Nintendogs
May 19, 2005 13:47:07 GMT -5
Post by Link on May 19, 2005 13:47:07 GMT -5
E3 2005: Nintendogs Interview
We chat with the producer of the puppy simulation on the Nintendo DS.
by Craig Harris
May 19, 2005 - One of the big question marks at the Electronic Entertainment Expo this year: will Nintendogs be as popular in the US as it has been in Japan?
We had the opportunity to ask this and other questions to the game's producer, Hideki Konno from Nintendo Co. LTD. He has worked on many hardcore Nintendo titles including Mario and Yoshi, and in our interview he talks about what makes Nintendogs so good on the Nintendo DS.
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IGN: What's your reaction to the popularity of Nintendogs in Japan?
Hideki Konno: I'm very happy. I wasn't intending to make a game for hardcore gamers. It's not a game, it's more of a tool that anyone can enjoy.
IGN: Where did the concept of Nintendogs come from?
Hideki Konno: I was a part of the development of the Nintendo DS hardware, and with the system's touch screen, dual screen, microphone and WiFi connectivity, I wanted to take advantage of all of those features. And after thinking about it, we thought that we should have something with voice recognition, something where you speak and something would respond. And something you can touch on screen to make it feel real. So, we thought, you can pet a dog, and you can teach a dog commands, so that's where Nintendogs came about. But even before the Nintendo DS came about, we had a version for the GameCube, a demo that showed a dog that looked and moved like a real one. By bringing this idea to the DS, we made it feel even more real with the touch screen and microphone.
IGN: Was there anything specific that didn't make it into the game because of technical limitations or time restraints?
Hideki Konno: It's the case not just with Nintendogs but with every game I work on, there are features and items that I can't implement. And as the producer, I always feel the game is never complete.
IGN: What sort of elements is Nintendo of America requesting for the North American version of Nintendogs?
Hideki Konno: Nintendo has requested additional breeds of dogs that are more popular in the US.
IGN: Where did the idea of producing three different versions of the game come from?
Hideki Konno: Back when we decided on three versions of the game, Iwata originally asked if we could have fifteen different versions, each with one different breed. The idea behind that was that it would feel like you were handpicking a dog from the kennel. He wanted the experience of selecting the specific dog to play with. That obviously didn't happen. The whole process of debugging that many versions of one game just wasn't feasible. We went back and forth between numbers of versions and finally decided on three.
IGN: Why do you think Nintendogs has been so well received in Japan?
Hideki Konno: I'm not quite sure. Maybe it's because the market is filled with all of these aggressive, realistic, and violent titles, and maybe the simplicity of Nintendogs and the appeal of something cute on the box might have something to do with it.
IGN: Do you think that with the differences between Japanese and western cultures the game could be just as successful in the US?
Hideki Konno: The cultures are different, but everyone likes the idea of having a puppy around. No matter if you're in Japan or in the US there's that attachment to the cuteness and the feeling that my dog is cuter than your dog. Anyone who picks up Nintendogs will feel the same way no matter which culture you belong to.
Hideki Konno, Producer of Nintendogs
IGN: I've noticed some similarities in concept between Nintendogs and Animal Crossing. Was this intentional?
Hideki Konno: It wasn't a conscious decision. The two games are similar in that there is no specific goal. With both games there are milestones to reach, there are items to collect, and in that case, yes there are similarities. But that's more from the type of game they are, and more just a coincidence.
IGN: What particular aspect of Nintendogs are you most proud of?
Hideki Konno: With Nintendogs, we were going for the non-gamer, those who don't really play videogames. Because of that target audience, it was an incredible challenge to pull off. And when it got on shelves, the non-gamer did pick it up and did like it.
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IGN
We chat with the producer of the puppy simulation on the Nintendo DS.
by Craig Harris
May 19, 2005 - One of the big question marks at the Electronic Entertainment Expo this year: will Nintendogs be as popular in the US as it has been in Japan?
We had the opportunity to ask this and other questions to the game's producer, Hideki Konno from Nintendo Co. LTD. He has worked on many hardcore Nintendo titles including Mario and Yoshi, and in our interview he talks about what makes Nintendogs so good on the Nintendo DS.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IGN: What's your reaction to the popularity of Nintendogs in Japan?
Hideki Konno: I'm very happy. I wasn't intending to make a game for hardcore gamers. It's not a game, it's more of a tool that anyone can enjoy.
IGN: Where did the concept of Nintendogs come from?
Hideki Konno: I was a part of the development of the Nintendo DS hardware, and with the system's touch screen, dual screen, microphone and WiFi connectivity, I wanted to take advantage of all of those features. And after thinking about it, we thought that we should have something with voice recognition, something where you speak and something would respond. And something you can touch on screen to make it feel real. So, we thought, you can pet a dog, and you can teach a dog commands, so that's where Nintendogs came about. But even before the Nintendo DS came about, we had a version for the GameCube, a demo that showed a dog that looked and moved like a real one. By bringing this idea to the DS, we made it feel even more real with the touch screen and microphone.
IGN: Was there anything specific that didn't make it into the game because of technical limitations or time restraints?
Hideki Konno: It's the case not just with Nintendogs but with every game I work on, there are features and items that I can't implement. And as the producer, I always feel the game is never complete.
IGN: What sort of elements is Nintendo of America requesting for the North American version of Nintendogs?
Hideki Konno: Nintendo has requested additional breeds of dogs that are more popular in the US.
IGN: Where did the idea of producing three different versions of the game come from?
Hideki Konno: Back when we decided on three versions of the game, Iwata originally asked if we could have fifteen different versions, each with one different breed. The idea behind that was that it would feel like you were handpicking a dog from the kennel. He wanted the experience of selecting the specific dog to play with. That obviously didn't happen. The whole process of debugging that many versions of one game just wasn't feasible. We went back and forth between numbers of versions and finally decided on three.
IGN: Why do you think Nintendogs has been so well received in Japan?
Hideki Konno: I'm not quite sure. Maybe it's because the market is filled with all of these aggressive, realistic, and violent titles, and maybe the simplicity of Nintendogs and the appeal of something cute on the box might have something to do with it.
IGN: Do you think that with the differences between Japanese and western cultures the game could be just as successful in the US?
Hideki Konno: The cultures are different, but everyone likes the idea of having a puppy around. No matter if you're in Japan or in the US there's that attachment to the cuteness and the feeling that my dog is cuter than your dog. Anyone who picks up Nintendogs will feel the same way no matter which culture you belong to.
Hideki Konno, Producer of Nintendogs
IGN: I've noticed some similarities in concept between Nintendogs and Animal Crossing. Was this intentional?
Hideki Konno: It wasn't a conscious decision. The two games are similar in that there is no specific goal. With both games there are milestones to reach, there are items to collect, and in that case, yes there are similarities. But that's more from the type of game they are, and more just a coincidence.
IGN: What particular aspect of Nintendogs are you most proud of?
Hideki Konno: With Nintendogs, we were going for the non-gamer, those who don't really play videogames. Because of that target audience, it was an incredible challenge to pull off. And when it got on shelves, the non-gamer did pick it up and did like it.
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IGN