Nintendo mastermind Shigeru Miyamoto not leaving Nintendo yet, but don't panic when that day comes

I like to write my blogs really late at night. So when I heard the "news" that Nintendo great Shigeru Miyamoto was stepping down from his lead design position at Nintendo to focus on developing smaller games, I thought yeah, that's kind of a big deal. He is one of those most influential video game designers out there, and the father of Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong and many other franchises that have captivated millions around the world.

So I wrote a little blog on my thoughts about Miyamoto and the future of Nintendo. I normally publish the next day where I can tweet it out when more people are usually up. And it's a good thing I waited.

After Wired broke the news in an exclusive interview on their website, Nintendo shot back, saying it was all a big misunderstanding. He's not leaving his position, they said. Miyamoto wants the younger designers to start taking more responsibility and things like that.

Regardless at what the full story really is, Miyamoto isn't really leaving Nintendo at all. From reading the Wired piece, he really wants to focus on developing smaller games for the company. He's spent a lot of time mentoring his younger designers so that when that official retirement or stepping back day actually comes, the panic mode button won't be pressed at Nintendo. He's been kind of an overseer of game production as of late, so I'm sure there's plenty of up-and-comers there who have been taking good notes to make sure the Miyamoto legacy lives on.

And if Miyamoto was to focus on smaller game projects, he'll have more time to think up of all kinds ways to keep us entertained. And since he wants to have a bigger part in game development, kind of like back in the day with his NES successes, I'm not gonna complain about that.

Nintendo's online reputation could get a boost by that as well. Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network always gets original games that aren't on Nintendo's Wii system. Maybe these smaller games would make their way onto the Wii U and 3DS as downloadable titles. Miyamoto would be the perfect person to deliver those goods.

Get even tinier random thoughts at www.twitter.com/JeffHoard921