Iwata : While the Wii Remote solved a variety of problems and won over its critics, we were then faced with a new challenge. In order to actually play with the Wii Remote, we needed to attach a sensor to the TV. There is no hiding the fact that many people voiced their concerns about this until the very end. I'd therefore like to hear from everyone what misgivings and expectations they had over the sensor bar. So, Ikeda-san?
Ikeda : Since I'd worked on products using acceleration sensors before, I had a general idea of the characteristics and limitations I could expect from this technology. From that experience, I already knew that we would need an absolute reference point near the TV in order to improve reliability of control. If you fail to accurately detect the beam connecting the controller to the TV, and fail to establish an absolute directional axis, you won't know where the pointer is directed due to the margin of error that arises. This must be clearly fixed in order to make it obvious to the user the results of their actions. To put it the other way round, the feasibility of the controller rises immensely if you have axes to measure both acceleration and direction. In this regard, the sensor bar was absolutely indispensable.
Iwata : This so-called "beam" connecting the user and the television was something that had never been attempted before. Didn't you run into any difficulties during development?
Ikeda : In the early stages of development we ran into a number of problems that we hadn't anticipated, like the fact that the controller would react to fluorescent light, for example. Creating a mechanism that prevents the controller from responding to fluorescent light and sunlight may sound like low-profile activities, but it still gave us a lot to work on.
Iwata : I imagine that designing the actual sensor bar also raised an entirely different set of problems from those raised by the controller?
Ashida : That's right. As I said before, the Wii console was originally designed to be extremely small and simple, so that it could be placed amongst all the AV equipment packed in around the TV without being conspicuous. But, now a sensor bar would need to be attached to the TV. It's design proved to be more problematic than I ever expected. It wouldn't have been acceptable to simply brush the issue aside by suggesting that it just be placed on top of the TV. After all, flatscreen models are becoming the norm, and since they are designed to blend into the overall design of the living room, we had to consider how the sensor bar could be adapted to this. For example, should it be placed above or below the screen? How could we make it so that it would fit with a variety of TVs? What color should it be? I remember taking countless prototypes to Mr Miyamoto, but they were all rejected... How many times did you turn down our designs in the end?
Miyamoto : I did turn down an awful lot, didn't I? I really was quite obsessive about the appearance of the sensor bar! (laughs) I mean, we are working hard to convey to our customers how enjoyable Wii is, but once it seems that they might want to buy it, it's like we are telling them at the last moment, "Oh, by the way, you'll need this, too." Honestly, if it had been possible to do it without the sensor bar, then it would have been better to not have it. This was clear to everyone. However, given that we needed it to improve reliability, and given that reliability was at the heart of the technology, we absolutely had to have the sensor bar. We originally discussed having it use batteries and placing it near the TV, but this would just make the user worry about the batteries running dry all the time. Since the Wii console was going to be connected to the TV by cable, it had to lie within cable-length of the TV. So, we decided to have the sensor powered by the console with the intention of coming up with other ideas later so that it wouldn't stand out any more than necessary, and so that the customer would be free to attach it any way they wished. If you think about it, when we released the NES, we asked the user to unplug the antenna from their TV in order to play! (laughs) (The earlier versions of the NES were connected to TVs through the antenna jack)
Iwata : That's right! (laughs) People had to get around this nuisance in order to play a game, didn't they?
Miyamoto : Certainly. You could say that the hurdle we had to overcome this time was much smaller in comparison! (laughs) In any case, when this kind of technology is eventually integrated into televisions, there may no longer be any need for the sensor bar. But we're in a period of transition at the moment, and we have no choice other than to have the customer attach this device. For this reason we made it fairly small, because we were really trying hard to make it inconspicuous.
Ashida : For the cable alone, there was a lot of debate over whether it should be black or grey. We also made it so it could extend from either side of the sensor, so that it would fit perfectly against the TV.
Miyamoto : Of course, you have two kinds of people - those who will attach the sensor any old way, and those who will do their best to conceal it. We tried to meet the demands of the latter. We thought about all possible TV shapes and stands, and did our best to make it fit perfectly.
Ashida : Actually, this was one concern that resulted in Mr Miyamoto turning down a lot of designs. In our earlier designs, the cable came out of the back of the sensor, and didn't fit snugly against the TV.
Miyamoto : All I could say now is, "We've done everything we could, so please do your best to make it fit!" (laughs)
Ashida : Right. So we really went all out to make it finally click into place.
Iwata : It must be tough when your boss knows a lot about ID. At the last minute he'll say something like, "You could do it this way if you changed the mold, right?" (laughs)
Ashida : (laughs)
Miyamoto : If they tell me, "Well, it isn't impossible...", then I tell them to get on with it! (laughs)
Iwata : With Mr Miyamoto, the design will often be changed just when the ship is about to leave port! (laughs) And because of this, the hardware gets a little bit better. This happens every time.
Ashida : Even though the ship has basically already left the port, Mr. Miyamoto upends the tea table, not just when he is working on software but when we are working on the hardware as well! (laughs)
All : (laughter)
Miyamoto : Also, there was a lot of debate over whether or not to show the sensor bar to consumers at game exhibitions, wasn't there?
Iwata : Yes, but when recommending Wii, you really have to point out the existence of the sensor bar. Basically, you should show it off rather than hide it. I wouldn't want a customer who has just bought a Wii to think "What on earth is this?" So, right from the start, we had a clear policy of essentially asking the user to put up with the sensor bar in exchange for all the enjoyment they would get in return.
Miyamoto : I think our customers will be able to fully enjoy Wii if they understand the significance and technological importance of the sensor bar. For example, they can experiment with finding the best place for it.
Iwata : Well, there's no denying the fact that some people were worried that users would be put off by the sensor bar, but in the end I feel that we've overcome this barrier.
Ashida : Yes
