Eguchi on limited Wii support, not wanting hardcore gamers to feel left out with Wii U, more
Nintendo senior producer and Wii U hardware producer Katsuya Eguchi recently fielded a number of varied questions. He commented on what it was like working on Super Mario Bros. 3, how the Wii’s lack of HD support limited the console’s support, not wanting the hardcore gamer to feel left out with Wii U, and more.
Read on below for Eguchi’s comments.
Eguchi on Super Mario Bros. 3…
“It ended becoming a really big game. But I wasn’t really thinking about that when I was working on it. My job was to draw level maps by hand. I was so focused on making the game and creating these fun levels, I didn’t really think at the time about what a big game I was working on – it was more having fun making it.”
Eguchi on Wii Sports…
“Wii Sports was very fun, but there was a desire to have experiences […] that had a bit more depth or longevity to them. Something that more passionate game fans might be able to sink their teeth into a little bit more.”
Eguchi on Nintendo Land…
“I really love going to smaller scale theme parks, even carnival, old-style theme park. Within it there are these miniature worlds that you can dive into for just a short period of time and lose yourself in the style and the atmosphere of that particular world.”
Eguchi on Wii and how developers were going after HD, making it difficult for Wii to be supported…
“When we made Wii, we were really focused on making it very clear to the user what was different about the system. Focusing on these games that relied on some kind of motion without getting too complicated, because it was such a new concept. …At the time, other platforms were pushing HD. It was a new development in the industry. Developers are passionate about pushing the next big thing. It was hard to get a lot of game creators to aggressively push games for our platform and get really excited about developing when they were chasing other things.”
Eguchi on the need for the Wii U Pro controller and not wanting hardcore gamers to feel left out…
“Adding a Pro controller may make it easier for multi-platform games to come out on the system. Wii remotes don’t have things like analog sticks. To make it as easy as possible to enjoy certain multiplayer experiences it was important to have that Pro controller. We’re all gamers as well and we appreciate the interest of those [hardcore] gamers, and we don’t want them to feel left out, so we’re making big strides and changes in that area.”
Eguchi on how Nintendo won’t be changing its strategy even with competition from Apple and others…
“From long ago, Nintendo has always been about creating entertainment and surprising customers. One thing that has changed is the scale of the company and the scope of everything we do. What we want to achieve as a company has not changed.”
