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Miyamoto doesn't know what Ratchet and Clank is: That's a man up on his games
by Jim Sterling on 12.14.2007 81 comments

Miyamoto doesn't know what Ratchet and Clank is: That's a man up on his games screenshot

A while back, Insomniac made a somewhat arrogant claim by stating it was flattered that Super Mario Galaxy had Ratchet & Clank-inspired spherical worlds. It was a presumptuous statement to make at the time, and now legendary Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto has just added both injury and insult by admitting he has no idea what Ratchet & Clank even is.

"It's not an idea we got from anywhere else," claimed Nintendo's resident pixie when asked about the spherical worlds. "I'm sorry but I have to admit that I've never seen the game in question. Is it a PC game?"

Ouch, that's cold. Still, it's nice to see that one of the most respected games designers in the world doesn't seem to follow the videogames industry. As for Insomniac, I suggest sending Miyamoto creepy emails and rooting through his garbage. That's how I used to get attention from women who didn't know me. Don't worry, at least half the cases won't make it to trial.

MORE IN OUR Your overconfidence will be your undoing SECTION

Latest comment by Howward |view all 81 comments
Actually the first game to do spherical worlds was Sonic Adventure 2. They were crap and didn't work properly, when you ran over one of the poles you fell off the planet and the games already ter......





Novakaine's Avatar
Novakaine at 12/14/2007 10:04

Heh heh...

It WAS a very smug comment by Insomniac, though. But I think Miyamoto is the mad scientist that just stays in his office and his home's garden... and gets high while designing game concepts....
Atlas's Avatar
Atlas at 12/14/2007 10:11

I found rooting through their garbage works best dressed up as a garbage man on garbage day. Feel free to empty the whole bin into your vehicle.
Nyteshade's Avatar
Nyteshade at 12/14/2007 10:12

LMAO, Miyamoto just pimp-slapped Insomniac.
qwerty's Avatar
qwerty at 12/14/2007 10:16

I think he's lying.
Trev's Avatar
Trev at 12/14/2007 10:16

Miyamoto: amazingly out of touch with the industry or making an even MORE smug comment by pretending not to know the game and knowing there are plenty of forth-mouthed nintendo fanboys to go along with whatever he says.

Make sure you read that in a hard-hitting journalism voice while wearing underpants on your head, just so you know how seriously it should be taken. I'm very surprised he doesn't know about the game though.
Holyetheline's Avatar
Holyetheline at 12/14/2007 10:17

That's what they get for being arrogant. I want to see Miyamoto wear a Destructoid Shirt.
Justice's Avatar
Justice at 12/14/2007 10:18

pwned.
njsykora's Avatar
njsykora at 12/14/2007 10:18

Both the idea of him genuinely not knowing Ratchet and Clank and the idea of him just delivering some smackdown to one of the PS3's good games are equally plausable.

It would be hilarious to hear Miyamoto smack talking though.
MrSadistic's Avatar
MrSadistic at 12/14/2007 10:18

I think the only games available in Miyamoto's world are Mario games. Either that or he's senile.
Juggernaut's Avatar
Juggernaut at 12/14/2007 10:20

Myamoto is the man

lol@Insomniac
wonky360's Avatar
wonky360 at 12/14/2007 10:24

eeeeeesssaaaamariooooo
MechaMonkey's Avatar
MechaMonkey at 12/14/2007 10:25

Flawless Victory!
MaxVest's Avatar
MaxVest at 12/14/2007 10:26

I think he's totally telling the truth. The dude marches to the beat of his own drum, and admits that he doesn't play many video games. Plus, the whole 3-game series has only sold a little more than a million in Japan, with more than half of those from the first one. Not peanuts, but not a blockbuster either.
loki d20's Avatar
loki d20 at 12/14/2007 10:27

They may be arrogant, but they are right in that they were the first. SMG is just way too hyped up, kind of like WoW. It somehow makes people forget everything else that came before.
JamesSorensen's Avatar
JamesSorensen at 12/14/2007 10:30

wow... he could have played off the denial alot better if not for the BS comment of not knowing what R&C is.. but ya R&C with spherical worlds/gravity first.. but honestly who cares.. both are good games .... and Ratchet Future was freakin sweet
mrlokievil's Avatar
mrlokievil at 12/14/2007 10:32

Just because he might not know what it is doesn't mean that the rest of the team hadn't seen it. I could care less either way but I found the round worlds annoying and I don't enjoy playing games that are up side down.
Y0j1mb0's Avatar
Y0j1mb0 at 12/14/2007 10:36

Miyamoto doesn't know Ratchet & Clank? Nintendo still can't ramp up productions of the Wii??

