Miyamoto on Pikmin 3’s lengthy development, looking to include timer
Can you believe that Pikmin 3 made its debut over ten years ago? It’s even tougher to believe that more than eight years have passed since its sequel was made for the GameCube.
Yesterday we heard from Shigeru Miyamoto that Nintendo’s experiments on a variety of platforms – including the 3DS – contributed to Pikmin 3’s lengthy development. Miyamoto has additionally said that the team was considering what an actual Pikmin title should be like.
Miyamoto stated:
“When we created the first Pikmin, we had a very clear concept of what we wanted to do. And then Pikmin 2 essentially took that concept, and… what we tried to do was make it easier to play, simpler to play and improve upon the areas that were a challenge in the first game. Since then, part of the reason it took so long, is because philosophically we were debating what should a Pikmin game really be? And the other reason, obviously is, because we have Wii and 3DS or Wii U, part of it was simply doing experiments on these platforms to see what kind of Pikmin game we wanted to make, which platform was best suited for it.”
Pikmin 3 could contain an element from the first game. Whereas Pikmin 2 abandoned the timer mechanic, it could very well be added back in for the sequel. Miyamoto in particular is the main person pushing for the functionality.
“I personally am the kind of person that likes those sort of timer-based challenges. When you first play it, you’re kind of nervous or feel pressured by the time. And, gradually, as you go back in and try it again, you seem to get calmer and are able to think more thoughtfully and work your way through a little bit better. With Pikmin 2 the development team tried to create that game with a lot of freedom. This time, I am more forcefully sharing my opinion.”
