Wii Fit Plus is "not a sequel" - Miyamoto

By Oli Welsh Published 14 October, 2009

Also: why he always carries a tape measure.

In the latest edition of Iwata Asks, Nintendo boss and wannabe chat-show host Satoru Iwata interviewed his most famous employee, Shigeru Miyamoto, about Wii Fit Plus. Miyamoto told his superior that he regarded the new fitness title as an "enhanced version", not a sequel.

"We began developing Wii Fit Plus with a kind of typical game developer's way of thinking: since the first one has sold well, we should come up with a sequel," he confessed.

But, although there are some 20-odd new exercises and mini-games, and a new method of combining physical and mental exercises, Miyamoto felt it was more important to improve the "convenience factor" of the Wii Fit so players wouldn't stop using it after a while.

He focused work on streamlining the interface and including personalised training routines in the My Wii Fit Plus menu. The usability of the latter so obsessed him he remade it four times, which seemed to alarm the man who signs his timesheets. "Really? You remade it four times?" Iwata said.

"As we'd managed to come up with such a solid core, I personally felt that we should get this on the market quickly with the intention of saying to Wii Fit users: 'Use this to get an enhanced version of Wii Fit!'" Miyamoto said. "It's not number two! It's not what you'd call a sequel with a regular game - it's actually an enhanced version of the software."

This worried Iwata, the executive confessed. "The more I heard you talk about it, the more I felt that it was an enhanced version which was the same as new versions of operating systems or business software. That's why, if I'm being perfectly honest, I was rather worried at the start about how Nintendo would handle this kind of software, as it's not something we've ever dealt with before."

The pair also had great fun discussing the new feature of Wii Fit Plus - presumably top of Peter Molyneux's wish-list for the game - which allows you to weigh your dog.

Known dog-lover Miyamoto expressed his disappointment at getting this into the first game. "I did go through a period when I regretted the fact that users couldn't weigh their dogs. Dogs are the classic pet, after all," he said.

"On the title screen for the original Wii Fit, all of the Mii characters from the users' family gather together briefly. I thought of this scene as somehow being the Wii "home", so of course it was somewhat sad not to have any pets included."

He was so sad he made a Mii of his dog so that it wasn't left out, and insisted designers came up with representations of dogs and cats, and a method of weighting them, for Wii Fit Plus.

He also revealed, in news that will surprise Miyamoto-watchers everywhere, that he has just got a cat himself. "From now on, I will also be showing consideration for cat lovers."

To his boss's evident puzzlement, Miyamoto goes on to insist that users could have "a lot of fun" weighing everyday objects with Wii Fit Plus - and revealed a curious fact about himself.

"I've always enjoyed guessing the lengths of objects, which is why I carry a measuring tape around with me," Miyamoto said.

"For instance, I might guess that the table in front of us is about 1.2 metres long. Then I'd actually measure it with the measuring tape to check. If I got it right, I'd think: 'I'm on form today!' But if I missed the mark by a long way, I'd think: 'I've been slipping a bit recently!'" said the world's most revered games designer.

Iwata, amazed, said that he did not know this about his star employee. "I've realised today how much I still don't know about you!" the executive said.

"Well, I love measuring things," said the creator of Mario. "Iwata-san, why don't you try carrying a tape measure around with you?"

"I'm the type of person who'd prefer to have machines automatically measuring and recording things, so I don't think I'm cut out to be a fellow measurement-obsessive!" said his boss.

"You're missing out! It's a lot of fun, I'm telling you!"

Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (45) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • matrim83 #1 2 years ago

    TLDR.

  • Zomoniac #2 2 years ago

    Miyamoto told his superior that he regarded the new fitness title as an "exploitative version", not a sequel.

    "We began developing Wii Fit Plus with a kind of typical game developer's way of thinking: since the first one has sold well, we should come up with an easy way to capitalise on that" he confessed.

    But, although there are some 20-odd new exercises and mini-games, and a new method of combining physical and mental exercises, Miyamoto felt it was more important to improve the "profit to development time ratio" of the Wii Fit so players wouldn't stop buying new ones after a while.

  • kangarootoo #3 2 years ago

    "Known dog-lover Miyamoto expressed his disappointment at getting this into the first game"

    Presumably to avoid the media shotstorm that might have resulted had the software called someone's dog fat.


    I bet this Iwata Asks thing is a right old rollercoaster ride, full of freeflowing conversation and differing views, and not a bit scripted sort of like an advert or ANYTHING.

  • Xerx3s #4 2 years ago

    "If you own Wii fit or a Wii you dont deserve to be playing games. "

    Must stuff on the wii is not to my taste and imo a bit poo but what your saying is stupid.

  • myiagros #5 2 years ago

    WTF!!

  • kangarootoo #6 2 years ago

    I can never understand why people use TLDR. Isn't it just another way of saying you are a bit simple?

  • kinky_mong #7 2 years ago

    This guy used to make classics. Dylan Cuthbert was spot on when he said Miyamoto doesn't care about making games any more.

  • electrolite #8 2 years ago

    If you think you can judge who should and shouldn't be playing games you're an embarrassing retard.


