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Well it wouldn't be a Tuesday unless Nintendo were winning an award, now would it? At yesterday's Technological & Engineering Emmy Awards in Las Vegas, Nintendo was honored by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences with an Emmy Award for excellence in engineering creativity. Both the Wii (for its motion-sensing controls) and the Nintendo DS (for its touch-screen controls and dual-screen display) were recognized. "The pioneering interfaces for Wii and Nintendo DS reflect our long tradition of seeking new ways to enhance the gaming experience for users at every level," said Don James, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of operations. James and the folks at the Nintendo must be feeling pretty good about themselves. Pools of money aside, this is second Emmy Nintendo has received; last year, the company was recognized for something you might have used a few times -- the D-pad.
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326 comments + 26575 views
Gratz Ninty.
Well congratulations are due for Nintendo!
/applauds
Suddenly I care a small, small amount about the emmies. Not really. I don't even know what those are!
Yeah, Nintendo invented a lot of things that we now take for granted and forget was originally there's. Maybe we should remember that the next time we call the stylus or Wiimote a gimmick.
Isn't this more of an award for the first commonly popular usage of said devices? I've used touch screen things for years (lol restaurants/ATMs/credit card machines), and the d-pad was in use for many years before 2007...
I guess Nintendo is just the go-to company for "innovation" nowadays. Yes, their console is the first console to incorporate said motion-sensitivity, but it is in no way new technology. Excellence? I guess. But I'm kind of tired of people just throwing awards at nintendo without really doing any research.
@ jpitner
Mabey your right about the touch screen stuff. But Nintendo DID invent the D-Pad (I beleve it was first seen on the original DS: Mr.Game&Watch, but I may be wrong).
And you'll notice that Nintendo's D-Pad, is ONLY used on Nintendo Products (they have a patent that makes it illegal for anyone else to use it). Yes it was used before 2007, but I guess this is just the first time they are being recognized for it.
I think Nintendo have always been a company based on innovation...It's just that that over the past 2/3 years they've realised they can use that as a selling point.
Anyways, congrats to them!
Nintendo has profited on every console... they sold 90 million NES, 100 million Gameboy and GBA each, 60 million SNES, I don't think they've just realized they can profit on it. They're just doing it better than the last two generations.
The D-pad, with its familiar "cross" design, was developed by Nintendo's Gunpei Yokoi in 1982 (of R&D1 fame).
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D_pad
And @jpitner:
Please explain why the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences should give a rat's ass about touch screens at "restaurants/ATMs/credit card machines." How do these applications of touch screen technology fall within the scope of "Television Arts & Sciences"?
Conglaturations in order for Nintendo. Wonder what they'll win it for next year?
I agree comrade. A use for something is often as innovative as the thing itself. Records existed before The Beatles. Pianos existed before Mozart, so what?
Congratulations money printer.
Great for nintendo ... i have a lots of fun with it ... great news :)
IT PRINTS MONEY... and an award!
nintendo = local TV weatherman.
I was too late for the "it prints money" joke. =(
Anyway, congrats to Nintendo. It's really something else when you look at the video game industry and how damned impactful Nintendo is... the D-Pad, the standard diamond layout for controller buttons, shoulder buttons, analog stick, rumble, and now with Microsoft working on making their own waggle ripoff like Sony did, it would appear that motion control is the latest pioneering Nintendo has done.
A lot of people think it's fanboy blabbering, but it's the truth: Nintendo innovates; the industry imitates.
Congrats Nintendo...now go make some new IP's
I have lost counts of the amount of awards and record breaking news Nintendo has won because of these two platforms. Anyway, good job fellas.
I was at a game store a couple of days ago and compared the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii controls. Out of all of them, the Xbox 360's controller felt cheap and clunky. The D-pad is crap. On the bright side, it is an improvement over the first Xbox controller.
I don't like the PS3's separated version of the D-pad. It just feels weird to me. The Wii's D-Pad like the PS3's is of good quality, but it's not exactly in the most convenient location. The DS Lite's D-Pad is good but could have been slightly bigger.
Sony won an emmy for the dual-shock last year.
I think the SIXAXIS is more revolutionary than the wiimote because it has the motion-controls, in addition to dual-analog sticks and WAY more buttons than the wiimote, all pressure sensitive. All through bluetooth! How come no one recognizes that as a feat of enginnering?
A game could be developed with WAY more interesting controls using the SIXAXIS than the wiimote. Look at Warhawk. NOT POSSIBLE on the Wii (not enough buttons).
@robcat09 Unfortunately I think the Wii is winning because they make gaming accessible to stupid people (a higher percentage of the population than smart people). Rather than trying to figure out a rewarding control scheme, idiots get to swing the stick around in the air and get rewarded for it.
@robcat09
Ya, it's too bad that with motion-controls, in addition to dual-analog sticks and WAY more buttons than the wiimote, all pressure sensitive, no one can seem to get the SIXAXIS to work properly.
I thought the Emmy awards were for movies or something?
The sixaxis didn't get it?
Oh that's right. It sucks balls. Sorry, I forgot.
Man they give an Emmy to anyone. When can I get my Emmy??
It's probably because the SixAxis has yet to prove itself worthy. I mean, with being used exclusively in games like Lair... Well you know the story.
For the most part, the Wii remote has proven that it can offer intuitive and enhanced FPS control in several games like Metroid Prime 3 and Medal of Honor Heroes 2 and other shooter control schemes like with RE 4. It can be used in several clever interactive ways like in Zack and Wiki's puzzle solving methods. Better use of the sword spin attack, other sword techniques (but not the basic sword swing) bow and arrow, and claw shot. I liked the surprisingly responsive motion control use in Mario Galaxy except for throwing fire-balls with the fire flower power-up.
Let's not forget Wii Sports as well. I still feel that there are more exicting that can still be done with the Wii remote, but most developers (mainly third-parties) have been pretty lazy and often resort to waggle to act as a useless replacement for button pressing and button combos.
Congratulations Nintendo...now put out more games!
We all say the Wiimote is great but i for one will be using the Gamecube controller when Brawl comes out.
P.S. i still love the Wiimote just not for fast movements in a fighter.
Congratulations.