Iwata Asks is a series of interviews conducted by former Nintendo Global President Satoru Iwata with key creators behind the making of Nintendo games and hardware.






Volume 1

Record your Pet's Weight over 10 Years

Iwata

Speaking of enhancements to this version, you're now able to weigh your dog, aren't you?

Miyamoto

When we originally made Wii Fit, we did have the notion that we'd like to allow users to weigh their pets. A pet dog is a member of the family, after all.

Iwata

But you abandoned that idea, didn't you?

Miyamoto

Yes, we did. Then after we'd completed Wii Fit, when we sent the final product to Tsunekazu Ishihara8 of The Pokémon Company, I said to him: "I'm really sorry but you won't be able to weigh your dogs!" He really enjoyed that one! (laughs)

Iwata

Ishihara-san has got two pet dogs, hasn't he?

8

Miyamoto

So I did go through a period when I regretted the fact that users couldn't weigh their dogs. Dogs are the classic pets, after all. On the title screen for the original Wii Fit, all of the Mii characters from the users' family gather together briefly. I thought of this scene as somehow being the Wii "home", so of course it was somewhat sad not to have any pets included.

Iwata

There are many households where pets are seen as members of the family, aren't there?

Miyamoto

That's why at the time of Wii Fit, I made a Mii dog in my own home. Well, it was a short person with a dog-like face! (laughs)

Iwata

(laughs)

Miyamoto

When I told the Wii Fit team about that, they were kind enough to come up with actual dogs for this version. I kept telling them not to worry about being too elaborate, but at the same time, I was saying things like: "We'll need short tails and long tails!" and "We need to have droopy ears as well as pointy ears!" (laughs)

Iwata

So the demands kept piling up… (laughs)

Miyamoto

Then once they'd allowed the user to make a decent dog, I said: "Now we should have a cat too!" Well, I had just got a pet cat.

Iwata

Hold on a minute! That's some breaking news! (laughs)

Miyamoto

(laughs)

Iwata

There are apparently a fair few people out there who think: "Miyamoto-san always gives dogs preferential treatment. He just doesn't understand the feelings of cat-lovers."

Miyamoto

From now on, I will also be showing consideration for cat-lovers.

Iwata

(laughs)

Miyamoto

That's why there isn't just a dog, but also a cat character this time around.

Iwata

You weigh pets by holding them and then weighing yourself, right?

Miyamoto

At first, the user is asked: "Who is weighing the pet?" Then it will subtract that person's weight and display the pet's weight.

Iwata

There is of course no way that you could get a pet to remain still on the Wii Balance Board accessory, so weighing the user while holding the pet is much more effective. At the same time, it also gives that really nice feeling that the pet is a member of the family.

Miyamoto

You can well imagine the whole family gathering round to watch the pets getting weighed.

Iwata

So you have both the fact that it's efficient along with the fact that it gives that sense of togetherness, that feeling that the pet is another member of the family. From both perspectives, I think it was a really well judged idea. And you could also say the same about a baby...

Miyamoto

Somehow I get the feeling that saying: "We could weigh babies as well!" right after a discussion of dogs and cats might make some people angry! But as it's really enjoyable to watch babies develop, the fact that their weights can be saved will be welcomed by many users.

Iwata

Yes, babies are constantly growing, each and every day.

Miyamoto

But if all the old data from before they entered kindergarten were to disappear, that would be a real shame. That's why this time we've made it so that you can save ten years' worth of data.

Iwata

Ten years?

Miyamoto

With Wii Fit, you could save three years' worth of data. But this time round, you can see the physical changes you have gone through over a period of ten years.

Iwata

I wasn't aware of that.

Miyamoto

This was something that I was really determined to do. The actual exercise data is saved for three years, but we have expanded it so that weight and Body Mass Index (BMI) stats are saved for ten years. So for that reason, with just one copy of Wii Fit Plus in each house...

Iwata

…You can leave the health management for your family to us! And for ten years too! (laughs)

Miyamoto

And what's more, it isn't just pets. You can also weigh the objects around you and have a lot of fun that way…

Iwata

…?

Miyamoto

I've always enjoyed guessing the lengths of objects, which is why I carry a measuring tape around with me.

Iwata

Really? That one's new to me too!

Miyamoto

For instance, I might guess that the table in front of us is about 1.2 meters long. Then I'd actually measure it with the measuring tape to check. If I got it right, I'd think: "I'm on form today!" But if I missed the mark by a long way, I'd think: "I've been slipping a bit recently!"

Iwata

So it's a kind of barometer for what sort of form you're in? (laughs)

Miyamoto

And it's not just length: I also really enjoy predicting the weight and other measurements of things. So for instance, I'd pick up a chair and think: "I wonder how many kilos this weighs." Or I'd wonder how many grams a weekly manga magazine weighs.

Iwata

But for weights, you'd need a set of scales though, wouldn't you?

Miyamoto

You can walk around with a measuring tape but you don't find scales all that commonly, which makes it very difficult to check the weights of objects. That's why I've always thought that using the Wii Balance Board to play a weight-guessing game would be great. For instance, we could make it like a school sports day. Get ten people together and hand out cards to each person. Then for instance, Iwata-san, you might get a card that reads "12 kilos" and I might get a card that reads "3 kilos". Then we'd all split up and go around the school…

Iwata

…And we'd each have to bring back something which weighed that much.

Miyamoto

We'd each put the object on the scales and the person who got closest to their target weight would be the winner! (laughs) Doing something like that would be great fun, wouldn't it? You don't think it would be fun?

Iwata

Um… Sure! (laughs)