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

If You Aren't Working Desperately No One Will Sympathize with You

Iwata

Now, here's some classic Miyamoto-san. When we're at conventions like E37we have to present something on stage, right? At the very last minute, Miyamoto-san…

Miyamoto

I fix it.

Itoi

Oh. (laughs) 7. E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo): A video game trade show usually held once a year in Los Angeles.

Miyamoto

I know it's rude, but I ask the event director to change things a certain way.

Iwata

The other day you even talked to the orchestra. (laughs) I heard it from Aonuma-san.

Miyamoto

I did. (laughs) There was a concert8 where the orchestra performed music from The Legend of Zelda.

Itoi

Right. 8. Concert: The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony Concert. An orchestral concert held at Sumida Triphony Hall in Tokyo on October 10, 2011. The music was performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Mr. Taizo Takemoto. In the United States the concert was held at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood, CA on October 22.

Miyamoto

I was watching the rehearsal from the seats, and there was something that I didn't think worked very well, in terms of the performance.

Iwata

There was this part where there was a back and forth with the audience.

Miyamoto

It was a bit that fed into the orchestra's performance. When they finished rehearsing that part and the music stopped, I ran up to the stage and told the conductor and the music director, "I think you should do it this way…" And they told me, "Well, we were going to do that after it was finished." I understood that because they did need time to rehearse. But if they were going to change something, they needed to make sure the whole orchestra knew about it, so I said, "This is my only chance to say this, so please let me explain."

Itoi

Whoa…

Miyamoto

Some of our staff was there with me at the time, but none of them said anything.

Itoi

Oh.

Miyamoto

I felt that it was very noticeable if you were in the audience, and something needed to be done about it.

Itoi

I see where you're coming from, but I don't think most people would have been able to do that.

Iwata

(laughs)

Everyone

(laughs)

Miyamoto

Well, I can see that maybe it's something you can only do if you've got a very thick skin. Clomping your way up to the stage during that tension filled rehearsal and saying, "Hold on a moment!"

Itoi

Yeah. (laughs)

Miyamoto

But I think that you could do it if you were desperate.

Iwata

If you were desperate.

Miyamoto

That's right. And they ended up making some small adjustments on the spot.

Iwata

You know, I always say that what you do is "sympathetic creation," but to be more precise, you're desperate about sympathetic creation.

Itoi

Oh, that's very true.

Miyamoto

Actually, I'd say that it's the sympathy that's the key. If you're not desperate, you won't gain any sympathy.

Iwata

Oh. "You won't get any sympathy if you're not working desperately."

Itoi

I think that's true.