Get some plastic, shape it into a circle, cut out a slot for the Wii Remote, and, bam, out comes a Wii Wheel. As it would turn out, Nintendo's driving peripheral that will be integral to Mario Kart Wii required a bit more thought to get just right. Actually, a lot more thought. In Nintendo's most recent "Ask Iwata" developer interview, Wii Wheel lead designer Kenichiro Ashida explains that the device went through around 30 iterations before finalization.
"While we were making prototypes like these, we went through a process of trial and error," explained Ashida. "With regard to weight, we thought carefully about how many grams would best suit gameplay. When considering durability, we wanted to make something strong using thick materials, but increasing the weight by even 30 grams would have been considered too heavy for some people. We eventually designed it to be as light as possible so people could use it for a long time without getting tired too quickly."
Weight and durability weren't the only factors Ashida and his team grappled with in the wheels design. Concerns spanned from where it would be best to house the wheel to how to best accommodate button positioning to whether the shape should be circular or rectangular.
Miyamoto, who was also party to the "Ask Iwata" interview, succinctly summarized Ashida's process, saying, "It costs a lot, so we needed it to do a lot of work!"
04-04-2008, 11:54 PM
Nintendo had 30 Wii Wheel prototypes
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