Iwata Asks: DSi – My DS, Like Working on Two Systems, Two DS Slots, and More

Ever wonder how far in advance of its release that a company will develop new hardware?

In the case of the Nintendo DSi, it has been in development since before December of 2006, when Masato Kuwahara from the Development Engineering Department had to present a proposal outlining what kind of system he would like to make. And specifications needed to be hammered out by the following February.

The latest Iwata Asks follows the journey of designing the DSi from this stage to the product we have seen recently through press releases and videos. Here are some highlights.

One of the first new features settled on was the camera, as “it would have an effect on how to play and would be an easy change to understand.” Iwata likens this to giving the handheld eyes, to match its sense of touch (touchscreen) and hearing (microphone).

The reasoning for using two cameras — originally thought to be a waste — is that to have one camera that can swivel between the inward and outward facing positions would increase not only the cost, but the size as well. Plus, there would be the issue of durability, as such a swivel mechanism could break more easily.

They discuss the number of megapixels in the DSi’s cameras, which may seem low for this day and age, but fits with the unit’s resolution, being 2.5 times the length and width of the DS screen.

The addition of SD card support came largely from Shigeru Miyamoto. Early on, it was uncertain what the positives and negatives about having or not having the support in the system would be, but Miyamoto continued to push for it, promising he would make use of them.

The development of the DSi was unique in that those making it gained the opinions of those developing software during the earliest stages, with the final product reflecting what they would like. “We didn’t have advance sharing to that extent during development of the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance,” Iwata says, “and it was more like the hardware team would show the plans to the software developers and say, “This is what we did” and, then, software development in line with those plans began.”

Upon seeing the DS and the size of its game cards, one thought I always had was why Nintendo doesn’t give the handheld two slots for DS games, and this thought returned when the Game Boy Advance slot was removed from the DSi. As it turns out, they originally had very similar thoughts, planning to include two in the DSi.

However, reaction to the original system’s reveal within the company did not go so well, and it turns out that two DS game slots was a specification that was decided upon for removal.

“There were a lot of requests among gamers, of course,” Iwata recalls, “and from in house as well, for two slots. We also thought that would be good, and, even though we were aware of the drawback of increased size, we decided to proceed with two slots. But when you and your team made an actual model and I held it in my hands, all I could think was, ‘It’s so big!'”

Kuwahara notes that compared to the final size of the DSi, the two-slot version was much bigger, and about three millimeters thicker as well.

In the end, it seems the “tea table was upended” once more, and the work the designers had to put into the development of the DSi was enough for two systems. And as a result, the release was pushed back (which might account for all those false start rumors about a new DS system for the past few years) as they went about redesigning the system so that those who would see it would want one.

Yui Ehara, the designer of the outer shell for the DSi, as well as the DS Lite, explains what it means to have a mold as small as the DSi’s, which is able to be affordable for a console, durable enough for consumer’s tastes, and not wear out the actual metal mold used to make the casing itself. He notes that it is quite different from, say, making a cellular phone.

When the team revealed the newer, slimmer design for the DSi, it met with a greater degree of approval from those within the company.

Other changes noted are the speakers, which are no longer a series of round holes, and the larger screens which people used to playing the DS might notice. They’ve also taken measures to avoid the problem of fingerprint smudges by using a new matte texture which is less likely to show them.

They go on to discuss how, through the “My DS” features, they want the DSi to fit into peoples’ lives as a sort of personal item, one which “if they accidentally left the house without it in the morning they would hurry back to get it,” as Kuwahara notes.

Iwata adds that he would like “each person’s My DS to be something they carry around with them at all times. They can take an interest in what their friends have done with their units, and share recommendations.”

They also hope that My DS features will encourage those who have, until now, been sharing DSes to get their own.

On an amusing note, Ehara adds the following about learning the ins and outs of using the DSi:

…the unit’s features and included software have both increased, and the instruction manual is a veritable cornucopia of information. Of course, it would be best if you could play even without a manual, but the people in charge really poured themselves into it and turned out something nice. In order to make the most of your Nintendo DSi, I hope everyone gives the manual a thorough read.

Be sure to check out the full discussion for more interesting tidbits on the DSi, and an amusing way to finish things off.

And speaking of which, congratulations to Mita!