Nintendo shows off Wii Remote and Classic Controller

If there was one highlight of Nintendo's press conference earlier today, it was the Wii Remote. While Sony showed off what games on the PS3 would look like, Nintendo's focus was on what they would feel like. So, it's not surprising that, from the moment a tux-clad Shigeru Miyamoto bounded onstage and conducted a virtual orchestra using the remote, to a climactic tennis game, the unique Wii controller was the centerpiece of the show. So, what did we learn about the Wii Remote today that we didn't already know? For one thing, Nintendo confirmed that the remote does indeed include a speaker, which is used mainly to provide ambient sound connected to actions: fire an arrow, and you'll hear the bowstring being pulled right in your hand. There's also a microphone for voice-controlled gaming. The Wii Remote also includes motion sensors in both the nunchuk and the trigger controller, allowing both left and right hands to act independently and direct onscreen actions. While using the Remote may not be as intuitive and simple as Nintendo's execs want us to believe, one thing's certain: it definitely looks like a fun way to play golf. Or baseball. Or tennis. Or the drums. Or drive a car, truck or plane.  Nintendo also had an answer for anyone who isn't quite ready for the Wii Remote: the Wii Classic Controller. We'll stick with the Wiimote for now, but will pick off one of these for when we just have to kick it old skool.

[Rob @ May 9th 2006 3:30PM]

Does this mean that there won't be a "shell" controller, like previously suggested? Also, Nintendo didn't show the sensor bar that is supposedly required for motion tracking...

[Gr1zz @ May 9th 2006 3:31PM]

I

[Gr1zz @ May 9th 2006 3:38PM]

I did not think i could grow any fonder to the Wii-mote, but i just did.

[Glancing Aft @ May 9th 2006 3:55PM]

The remote is going to end up costing more than the console...

[Hellaphunt @ May 9th 2006 4:04PM]

I think this system will be a huge surprise, much like the DS; slow at first... like an acquired taste.

[doyouflip @ May 9th 2006 4:10PM]

I've never had any interest in Nintendo consoles before, but this kind of gameplay is completely appealing to me. Now I want this more than the 360 or PS3.

[KD @ May 9th 2006 4:13PM]

The wii classic controller is on the Japanese Nintendo website.

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n10/e3_2006/wii/controller.html
Scroll down to the bottom

[J3 @ May 9th 2006 4:21PM]

how about changing the picture to the new wii controller?
http://wii.nintendo.com/controller.html
it shows the controller with volume buttons, the speaker, and a revised nunchuck connector

[jeff @ May 9th 2006 4:25PM]

boxing games would be awesome!

[GSI @ May 9th 2006 4:29PM]

Wow... another reason to buy the Wii.
I don't care if it is $500, I'm getting it.

[ahome4sherry @ Nov 25th 2006 4:48AM]

have system with tons of xtras listed on ebay for not much more than you just stated. 300052485932 is the item number. You wont regret it, and its insured!!!!!!!!

[x23 @ May 9th 2006 4:35PM]

hideous PS2/PS3-esque analog stick placement. ewww.

i can't imagine playing N64 games on this thing either.

[Hedgie @ May 9th 2006 4:40PM]

This reminds me so much of the SNES controller which might I add is my fav (well the ASCII turbo version). I like it.

[mike @ May 9th 2006 4:43PM]

#7,

this is a pic of the wii classic, the article is about both the remote and the controller, we have all seen the remote, time to show the controller off...

[Twist @ May 9th 2006 4:48PM]

Okay now I might actually consider getting one of these things now that I know there will be a real controller for it (and now that I know I will probably be waiting two to three years for the PS3 to drop in price down to an amount I would actually be willing to spend on a console). The ergonomics of it don't look so great though (of course when was the last time Nintendo actually considered ergonomics??? oh never). The big shoulder buttons should be angled back more and those two little shoulder buttons (at least that is what the appear to be) look like they are in a really horrible spot.

[EMaster @ May 9th 2006 4:52PM]

Now that this controler has been unveiled I am definitley sold on this sytem. I can not wait to see the classics library they have planned as well as if there will be aby ROM support.

[John Doe @ May 9th 2006 4:58PM]

"8. boxing games would be awesome!"

