Interview with:
ASHIDA KENICHIRO

Q: Nintendo GameCube looks much different than any game console ever created. What was your inspiration?

A: The GameCube Disc is very small-- only 3 inches in diameter. I wanted to find a positive way to have the hardware to reflect this new compact concept. At first, I proposed several ideas that were less tall and more wide than what you see now. One of the early ideas looked something like a UFO. These designs wern't working very well, so I took a close look at how real game players and there game systems interact. I wanted to make the Nintendo GameCube fit well into a user-friendly environment. The cube shape gives the impression of very compact, especially when you see it sitting on the floor. I like the simple, polished look of the final design.

Q: What were your main concerns when designing the Nintendo GameCube Controller?

A: In my opinion the ideal controller is one which the player forgets he is even holding. It was very difficult to accomplish this task with the gamcube controller, because we wanted to incorporate so many features into it. From the beginning to end of the project i kept asking myself, "How can I arrange the features comfortably?"

Q: What Factors led to the devolpment of the Nintendo GameCube handle?

A: Befoe I started thinking about the design of the Nintendo GameCube, I did some research to determine how video game systems were used in game players' homes. I discovered that alote of players actually moved the console away from the television and closer to themselves while playing games. Adding a handle to the system makes it easier for players to do this, and it also gives the system a friendly look.

Q:How did you deside what the colors to use for the Nintendo GameCube?

A: One of the colors were using for GameCube is Indigo, which was adopted from a color found in the Nintendo GameCube logotype. We are aware, however, that people have a wide range of likes and dislikes when it comes to color. We did alote of research, and found that many people wanted to see a Jet (black) version of Nintendo GameCube. We are releasing that both in Japan and the U.S. In order to appeal to a wider audience in Japan, we released a Spice (orange) version as well.