    Fixed it for you. You're welcome.

  • Bremenacht #9 2 years ago

    Utterly, utterly bonkers. Weighing dogs. Secret table-measuring obsessions.

    !

  • Malek86 #10 2 years ago

    So Nintendo is going for the Windows model of business. Cool. Next time some new Wii-series game comes out, I'll remember not to buy it, so I can wait for the subsequent superior version.

    Anyway, Miyamoto needs more freedom. I don't think it's the man's fault. He's just being restrained in what Nintendo (Iwata?) thinks is more profitable at the moment.

  • superted1974 #11 2 years ago

    I like guessing the lenght of comments threads.

    39 posts by 5pm today!

  • Armoured_Gideon #12 2 years ago

    At the very least, this is a very funny article involving phrases that, if you showed them to a gamer ten years ago, would make their jaws drop in disbelief.

    "I did go through a period when I regretted the fact that users couldn't weigh their dogs. "

    - Shigeru Miyamoto, Creator, Super Mario Bros

  • asharkman #13 2 years ago

    That's pretty funny to read.
    It's gas that his boss hasn't noticed he's been measuring things around the office for the past twenty odd years.

  • JahB #14 2 years ago

    Anyway, Miyamoto needs more freedom. I don't think it's the man's fault. He's just being restrained in what Nintendo (Iwata?) thinks is more profitable at the moment.

    this. give the man a budget and a dev team, and then leave him alone for 2 to 3 years. i'm sure he'd make something a lot better than yet another crappy mini game collection.

  • seasidebaz #15 2 years ago

    I know what the tape measure's for.





    Measuring his PILES OF MONIES.

  • peterfll #16 2 years ago

    Both my puss-kittens had their annual check up last night at the vets - which involved weighing them and monitoring their general fitness.

    I would love to get them using the next version of Wii Fit "Wii Fit Puss".

    I would BUY IT.
    Edited by 1 at 14/10/09 @ 14:29

  • Shinetop #17 2 years ago

    W. T. F.

  • seasidebaz #18 2 years ago

    Wow, I get a -1 for saying Nintendo make money now?



    Awesome.

  • schnide #19 2 years ago

    Where would gaming be if Miyamoto had come into gaming making things like this, instead of Zelda and Mario Bros?

  • spekkeh #20 2 years ago

    Every man carries an implicit measuring tape with him. For instance, that same table would measure three times my penor.

  • sharky_ob #21 2 years ago

    It must be quite depressing for someone with Miyamoto's talent and imagination to be working on software like this.

  • LiamK #22 2 years ago

    "He's just being restrained in what Nintendo (Iwata?) thinks is more profitable at the moment."

    And going by Nintendo's profit margin, Iwata is right.

  • stevethemeat #23 2 years ago

    Surely this must be embarrassing for a man who has produced some of the best games ever, he must be extremely loyal to Nintendo, i think most designers would have jumped ship by now.

    Could you imagine the scramble to hire him if he did walk.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #24 2 years ago

    It must be quite depressing for someone with Miyamoto's talent and imagination to be working on software like this.

    I dunno. From the sound of his recreational measuring, and his relentless bigging up of Wii Music since the time it was only a conductor's baton tech-demo, it sounds to me like Miyamoto's been waiting to work on this sort of shit all his life.

  • AliRay #25 2 years ago

    Great game designer, but he's a bloody freak!

  • AliRay #26 2 years ago

    "It must be quite depressing for someone with Miyamoto's talent and imagination to be working on software like this."

    I'm sure he sleeps well at night ON HIS BED MADE OF MONEY.

  • JahB #27 2 years ago

    I'm sure he sleeps well at night ON HIS BED MADE OF MONEY.

    given the fact that he created Mario and Zelda, i think it's fair to assume he already had an entire house built of money before the wii even launched.

  • JetSetWilly #28 2 years ago

    The long winter nights must just fly by in Miyamoto's house.

  • Malek86 #29 2 years ago

    "And going by Nintendo's profit margin, Iwata is right. "

    He sure is. But then, that's like Kojima being asked to make more MGS games even though maybe he would rather not. Good for business, not necessarily good for the gamers.

  • darkmorgado #30 2 years ago

    He carries a tape measure around with him in his pocket?
    After the interview, did they have a round of "let's compare"?
    Very bizarre.
    But yay! for the kitty-love.
    I love my kitty :-)
    purrrrrrrrrrrrr

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #31 2 years ago

    given the fact that he created Mario and Zelda, i think it's fair to assume he already had an entire house built of money before the wii even launched

    Actually, there was an episode of The Money Programme or some such thing with the lovely Libby Potter, where they badgered Nintendo about epilepsy and Super Mario Bros 2 being a rebadged Doki Doki Panic.

    In that, it was revealed that despite his franchises' huge successes, Miyamoto remained a humble salaryman. Since then, he's been appointed to the board, where I'd guess the big bucks are, so maybe he's too busy counting the readies now to come up with another Mario, or even another Pikmin.

