Has Wii Music Gone to Miyamoto's Head?

Roman emperors and victorious generals (well, the sensible ones) used to have slaves crouch down in their chariots as they rode into Rome following a great victory. Those slaves would intone 'Memento Mori' ('Remember, pal, you're mortal') to stop the victor becoming offensively big-headed.

Has the time come for Nintendo's game-designing, total genius and maker of entertainment for generations of gamers to employ a small, chariot crouching worker? If some recent statements regarding Wii Music (an outing for the Wii that has not been reaping universal praise) are anything to go by, it's a possibility. Try this for example, in an interview with cnet. He is asked, "What can Wii Music teach people about music?" - and absolute gimme of a question, you'd think. His response is, well, grandiose.

"That's where the idea of Wii Music as a new kind of musical instrument really comes into play. I've played instruments for a long time, but I'm not very good. In order to get up in front of other people, you have to be able to be good at the instrument, and understand music, and be able to read music. So what Wii Music does that I don't think other games manage to do is it takes you past those hurdles, and especially for young kids, lets them taste what it's like to experience the joy of creating music."

Wii Music is a new instrument? It enables you to stand up in front of other people and "be good at an instrument" and "understand music".

Mmm... maybe we're taking this a little far.