Nintendo executive and father of Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong, and Pikmin Shigeru Miyamoto was unexpectedly absent from Nintendo’s most recent investor meeting due to a “sudden illness,” though the company says he is expected to recover shortly.
This comes from the company’s investor Q&A transcript, as pointed out by Nintendo analyst and software developer OatmealDome. The Q&A is currently only published in Japanese. Via machine translation, a note at the top of the Q&A states that “Representative director and fellow, Shigeru Miyamoto, was absent due to sudden illness. However, Mr. Miyamoto’s condition is currently stable, and he is expected to recover in a few days to a week.”
Miyamoto also did not attend a ceremony just a few days ago in Tokyo for recipients (including himself) of Japan’s Order of Culture, according to The Japan Times. On November 1, he did appear in a pre-recorded Nintendo Direct to celebrate Pikmin Day. There are no further details as to what Miyamoto’s illness might entail.
Miyamoto is 73, and in recent years has begun to step back from more active work within Nintendo as a developer. He served as a producer on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Pikmin 4, and received a “Special Thanks” for Star Fox this year. He has also been working as a producer for Nintendo’s various film efforts, including The Super Mario Bros. Movie, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and the upcoming The Legend of Zelda.
