Miyamoto says Nintendo will be in good shape if they have one "big hit" every 3-5 years

Nintendo has multiple franchises under their belt that have moved hundreds of millions of units, resulting in literally billions of dollars. The company knows how to crank out titles that amass major support from fans worldwide, and Miyamoto thinks that as long as they continue down that path, all will be well for Nintendo.

In an interview between Shigeru Miyamoto and Earthbound creator Shigesato Itoi, the two talk about successes in the game industry. As far as Nintendo goes, Miyamoto says that so long as Nintendo has one big hit every 3 to 5 years, they’ll be doing quite well. Going hand-in-hand with that, Miyamoto also says that if Nintendo’s employees keep that big hit mentality in mind, then it’ll be smooth sailing for the Big N..

Itoi followed up with Miyamoto by asking just how “big” a big hit is in his eyes. According to Miyamoto, a big hit is a game that moves 30 million units or more. If that’s the case, then the Switch is home to four big hits; Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

While much of the talk between the two was focused on game sales, Miyamoto did say that focusing on making money and bringing in sales isn’t the way to foster big hits. Both Itoi and Miyamoto agree that focusing on corporate greed would steer the company in the wrong direction, killing off innovation and inspiration.