    Edit: The internet is a marvellous thing:
    http://vi deo.google.co.uk/videosearch?hl...
    Edited by 1 at 14/10/09 @ 16:44

  • kangarootoo #32 2 years ago

    "Good for business, not necessarily good for the gamers"

    An often used phrase, and mnaybe it is frequently true. But in the case of the Wii and all its mainstream software, the change in business has also been very good for a lot of gamers.

    Now they might not be the same gamers that have enjoyed Mario games over the years, but they are still actual people having a good time. There are plenty of instances where what is good for business is not good for customers - this is not one of those cases - the customers have just changed.

    Those that like hardcore games need to really seriously just get over the fact that Nintendo doesn't consider them to be the core market anymore (not on the Wii at any rate). Harping on about "real gamers" and so forth is just childish. Nintendo still make good games, they just don't make (many of) them for hardcore gamers on their living room system. It doesn't mean they make bad games, times have just changed is all.
    Edited by 2 at 14/10/09 @ 16:59

  • Alterego-X #33 2 years ago

    People, jut get over it: More people enjoy fitness games and minigames than your epic action games.
    That's it. There are over 20 million gamers, who consider Wii Fit the best thing since sliced bread, and you CAN'T claim that they are ALL retarded, just because YOU, the MINORITY, happen to like different games.

    25 years ago, you were the newbie, casual gamers who loved that silly japanese thing with cute music, and magic mushrooms.
    25 years from now, these "casual" gamers will be the oldscool, who will fondly remember Wii Sports and Wii Fit as the Golden Age of gaming, and hate whoever new audiences Miyamoto will bring into gaming that time.
    Edited by 1 at 14/10/09 @ 17:11

  • StooMonster #34 2 years ago

    myiagros: WTF!!
    Shinetop: W. T. F.

    It's not WTF it's WFT ... Wii Fit Two.

  • Malek86 #35 2 years ago

    People played arcades all the time, now nobody does anymore. It's just how it works.

    I'm a shmups player. I'm used to being in a niche. Those other so-called "hardcore" (I guess someone can be hardcore by playing GTA4, uh?) actually have it easy right now. When (if) hardcore games become niche, they'll just get used to it, like I did. Then, in the future, there will be a time when Wii Fit and Wii Sports will be niche as well, and so on.

    Times always change. It's not something that bothers me.

  • dr_zoidthrob #36 2 years ago

    Wii Fit Plus is "not a sequel" - Miyamoto Comments... So, is 'Shameless Cash-In' nearer the mark?

  • Dr.Mott #37 2 years ago

    So, he's essentially saying, "It's not a sequel, it's basically the same product, but with a slightly improved interface"?

    I think I'd rather a sequel.

  • secombe #38 2 years ago

    25 years ago, you were the newbie, casual gamers who loved that silly japanese thing with cute music, and magic mushrooms.

    Do you seriously think many of the guys bitching and moaning about Wii Fit etc were playing games 20+ years ago? Not a chance, my parents bought me an Atari 7800 sometime in the 80s, most of my friends around my age now actually appreciate the back to basics nature of the Wii, DS and even the iPhone. Having a family and home to sort out makes quick-fire high score gaming far more appealing.

  • smelly #39 2 years ago

    >now to come up with another Mario, or even another Pikmin.

    I always find it strange that people have a go at him for not creating anything "new".. but yet they dont say the same to those designers that keep pumping out endless fps after fps (albeit with different characters).

    And ignoring that he has come up with new ideas.. such as wii fit (which whether you like it or not, is one of the best selling entertainment products of this gen.. almost outselling the ps3 at one point). Also wii music is a great product for children.

    So to say he's not "trying" or whatever is very off the mark.. sure he may not be designing new games for the "hardcore" gamers any more.. but then most "hardcore" gamers nowadays are tweens who wont be seen dead playing a miyamoto style colourful, challenging game - they want to look cool and play shooting games.

  • KDR_11k #40 2 years ago

    Considering how everything Miyamoto enjoys turns into a game at some point (not directly though, when he enjoyed gardening he produced Pikmin) I wonder what kind of game will come out of this measuring.

  • Stompy #41 2 years ago

    "Considering how everything Miyamoto enjoys turns into a game at some point (not directly though, when he enjoyed gardening he produced Pikmin) I wonder what kind of game will come out of this measuring."

    If only Shigsy was more stereotypically Japanese, we'd get the best real-time demon-penis measuring game ever made.

  • JeroenZM #42 2 years ago

    Miyamoto: I am wacky in an endearing way!

    Iwata: *laughs*

  • SG #43 2 years ago

    Whilst I don't have a problem with the product itself (there can be as many casual games as you want on the Wii, I'm not being forced to buy them), I DO have a problem with Miyamoto being behind it. What a terrible, terrible waste of talent.

    I remember the good old N64 days...

  • superted1974 #44 2 years ago

    Superted1974 wrote: "I like guessing the lenght of comments threads. 39 posts by 5pm today"

    I was 4 out!

    Not bad - does anyone mind if I try this on more threads?

    Edited by 1 at 15/10/09 @ 08:50

  • Rubarack #45 2 years ago

    Sooo, who's waiting for Super Wii Fit Plus Ex Alpha?