Miyamoto Gets Totilo'd

In a recent interview for MTV News, Stephen Totilo (of Multiplayer fame) got to sit down with Wii Fit creator Shigeru Miyamoto (who you may have heard of.) Conversation ran the gamut, with talk not just of Wii Fit's place in the modern gaming industry but also Mr. Miyamoto's response to the hardcore gamer backlash surrounding it's release as well as why Nintendo characters don't appear in the 'game.' Here's a little jewel plucked straight from the middle:

MTV News: Would it have been going too far to put Mario in it and make it “Mario Fit“? Would that have ruined the feel you were trying to evoke with the game?

Miyamoto: We wanted to create it so that people of all ages could look at it and feel it was for them. I think doing that might have limited its ability. But from my perspective I would say that the latest character from Nintendo would probably be the Miis.

We need not remind Mr. Miyamoto that a character is inherently something defined and not perspectively definable. Let's go all the way crazy and grab that number one definition on dictionary.com:

Char·ac·ter: the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing.

Not until you get to definition number 14 (on dictionary.com) do you even get close to Mr. Miyamoto's aforementioned definition of 'character.' A character is defined, has weight, carries baggage -- and isn't just a blank slate for which you to create yourself. If you suppose each Mii created is it's own character then you do have something, however only on the base level of visual identification. While speech isn't exactly a classic Nintendo character staple, the stories created around these characters have weight that cannot be forgotten when excusing a lack of new characters on your company's part. Either way, the interview is, as they often are with Shigeru Miyamoto, jam packed with thoughtful information and careful explanation. Enjoy.