Shenanigans!
Johnny Blaze's Avatar
Johnny Blaze at 12/14/2007 10:38

miyamoto might be like that guy that works so much at a restuarant that he doesn't eat the food. It might be the same with him and games since he does produce,director and monitor other Nintendo franchises. At his age why pay attention to some one else when you got shit of your own to go through..

Remember his reactions towards Haze and his comment about Halo..
EternalDeathSlayer's Avatar
EternalDeathSlayer at 12/14/2007 10:42

That's Shiggy for you. I remember when he said "I could make a Halo, I just don't want to"

Well then fucking make it.
angusm's Avatar
angusm at 12/14/2007 10:43

Sterling you are a funny funny man.
Also, this is shocking.
Buster's Avatar
Buster at 12/14/2007 10:44

Rorschach's Avatar
Rorschach at 12/14/2007 10:50

For someone who claimed he could make Halo, this is just another arrogant piece of bullshit. Miyamoto would definitely be aware of the best competitor to his Mario platformers...
DGX Goggles's Avatar
DGX Goggles at 12/14/2007 10:56

Yeah, I think Miyamoto needs to get off his throne for a bit and look around, starting to remind me of a certain big company that was violently tossed from theirs. I have to admit though hearing him say, "Rachito ando Kurankeru, nandesuka?" would be funny.
urbanyeti's Avatar
urbanyeti at 12/14/2007 10:59

@Rorchach

EVen though I do not know a lot about how well R&C is selling in Japan, to call it the "best competitor to his Mario platformer," is a pretty bold statement to make. You work for Insomniac too?
burned's Avatar
burned at 12/14/2007 11:02

Because the idea of a spherical world with gravity is so original. . .
Grapefruit Juice's Avatar
Grapefruit Juice at 12/14/2007 11:05

the Japanese, dismissive of foreign products and ideas!?!
Jim Sterling's Avatar
Jim Sterling at 12/14/2007 11:06

This just in: Insomniac invented gravity.
Tubatic's Avatar
Tubatic at 12/14/2007 11:07

Oh Snap!
Mauer's Avatar
Mauer at 12/14/2007 11:11

He's just mad Ratchet & Clank Future is better than Mario Galaxy. Thats right..I said it.
Tubatic's Avatar
Tubatic at 12/14/2007 11:12

Well, maybe this is akin to hardcore sports fans in America not knowing what a scrum, wickit or Futbol is?
908peruvian's Avatar
908peruvian at 12/14/2007 11:12

if it wasn't for Miyamoto most of us would not be playing games.

i dont care about Imsomniac.

i've heard great things about Mario Galaxy from people.
not much about Ratchet... or any PS3 game.
covah's Avatar
covah at 12/14/2007 11:19

to everyone saying that Miyamoto is lying, do you know that a lot of (japanese especially) game developers don't even play games that much? Especially nintendo. I know iwata plays games ZERO percent of the time and Miyamoto barely plays games. And a Japanese person not giving a crap about a western game? THATS UNTHINKABLE!
decoyb's Avatar
decoyb at 12/14/2007 11:25

Flamebait aside, I think Miamoto's either being coy or he's a little eccentric and doesn't get out too much. They're both great games but R&C is more my style of game so I like it better. Anyone who has played them and doesn't at least respect the R&C games is an idiot.