Holy crap I never thought about that. The chuck thing in your left the controller in your right and jab forward and up.....dude I haven't been this excited about a console since I saw Mario64. I want to preorder NOW DAMN IT! NOW NOW NOW!

[Michael McGuire @ May 9th 2006 4:59PM]

Who said anything about a microphone? Where did you get that information? I don't remember that from the presentation and I don't see it at all on the Nintendo Wii website:

http://wii.nintendo.com/hardware.html

or

http://wii.nintendo.com/controller.html

[Don Wilson @ May 9th 2006 5:11PM]

THANK GOD they made an original controller. I don't intend on moving my arms for hours. This news is pretty much verifying that I'll get a Wii.

[Loban @ May 9th 2006 5:17PM]

That controller is beautiful. Very shiny and stylish, much like the new DS lite. Nintendo much have fired their design teams and hired someone worth a damn.

One question though. Why is it not wireless?

[Wii Now @ May 9th 2006 5:17PM]

OMG! I love Wii more than PS3 and 360 now!!

I am in! :D

[Loban @ May 9th 2006 5:19PM]

Agreed. The PS3 and the 360 just look primitive now.

[iDZ @ May 9th 2006 5:28PM]

i like the two analog sticks being symmetrical. but maybe that's because i'm obsessed with katamari damacy.

[Brian from Texas @ May 9th 2006 5:29PM]

This really does sound exciting. I'm diggin' it!

[Jon @ May 9th 2006 5:29PM]

Did you guys see the Conference video...it doesn't look like the WiiMote is very effective. The model was struggling to control Link in Zelda and the Ubisoft 1st person shooter was painful to watch. The graphics were not that impressive and more importantly...it seemed to be very difficult to control. The guy was missing like 50% of his shots from point blank range with a shot gun.

This sadly confirms my worst fears. The WiiMote is a gimmick. It's less intuitive than a normal Joystick. I think it would be harder for the average non gamer to use it than a Joystick.

[josh @ May 9th 2006 5:36PM]

Did you see the same conference as I did? They showed how you can point to one specific icon on screen with the Wiimote, during the Zelda demonstration. If you can highlight one small icon, you can aim.

[stax @ May 9th 2006 5:45PM]

yes, this was the deciding point. I wasnt sure if i was going to purchace the wii if all they had was the remote but this is the clincher.

[Alexandre D @ May 9th 2006 6:13PM]

am i the only one to realise that these analog sticks ars ever so LOW? i mean seriously, just look at them, its gonna kill my thumb like the PSP did, except with two analogs now. these kinda sticks are painful at the end of one and a half to two hours of continuous play at the max. So, use the wiimote, and tire out your arm, or use the controler, and murder your thumb? now isnt that a hard choice?
anyways, im sold as far as the wii is concerned, im sold. just so long as i can call it revo.

[JohnnyC @ May 9th 2006 7:21PM]

NINTENDO HD?:
The Wii gameplay will be excellent based on what I've seen, but the lack of HD output may really hurt the Wii. By the time all 3 next-gen systems are in homes and have a decent library of games to compete with each other, many more people will have adopted HDTV sets (especially considering plummeting prices and HD broadcasts being the status quo by 2008). The Wii might get left behind.

PS3 Motion Controller:
Sony's PS3 motion sensing controller, although it may not be as unique as the Wii's, will probably suffice for any gamer wishing for a more immersive experience than in past consoles, but also an HD view of games & gfx.

XBOX still has... um, HD-DVD?:
Xbox is the odd-man-out here. SONY and NINTENDO should live-on due to their respective R&D investments, but Microsoft may be in danger with inferior to PS3 gfx, and inferior to Wii immersiveness, and nothing really exceptionally different to offer. Really good exclusive titles are what they will need to survive to the next-next-gen.

[mike @ May 9th 2006 8:04PM]

I've never had any interest in Nintendo consoles before, but this kind of gameplay is completely appealing to me. Now I want this more than the 360 or PS3.

---

Dude.. baseball game with the Wii??! GIMME!!!! YAHOO!

