The key to Nintendo's innovative spirit is "to make something you believe is fun", says Shigeru Miyamoto Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. The key to Nintendo's innovative spirit is "to make something you believe is fun", says Shigeru Miyamoto "If you make something for the sake of selling then it'll have all kinds of failures." News by Vikki Blake Contributor Updated on 7 Mar 2020 32 comments Nintendo director Shigeru Miyamoto has opened up about how the company drives innovation within the company, and well as managing its family-friendly image without appearing too infantile or "childish" for its core gaming audience. In this week's issue of Famitsu magazine - as translated by Siliconera (thanks, VGC) - Miyamoto repeatedly quoted the mantra "peace of mind as key to Nintendo's child-friendly market positioning. "If I were to express Nintendo's qualities in words then it is also 'peace of mind'", Miyamoto said. "There's peace of mind when looking at it as a parent and you can have it in your living room. We've put great effort into creating something that can be the center of family amusement. "There was a time when Nintendo was called childish, but after continuous work on our priorities the efforts began to show around the Wii that gave us the image of 'peace of mind'. "The standard sense of Mario is that he won't murder someone but isn't good enough to not smash bugs. This is engraved into everyone's mind," he added. Miyamoto also reflected on Nintendo's innovations, saying part of its goal to "make things that have yet to be seen" comes from thinking about customers and not "current trends". "What really makes something Nintendo to us comes from truly thinking about the customers. It's not about the market or the current trends [...] If you try making something that sells, it eventually ends up becoming like something that's already out there. If what you make looks like something that might already be out there, then it won't sell well. That's why Nintendo makes things that have yet to be seen. "If you make something for the sake of selling then it'll have all kinds of failures," he said. "The most important thing is to make something you believe is fun, rather than something that would sell." Watch on YouTube Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 59 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 4 Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 11 Latest Articles Preview Football Manager's new Console edition is the best you'll get without a PC Getting Touch-right. Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 59 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 4 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store