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E3 08: Nintendo reveals new accessory, the Wii MotionPlus
by Chad Concelmo on 07.14.2008 83 comments

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

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?

MORE IN OUR wii SECTION

Latest comment by Cyberxion |view all 83 comments
@ Springsteen Well said man. Well said....





Pedro Blandino's Avatar
Pedro Blandino at 07/14/2008 11:36

lawl, Nintendo making the waggle more accurate. déjà vu.
Jaren Face's Avatar
Jaren Face at 07/14/2008 11:36

"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
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.
Wa-Keen's Avatar
Wa-Keen at 07/14/2008 12:38

Nintendo wins again!
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.
The-Excel's Avatar
The-Excel at 07/14/2008 13:37

Maybe the next Trauma Center will use it for brain surgery or something.
Cyberxion's Avatar
Cyberxion at 07/14/2008 13:39

I'm with Chad. I guess I just don't have the desire to be cynical about every little facet of the hobby.

Maybe the existence of this thing speaks ill about the Wiimote as it exists now. Maybe not. As long as it yeilds positive results, I don't give two shits.

Meh.
Misanthrope's Avatar
Misanthrope at 07/14/2008 13:40

Wiggle better? Seriously, Wiggle better Nintendo? Thats it? *sigh*

Whats next, a DS with a touchscreen that won't get scratched in the first 4 days?

So much for the "we'll announce something hardcore" looks like it will all center around pushing Wii sports 2 and making you pay for the complete controller after you beta tested it for over a year.

I knew this would happen if those motherfucking greedy cunts of Nintendo would get on top again.
pedrovay2003's Avatar
pedrovay2003 at 07/14/2008 13:51

I'm very interested in where this is going...
Rockvillian's Avatar
Rockvillian at 07/14/2008 14:00

This is like getting batteries for Christmas, BEFORE finding out they are for the magical robot you always wanted.
LarkOhiya's Avatar
LarkOhiya at 07/14/2008 14:01

I'll wait to buy my 4th controller for when they make this built in.
EternalDeathSlayer's Avatar
EternalDeathSlayer at 07/14/2008 14:03

I'm guessing this shit ships in the box with some new Zelda title that's going to be announced tomorrow.

This way it gets higher exposure and more people have one.
perri's Avatar
perri at 07/14/2008 14:11

I am personally excited about this! I guess Its nintendo's version of the 'sixaxis' though. But Im not about to complain about improved hardware being released. At least I don't have to replace my remotes. I know Nintendo will probably bundle this with a game of its own but how great would it be if they offered it to LucasArts or something to make an exclusive lightsaber game for the console and sell with this. Third party sales +4 million.

There is no doubt in my mind though, that this was created to allow for better combat in an upcoming Nintendo release. Most likely Zelda, maybe Icarus.

I don't know why people are seeing this as such a bad thing. It's just another option- when we know the price, then we can talk.
guermogamer's Avatar
guermogamer at 07/14/2008 14:11

Eques-Ardor's Avatar
Eques-Ardor at 07/14/2008 14:19

I'm going to be trying to cut my own head off in sword games, AND YOU KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO TRY TOO!
TurboSpaz's Avatar
TurboSpaz at 07/14/2008 14:27

YET STILL NO GODDAM HARD DRIVES!!!
mix's Avatar
mix at 07/14/2008 14:28

Real time motion sounds pretty sexy, hopefully this thing is like $25....
killias2's Avatar
killias2 at 07/14/2008 14:41

"
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."

No. Rumbling and dualshock != more precise controls. It's more like they sold controllers without d-pads for 2 years and are now offering d-pad upgrades.
MaxVest's Avatar
MaxVest at 07/14/2008 15:09

Announcing before Punch-Out! Wii?
guermogamer's Avatar
guermogamer at 07/14/2008 15:09

@ killias2 "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."

I really have to disagree with you, it's not at all the same. When you add rumble to a controller, it doesn't really affect what happens to the gameplay. It's nice, it giggles when certain events happen.

But when you add something that fundamentally changes the way the controller sends data to the console, this requires (usually) programmers to do a total re-write to the system of game mechanics that have been already established.

Also, imagine the team behind "No More Heroes," to do a sequel, NOW they have to incorporate this new control system AND create a complete new workaroaund so gamers without the MotionPLus can still play the game, and let's also not forget the super awesome on-screen prompts that show you how to do moves with the beam katana.

This pretty much changes everything in a very exciting way, but also adds a load of headaches for developers.

I really hope once this is out, nintendo doesn't drop the ball. Other wise it's 32x all over again.
adultswim810's Avatar
adultswim810 at 07/14/2008 15:21

HOORAY! its what we expected when we bought it!!!
B-Radicate's Avatar
B-Radicate at 07/14/2008 15:34

If these aren't offered free to everyone who already bought the fucking system and controllers then it's a