Personal details
Born:
- Birthday: 1952-11-16
- Born Place: Sonobe, Kyoto, Japan
Also Known As:
Miyamoto Shigeru, 宮本 茂
Shigeru Miyamoto
Born on November 16, 1952, in the rural town of Sonobe, Japan, Shigeru Miyamoto is widely hailed as the "father of modern video gaming" and the most influential figure in the industry’s history. His childhood was defined by a lack of television and a deep curiosity for the natural world; he famously spent his youth exploring the forests and local caves of Kyoto, experiences that later formed the creative bedrock for the sense of discovery in The Legend of Zelda. After graduating from the Kanazawa Municipal College of Industrial Arts with a degree in industrial design, Miyamoto joined Nintendo in 1977 as its first staff artist. At the time, Nintendo was a toy and playing card company attempting to break into the arcade market. Miyamoto’s big break came in 1981 when he was tasked with repurposing unsold arcade cabinets, leading to the creation of Donkey Kong. This project introduced the world to Mario (then known as Jumpman) and established the "platformer" genre, saving the company from financial ruin. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, Miyamoto spearheaded a golden era of gaming at Nintendo, directing and producing foundational titles such as Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, and Star Fox. His design philosophy, often termed kyokan (shared feeling), focuses on intuitive controls and the "joy" of movement, ensuring that a player feels a direct, emotional connection to their on-screen avatar. He was instrumental in the industry's transition from 2D to 3D, directing Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, both of which set the standard for 3D camera systems and open-world exploration. Beyond software, Miyamoto played a crucial role in hardware innovation, influencing the development of the D-pad, the analog stick, and the motion-control revolution of the Wii. Today, as a Representative Director and "Creative Fellow" at Nintendo, he has expanded his focus to multimedia, personally producing The Super Mario Bros. Movie and overseeing the design of Super Nintendo World theme parks.
