Miyamoto says Nintendo will go in a ‘different direction’ from current AI trends

AI, for better or worse, is one of the hot topics of 2024. It’s everywhere right now. Naturally, there’s a lot of speculation about whether major video game companies will implement the technology into their work (and it seems like many have already), but Nintendo fans will no doubt be happy to know that the Japanese company could be steering its ship in a completely different direction.

In fact, renowned creator Shigeru Miyamoto said as much in a recent interview with New York Times (Thank, IGN). When discussing Nintendo’s current approach to game development, he mentioned AI as an important topic that the company is aware of but perhaps not interested in pursuing (at least not in the same way as its peers).

“It may seem like we’re just going in the wrong direction for the sake of going in the wrong direction, but it’s really about trying to figure out what makes Nintendo special. For example, there’s a lot of talk about AI. When that happens, everyone starts going in the same direction, but that’s where Nintendo wants to go in a different direction.”

Of course, Nintendo has always tried to do things differently; sometimes it has been a huge success, sometimes it hasn’t, but no one can accuse the company of just following current trends to make a quick buck.

Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa also mentioned AI in Nintendo’s most recent keynote. Annual General Meeting. He stated that the technology could certainly be used in creative ways, but he was still aware of potential issues with intellectual property rights. He echoed Miyamoto’s sentiments, stating that the company would “continue to bring unique value to Nintendo.”