Got news?   tips@destructoid.com  |  Never miss a story:   RSS + Twitter + YouTube
Hey! New here? Destructoid is a gaming discussion community, updated nearly every 20 minutes. Make a quick avatar to comment and enter our contests. Take the tour!
 


Home Accessories updates

E3 08: Nintendo reveals new accessory, the Wii MotionPlus
11:39 AM on 07.14.2008, Chad Concelmo 85 comments

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

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?


Next page: More E3 stories




lowercaseluke's Avatar
lowercaseluke at 07/14/2008 11:37
ZOMG LIGHTSABAAARS
ian_esq's Avatar
ian_esq at 07/14/2008 11:37
Lightsaber game!! Force unleashed will be insane!
Alexradl's Avatar
Alexradl at 07/14/2008 11:38
*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
Velt at 07/14/2008 11:38
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
jdub28 at 07/14/2008 11:39
My first thought was 1:1 Master Sword control
Shaa Zaaam's Avatar
Shaa Zaaam at 07/14/2008 11:40
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
AgentMOO at 07/14/2008 11:40
"Wii fixed it!"
Face's Avatar
Face at 07/14/2008 11:41
Maybe now the hardware team can get to work on a storage solution.
ParaParaKing's Avatar
ParaParaKing at 07/14/2008 11:42
Surprised? Yes. Impressed? Not at all.
king3vbo's Avatar
king3vbo at 07/14/2008 11:42
Ok, if it is TRUE 1:1 then thats awesome, even though it should have been there day 1.
free touch's Avatar
free touch at 07/14/2008 11:44
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
eternalplayer2345 at 07/14/2008 11:44
Darwin just got owned
YONKE's Avatar
YONKE at 07/14/2008 11:45
1:1 movement should be integrate on the wiimote since launch........
Kryptinite's Avatar
Kryptinite at 07/14/2008 11:45
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
Faceless at 07/14/2008 11:47
This sounds really good but I definitely need to see it in action before I make any decisions.
garison's Avatar
garison at 07/14/2008 11:47
i wonder if this will be backward compatable with older wii games like galaxy
Chad Concelmo's Avatar
Chad Concelmo at 07/14/2008 11:47
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
Remo at 07/14/2008 11:48
This better not be their big thingy for E3.
Justice's Avatar
Justice at 07/14/2008 11:48
True 1:1?

I'll have to see it to believe it.
OrangeGoblin's Avatar
OrangeGoblin at 07/14/2008 11:48
This better be fucking cheap. Or at least bundled with new wiimotes.
Tubatic's Avatar
Tubatic at 07/14/2008 11:49
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
Los Tres Ojos at 07/14/2008 11:49
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
eternalplayer2345 at 07/14/2008 11:50
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
BluFire at 07/14/2008 11:52
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
Falciase at 07/14/2008 11:54
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
naia-the-gamer at 07/14/2008 11:54
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
Trev at 07/14/2008 11:56
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
Infinite Obscurity at 07/14/2008 11:58
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
galagabug at 07/14/2008 11:59
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
Stahlbrand at 07/14/2008 12:02
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
ghnvt at 07/14/2008 12:02
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
wfolse1 at 07/14/2008 12:06
so you can't plug in the nunchuck now? that sucks
Tubatic's Avatar
Tubatic at 07/14/2008 12:08
@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
DanGale at 07/14/2008 12:18
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
Tubatic at 07/14/2008 12:31
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
hjd uk at 07/14/2008 12:32
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
hjd uk at 07/14/2008 12:38
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
TheRemedy at 07/14/2008 12:52
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
PaulMorel at 07/14/2008 12:52
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
BigKev at 07/14/2008 12:52
It clearly still has a port for nunchuk.

Also, wow, awesome.
nilcam's Avatar
nilcam at 07/14/2008 12:59
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
killias2 at 07/14/2008 13:04
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
Mxyzptlk at 07/14/2008 13:18
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
Knives at 07/14/2008 13:25
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
metromapper at 07/14/2008 13:26
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
parrothead at 07/14/2008 13:27
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
RICHARD BLOCKER at 07/14/2008 13:28
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
JonDarkwood at 07/14/2008 13:34
Now they need to show games that use it.
prev next 50 comments

Returning Dtoiders: login now to post a comment

Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just Create an avatar now - it's fast and free: PLUS you also get your own gaming blog and begin posting stories and uploading videos in our open community area that may also appear on our home page. Sign up and we'll guide you through it, it's easy and 100% anonymous.




 Original Videos

 Reviews
Mad Dog McCree Gunslinger Pack
Overlord II
Yosumin Live!
Let's Tap
Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Wii)
View all Game Reviews

 Community blogs -   39719 Dtoiders!

This month's theme: Untapped Potential

New to Dtoid? Read the survival guide


 Originals

The best and worst '4th' videogames EVER!











more original Destructoid stories


 Popular now more













Destructoid is:
Nick Chester
Editor-in-Chief		 Jim Sterling
Reviews Editor
Dale North
News Editor		 Hamza Aziz
Community Manager
Anthony Burch
Features Editor		 Rey Gutierrez
Video editor & director
Niero
Founder, publisher
Letters to the editors
tips@destructoid.com
Associate Editors
Ashley Davis Jonathan Holmes
Brad Nicholson Jonathan Ross
Brad Rice Jordan Devore
Chad Concelmo Matthew Razak
Colette Bennett Tom Fronczak
Conrad Zimmerman Topher Cantler
Dyson Samit Sarkar
Contributors
Adam Dork
Ben Perlee
Daniel Lingen
Joseph Leray		 Joe Burling
Mikey
Will Maddock
Stella Wong




get involved

register or login
post a blog
post a forum
enter a contest
discuss a review
contribute a news tip
write a guest editorial
 support

new member's guide
login assistance
tech support
report abuse
email our editors
read our dev blog
nuclear crisis?
 keep in touch

RSS feed
Twitter
Facebook
Myspace
Flickr
Game nights
Meet-ups 		seriously

about us
advertising
terms of use
privacy policy
jobs at MM
buy our crap 		our network

Tomopop
Japanator



Destructoid is an independently-run publication forged by our love of video games and the gaming community's need of accountable enthusiast press
living the dream since March 16, 2006