Over the weekend, Japanese outlet Kyodo News posted an article detailing how both Nintendo and Capcom are increasing their investment in film production. Citing how Nintendo has plans for both The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and the live-action Legend of Zelda film, there’s some information about the company reorganizing a subsidiary to focus on live events and merchandising for films. None of the information is attributed to any sources, but the quote from Miyamoto about why Nintendo making such a change sparked controversy.
“Games eventually stop running when newer versions come out, but films remain forever,” the legendary director is quoted as saying. Many assumed this was firsthand reporting and something Miyamoto said very recently, but that isn’t the case. After some digging online, the quote actually comes from an interview Miyamoto did when the Nintendo Museum opened in Kyoto last October (2024).
In an interview with Nintendo Dream Web for the launch of the museum, Miyamoto told the outlet:
“The reason we started making films was because we felt sad that the only place we could play our creations was on the Virtual Console. There are limits to what can be done by making them playable in a museum, but films remain forever.”
Far from the condemnation of games as a medium that the original quote was, Miyamoto’s opinion is one that I share. I’ve often found it very troubling that the only way to play older games is either through emulation or having the original hardware. With films starting with the DVD, you can play that same original DVD on a 4K Blu-ray player with no issue. Obviously, remastered releases come along and boast higher fidelity, but you’re never required to upgrade your favorite movie if you’re fine with the older version. Gaming has been mostly against that, with many games requiring remasters simply because they aren’t available on newer platforms.
At any rate, Miyamoto did not state that he believes films have better longevity or anything. The quote you may have seen was both a mistranslation and something taken out of context to prop up a different article.
Check out more Miyamoto content
Miyamoto talks about growing Pikmin brand, mentions movie or show as possibilities
Shigeru Miyamoto reveals what inspired Donkey Kong’s redesign
Miyamoto declined Zelda and Metroid movies over 25 years ago
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
