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E3 08: Nintendo reveals new accessory, the Wii MotionPlus photo

Let the E3 surprises begin!

It looks like Nintendo is trying to take the wind out of Microsoft’s press conference sails -- currently going on as I type this -- by announcing a new, surprise Wii accessory: the Wii MotionPlus.

The new accessory plugs into the bottom of the Wiimote and offers true motion control in 3D space. From Nintendo’s Web site:

Nintendo's upcoming Wii MotionPlus accessory for the revolutionary Wii Remote controller again redefines game control, by more quickly and accurately reflecting motions in a 3-D space. The Wii MotionPlus accessory attaches to the end of the Wii Remote and, combined with the accelerometer and the sensor bar, allows for more comprehensive tracking of a player's arm position and orientation, providing players with an unmatched level of precision and immersion. Every slight movement players make with their wrist or arm is rendered identically in real time on the screen, providing a true 1:1 response in their game play.

More information about Wii MotionPlus and hopefully some other new surprises will be discussed tomorrow morning at Nintendo’s very own press conference. Make sure you stick with Destructoid for all the latest E3 updates!

What do you think? Are you as surprised as we are about this news? What kind of games will most likely implement this new advanced technology?


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81 comments | showing # 1 to 50

Pedro Blandino's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:36
Pedro Blandino
lawl, Nintendo making the waggle more accurate. déjà vu.
Jaren Face's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:36
Jaren Face
"providing a true 1:1 response in their game play."

That's what caught my eye. With that, maybe Red Steel would be a more enjoyable experience.
lowercaseluke's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:37
lowercaseluke
ZOMG LIGHTSABAAARS
ian_esq's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:37
ian_esq
Lightsaber game!! Force unleashed will be insane!
Alexradl's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:38
Alexradl
*Included with Wii Sports 2*

I called it here first.

Well, this comes as a surprise. It's definitely a smart move to release it right before Microsoft's press conference. This probably should have been included in the Wiimote at launch. Another useless ad-on? We'll see.
Velt's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:38
Velt
Nice, now how many games are going to be compatible and how much money is this going to cost? If its adds more to the motion sensing experience then it should be on the control.
jdub28's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:39
jdub28
My first thought was 1:1 Master Sword control
Shaa Zaaam's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:40
Shaa Zaaam
Crap like this just makes me laugh...It's like Nintendo saying, "The wiimote sucked when it was alone in such games as red steel, but no it won't suck as much"
AgentMOO's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:40
AgentMOO
"Wii fixed it!"
Face's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:41
Face
Maybe now the hardware team can get to work on a storage solution.
ParaParaKing's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:42
ParaParaKing
Surprised? Yes. Impressed? Not at all.
king3vbo's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:42
king3vbo
Ok, if it is TRUE 1:1 then thats awesome, even though it should have been there day 1.
free touch's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:44
free touch
Shaa Zaaam: then what does that say about Microsoft creating a motion controller or Sony saying that the PS3 is still "The best blu-ray" player on the market. It says "We can't compete, so let's steal features or highlight niche features no one cares about."
eternalplayer2345's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:44
eternalplayer2345
Darwin just got owned
YONKE's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:45
YONKE
1:1 movement should be integrate on the wiimote since launch........
Kryptinite's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:45
Kryptinite
This thing better be Free ninety nine.

Maybe, just MAYBE if it's True 1:1 I would even consider looking at this.
Faceless's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:47
Faceless
This sounds really good but I definitely need to see it in action before I make any decisions.
garison's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:47
garison
i wonder if this will be backward compatable with older wii games like galaxy
Chad Concelmo's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:47
Chad Concelmo
See? I am okay with this. Nintendo has realized that its Wii technology -- while cool -- still needed some work. All technology progresses over time, right? True, this maybe should have been there on day one, but who knew if it was even an option?

I guess I am looking at it from the other angle: Would you rather have Nintendo ignore any kind of advancement and just not upgrade the Wiimote at all? :)
Remo's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:48
Remo
This better not be their big thingy for E3.
Justice's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:48
Justice
True 1:1?

I'll have to see it to believe it.
OrangeGoblin's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:48
OrangeGoblin
This better be fucking cheap. Or at least bundled with new wiimotes.
Tubatic's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:49
Tubatic
While this is what everyone expected day one, there can be a bunch of reasons (some on them not horrible!) that this wasn't included. Deadline, cost to manufacture was too high, too expensive to bank on (the success of the Wii was a surprise), etc.

If it really can do 1:1, I 'll be excited and happy, and ready to Bushido Blade/Light Saber/Bushido Blade again/Red Steel/Budokan

And also, its another controller with great upgrade potential from Nintendo! :) Call me niave, fanboy whatever, but I think its excellent that Nintendo has made a habit of making their controllers/systems upgradeable and add-on-able. Just a neat way to do things.

my big question: how do I get one (Or many) and how much?
Los Tres Ojos's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:49
Los Tres Ojos
I think just about every Wii game there is could benefit from this. I can't stand the split second delay whenever you move it.
eternalplayer2345's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:50
eternalplayer2345
I would never suspect nintendo to upgrade their sensor tech this makes me hopefully for a hard drive in some weird way.
BluFire's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:52
BluFire
If they demo a game that shows off how precise this thing is, and if I'm really impressed, I'll personally give Shigeru Miyamoto or anyone related to this a blow job. Otherwise they get a cockslap.
Falciase's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:54
Falciase
So maybe now we'll finally get some kind of first person sword fighting game...

