Genius

I haven't played Katamari Damacy in several weeks; and I miss it so. I was reading about an electronic/programming convention, and there was an article about the designer behind Katamari and his new idea. Talk about thinking outside of the box...a cat like controller for grandmothers....umm....okay dude, go with it:

He introduced the design of his new controller specifically tailored for
the Granny, and a picture of a cat appeared on the screen to great amusement. He
explained, "the shape of the cat and the heat waves that it gives out really
gets the old ladies going as they get quite cold. They like the cat shape. The
cat is designed to be rested on the old ladies knees." The cat controller was
met with rapture from the audience as Takahashi went on to explain the gameplay
concept.
The game would begin with the family suggesting to Granny that she
wear the cat because, for example, her knees looked cold. Embedded in the cat is
the capability for it to communicate wirelessly with other cat controllers (on
other Grannies' knees) in the neighborhood. When the cat connects to another
one, "..the onboard a.i. kicks in." This causes the cat to speak, paraphrased as
"meow, meow, grandma, meow". Takahashi explains that the family are required to
participate in the game by pretending that they haven't heard anything, because
of this – Grandma begins to build the perception that she is able to communicate
directly with the cat.
As the dialogue with the cat develops, it suggests
that Granny make some soup – but faster than the other granny down the street
who has also received the instruction. A competitive element emerges and
gradually the cat suggests more and more group activities that Grandma might
engage in, culminating in trips to the park. "..So they all go outside and
eventually they meet other old ladies with cats and they all become friends. So
it's a game that involves the participation and love of the entire family."
Takahashi ended the presentation by commenting on the possible production path
of the cat, "Namco and Bandai are merging so when I get home I will submit my
proposal."

Meow, Meow, Grandma, Meow, indeed.