As AAA companies drool over AI, Shigeru Miyamoto says “Nintendo would rather go in a different direction”

While other video game developers turn to controversial emerging technology like generative AI, Nintendo remains true to what makes it “special” – and that’s certainly not artificial intelligence.

Speaking to the New York Times, mastermind Nintendo lead Shigeru Miyamoto reveals that the company’s stance on AI is “different” than most others are today. “It might seem like we are just going the opposite direction for the sake of going in the opposite direction,” explains the man behind some of the most iconic names in Nintendo’s history, from Super Mario to The Legend of Zelda. “There is a lot of talk about AI, for example.”

This is one such area in which Nintendo stands apart from companies like EA, who recently called AI “the very core of our business” during a live presentation. “When that happens,” as Miyamoto describes, “everyone starts to go in the same direction, but that is where Nintendo would rather go in a different direction.” It’s refreshing to hear as a fan – originality is one of Nintendo’s greatest qualities, after all.

Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa himself stated that the studio doesn’t need generative AI to make games because it has “decades of know-how” and doesn’t want any “issues with intellectual property rights.” He said that the company aims “to continue to deliver value that is unique to us and cannot be achieved through technology alone.” It’s similar enough to Sony’s own stance on AI – and I’m hopeful that more AAA developers follow suit.

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