Warren Spector speaks of the 'real power of games', Miyamoto and Iwata as devs he respects

The following information comes from a Nintendo Power interview with Warren Spector…

WS: “The real power of games isn’t in figuring out what a designer wanted me to do or in executing a maneuver the designer insisted I execute. The real power of games is in solving problems the way I want to solve them, to decide for myself who I’m going to befriend and who I’m going to ignore, and to craft a unique experience in a compelling game world. When we make games that allow players to be the authors of their own stories, we’re beginning to live up to our potential”.

NP: “What other games or game creators do you most admire or respect?

WS: “Shigeru Miyamoto. The man’s been a part of the creation of so many games I love, including the Zelda series, which is, without question, my favorite game series ever. There’s a part of me that really wants to meet him, but there’s another part that wonders what would happen if I ever got the chance. Would I be able to croak out a question or two, or would I be too awe-struck to open my mouth? It’s unclear!

Others? Well, I wish I was as sharp and creative as Dough Church. I wish I was half as clever and funny as Tim Schafer. I wish I was as smart as anyone at Valve. I recently had the pleasure of metting Satoru Iwata, and all I can say is that I was blown away by the coolness of Nintendo’s CEO being a dev guy. That never happens, and it was incredible having a conversation with him”.