Nintendo icon Shigeru Miyamoto has urged the next generation of game developers to create original ideas in an era of AI clone games.
Miyamoto marks the third major Japanese gaming figure to comment on the rise of GenAI in recent weeks. Earlier this week, Super Smash Bros and Kirby creator Masahiro Sakurai lambasted the technology, warning the tech could lead to a generation of “unplayable” games.
This came just after Konami president Hideki Hayakawa warned investors that AI will not bring “significant change” to the industry, instead opting to back human creators with strong visions. Miyamoto, the creator behind Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, and more, believes that AI could cause people to become less creative.
In a press conference prior to Japan’s 2026 Order of Culture award, where Miyamoto will be celebrated for their contributions to Japan’s general culture, the iconic Nintendo developer explained that AI can have benefits in terms of executing ideas.
Miyamoto explained that there is a difference between creating and “executing” an idea, which has changed over time as technology has changed, and AI is at risk of replacing the execution element of many jobs.
“The tricky part is that the execution phase is actually quite enjoyable, and it provides a real sense of satisfaction,” Miyamoto said via Japanese outlet 4Gamer. “The greatest danger is becoming so content with the execution that you mistakenly believe you’ve created something truly great.”
Miyamoto explained that, as execution becomes easier, “people will be forced to think more seriously about what it truly means to create” and what kind of intent an individual brings to the design process”. He added: “Even as technology evolved to that point, there will still be plenty left for us to do.”
While the Nintendo legend seemingly suggests that AI may have a place in game development, he also urged the next generation of game developers to continue to create. As Generative AI has become commonplace, with Steam Next Fest consisting of thousands of AI games cloning other games, the Mario creator urged up-and-coming game devs not to clone other games, but to create original ideas.
“I urge you to move away from the approach of taking an existing, enjoyable game and simply modifying it to make it ‘even better’,” he said. “It is far more rewarding, and I believe, much more fun to start from scratch, building upon an original idea that stems from the thought: ‘wouldn’t it be interesting to try something like this?’”
Miyamoto explained that he has lived his entire career on the idea of expressing his originality. During the press conference, he explained that former president Hiroshi Yamauchi, who passed in 2013, told him: “You’re not very good at fighting, so focus on being unique”. Since then, the Nintendo legend has created dozens of unique games, almost all of which are still played to this day.
