Great concern and cautious reassurance at the same time about the face of Nintendo: video game pioneer Shigeru Miyamoto, the creative father of icons like Mario, Link, Donkey Kong, and the Pikmin, was absent from the recent investors' conference of the Japanese traditional company. According to internal documents, the 73-year-old top executive had to cancel his participation at short notice due to a "sudden illness." However, Nintendo immediately assured shareholders that his condition is stable and a speedy recovery is expected.

Brief note in investor report causes stir

The information about the absence of the industry veteran comes from the official question-and-answer protocol of the shareholders' meeting, which Nintendo initially published only in Japanese. The software developer and Nintendo analyst OatmealDome was the first to draw attention to it.

An introductory note in the document stated regarding the absence of the company's veteran:

"Representative Director and Fellow Shigeru Miyamoto was absent due to a sudden illness. Mr. Miyamoto's condition is currently stable, and it is expected that he will fully recover within a few days to a week."

The company did not disclose specific details about the nature of the illness.

Missed honor with the Emperor: first signs a few days ago

His absence from the financial conference is not the only engagement Miyamoto recently had to miss. Just a few days ago, he was reportedly absent, according to The Japan Times , from a solemn ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo: Miyamoto was the first video game developer ever nominated for the prestigious Japanese Order of Culture (Order of Culture), but was unable to personally receive the prestigious award from the hands of the Emperor on Japan's Culture Day.

The last public appearance of the developer was on November 1 in a previously recorded Nintendo Direct, in which he cheerfully celebrated the tenth anniversary of Pikmin Day .

From game designer to Hollywood architect

At 73 years old, Miyamoto has gradually stepped back from day-to-day operational game development in recent years. While he still contributed as an advisory producer on major projects like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Pikmin 4 and was credited in recent releases such as Star Fox , his primary focus has long been on Nintendo's global entertainment and film initiatives.

As a driving force and producer, Miyamoto orchestrated the worldwide billion-dollar success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, oversees work on the sequel The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and supports the pre-production of the highly anticipated live-action film adaptation of The Legend of Zelda. The fact that his condition is considered stable and that his return is expected in a few days will likely bring relief not only to shareholders in Kyoto but also to millions of players worldwide.