[Jason @ May 9th 2006 8:43PM]

so lemme get this straight, the PS3 controller steals the motion detecting idea from nintendo, while nintendo wii controller steals the button layout from the playstation controller?

[booboo @ May 9th 2006 8:46PM]

I cant wait. Smash Bros and Zelda at Launch..didnt they say? oooo!
Could you imagine a live tennis match with online players with the wii remote?
Nintendo including the classic remote was a good idea, because my arms are not prepared for prolonged swinging.

[booboo @ May 9th 2006 8:48PM]

#30, Did you forget that nintendo invented the analog stick. Sony is the big copy cat riding on nintendo's decisions.

[Eric @ May 9th 2006 8:49PM]

Nintendo is becoming the Apple of gaming. With its great design and new ideas.

[JohnnyC @ May 9th 2006 9:02PM]

Based on the on-stage demo of the controller, there is a LOT of motion involved. It seemed more like mini-motions that resemble the real thing, mostly using wrists. Look how close the nunchuck controller is teathered to the Wiimote... there isn't even room for a full range of motion anyway. Still very cool though. I'll have carpal tunnel in no-time when I get this.

[JohnnyC @ May 9th 2006 9:03PM]

Ooops, I meant ISN'T A LOT of motion invloved.

[Scott @ May 9th 2006 9:14PM]

From wii.nintendo.com:

"Controls: Intuitive control for anyone using the physical motion of the main Wii Remote, which resembles a television remote control. Up to four Wii Remotes can be connected at once using wireless Bluetooth technology. The wireless signal can be detected within 10 meters of the console. Both the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers include a three-axis motion sensor. The Wii Remote also includes a speaker, rumble feature and expansion port, and can be used as a pointer within 5 meters of the screen. The Wii Remote has a power switch, plus pad, A, B, Minus, Home, 1 and 2 buttons. The Nunchuk controller includes an analog control stick and C and Z buttons."

Nothing about a microphone in there. Where did that come from?

[amiga_tone @ May 9th 2006 9:30PM]

I think the wii controller should have stuck with the cube controller layout. Compacting the locations of the parts wouldn't matter but the x,y,a and b buttons are going to need some readjusting to to get used to this "standard" layout.

I'm also not too sure about the nipples. Having the analog on the left higher that the right (like the cube controller) seemed more logical in a crazy way. Still I guess there are the same number of buttons on both the wii controller and the cube controller so there is nothing stopping us from using either.

Is the wii controller backward compatible with the cube? A black controller like this would look slick on the cube!

[Mavrick @ May 9th 2006 10:01PM]

#29 is on drugs or something. People love to compare a console thats not even out yet and that sony is over-hyping, to something that is out. Right this second XBOX 360 is superior to PS3 because *drum roll* I can play it. PS3 i cant play and thus have no basis for comparison.

Lets keep in mind that PS2 was over hyped and supposidly featured FSAA. My PS2 games look jaggy, i doubt there is FSAA at all.

As for the WII controller i guess ill be waiting till madcats releases a ps2/xbox clone. If i wanted to be 'immersed' into a game i would go out and play a real game with real people. Im not swinging my arm around and then getting too tired to play because of my arm hurting.

[Dekaritae @ May 9th 2006 10:07PM]

You could hold this controller in your left hand, and the remote in your right, and get access to the same buttons that the "analog" thing provides.

[watever @ May 9th 2006 10:22PM]

It is not wireless to keep cheap. This is not the primary controller but secondary. you wouldn't want to pay high price with a controller that you are not exactly supposed to play with (except old skool games perhaps)

[r3dir @ May 10th 2006 12:33AM]

You guys are all stupid and easily fall for lame gimmics. Dont you realize that the cool factor of that wiimote will wear off?! People want to relax when they go to play a game, and not have to do shoulder streches just to play an rpg which they will spend hours playing. Motion sensing (this goes for the ps3 too) is a gimmic and will never replace simple controllers that have dominated the gaming world for over 25 years.

Its been attempted before and it will fail. Its just that Nintendo is now forcing you to use it (well, that is not really the case with the introduction of the classic controller above, which looks by the way, horrible on a comfort standpoint).

