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| © 2006 Nintendo |
Excellence Prize
Shaberu! DS Oryouri Navi
Game
Artist : TSUCHIYAMA Yoshinori, representing the Shaberu! DS Oryouri Navi development team
(Japan)
TSUCHIYAMA Yoshinori
Born in Ishikawa, 1967. He graduated from Visual Design Course at Kanazawa College of Art and entered Nintendo Co., Ltd. Joined the development of The Legend of Zelda – Four Swords Adventures + (Navi tracker mode: director), Sennen Kazoku (Thousand Year Family) and others.
This software was born based on an idea where I thought how people would be surprised if they could cook delicious meals by themselves. The reason the software created by Nintendo, which has no past achievement in the cooking area, has earned trust and received such a big prize must be credited to nothing other than good reviews and recommendations from users. Thank you very much indeed.
In this work, the creator opens up a new field in game software with a totally new style of “oryori navigator” (cooking navigator) by combining a new presentation method and technology. Explanation of the cooking by charming synthetic voice and the presentation and technology which made it possible to teach the steps of cooking by voice recognition are wonderful. The idea where, even though the user’s hands are wet, or full when they are in the middle of cooking, they can move to the next step by just saying “OK” with their voice, accurately captures users’ needs.
How old were you when you "created" something first time in your life? At that time, what did you create, and what kind of medium did you use?
My parents said that I was already drawing pictures by the age of two. I remember that I was copying pictures of monsters such as Godzilla onto cardboard with an oil pen when I was three or four years old.
What kind of tools or medium do you use now? Please tell us the reason why you choose them.
At the moment, I am back to using pencil and paper, but I also make use of computer text tools. Since I am working as a member of a development team, it is more important for me to make my idea understood quickly than for my expression to be visually impressive.
If you could get "dream tools/medium" for your creation, what do you wish to get?
I enjoy the process of creation itself, so any tool would be welcome, as long as I can enjoy using it and am able to achieve a satisfactory result.
Do you have any consistent subject matter or theme through your works? If so, please explain us.
Perhaps it is the potential for fun that is around us, but we are not usually aware of. Actually, I have just realized that I have developed two software packages that have 'navigation' and 'voice' as their key themes.
Please tell us the most difficult or considerable part when you create your work.
The most difficult part of the process is the conveying of ambiguous ideas to an audience. I always try to explore an idea from the perspective of theory and sensation, with the aim of establishing whether the sensation of the idea is expressible or if the theory is really interesting.
Have you ever felt that your work is a "media art"? Also, what is the difference between "media arts" and "traditional fine arts"?
Cooking is a part of culture, and I was conscious of dealing with it as a media art. As a media tool, the Nintendo DS and its attendant software has the capacity to make cooking look easier and appeal to more people, which I think could not be done with traditional fine arts.
As an artist/creator, please tell us your approach, stance or point of view when you create your work.
As my general aim is to create something that will amaze people, I am always searching for new ideas that can be quickly introduced to an audience and easily understood, but I am also concerned as to whether I can make them attractive to others.
What is your motto?
"Being recommended by other people is something you cannot do yourself. Self-recommendation cannot increase your self-confidence."
What kind of situation in every day life do you get inspired most?
After thinking deeply on a theme, my ideas about it often coalesce whilst I am taking a bath or riding a motorcycle.
What kind of vision do you have in your future development as the creator?
I would like to work on the development of innovative software that is capable of exciting surprise.
Please name of the people, things, or phenomena that you have got most influenced by as the creator.
· Neko Nyan Bou (A product of BANDAI)
It was a toy which looked like and moved like a cat's paw. It was not the kind of thing that was necessary for our daily life, but it was fun and attractive enough. I have come to realize that a toy with a simple structure and physicality can be interesting, but is dependent on the idea and conception.
· Friends from my art college
At art college, I was exposed to the divergent and interesting viewpoints of my peers; even when we were given the same theme, everyone came up with different answers. I appreciated the ability of my fellow students and their recognition of my work was very encouraging, as I am mostly influenced by the people close to me.
· Mr. IWATA (Nintendo president), Mr. MIYAMOTO (Nintendo executive director), and other staff of Nintendo
These people continue to provide me with commentary and insight with regards to both sensibility and theory and I find that I can learn from their method of thinking when I examine them myself afterwards. Of course, apart from Mr. IWATA and Mr. MIYAMOTO, I am also grateful to other staff members who provide me with meaningful opinions; the open discussions that we enjoy help to improve my skill in critical and logical thinking.
It was a toy which looked like and moved like a cat's paw. It was not the kind of thing that was necessary for our daily life, but it was fun and attractive enough. I have come to realize that a toy with a simple structure and physicality can be interesting, but is dependent on the idea and conception.
· Friends from my art college
At art college, I was exposed to the divergent and interesting viewpoints of my peers; even when we were given the same theme, everyone came up with different answers. I appreciated the ability of my fellow students and their recognition of my work was very encouraging, as I am mostly influenced by the people close to me.
· Mr. IWATA (Nintendo president), Mr. MIYAMOTO (Nintendo executive director), and other staff of Nintendo
These people continue to provide me with commentary and insight with regards to both sensibility and theory and I find that I can learn from their method of thinking when I examine them myself afterwards. Of course, apart from Mr. IWATA and Mr. MIYAMOTO, I am also grateful to other staff members who provide me with meaningful opinions; the open discussions that we enjoy help to improve my skill in critical and logical thinking.