And technically the scrapped sonic extreme game was probably the 1st with speherical 3d worlds.
iateyourhorse's Avatar
iateyourhorse at 12/14/2007 11:25

Who actually buys Ratchet and Clank, honestly?
Mauer's Avatar
Mauer at 12/14/2007 11:28

@iateyourhorse

Good point, rented mine from gamefly.
cleopatrudo's Avatar
cleopatrudo at 12/14/2007 11:30

who's your daddy bitch..pwned by miyamoto..lol
Rucksack's Avatar
Rucksack at 12/14/2007 11:37

Are we even for a moment pretending that anything in game design is a 100% original?

It's just like literature all the truly great ideas get borrowed and reworked.

Most people claim that the Mario franchise invented platforming, but I seem to remember lots of little platforms in "Joust" on the Atari 2600...
FuriousGeorge's Avatar
FuriousGeorge at 12/14/2007 11:40

you know....... its not hard to make a halo...... seriously how many of you cant direct a great FPS.... I knwo I got a bunch of Ideas.... but miyamoto doesnt program or doesnt draw he just directs and comes up with concepts...

old new is old, he said this months ago when the allegations popped up even before R&C future was released.... somehow... THAT particular game is not selling out in stores.... hmmmm thats kinda like saying Halo took every other shitty gun concept from games before it like unreal or quake
Tubatic's Avatar
Tubatic at 12/14/2007 11:44

@Rucksack: Yeah. Its all basically pong. Game over.
JonDarkwood's Avatar
JonDarkwood at 12/14/2007 11:45

I loves me some Ratchet and Clank. That said, if Miyamoto honestly doesn't know about the Ratchet and Clank series, I wouldn't be surprised nor would I look down on him for it.

Miyamoto is in his own world working at Nintendo and he does great work that way. Why should one of the industry's top figures need to keep up with other games?

It's the other games that need to keep up with him.
kapshhh's Avatar
kapshhh at 12/14/2007 11:46

"Is it a PC game?" Ouch.
h3lios's Avatar
h3lios at 12/14/2007 11:56

Oh sure, the best designer in the business is unaware of his competition?

Excuse me while i barf 3 $ bills and walk on water.
0chan's Avatar
0chan at 12/14/2007 12:16

i never heard of ratchet&clank before it came out for the ps3
looks kinda corny
Spartacus's Avatar
Spartacus at 12/14/2007 12:19

I can't decide if this makes Miyamoto amazing or out of touch.
StriderS's Avatar
StriderS at 12/14/2007 12:43

Miyamoto ftw

He's too hardcore for Ratchet and Clank, guys. He's all about the Wii Fit.
Novakaine's Avatar
Novakaine at 12/14/2007 12:56

Sure didn't take long for all the Mario/Nintendo trolls to come out of the woodwork, did it?
thisissami's Avatar
thisissami at 12/14/2007 12:56

somehow i think that miyamoto was joking there... or at least lying... ratchet and clank seems to be a pretty big game in japan, and miyamoto seems to love platformers, and the ratchet and clanks (like the mario titles) are some of the best...
Crunshii's Avatar
Crunshii at 12/14/2007 13:01

Well 2 things, One Miyamoto is right, he doesnt play games cept the ones he tests of his own games. But he could be lying if he said he never saw it. R&C advertising is all over the world, but like me, I never played it :(

2. People are taking this out of context... SMG has been in the works since when... since before the Wii was released. R&C same thing, both of them tried new ideas on their new game in new system.

They are both original. Abut the gravity IP? shit I remember a NES MCDONALD game that had that... so give props to them, a 1986 game....

so Jim: McDonald invented gravity.
kobiyashi's Avatar
kobiyashi at 12/14/2007 13:04

They've had this idea since the old Mario 128 demo, and definitely before that too. Why does the idea have to come from R&C?
hoydensnare's Avatar
hoydensnare at 12/14/2007 13:11

He so funny.
The-Excel's Avatar
The-Excel at 12/14/2007 13:22

Somehow I can't find it in me to believe stories like this, even if they do put Nintendo on higher ground.
ArrestedDeveloper's Avatar
ArrestedDeveloper at 12/14/2007 13:37

lulz. It's like a parent reprimanding a small child.
king3vbo's Avatar
king3vbo at 12/14/2007 14:10

Pwned by Miyamoto
Fading_Star's Avatar
Fading_Star at 12/14/2007 14:35

Miyamoto wins!
skullivan's Avatar
skullivan at 12/14/2007 14:39

Friggin' Sonic 3 had spherical worlds in its bonus levels back in 1993.

