#itoquote

PEOPLE:

Kuniaki Ito. Responsible for the Wii MotionPlus electrical circuitry.

Satoru Iwata, age 49. President of Nintendo.

Junji Takamoto. Wii MotionPlus hardware project lead.

QUOTE: Ito: When the gyro sensor's casing absorbed moisture from the air, it would affect its sensitivity. … If it absorbed so much as a tiny amount of water, it would swell up and put pressure on the sensor which would prevent it from functioning properly. … In order to prevent that, you have to ensure that when it's being manufactured, it is in a completely dry environment. But even if you do that, it's inevitable that when players use it, it will absorb some moisture. …

Iwata: How did you solve this tricky issue?

Ito: We made it absorb moisture right from the start, but in a controlled and efficient manner. … So we boiled the entire circuit board.

Iwata: Circuit boards aren't normally something you boil, you know! [laughs]