5. Wii U and The Wii Remote

Now, can you talk about how this new controller works together with the Wii Remote that we have been using until now?

Sure. Actually, as I was making it I didn't have a whole lot of doubts in my mind that the Wii Remote would still be used as it was. I feel like the Wii Remote has pretty much become its ideal form with the Wii Remote Plus⁷. ⁷Wii Remote Plus: An enhanced version of the Wii Remote controller with the Wii MotionPlus accessory built in. Release date November 2010 (now included with the Wii console).

I see, you mean you can do just about everything you want to do with it.

That's right. And when I thought whether we really needed to require the purchase of something completely new, I felt that we could continue with this way to play for another while. I feel that way even when I play The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword⁸. ⁸The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. A game scheduled for release on 18th November 2011 for the Wii console.

It feels like it moves just the way you want it to.

It does. I get so into it and swing my arms around that I laugh at myself! (laughs) You can freely do a lot of different things.

It's very interesting to hear you getting so into it even though you're the one making the game! (laughs)

So when I think about it within the concept of bringing the Wii console to a place that's further ahead, I think it's fine the way it is now aside from how we wanted to add an independent screen like with this new controller. The other thing was we wanted to make the switch to HD. But I had no hesitation in going that direction. Right now I'm planning that people can still be able to use their Wii Remote controllers that they already have, which means this time you now have five controllers to play with.

You mean this new controller, and four Wii Remote Plus controllers for a total of five.

Right. Five controllers. And we have people play in many combinations.

When you play alone, you probably would be able to just play with the new controller, without having to play on the TV.

I think so. We can make games that you play only in the palm of your hands even when something else is on the TV screen, and we can also make entertainment that requires both the TV and the smaller screen in your hands. That is up to the designers to decide depending on the type of games they're making. The hardware itself has the capability so that games can be played both ways.

It will probably be used in many ways.

I think so. More than anything, I'm really looking forward to new ways of play, in ways we haven't come up with yet. I think it has a lot of possibilities.

We showed a glimpse of all the things it can do in the

There is so much there that we're just trying to decide what to start with.

So you won't have a shortage of ideas.

We won't have a shortage of ideas.

There are so many great ideas in sight, you're having a hard time figuring out which one you should start cooking.

Yeah, we are still trying to decide. I think if the third-party developers can come up with all kinds of new ideas as well, then our vision for the future of the Wii U console will include numerous ways to play.