“I think it sold lower than our expectations but on the other hand it was a really unique game, I have to say,” Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto told the Official Nintendo Magazine. “And also, even today, we are receiving several different offers from people in the field of music education, so as far as Wii Music is concerned, I think is still has great potential. And in the future there might be some developments.”

Exciting, no?

Wii Music: You Haven’t Heard The Last Of It [ONM]

Miyamoto tells the Official Nintendo Magazine of the UK that he “cannot tell” whether the Super Guide’s hand-holding assist will be included in Super Mario Galaxy 2. But the tech will be implemented in Nintendo games “wherever and whenever appropriate”.

Personally, the option somehow seems more appropriate in a multiplayer-skewed game like New Super Mario Bros. Wii, even though the side-scrolling entries in the Super Mario Bros. series have typically been the more challenging of the lot.

If you’re on board with this Super Guide thing, are there any Nintendo titles that you think warrant it more than others?

Mario Galaxy 2: Will It Use The Super Guide? [ONM UK]

Nintendo execs were asked when the company plans to make the move to high-definition graphics, joining the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in pushing more polygons, more pixels and more everything else. Not surprisingly, Nintendo is taking things cautiously, trying to find the balance between SD and HD content.

First to weigh in is Genyo Takeda, general manager of Nintendo’s Integrated Research and Development Division. He says his group has been “reviewing and developing a number of hardware [options]… including HD and SD.”

“However, we have not come to the stage where we can announce which is the most appropriate means,” Takeda says.”Since an increasing number of the TV sets at home around the world are becoming HD today, it will be natural for a machine to be able to generate graphics that people will be accustomed to see on HD televisions.”

He adds that “moving to HD appears to me a natural flow”.

Famed game designer Shigeru Miyamoto also offered his opinion about entering the HD era, implying that the decision is game dependent.

“Regarding the question of SD or HD, it must depend on each software,” Miyamoto said. “For example, we have to ask ourselves if HD is really necessary to develop Wii Fit. Won’t HD be better for the games like Pikmin? The developers should choose the most appropriate graphical format depending on the software they make.”

The full response is an intimidating wall of text, from Takeda, Miyamoto and Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, one that may be designed to confuse rather than inform. If you can decipher it, let us know what their plans are, OK? Thanks.

Investor Relations: Corporate Management Policy Briefing / Semi-annual Financial Results Briefing Q & A [Nintendo]

“The mood of the market got colder than expected,” said Iwata, “and there was a miscalculation.” This comes as Nintendo records its first decline in profits in six years.

Iwata disclosed that there were no extra resources in the company that can combat the slide in profits this year — Nintendo is aware of the weak software releases this year. Iwata did mention that the Wii Vitality Sensor will be out in 2010 and stressed that it is more than a simple heart rate monitor and that it will actually be fun.

“Now, we are preparing for next year and thinking about what to do the year after next,” said Iwata. “We’re thinking about our best chances for success.” For some this signals sequels and perhaps new hardware from Nintendo.

When asked if Nintendo was worried about increased portable gaming competition from the iPhone, he replied, “In the marketplace, our presence is growing.”

任天堂社長「見込み違いがあった」 [経済ニュース] [Pic]

At the meeting yesterday where the DSi LL was announced, Kotaku has learned that it was announced that, yes, Shigeru Miyamoto has a cat. Nintendo typically keeps Miyamoto’s hobbies secret because they sometimes end up as the inspiration for new games.

Currently, Miyamoto is working on the new Zelda Wii title, which will sport swordplay with the MotionPlus feature. He is also working on a “DS game to play at home” and is interested in how the DS can be used in “public spaces”.

Nintendo mentioned that the company was not against HD, and Miyamoto pointed out that a title like Wii Fit would not benefit greatly from HD, but the Nintendo creator added that a game like, say, Pikmin would.

While the majority of Shigeru Miyamoto’s works enjoy huge success in Japan, there is one franchise that has been steadily declining in popularity. Miyamoto spoke to Multiplayer about the sad decline of the Star Fox series.

I’m a big fan of the ‘Star Fox’ games. Every time we make a ‘Star Fox’ game I’m hoping people will enjoy it as much as I do. Of course the goal every time is to try and make it more and more fun but, at least in Japan, the people that purchase the ‘Star Fox’ games has decreased over the years. But we still try to make them more fun and hopefully people will see the appeal in those games.

Perhaps the problem lies in the fact that there hasn’t been a full-on flying Star Fox console title since 1997’s Star Fox 64? Star Fox Adventures for the Gamecube was a rather huge deviation from the winning formula, and while Star Fox: Assault did have ship combat, it was watered down with sloppy on-foot missions. Give Japan an all-flying, all-shooting Star Fox title for the Wii and the fans will come.

Mario Creator Talks Disappointment With ‘Star Fox’ [MTV Multiplayer]

Destructoid says Wired’s Tracey John brought up the question (at the same roundtable at which Miyamoto was told Capt. Lou Albano had died.) Miyamoto’s response, according to a transcript:

I thought it’d be nice to have her as a playable character, but the toad characters had a similar physique to a Mario character than Peach does. And if one of the four had a dress, we’d have to come up with a special programming to handle how the skirt is handled in the gameplay, and that’s really the only reason why Peach isn’t playable (laughs). Of course if we had Wario in there we’d have to program a way to make him fart. (laughs)

Here’s another way to look at it – if Peach is playable, who are you going off to save?

Miyamoto on the New Mario [IGN: full transcript, the last question is the relevant one. Via Destructoid]

During a roundtable discussion earlier Thursday, Croal asked Miyamoto, straight up: “Where were you when you heard that Captain Lou Albano passed away, and what was your reaction?”

As Destructoid notes, for most of the discussion Miyamoto was able to respond to most questions without a translator. For this, however, Nintendo’s Bill Trinen had to step in to translate. Miyamoto processed the question, and this was the reply:

“You’re the one who just told me.”

Former Journo Tells Miyamoto that Mario is Dead [Destructoid via Go Nintendo]

But it’s 2009. Soon it is 2010. We are living in the future. The number of HD televisions continues to grow — yet the Wii is not HD.

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with pretty graphics, and if I’m a consumer that has an HDTV, I’d want to be able to play my games with nice graphics too. And I think as we’ve seen the penetration rates for HDTV increase, we’re going to see video games and Nintendo’s games move along in step with the progression of technology,” said Miyamoto.

“But what I don’t think is necessarily true is that the graphics itself is something that’s going to make the gameplay experience better. So we’re still going to focus on the gameplay, but we’ll take advantage of the technology as it comes out.”

Lots of mixed signals in what Miyamoto is saying: Pretty graphics are nice, people with HDTVs want pretty graphics, number of HDTVs increasing, Nintendo will move with technology, graphics don’t make gaming experience better, Nintendo still focusing on gameplay, but will take advantage of the tech “as it comes out”.

It’s already out. Get on with it!

Miyamoto on HD Graphics: Nintendo’s Games Will Move Along with Progression of Technology [IndustryGamers] [Pic]