Iwata Asks Miyamoto about Wii Fit
The Iwata Asks interviews with Masahiro Sakurai were interesting not just because of the revelations about Smash Bros., but also because they reminded us that Iwata was once just some normal guy who programmed video games for HAL Laboratory. We were pleased to see another Iwata Asks so soon -- and he's interviewing Shigeru Miyamoto this time about his latest project, Wii Fit.
As usual, Wii Fit was born of one of Miyamoto's hobbies. Seeking a new, healthier way to relax, Miyamoto quit playing pachinko and took up swimming. He then started graphing his weight daily. This was the basis for the "Wii Health Pack" project, which, at first, didn't have any design specs except measuring weight on a graph. The actual game, then, came from the need to integrate exercise with a device that measured weight. This began with an experiment with balancing on two scales.
The old rumor that Nintendo would be designing a new Balance Board for our big American clown feet is also called into question by the fact that Reggie and other large-footed staffers were brought in to test the Japanese board.
