In an interview with Gamasutra about this weeks North American 3DS launch, Hideki Konno talked about how the 3DS came to be. As lead of the 3DS project, Konno worked with the likes of Iwata and Miyamoto to bring ideas to the handheld such as the StreetPass and SpotPass modes. According to Konno, having hardware developers and game makers in the same building is one of the reasons for Nintendo’s success.
Konno, who’s roots lie on the software side, has been with Nintendo for a quarter century. In his time with the company, he has had his hand in such games as Mario Kart 64 and Super Mario Bros. 3. I think the insight someone with such deep roots in software can have on the development of a console is interesting.
We will all get the chance to get our mitts on the handheld in less than a week to see for ourselves if the 3DS is greatest thing since stomping goombas. Where does that line start again?
What is your take on hardware and software developers working hand in hand to create the new Nintendo handheld?
