Prototyping.club/ Nintendo - Wii U Prototyping

"This was the start of two-screen gameplay."

"We tested gameplay that involved moving the Wii Zapper and having images from the Wii move in sync on a monitor in your hands. It was fairly well received..."

"When (Shigeru) Miyamoto-san saw that experiment, he said that he definitely wanted to put a gyro sensor in Nintendo 3DS, so even though the ship was headed out of the harbor, he called it back. This happened after the people in the hardware department had already been declared that "all features are now set!" "

"Thanks to this prototype, however, we were able to explain the structure of Wii U-having a screen in your hands—and it became more compelling."

"The way that Nintendo makes hardware is to take an idea that has arisen and make something makeshift and actually try it out."

"The next makeshift thing we made for Wii U GamePad concept [...] a monitor and controllers stuck together by double-sided tape. "

"The fun of having one person play a different role in a multiplayer game, was discovered at a fairly early stage in development thanks to this attempt."

"When the Wii U GamePad controller still hadn't come together, we had Motoyama-san make a mockup (model) so we could check how it would feel in your hands."

"It's made out of cardboard! The screen has a lid and you can insert pieces of paper in the top to change the display."

"But having a mockup like this, that you could hold, helped us get a better idea of what was being made."