Maybe I’m just an idiot, but when people began talking about Shigeru Miyamoto “upending the tea table” I always took it literally. I believed that, in a meeting, when Metroid Prime was in development, Shiggy actually did start wrecking shit like an enraged Pokemon. Now that I know the truth, I’m ever so slightly disappointed.
According to Eiji Aonuma, “upending the tea table” is really referencing Miyamoto’s ability to look at a game’s design, suggest some adjustments, and flip the game concept on its head.
“Well, back at GDC, when that conversation was presented, I think it painted a picture of Mr. Miyamoto’s role inside the company as coming in and being a really disruptive force in the development process, but I view it a very different way and I think a lot of people do. It’s that his time to come in and flip things on their head is part of the development timeline. It’s an event that happens. It’s almost a ritual in that sense,” claimed Aonuma, speaking to IndustryGamers.
According to Aonuma, it’s a necessary process that helps development.
“I’d really like to reinforce that fact that I don’t view the process that people refer to as ‘upending the tea table’ as something unpleasant,” he said. “It’s actually quite necessary and useful.”
Truly, I had an image in my mind of an extremely grumpy Miyamoto, slinging random insults like Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glen Ross, while other developers cower in abject fear and respect.
Miyamoto. I am disappoint.
Zelda Producer: Miyamoto’s ‘Upending The Tea Table’ Is ‘Quite Necessary’ for Development [IndustryGamers]
Trjn
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 11:20 AMMiyamoto flips tables?
(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
Wait, they weren’t being literal?
(╯°‿°）╯┳━┳
Actually, I liked it better the other way…
(╯°‿°)╯︵ ┻━┻
There we go.
Shane
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 11:33 AMRespect. :)
AnonymousPessimist
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 12:43 PMThis comment, and the line ‘I believed that, in a meeting, when Metroid Prime was in development, Shiggy actually did start wrecking shit like an enraged Pokemon’ totally made my day.
Fenixius
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 12:59 PMJapanese smilies are -the best- :D
Keaton
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 11:24 AMAre you being serious? If so, then I have to say that it took courage to say that, most journalists would have kept it to themselves. If Rupert Murdochs journalists showed tht kind of honesty, the world would be a better place. If not, then this was a funny and random piece, it really made my smile.
ShiggyNinty
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 11:24 AMI could imagine Miyamoto just running in, flipping everyones tables and screaming THERE I FIXED IT! but he seems to happy of a man to even become angry.
Blake
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 11:31 AMThis was explained in one of the first ‘Iwata Asks’ interviews on the Nintendo website.
thistler
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 11:34 AMMaybe he plays this game in his lunch hour: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8cTdFqwdwc
MrBS
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 12:49 PMMetroid’s for closers.
Lone Wolf
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 1:12 PMIt’s a perfect picture for the article, because you can picture a dining table about to hit the gound upside down in front of him.
Still, I’ve known one or two people who just have a way of thinking outside the box enough to put people off ther step and force them to think in new ways.
Stevorooni
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 1:38 PMWell thanks to this news my world has come crashing down, kind of like some sort of upended tea table..