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I started writing this for gaygamer, trying to paraphrase a painfully machine translated interview with Miyamoto and Iwata for like 2 hours then I realized someone else already posted a similar article so FUCK IT I’m gonna dump what I wrote so far here:

Iwata And Miyamoto Discuss Zelda, Mario, Internet And Piracy

Miyamoto discusses New Super Mario Brothers Wii, about how the goal was to make a game that many different people could play. He says Mario was always intended to be simultaneous multiplayer, noting that the arcade Mario Bros. game featured two brothers who had to work together and was designed around the idea that one players actions could interfere with or help another player. He says Mario Galaxy’s co-star system is similar, but works better parent/child relationship, that it’s designed more for a core player to be accompanied by a casual player. He says that in New Super Mario Wii, the intention was to make it so that all four players of varying skill level could play simultaneously. The camera being able to zoom in and out to accommodate all the players assists this. It’s designed so that it’s fun for a second, third, or fourth player to tag along, regardless of their skill levels, because they still have fun even if they’re unable to keep up with more skilled players. The primary focus was on making a game that can be challenging for hardcore players but simultaneously fun for casual players.

Miyamoto also talks about both upcoming Zelda games. He says that both new games intend to take players to new places that they’ve never been before, and emphasize adventure an immersion. The new Wii Zelda also supposedly forgoes the Wii sensor bar method of aiming and instead uses the Wii Motion plus for aiming. He says that players will get a feel that they’re really fighting with a sword when playing the game. Though he doesn’t officially confirm that Wii Motion+ will be required, it sounds like the case at this point.

Iwata discusses piracy and the R4, saying that piracy affects every game and describing it as an endless battle, as well as noting the limited law enforcement in certain countries. Iwata brings up digital distribution as a means to combat piracy, but also notes that only 35% of Japanese Wiis are connected to the Internet, and about 20% of DSes. Iwata says that the transition to online distribution is going relatively slow, and it may be as much as 20 years before 100% of games are purchased online.

Iwata is also asked about Nintendo’s lagging behind it’s competitors in terms of things like HD. Iwata gives his familiar response: Nintendo doesn’t see itself as competing with Sony, Microsoft, and Apple, as much as news stories are often framed that way. He says that Nintendo is often innovative and the one being imitated (citing motion control, Pokemon, fitness games and brain training games) and focuses more on what will ‘work’ and be profitable rather than current trends. He says that when they are perceived as being ahead or behind, it’ll be reported in the context of “Nintendo’s dominance is gone” but in reality their strategy of just doing what they think ‘works’ doesn’t change.