Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto Viewed the Rubik's Cube as His Eternal Rival

Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto has long maintained a philosophy distinct from traditional industry competition. In a 1996 interview with developer Kenji Eno, which was translated earlier this year by Shmuplations, Miyamoto explained that he was never overly concerned with competing against other developers who were incrementally advancing existing game genres. Instead, his background in industrial design led him to view the Rubik's Cube as his eternal rival.

During the 1996 discussion, Miyamoto emphasized that his focus was not on matching veteran craftsmen who spent years building computer games solely for hardcore gamers. Rather, he aimed to create products that made people realize the broader potential of computer games. He noted that Nintendo's big challenge was making products that surprised non-gamers and captured new customers with every release, rather than merely catering to a niche audience of maniacs.

The interview also addressed industry trends of the 1990s, including concerns that games were becoming too niche and that many veteran creators had migrated toward role-playing games. Miyamoto remarked that while people frequently pointed out that Nintendo produced many sequels, he ultimately hoped to transition franchise titles to younger staff members, allowing older developers the freedom to pursue other projects. Over time, that transition materialized as creators like Eiji Aonuma took charge of the Zelda series and Yoshiaki Koizumi took on leadership roles for Mario titles, while Miyamoto gravitated toward alternative concepts and broader creative ventures.