A WII LOOK

If the Wiimote and Wii Sports, as the perfect conduit for the intuitive controller, were fundamental to Wii’s success, the hardware’s sleek, unassuming design was a major factor in appealing to a mainstream audience. Takeda had recognised that the look of the console was particularly important: “One of our main goals is for Wii to be accessible to everyone in the family, rather than just another toy for the children,” he said. “From that point of view, we also had to consider Wii’s appearance and fashionability, even if these are contradictory goals when you’re the one counting the pennies.” Takeda was also responsible for the distinctive blue light on the Wii’s disc slot, demanding it be implemented for the console’s E3 debut. A warm reception for the feature convinced Nintendo to use it in the finished hardware.