Wiimote getting more changes?

Take this for what you will, but IGN is reporting that a comment made by the esteemed Shigeru Miyamoto in an interview with Japan's Famitsu may indicate that the supposed "final design" of the Wii controller that we saw at E3 isn't so final after all. Responding to a question about problems the company had in developing the Wiimote, Miyamoto stated that in fact "we're still debating on the area of how many buttons to use," which could be taken to mean that Nintendo has PS3-like changes in mind for the controller before the console ships. Of course, it could just as easily mean that although the design has been finalized, the Wii development team still discusses its merits and detriments amongst themselves, and the fact that the interview was translated over from the native Japanese only further muddies the issue, as Miyamoto's comments may have been taken out of context or lost the meaning he intended. Like we said, this is all just pie-in-the-sky speculation for now, and we're mainly passing it along so you don't freak out if you go to pick up your new Wii in a few months and the controller doesn't look exactly like you've been daydreaming it would.

[Thanks, Dave Z.]

[JMatt @ Jun 18th 2006 7:56PM]

Until the unit is in my hands, all controllers are prototypes. Anyone remember the revisions the GCN controller went through? Double Z-buttons? This is pretty much anti-news, if anything, we'll see the plastic change, and that's about it.

[Eddy @ Jun 18th 2006 8:20PM]

I just hope it stays "simple"

[Sam @ Jun 18th 2006 9:06PM]

I hope they'll swap out those imprecise accelerometers for more-precise gyroscopic motion detectors. Gyros are much better than accelerometers for something like the Wiimote, and they'd give the controller more options as far as motion detection goes.

[Paqza @ Jun 18th 2006 9:19PM]

Am I retarded or is that an Xbox 'X' on the remote?

http://www.ps3focus.com/images/xbox360controller.jpg

[cutty ayers @ Jun 18th 2006 9:19PM]

what's up with the xbox symbol on there?

[Neal Saferstein @ Jun 18th 2006 9:20PM]

It seems nintendo is taking the KISS method

KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID

Neal Saferstein

[Nigel Tufnel @ Jun 18th 2006 9:23PM]

The X is clearly a pastiche on adding future buttons/revisions. Note the Playstation triangle also.

[Jedediah Johnson @ Jun 18th 2006 9:26PM]

While they are at it maybe they should also debate a better name for the console. :P

[rijit @ Jun 18th 2006 9:37PM]

I think that is a spoof picture someone created (the image above), go here for recent pics of the Wii prototype remote: http://www.wiicentre.com/revolution-controller-images/ If this is something new Nintendo released, the picture above, then it could mean Xbox extensibility and one game card for 2 systems....

[Sam @ Jun 18th 2006 9:44PM]

Of COURSE it's a spoof picture. Geez, people. If you take everything as real just because it's well-editted, bad and confusing rumors get perpetuated.
It was clearly intended to be seen as a Photoshop, and anyone who thought otherwise missed the point entirely.

[Roofus @ Jun 18th 2006 10:28PM]

Dear rijit,
maybe it's got PS3 extensibility as well since it has a Playstation Triangle button on it as well. Or maybe, LOL @ joo. XD

[Pete Avila @ Jun 18th 2006 11:04PM]

Most likely they will keep the original design. Why, because of how much attention it got at E3! I for one had to push my bottom lip back up.

[dnl2ba @ Jun 18th 2006 11:32PM]

rijit: Oh great, that one has an "A" button, a "B" trigger, an "a" button, and a "b" button. :p

"Select" and "Start" could probably use renames, since they're no longer really used how they were originally intended. Pause/Play might make more sense for a pause/subscreen/map button. Of course, that would hurt using the Wiimote for NES play, but it seems we'll need GC controllers or the Wii pad to play SNES, TG16, Genesis, N64, and GC games anyway.

[Tony Rayo @ Jun 19th 2006 12:13AM]

First off shame on anyone that didn't get the fact that the pic above is a spoof RIGHT AWAY *beats all with cod*. BTW does anyone know if Wavebird controllers will work with Wii? Since I never bought a Gamecube I figured I would buy the handful of games I think are worth playing but I'd like everything to stay wireless and the gamecube controller ports are on the top of the unit... so that sounds like it'd cause problems.

[Emceay @ Jun 19th 2006 12:51AM]

They've announced that 'a' and 'b' would be changed to 1 and 2
Maybe they're gonna add player adjustable sensitivity to the controllers since when asked they claimed each game has it's own factory setting. I dunno guys, the first thing I do with an FPS is change the sensitivity.

[Matjaz "MaHe" Hegedic @ Jun 19th 2006 3:00AM]

The only extra thing I'd look forward is a microphone. Yes, I know Nintendo denied it's existence in Wiimote (they'll force us to use our DSs for that, probably) but wouldn't it be nice to have a in-game chat or even - VoIP? Though on the other hand - a VoIP application that would download from Wii do DS (Lite) and let us chat anywhere in the house using our Wii as a station?

A man can dream ...

[vidGuy @ Jun 19th 2006 8:07AM]

The Wii remote shown at E3 had many differences than the original prototype shown a year ago.

Among the changes:
thicker case
different curve to B trigger
new power button design
new D-pad design
select and start changed to - and +
b and a buttons changed to 1 and 2
speaker added

Joystiq has a good comparison of the two, with the Wii remote pic being the most current version:
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/06/15/wiimote-versus-revmote-more-junk-in-the-trunk/

[jron @ Jun 19th 2006 10:59AM]

Paqza,

Yes and yes.

[Jeremy @ Jun 19th 2006 11:01AM]

It has been indicatewd before that the Wiimote played at E3 was not likely final hardware: http://www.xgaming.com/newsletter/Wii%20Dupe.shtml

[Will @ Jun 19th 2006 11:59AM]

I like the new redesign. Maybe the new feature will have some type of USB/Bluetooth dongle that will allow the controller to work with the 360/PS3. It is strange that Nintendo would put an Xbox symbol on their controller.

[Sam @ Jun 19th 2006 12:14PM]

Dude, Will, that is not a Nintendo-approved controller design. It's a photoshop, and you're supposed to notice it right away.

I really hope that they release a microphone add-on for the Revolution. I can't imagine online play without some sort of chat.

[Josh* @ Jun 19th 2006 12:57PM]

I don't think there'll ever be a time when I'm not amazed by the stupidity of people. This is upsetting.

[Guruboy @ Jun 19th 2006 3:39PM]

Noooooo! Get that Xbox 360 logo away from that controller!

[fireryone @ Jun 19th 2006 9:00PM]

I new it was a fake as soon as I saw the X, remember this is engadget here, the new stealth technology pic (just a blank white image). lol the laughs on you for believing it.

Though Xbox360/PS3 controller compatibility would be cool, it would never happen.

Imagine the copyright youd have to go through to add your compeditors logos to your remote, why would you give them free advertising!

lol.....

Nice one,

[Sukato @ Jun 20th 2006 12:05AM]

For the love, people! It's a freaking joke picture. Maybe if you took the time to actually read the article, as well as educate yourselves as to what the meaning of "sarcasm" is, then you'd understand the point of the picture, and take part in the hilarity. For all the rest of you, go read a book.

[McGranahanster @ Jun 28th 2006 7:24AM]

The person who created that picture should be disgusted of them self. YOU WILL NEVER SEE A BLOODY TRIAGLE OR AN XBOX LOGO ON A NINTENDO CONTROLLER.

YOU HAVE BLOODY POISEND THE PICTURE!

YOU HAVE MADE THE PICTURE BLOODY SAD!

DOOM ON YOU!