Miyamoto interested in making 'something I can make myself'

Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo's most recognizable icon, has his hands in a lot of projects. Overseeing Nintendo's EAD division, he lends his efforts to nearly every first-party Nintendo game. However, the famed creator of Mario and Zelda is apparently interested in working on smaller projects, one that doesn't require giant teams working for years.

"What I really want to do is be in the forefront of game development once again myself," Miyamoto said. "I might be interested in making something that I can make myself, by myself. Something really small."

"In other words, I’m not intending to start from things that require a five-year development time," he told Wired.

Shigeru Miyamoto

It appears that Miyamoto may be tiring of his role at Nintendo, and is seeking to return to a less managerial role. "Inside our office, I've been recently declaring, 'I'm going to retire, I'm going to retire," Miyamoto said. His comments obviously sent waves throughout the internet, believing Miyamoto's departure from Nintendo was imminent. "I'm not saying that I'm going to retire from game development altogether. What I mean by retiring is, retiring from my current position," he added.

In the hours that followed his comments, Nintendo stock had dropped 2%, according to a report by IGN. Nintendo of Japan issued a number of statements, saying that "there seems to have been a misunderstanding."

The company confirmed to Bloomberg Japan that Miyamoto will "reduce his involvement in making video games," but that he will continue to oversee "major titles," while maintaining his position at Nintendo.

Nintendo of America then issued its own statement, further clarifying Miyamoto's translated comments. "Video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto's role at Nintendo is not changing. He will continue to be a driving force in Nintendo's development efforts," the statement noted. "He attempted to convey his priorities moving forward, inclusive of overseeing all video game development and ensuring the quality of all products. Mr. Miyamoto also discussed his desire to pursue fresh ideas and experiences of the kind that sparked his initial interest in video games."