Also, I hope Animal Crossing uses this. I want to catch bugs with a net with 1:1 real time control! :D
naia-the-gamer's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:54
naia-the-gamer
What I want to know is if this will improve the accuracy in games currently out on the market. If so, than great. Provided they don't charge and arm and a leg for it, I could be down with this.

Knowing Nintendo though, they will charge $29.99. You heard it here first.
Trev's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:56
Trev
Parents: Merry Chrismas.
Kid: This game looks great!
Wii: Fuck you. Your game doesn't work without this little box.



If it makes for better, more precise control that's great and all, but you know shit like this is going to go down.
Infinite Obscurity's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:58
Infinite Obscurity
Thinking about it now, useful addons like this aren't so bad. If there are a select few games that fully utilize this(Zelda please, for the love of God), then it could be pretty badass. Also, thinking back, the N64 also came out with a decent amount of addons(expansion pack, rumble pack, 64DD) and they were all worth it imo.
galagabug 's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 11:59
galagabug
now give us a stupid headband the IR recieves, place all motion dependency on the new waggle plus and make with the police trainer games!
Stahlbrand's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 12:02
Stahlbrand
Yeah, first thing out of E3 is Nintendo saying "Oh, actually our wiimote motion tracking is shit, so buy this".

Interesting call Nintendo, you think you might save this a few days or announce it after E3 or something.
ghnvt's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 12:02
ghnvt
This could have great potential and would allow for amazing creativity especially if they can get 1:1 movement, but lets wait and see.
wfolse1's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 12:06
wfolse1
so you can't plug in the nunchuck now? that sucks
Tubatic's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 12:08
Tubatic
@wfolse

I think there's a hatch at the bottom of the MotionPlus for Nunchuck connection. Looking at the right wiimote, you can see the outline of it, I think.
DanGale's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 12:18
DanGale
So will new games be playable only with MotionPlus? If so that kinda sucks. I'm still scarred from the time my parents bought me Majora's Mask but not the expansion pak. Even after I stressed the importance of it. Then all the shops we went in had stopped stocking them. To this day it is the only Zelda game I haven't finished. It kills me more and more every day I wake up.

Still, they'll probably bundle this with a new game that utilizes it.
Tubatic's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 12:31
Tubatic
Thinking like a techie, I guess this sort of just generates 2 numbers for wii axis position, as opposed to one. So maybe this can translate to old games, by making the single number more accurate?

Though that would mean that the motion Plus is also processing the numbers . . . which would no doubt make the thing that much more expensive . . .
hjd uk's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 12:32
hjd uk
Its a gyroscope, meaning you can get the orientation of the remote while it is being swung about / shaken. Currently orientation is extrapolated from the accelerometers by reading gravity as 'down'.

This indeed should allow sword-mechanics (lightsabers *woot*). I only hope they build it into the standard Wiimote chassis in the future.

Although tbh this looks to be an alternative to the nunchuck / classic controller instead of an additional addon.
hjd uk's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 12:38
hjd uk
I dont think this will be backwards compatible, previous games will have used the xyz accelleration data to try and calculate the orientation, this will most likly produce new data (like the classic controller provides more analogue channels) and will not be useable without a patch.
Btw the Sixxaxis doesnt have a gyroscope either. I dont know about the three-sixtii-mote.
TheRemedy's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 12:52
TheRemedy
Yeah I don't really have a problem with this as long as it's on the cheap end. Anything above 30 and I will be ignoring it.
PaulMorel's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 12:52
PaulMorel
I'm confused as to how this will allow 1:1 swordplay, but if it does, I'm there on day 1.
BigKev's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 12:52
BigKev
It clearly still has a port for nunchuk.

Also, wow, awesome.
nilcam's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 12:59
nilcam
This has potential, but that potential may never be realized since developers may not want to tie their game into a device that is not part of the core package.
killias2's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 13:04
killias2
Terrible idea. Should've been included from day one. They're basically admitting that the Wiimote, as is, is faulty.

Unless they offer it for free to Wiimote owners, this is just bad bad bad.
Mxyzptlk's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 13:18
Mxyzptlk
Being pissed off about this is like being pissed off when Sony first released the Dualshock or Microsoft first released the S-controller. Maybe a better analogy would be when Nintendo first released the Rumble pak for the N64, since it's an add-on instead of entire controller replacement.
Knives's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 13:25
Knives
Yeah, they'll probably bundle it with a game or two, hope they show a lot more of this on Nintendo's conference.
metromapper's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 13:26
metromapper
I was just thinking yesterday that this is exactly what the Wii needs. The current remote does not have the right hardware to do 1:1 orientation, since acceleration sensed by the accelerometer is tricked by motion and gravity, which are physically equivalent. And the IR sensor just helps orient based on a small cone of sensing pointed at the display.

What's really needed is a way for the remote to sense its orientation relative to a display or a starting point accurately, and it seems this fits the bill! I wonder what the tech is, gyrocopes, or something else.

This was likely not included in the original because the technology did not yet exist. A small attachment like this is a great solution, and I don't think it's Nintendo's fault for not including it originally.
parrothead's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 13:27
parrothead
Can't I just buy a new Wiimote with this crap already on it? You know it is only going to be 5 bucks less than a Wiimote. Maybe Wii Play 2 will come with attachment instead of a controller!!
RICHARD BLOCKER's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 13:28
RICHARD BLOCKER
Perhaps now I will consider buying a Wii. If it's not back compatible, I will still wait a while untill the library catches up.
JonDarkwood's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/14/2008 13:34
JonDarkwood
Now they need to show games that use it.
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