on the development of Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Wii, home gaming consoles.

Early Life and Education

Shigeru Miyamoto was born on November 16, 1952, in Nantan, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. His parents were Iijake Miyamoto, a school teacher, and Hinako Aruha. Growing up, Miyamoto did not have a television and spent his time inventing and creating toys, as well as drawing. He enjoyed exploring the surrounding areas of his city, discovering picturesque caves and lakes in the nearby mountains, which later inspired him when creating episodes for his computer games. He frequently visited Kyoto, where he enjoyed watching Disney cartoons in movie theaters. In 1975, Miyamoto graduated from the Municipal College of Art in Kanazawa, specializing in industrial design.

Early Career

In 1977, Miyamoto met Hiroshi Yamauchi, the owner of Nintendo, a small company that produced playing cards, which later became a leading global game manufacturer. Nintendo was in need of designers, and Miyamoto was hired as an artist in the planning department. Initially, he worked on creating simple games and characters for early Nintendo arcade games, such as Space Fever, Sheriff, and Space Firebird.

Creation of Donkey Kong and Mario

In 1980, Nintendo faced significant losses after the failure of their arcade machines with the game Radar Scope in the United States. Miyamoto, who had been involved in the creation of Radar Scope, proposed reprogramming the machines for a new game he had come up with called Donkey Kong. In this game, the main character, a carpenter named Jumpman, had to save his girlfriend from a giant ape. Miyamoto invented the characters and even composed the music for the game. Donkey Kong became a huge success in the United States. Jumpman later changed professions to become a plumber and was renamed Mario, eventually becoming a symbol of Nintendo and one of the most recognizable characters in the world of video games.

Contributions to Nintendo

Miyamoto played a significant role in the creation of various game series for Nintendo, including Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox, F-Zero, and Pikmin. He also participated in the development of gaming consoles such as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), one of the most popular eight-bit home consoles in the late 1980s, which introduced the D-pad controller that later became an industry standard. In 2007, Nintendo received an Emmy award for this innovation. Miyamoto was also involved in the development and promotion of the Nintendo DS handheld gaming console.

Wii and Later Achievements

Miyamoto played a crucial role in the creation of the Wii gaming console, which surpassed Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3 in popularity in Japan. The Wii focused on gameplay rather than graphical power. Miyamoto designed several innovative game controllers for this console, including the Wii Remote, equipped with motion detection technology, allowing users to control games with gestures. He also created the Wii Balance Board, which came with the game Wii Fit, enabling users to engage in yoga while playing. Miyamoto received numerous awards for his contributions to the gaming industry, including being knighted by the French Order of Literature and Art in 2007. In 2008, he topped the list of the most influential people in Time magazine's readers' poll.

Personal Life

Shigeru Miyamoto is married to Yasuko Miyamoto, a former executive at Nintendo Japan, and they have two children. Despite his success, Miyamoto has remained loyal to Nintendo, and has been described as a humble employee. He has a passion for yoga, cycling, bowling, and music, particularly enjoying the Beatles and Lovin' Spoonful. Miyamoto is ambidextrous and plays both the banjo and piano. He commutes to work by bicycle and breeds dogs. Many of Nintendo's products, such as Wii Fit, Nintendogs, and Wii Music, have been based on Miyamoto's hobbies. Due to the protection of trade secrets, Nintendo prohibited him from discussing his hobbies in interviews in August 2008.