Iwata Asks is a series of interviews conducted by former Nintendo Global President Satoru Iwata with key creators behind the making of Nintendo games and hardware.





Special Edition: Creative Small Talk

Desperation and a Tragic Heroism

Itoi

So when she said, "Because you're desperate," I was really happy that she understood me. And I do think that sort of desperation does show through.

Miyamoto

Oh, that's true.

Iwata

These days we tend to use it when we're making fun of something. Like, "He's so desperate."

Itoi

Oh, you're right. But I actually like it. When people call me desperate, I think, "That's right, I am!"

Everyone

(laughs)

Miyamoto

Our company tries to support people who have that kind of desperation. Because desparate people tends to be thought of a nuisance by others around them.

Iwata

Oh, that's true. That's the kind of thing that makes Nintendo so interesting; everyone supports the desperate people.

Itoi

Our company does, too, but I wonder if many other companies are like that.

Iwata

That's a good question. But I do feel like that's a good barometer of the health of a company, whether they support desperate people or make fun of them.

Itoi

I really hate it if there's no desperation there. Wait, obviously I'm okay with taking breaks!

Miyamoto

Right. (laughs)

Itoi

It's completely okay to take a break, or to taking it easy, or slacking off .But I don't like when people aren't willing to do anything desperately.

Miyamoto

Right. I don't care about slacking off either.

Itoi

Right. Because they happened to be slacking off.

Miyamoto

Right. On the other hand, I really hate it when people act like they're not slacking off. When they act like they're really busy but they're actually slacking off.

Everyone

(laughs)

Itoi

(laughs)

Iwata

That's the definition of just saving face.

Miyamoto

Exactly! (laughs)

Itoi

Desperation huh?

Miyamoto

Being desperate is a good thing.

Iwata

Yeah. I definitely support having that desperation. The only thing is, for example, I'm confident that I'm working desperately, but I like the idea of smiling through my desperation. (laughs)

Itoi

Oh, that's true!

Iwata

I don't need any tragic heroism.

Itoi

But I think that if you can see that tragic heroism, it means they aren't desperate enough.

Iwata

(laughs) They're tragically heroic because they're not desperate enough.

Miyamoto

When you're working desperately, people have to step in and stop you. But with tragic heroism you want to seem that way to other people.

Itoi

That makes sense. (laughs)

Iwata

(laughs)

Itoi

It's when you try to shove how desperately you're working in other people's faces. Oh, I guess it's similar to the idea of "face."

Iwata

Yeah.

Itoi

I'd love to be free from all of that.