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 Does it suck? updates

Rechargable Wiimote dock coming + manufacturers are lazier than teamsters!

7:55 AM on 12.20.2006, Nex 12 comments

Rechargable Wiimote dock coming + manufacturers are lazier than teamsters! photo
     Does it suck?

Engadget brings us a story about an item called the Wii PowerStation that is essentially a recharger dock for the Wiimote. Since it normally runs on batteries, one must replace those batteries at some point with much gnashing of teeth and swears, but with this rechargable dock, you'll just pop the Wiimote in place when you're done playing and you'll always have a fully charged controller waiting to make your life easier when you come home. Now if only Nintendo could program it to bring you a snifter of brandy and pleasure you orally while you read the Wall Street Journal, my life would be complete ...

This is fantastic, innovative and should sell tremendously well, but it brings up an interesting point about console manufacturers of late; they're getting greedy AND lazy! This sort of thing should have been a no-brainer to the developers of the Wiimote, and yet we've had to wait for a third party company to create one for us. "But Nex, sure, you're sexy, but you're wrong about Nintendo being greedy! This only benefits the third party company!", I hear you screaming over the din of your overweight siblings fighting for the last piece of KFC Original Recipe in the next room, but you seem to have missed the point that we will almost certainly be seeing such a dock from Nintendo as well. I guarantee it will be within the next 4 months and people will snap it up even faster than they do this one.

Nintendo isn't the only culprit here, though. The last few generations have been filled with items that should have been included and were left out for what could only be described as "economically devious" reasons; memory cards, proper video cables, games (don't you remember how the NES came with 2 FANTASTIC games?), etc. I understand that the companies want to make as much money as possible, but not only does this screw over the customer, it opens up the door for people like Electronic's Boutique to force their "value added" Bundle Packs on people who had just waited in a launch line for 2 days next to fatties who smell like fish and fake cheese.

It's a cruel world, but a return to the days when console manufacturers gave us everything we need to play their consoles would go a long way toward making Earth a nicer place to live.


Next page: More That is SO aggro stories




Cruds's Avatar
Cruds at 12/20/2006 09:19
They wouldn't add extra goods for free the price just would have been higher. At least when third parties start to produce that stuff there is a choice. There is no way that I must have the Nintendo recharger or the Sony Sixaxis or what ever product, if company X has the same thing for less.
Topher Cantler's Avatar
Topher Cantler at 12/20/2006 09:34
I picked up a 4-pack of rechargeable duracells with a charger at target for around 14 dollars. They do seem to last quite a bit longer than regualr batteries. That's still a pretty cool idea, though. would it charge via usb while the console's in standby?
Milofo's Avatar
Milofo at 12/20/2006 10:22
I never trust third party harware, every time I bought one it broke. ALWAYS. There is no exeption unless it was for the snes, that actually had one that worked and still does.

About companies being greedy, I've said this before and I'll say it again, they are cheating us in selling games at $60. "But games are more advanced now and need more developing time and blah, blah, blah" you might say. However, I find it hard to beleive that the XBox360 version of Elder Scrolls IV should cost more when it is graphically inferior to the PC version. And converting it from PC to console doesn't work in this case since Microsoft braggs about easy conversion from PC to XBox360. Seriously, why is PC $50 and 360 $60?
BlindsideDork's Avatar
BlindsideDork at 12/20/2006 10:57
Yeah, rechargeable batteries are working fine for me. Of course I didn't look around at prices but it is too late for that.

But I will admit the pictures Ive seen of it look nice.
laxcat's Avatar
laxcat at 12/20/2006 11:07
I think there's a pretty big flaw in logic here, at least when discussing this issue concerning Nintendo.

How does a company NOT offering a product make that company greedy? If anything the opposite is true. If your point is that Nintendo is waiting for a third party dock to come out first before they release thier own... well I not only find that unlikely, but I don't see how that would benefit anyone, Nintendo included. Plus it just doesn't make any sense.

I think the reason we haven't heard of a rechargeable dock for Wiimotes yet is because Nintendo doesn't see the demand for one, and frankly neither do I. The decision to go with AA batteries alow consumers to pick their own method (I choose rechargeables, as I suggest to everyone else) rather than forcing the consumer into using a far more expensive solution provided by Nintendo. If anything it's a sign of Nintendo NOT being greedy.

This can all be summed up in one word: entitlement.
Jaded Alyx's Avatar
Jaded Alyx at 12/20/2006 12:13
Mxyzptlk's Avatar
Mxyzptlk at 12/20/2006 12:29
Using AA batteries in the Wiimote does allow you to quickly swap in a new set to keep gaming, but I still would have prefered a li-lon battery and a charging cable/dock personally. I can live with getting some rechargeables.

I had a charging dock thing for my old GBA. It was a good idea that ulimately had a flawed design. I hope this one makes has a good charge status indicator and the remote slides into the base firmly to ensure good contact to the charger.
Dexter345's Avatar
Dexter345 at 12/20/2006 13:21
I would totally buy a recharger station if it were manufactured by Nintendo. You really think they'll announce one in half a year? Come to think of it, I feel like they did announce plans for it way back at E3...
ArrestedDeveloper's Avatar
ArrestedDeveloper at 12/20/2006 17:40
If you want cheap batteries for your wii heres what you do. Play the wii normally then when the batteries start to run low you suggest to a friend that you bring your wii over and show it off to them. You get there batteries run low and they give you free batteries.
prev next

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 -   39716 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