“Miy-a-what-oh?”, you ask. “What the heck is that?”

Continuing in this week’s trend of drudging for articles regarding the innovators and creators of video games I came across an excellent read about Miyamoto. In case you didn’t know, Shigeru Miyamoto is the creator of such classics as Donkey Kong, Mario Bros. and Zelda. What you might not know is that he also invented the Wii.

In the West, chances are that Miyamoto would have started his own company a long time ago. He could have made billions and established himself as a staple of entertainment celebrity. Instead, despite being royalty at Nintendo and a cult figure, he almost comes across as just another salaryman (though a particularly creative and happy one) with a wife and two school-age children at home near Kyoto. He is not tabloid fodder, and he seems to maintain a relatively nondescript lifestyle.

Give it a read.