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Nintendo designed the DS and Wii to normalize “being a gamer” says Shigeru Miyamoto: “We don’t say ‘book readers and non-book readers'”
Shigeru Miyamoto said Nintendo designed the DS and Wii to make video games feel like an ordinary activity, rather than something that divided people into “gamers” and “non-gamers”. He compared gaming with reading, arguing that people are not usually categorised as book readers or non-book readers; the aim was therefore to broaden games’ social acceptance.
The comments were made in an interview with Famitsu, translated by GamesRadar+. Miyamoto presented the DS and Wii as hardware intended to reach people beyond established players, reflecting Nintendo’s wider strategy of using accessible controls and experiences to expand the audience for games.
In short
- Miyamoto says DS and Wii aimed to normalise gaming.
- Nintendo sought to reach beyond established players.
- He compared gaming’s acceptance to reading.
Explained simply
Shigeru Miyamoto is a long-serving Nintendo designer known for helping create games such as Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda. Nintendo is a Japanese company that makes video game consoles and games.
The Nintendo DS, released in 2004, used two screens, including one operated by touch; the Wii, released in 2006, used motion-sensitive controllers. Their simpler, more physical controls were designed to appeal to people who might not usually play video games.
The idea matters because games have often been treated as a hobby for a distinct group of “gamers”. Nintendo’s approach aimed to make playing feel like an everyday activity that more people could take part in.