Wii

I'm really fascinated by this discussion about planning a birthday party.

I'm so glad you could relate to it. I think that most ideas come from some sort of problem, or something that's not very good. So if I would be happy regardless of what we come up with, it's harder… Although I suppose some people like that sort of thing.

I do think that some people are better at thinking of ideas in that sort of situation. But we're not good at that. It's not really part of our job, after all. (laughs)

(laughs)

It's not like I would say, "Iwata-san, Miyamoto-san's birthday is coming up next month!" I wouldn't call a meeting about that.

No, you wouldn't. (laughs)

Me neither. (laughs)

(laughs)

Itoi-san, a long time ago you told me that most of the problems in the world can be solved with ideas.

Right.

I really agree with that. I don't think that you're able to solve something because you've had an idea; I think that ideas exist to solve problems.

Exactly, exactly. And that's why it's so hard to come up with an idea for someone's birthday present.

Right. (laughs)

Like with people who are really hard to surprise on their birthdays. You want to surprise them, but you don't want to totally freak them out. That's when you need an idea. Especially if their birthday is this weekend. And you can only spend 2,000 yen.

(laughs)

So I feel like you can't just say, "I'm going to do something nice for them!" You have to find something negative in that wish to do something nice for them. For example, something sad has happened and you need to make them forget it, or the fact that their birthday will be kind of depressing if no one does anything. I think that's the only way you'll get a really great idea.

Oh, yeah.

If everyone's happy—you're smiling, the person you're giving the present to is smiling—and they tell you just what they want when you ask what you should get them… you don't need to come up with an idea there.

In the same vein, I don't think that anyone would be able to come up with any ideas if there were no restrictions for developing games.

Oh, that's very true.

That's true with any type of expression.

That's what it's all about, really.

It's all about restrictions. History is really just a battle against restrictions. I think that we get our energy from being able to take a restriction and make it work for us.

You're right.

There's no better feeling than the moment when you finally solve a problem.

There's something so enjoyable about being able to think, "I bet no one's thought of this!"

Yeah, yeah.

On the other hand, if someone says, "I know everyone's doing this, but we need you to do it, too," that feels horrible.

That is horrible. (laughs)

It sure is.

Yeah.