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Home Nintendo updates

Miyamoto is named a 'new Einstein'

3:42 PM on 10.15.2008, Jim Sterling 28 comments

Miyamoto is named a 'new Einstein'  photo
     Nintendo

Brainy magazine Mental Floss has named legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto as one of their "new Einsteins" -- geniuses who have proven themselves capable of amazing mental feats.

For his huge influence on the games industry and popular culture, Miyamoto has earned a place amongst such intellectual powerhouses as black hole expert Professor Bill Unruh, psychology professor Dr. Elizabeth Gould, and Dr. Anthony Atala, who is working on methods to regrow human organs. 

"This gentle Japanese artist may have a stronger hold on our culture than any other person alive," states Mental Floss writer Erik Vance. 

Much respect to the impish Mario creator. When you consider the caliber of scientists and researchers that made the list, for a game designer to be recognized alongside them is not only a huge achievement for Miyamoto, but a sign of the growing importance and respect that games have. Good show all round.


Next page: More Shigeru Miyamoto stories




eternalplayer2345's Avatar
eternalplayer2345 at 10/15/2008 15:48
Seriously, good job Miyamoto. I always thought the man deserves to be more well known, everyone knows his characters but not nearly enough know the man.
Dan CiTi's Avatar
Dan CiTi at 10/15/2008 15:49
:)
brainderailment's Avatar
brainderailment at 10/15/2008 15:53
Wonder if he'd make the list if the Wii wasn't so popular now.

For reals though, Theory of Relativity > Mario.
Holyetheline's Avatar
Holyetheline at 10/15/2008 15:55
This is quite the honor for him. Wow.
Kaspar's Avatar
Kaspar at 10/15/2008 16:02
Does this logic pretty much mean that anyone who does LSD or is Japanese is automatically Einstein?
NihonTiger90's Avatar
NihonTiger90 at 10/15/2008 16:08
Congrats on the honor, Shiggy.

*waits for some smart-ass comment on Wii Music*
error2k2's Avatar
error2k2 at 10/15/2008 16:11
Pikmin 3 better be revolutionary...
BigBaby9199's Avatar
BigBaby9199 at 10/15/2008 16:19
lol at the pic
HarassmentPanda's Avatar
HarassmentPanda at 10/15/2008 16:25
mental_floss is a great blog and magazine. It's one of the few sites other than Dtoid that I regularly read.
CelicaCrazed's Avatar
CelicaCrazed at 10/15/2008 16:28
Considering he's been shaping the culture throughout the entire world for more than 20 years, he's more than worthy. It may not be as important for the advancement of humanity, but I'm sure Miyamoto has affected more people's lives than most of those other recipients put together.
CALkulon's Avatar
CALkulon at 10/15/2008 16:31
Awesome he's getting mainstream recognition...but...

Relativity >> Nintendo.

Sorry, I'm a physicist...I kinda have to say that ^_^
ArrestedDeveloper's Avatar
ArrestedDeveloper at 10/15/2008 17:13
So one guy is regrowing human organs and the other guy is making a game where you pretend a remote control is a saxophone....yeah.
Professor Pew's Avatar
Professor Pew at 10/15/2008 17:25
That's ridiculous. He's great at making entertainment but come on..
Blind assassin's Avatar
Blind assassin at 10/15/2008 18:02
Good show indeed.
MotoRobo's Avatar
MotoRobo at 10/15/2008 18:09
Cultural influence does not make you a genius. "Genius" denotes intelligence or (slangy) exceptional skill like "hack" or "wizard". John Carmack's our industry's genius. Or Crytek's lead engine programmer (what's his name?). These guys can be worthy b/c of all the calculations an shit they have to do to make their engines work. How has the blackhole mathmatician's work been tested to prove it true?
solidgoomba's Avatar
solidgoomba at 10/15/2008 18:43
@falinter
You kidding me? I'd love to have Miyamoto in charge of saving the world from Asteroids or hell if we put him up to the task of solving global warming, we'd have Wii Hate Global Warming, which would get everyone on the bandwagon to stop it.
TrailerParkJesus's Avatar
TrailerParkJesus at 10/15/2008 18:52
this should shut cliffy B up
michiyoyoshiku's Avatar
michiyoyoshiku at 10/15/2008 19:16
and what has he done besides make fun games?

None of his games are genius NONE Mario just invented the side scroller which Sega Perfected with Sonic

Where's Yuji naka's award? Why hasn't Yu Suzuki been honored?

NIntendo fanboy BULLSHIT
Palidi's Avatar
Palidi at 10/15/2008 19:17
It's called Computer SCIENCE for a reason. And to think Miyamoto, Kojima, and all the other game designers that got their start in the 80's did this before formalized education programs for it.

That being said, I think the teams of programmers and designers he works with deserve more acknowledgment. They do most of the leg(finger?) work anyhow.
Jetsetlemming's Avatar
Jetsetlemming at 10/15/2008 19:19
Miyamoto will create a concept that leads to the development of a technology that kills millions and permanently alters the views and perceptions of the world?
parrothead's Avatar
parrothead at 10/15/2008 23:49
Didn't Einstein do all of his work at an early age and then fade like Stevie Wonder? I hope Miyamoto is better than that.
exodus1925's Avatar
exodus1925 at 10/16/2008 04:30
Not at the moment he isn't!
CALkulon's Avatar
CALkulon at 10/16/2008 09:44
@Motorobo:

Relativity is only a theory, but you'd be happy to praise Einstein, right? So why not the black hole guy? What about Stephen Hawking?

Theory is every bit as important as observation/proof.
Sharpless's Avatar
Sharpless at 10/16/2008 15:33
I don't deny his outstanding influence on gaming and, thus, pop culture, but I seriously think Miyamoto is severely overrated. He's fairly clever and talented, but he's not a genius. He's just good at creating games that a lot of people tend to enjoy playing. That =/= genius.
MotoRobo's Avatar
MotoRobo at 11/04/2008 13:44
@CALkulon

I trust the reports I hear that Hawkings is a great mathematician so I'd call him a genius. Intelligence isn't correctness.
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