Besides, everyone knows Columbus invented spherical worlds, not Insomniac.
SourGr8pes's Avatar
SourGr8pes at 12/14/2007 14:43

Not surprised at all that Miyamoto isn't aware of games other than his own. I think they keep him in a cave, in total darkness, where he designs games based off of his mushroom inspired "visions".
Fading_Star's Avatar
Fading_Star at 12/14/2007 14:47

This comment from Miyamoto reminds me of what Quentin Tarantino supposedly said about Heroes "What the fuck is Heroes?". Are they being smug or are they truly unaware of these popular properties? What are the answers? Find out next week!
The-Excel's Avatar
The-Excel at 12/14/2007 16:04

+1 skullivan
Eschatos's Avatar
Eschatos at 12/14/2007 16:11

Well, I just lost a lot of respect for Mr. Miyamoto. He's an icon of the gaming industry, and yet he knows little about some of the best stuff in it.
ffmusicdj's Avatar
ffmusicdj at 12/14/2007 16:13

Thats impossible. Ratchet and Clank is popular in Japan. I know this. Just look at all the Ratchet and Clank Japanese commercials. There are SO MANY. Ok thats not a feasible explanation for why it's popular but I think the man is BSing when he says he hasn't heard of Ratchet and Clank.
MasterMS's Avatar
MasterMS at 12/14/2007 16:35

I can believe it. Miyamoto doesn't seem like the type of guy to concern himself with any other games but Nintendo's. And as for never seeing a advertisement, do you really remember ads for something you have no interest in?
Touch's Avatar
Touch at 12/14/2007 17:35

Grapefruit Juice, I don't get it: what does that picture have to do with Japan?
Touch's Avatar
Touch at 12/14/2007 17:50

Grapefruit Juice, I don't get it: what does that picture have to do with Japan?
0bshaky's Avatar
0bshaky at 12/14/2007 17:53

WTF is Ratchet and Clank? Its is like a copy of Jak and Daxter?
Ha-Puken's Avatar
Ha-Puken at 12/14/2007 18:01

Nice moves Miyamoto! They back you into to a corner and that creative brain of yours gets you out of trouble. If only I could be so quick with the little "cover your ass" lies...
Zeal404's Avatar
Zeal404 at 12/14/2007 18:05

Either it IS a lie...or He's too busy trying to get Luigi another starring role in another horrible game. 'Luigi's Gadget Paradise' sounds like a winner.
FuriousGeorge's Avatar
FuriousGeorge at 12/14/2007 18:06

was there even a commercial for ratchet and clank before the PS3? or one that showcased the spherical worlds? I certainly dont remember one.... but way for a company thats in a rut to pat themselves in the back...
Wedge's Avatar
Wedge at 12/14/2007 18:52

Ummm it's not a lie, the spherical worlds is an idea Nintendo had since back on that Mario 128 Gamecube demo, it says as much in the interview about SMG. And honestly I wouldn't expect a guy like that to play a lot of games, especially US developed ones. Most of the time he's probably too busy working.
Im OK's Avatar
Im OK at 12/14/2007 19:32

Sure, Miyamoto could make a Halo, but why should he bother? Now, let's see Bungie make a Super Mario Galaxy.

As for the topic at hand, yeah, why is it so shocking that a Japanese designer like Miyamoto wouldn't know about a relatively obscure American-made game, whose creators made a bullshit claim that he was somehow inspired by them? As Wedge says, Nintendo has been working on this sphere-walking shit since before unveiling the Mario 128 demo.
skruloos's Avatar
skruloos at 12/14/2007 20:58

I find it so laughable that you expect Miyamoto to be on top of his competitions games. Do any of you even work for corporations?

The higher up the management chain you go, the further from the pulse you are, particularly with developers. It's the programmers and grunts that probably spend the most time with other games. But Miyamoto manages multiple teams and probably spends more