Miyamoto discusses birth of Pikmin concept, Olimar added much later in process

Pikmin 3 is finally heading to Wii U early next year, and veteran designer Shigeru Miyamoto has shed light his team's concept for the game, and how the loveable Pikmin creatures have evolved over time. For example, did you know they used to be the game's enemies, rather than your own subservient followers? Get more insight below.

In an interview with GamesMaster - by way of ONM - Miyamoto admitted that quite often, his team doesn't have a clear end-goal when conceptualising new titles, and that iteration is inevitable.

"There are a variety of different ways for us to create videogames," he said. "Sometimes from the very outset we have some clear-cut goals towards which we start working. On the other hand we have cases when we don't have any kind of clear-cut image as to what kind of game it will eventually be but rather we have a very vague image of whatever we would like to establish or realise.

"In the case of Pikmin 1 our original idea was how it would be nice if we would be able to see a bunch of small creatures doing something. Something like, they are protecting their own village and at the same time they are trying to grow and expand that village."

On the issue of Olimar being added to the game much later in the process, Miyamoto added, "Later on we added the feature so that the player character will be there. But at the beginning I thought that it wouldn't be interesting enough because in that original development mode the Pikmin were used as if [they were] weapons. To be utilised, to be shot by the player themselves."

Are you excited for Pikmin 3? Let us know below.