Yoneyama of Nintendo talks handheld games in Business Week

If there’s anyone who could give people a great idea on what are the components that would make a great device for handheld games, then Kazuo Yoneyama is the man for you. Having been one of the engineers for Nintendo’s DS Lite, the man certainly knows what it takes to make a great handheld device.

In an interview with Nintendo Online, Yoneyama states 4 things that should be considered in handheld devices. The first would be the balance and weight of the device when it is held in the hand. Developers should consider how it balances when held with one hand or both. Another thing considered is the size and functionality. Certainly, devices that are too big just wouldn’t be considered as handheld games, right? Cost is just as important when creating the handheld device. Parts had to be easy to produce and would still be cost friendly once assembled. When it came to the battery and durability, Yoneyama could not resist to talk a little about DS’s own energy saving features. The battery for the DS Lite remains the same as the DS, however it has some energy saving features such as adjusting the brightness of the DS in order to save more battery. With regards to durability, they want kids to consider spending more on games than on fixing their handheld console. So the DS still had to be durable with a stronger external and internal structure.
If there’s anyone who could give people a great idea on what are the components that would make a great device for handheld games, then Kazuo Yoneyama is the man for you. Having been one of the engineers for Nintendo’s DS Lite, the man certainly knows what it takes to make a great handheld device.

In an interview with Nintendo Online, Yoneyama states 4 things that should be considered in handheld devices. The first would be the balance and weight of the device when it is held in the hand. Developers should consider how it balances when held with one hand or both. Another thing considered is the size and functionality. Certainly, devices that are too big just wouldn’t be considered as handheld games, right? Cost is just as important when creating the handheld device. Parts had to be easy to produce and would still be cost friendly once assembled. When it came to the battery and durability, Yoneyama could not resist to talk a little about DS’s own energy saving features. The battery for the DS Lite remains the same as the DS, however it has some energy saving features such as adjusting the brightness of the DS in order to save more battery. With regards to durability, they want kids to consider spending more on games than on fixing their handheld console. So the DS still had to be durable with a stronger external and internal structure.