Original artwork, not a still
Disputed attribution: Shigeru Miyamoto
A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Whoever coined it, the line became the fans' defence of a delayed release and the industry's excuse for one, quoted under every postponement announcement. It carries weight because Nintendo's reputation for polish made Miyamoto its natural speaker. The tidy credit did the work; the real origin is a developer's panel remark from the mid-1990s.
Context reviewed
In context
May contain spoilersShow the scene
The line is widely credited to Shigeru Miyamoto, but the evidence points elsewhere. The earliest known version was reported at a Computer Game Developers Conference panel in 1996, where it was attributed to Origin's Siobhan Beeman, who later said she believes she coined it while noting the sentiment already existed across the industry. A November 1997 Blasto preview called it an industry catchphrase, and a June 1998 Ocarina of Time preview said it did not originate with Miyamoto. The first attribution to him is a 1998 Usenet post with no evidence behind it.
Sources (2)
- Video Game Canon: Did Miyamoto really say his most famous quotetimelineReference checked
- GoNintendo: Miyamoto's delayed game quote appears to be misappropriatedarticleReference checked
Context reviewed
