11. Miyamoto-san’s Boss
But where do you draw the line? There are things for those higher up to think about and things for those underneath them to think about. Whatever position you’re in, what those at the top have to think about is more important. Even if they fail.
Yes, that’s right.
Was your boss Gunpei Yokoi-san?3 3Gunpei Yokoi (1941-1997): While at Nintendo, he had a central role in creating products like the Game & Watch handheld electronic games, the Game Boy handheld system, R.O.B. (Robotic Operating Buddy), and the game Dr. Mario.
Not exactly.
No?
No. Although I did learn a lot by watching him work, in terms of who my boss was, that would directly be the then-president Hiroshi Yamauchi-san.
Oh, right, right.
Yokoi-san was only above Miyamoto-san for a very short time. During that time, the relationship between Yokoi-san and Miyamoto-san was an important one, but it isn’t quite right of what you always hear about Miyamoto-san’s only true mentor being Yokoi-san.
I suppose people want to dramatise it like that. I can understand that, though. (laughs)
Uh-huh.
But his real boss was Yamauchi-san.
Yes. That was the case.
And it was good for you that he was there?
Overall, it was.
Hmm, what a great relationship.
Yes.
In addition, it wasn’t his specialty. Making video games, I mean.
Right! (laughs) Between us he was the pro of entertainment. I would follow most of what he said, but I had just to say such things like, “Don’t decide on the colours of the character, please!”
(laughs)
I love that! (laughs)
Because I’m a little more pro when it comes to the design, I said.
(laughs) Come to think of it, Iwata-san, you’ve never had a boss figure.
No, not for a long time.
Ever since you worked a part-time job and studied and programmed on your own! (laughs)
Yeah, since then. (laughs) In game development, I never had a boss. Even though I had many failures, I made what I wanted to. I was hardly ever told by someone to make something.
That’s interesting.