Man, all you nintendo fans anger me. Im not on any camp, and dont fall for corporate shows. If nintendo offered you a dildo to use in wii zelda, all of you would happily shove it up your as* if they told you it would be an "immersive" experience. Sad.

[Lui Mallozzi @ Nov 29th 2006 4:24PM]

I disagree with the novelty factor of the wii remote. You obviously haven't used on for any extended period of time. 20 Hours into Zelda and I can honestly say its one of the most comfortable controllers I've used.

[treo007 @ May 10th 2006 12:44AM]

In the essence of full disclosure:

I do not now own a console device. I currently have a PSP (does that count?) and, at one time, owned a Play Station 1.

Now that that's out of the way: I don't care what you say, after seeing the demos of the controller coupled with the gameplay, I think Miyamoto has come up with a truly...ahem, pardon the no longer appropriate pun...REVOLUTIONARY device.

Amazing in that the next gen Nintendo platform has been nothing more than an afterthought when put up against the PS3 and 360 (It was until the last few days for me at least).

Look, I don't consider myself a "gamer" by any stretch of the imagination, but because of this device I'm interested in gaming again.

Great graphics, sound, etc. are great (and it's probably not too terribly hard with enough horsepower), but gameplay is where the real CREATIVITY comes into play.

No, I haven't taken it for a spin, so I could be wrong. I will however definately try out this platform and its games (as opposed to the 360 and PS3 which I could give a lick about).

To the PS3/360 fanboys by the way: would it be so hard to put down your Jack in the Box late night grub and get up off your greasy, fat asses to do something remotely physical? Maybe the weed your smoking is too strong to allow for it????

Think about it....

[r3dir @ May 10th 2006 12:45AM]

"34. #30, Did you forget that nintendo invented the analog stick. Sony is the big copy cat riding on nintendo's decisions."

Please refer to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_5200

Nintendo did not invent the analog joystick, nor did sony steal it. The sega saturn had an analog joystick available for that system, as well as the PC and other systems. ENOUGH WITH THIS BULLSH*T. You guys are just pissed off that Sony is leading the console wars currently. But dont make sh*t up just to shoot them down. Come up with actual arguments to attack them, and mabybe most of us will take you guys seriously.

[Christopher Phillips @ Nov 29th 2006 5:14PM]

You sound like an angry little troll who didn't get a Wii (or possibly PS3) when they were released.

Get over it princess!

[matt @ May 10th 2006 1:52AM]

#41 -

have you considered that everyone who's actually used the system has said that they start with wide crazy motions, but within a few minutes settle down to very small hand/wrist movements?

Of course they used wild arm motions on stage - they're showing it off, and the best way to do that is to over-exaggerate any motions they make.

Petty comments from close minded people who make generalized statements about another group of people because of a preference that has no bearing on day to day life whatsoever "anger me".

[amiga_tone @ May 10th 2006 2:19AM]

Wow r3dir, you seem so certain! Good to know there are down to earth people out there to announce these prophecies.

Then again I guess we always need balance...

Tell you what, why don't we set up a list of people that know it will fail and those that have some confidence that it will take off.

Sure it will be a phenomenon but Nintendo are offering the wiimote as an option! If you want a more standard gameplay, use the wii-controller or the cube controller. COnsidering all wii's will ship with at least 1 wiimote I have a feeling it will become more mainstream.

Oh well, once the cool factor wears off I'm sure MS will have released some kind of motion sensing option for the XBox 360.

[fraxyl @ May 10th 2006 3:18AM]

I like how the old-school controller looks like the SNES ones used to, only I'm not sure what the inner-two shoulder buttons are for. I'm also not that impressed that they put the two analogue sticks in the middle. It shouldn't need a d-pad on the left, NES games play fine with an analogue stick in Animal Crossing.

Hopefully it's around the same size as the SNES too, pity about it not being wireless... or maybe it is and is charging via a cable?

They also haven't mentioned what sort of power supply the remote uses. :(

Anyway, I'm still looking forwards to giving it a proper go.

[Blaataap @ May 10th 2006 6:07AM]

i'm just like the McD commercial: I'm loving it !
the controller looks real fly and comfortable to use, so i have to give props to nintendo for designing this thing of beauty :D and i'm certainly gonna buy it