Wii and DS win Tech Emmys

The tech Emmys were announced this morning, and among the long list of takers is Nintendo's seemingly unstoppable, often unfindable Wii, and the humble DS. The Game Controller Innovation award was given to both consoles, while the Handheld Game Device Display Screen Innovation was shared between the DS and... the Atari Lynx?! Ok, sure, the Lynx is almost twenty years old, but that shouldn't take away from Nintendo's moment of glory (again -- last year Nintendo won for the D-pad). Not heard from this year: Sony. Guess they learned their lesson about the tech Emmys back in 2007.

[Halfmad @ Jan 8th 2008 1:23PM]

As a Wii owner I'm first to admit that the graphics are pretty poor at the best of times, however it is a rather ace machine to play, simple and elegant. It deserves these awards even if it'll never compete graphically with the 360 or PS3 (infact I'd say it struggles to match the PS2).

However, go Wii, go DS, Go Nintendo!

[Josh* @ Jan 8th 2008 4:16PM]

"struggles to match the PS2"? Have you played the same Super Mario Galaxy I have?

Look to Nintendo first to see what can be possible with the machine, never mind if lazy 3rd parties can't be bothered to properly tap into the machine...

[shanoboy @ Jan 8th 2008 4:50PM]

Dude, even the Gamecube out did the PS2 graphically. Play Metroid Prime, Mario Galaxy, or RE Umbrella Chronicles and see if they aren't way better than any PS2 game you ever seen.

Now Wii vs a PS3 or 360 graphically, everyone agrees with you.

[James Cameron @ Jan 8th 2008 1:23PM]

Even though Wii games look pretty crappy compare to XBOX and PS3, but I'll have to admit it's one innovative console. Very fun to play and it get one hell of workout from me. I'm looking forward for them to improve on the console.

[crescentdavid @ Jan 8th 2008 1:39PM]

In other news ... isn't it fab that Pixelmetrix was a winner in the Emmy Awards for Monitoring for compliance standards for ATSC & DVB transport streams?

I'm overcome with emotion.

[kingofwale @ Jan 8th 2008 1:43PM]

Atari Lynx???

What are you going to tell me next Engadget? That Doom won Game of the Year award?

[Miles @ Jan 8th 2008 1:55PM]

I've had my Wii for a year, and I have one thing to say.
Much like the DS, it has a huge potental, but this means that 97% of the games will just use the motion sensing in a gimmicky and unrevolutionary way.
Sadly most of it's best games will most likely be 1st Party, since the 3rd party devs will be wondering what stupid way they can make you lasso a cow or shoot a zombie.

[Luigi193 @ Jan 8th 2008 2:35PM]

Wake up third parties! Make something FUN and not CRAPPY for the wii.
Thats a novel idea, isn't it?

[Miles @ Jan 8th 2008 3:12PM]

Exactly, but as we can see with the DS, they failed at doing it until at least 1 or 2 years in, and even then a lot of the games were gimmicks.
Like I said, the Wii is revolutionary, but you can still do unrevolutionary things with revolutionary hardware, and third parties are proving it.

[rv @ Jan 8th 2008 2:10PM]

Woohoo! Ir sensor and gyroscope. So innovative!

Nintendo saw an opp for using old cheap tech in a new way, and they got paid. While you might say nintendo is innovative, I would say they were the least out of all 3 consoles. Instead of developing new technology, they used old tech to make a gimmick in the wii and retards are eating it up as innovative.

[Halfmad @ Jan 8th 2008 2:24PM]

It's called being business savvy, if you make something that people like then frankly you're onto a winner. It's not Nintendo's fault that neither Sony nor MS saw the potential in this sort of controller. As far as retards go - I'd rather be a Nintendo retard who has fun with his mates, than a 360 or PS3 retard who only plays with "online" friends..

[MR @ Jan 8th 2008 2:35PM]

By your definition, every new computer that comes out nowadays should be considered an innovation since it uses the latest and greatest CPU and components.

Seriously, what innovations do PS3 and XBOX360 have? They're basically computers hooked up to a TV with some "gimmicks" like you said.

And before you tag me as a fanboy, I actually own all 3 consoles. If I want graphics, I go with PS3/XBOX360. If I want some party fun, I go with the Wii.

[Erig @ Jan 8th 2008 2:58PM]

Thank you for the intelligent and mature counterpoint. Your use of the word "retards" has earned my respect.

Go back to the GameFAQs forums where you belong.

[rv @ Jan 8th 2008 3:11PM]

Guys you didn't understand my point. My point was- Nintendo could have made their system as powerful as the 360 of ps3 and included the new functionalities, but chose not too. They aren't trying to be innovative- they are just trying to make a profit by making it as cheap as possible to produce. And I'm pretty sure that they are taking in a lot of cash. But they are not trying to be innovative, so why should we label them as such?

Also, a stranger made fun of me over the internet. I will go cry now :(

[Miles @ Jan 8th 2008 3:13PM]

Umm, that's exactly why they are innovative.
They use OLD TECH in NEW WAYS.
If that isn't being innovative then the dictionary must be wrong.

[Jonathan Bergeron @ Jan 8th 2008 3:15PM]

Taking something old and using it in a way no one else thought of IS being innovative.

[Miles @ Jan 8th 2008 3:16PM]

And of course they are trying to make a profit.
They are a company.
They also knew that if they made it a low price, more people would opt to get it early, and would still keep on buying into it's life.
They made a really good business decision, especially since most don't own an HDTV, and even less would be allowed to hook their Wii up to it (children)

[rv @ Jan 8th 2008 3:25PM]

Miles, that is my whole point. It is necessary to maximize profit. They are doing great right now. However, they are not innovative, which is my whole point. By profit maximizing (which they should be and are doing), they show they aren't trying to be innovative. They are simply trying to get money, which is a good thing, however they are not being innovative.

[Mike10010100 @ Jan 8th 2008 4:48PM]

That really shows your idiocy. There is a HUGE difference between an accelerometer and a gyroscope. Gyroscopes are comparatively huge and noisy. A quote from IGN, who disected the wii remote.

"Motion-sensing wise; forget any imaginative images of a tiny gyroscope spinning inside a tiny box on the circuit board. The Wiimotes accelerometers are based upon miniscule, one-millionth of a gram flaps of silicon flexing against tiny springs within a charged field. "

Retard

[huh? @ Jan 8th 2008 4:20PM]

rv-

What the hell is wrong with you? If you label any company that trys to turn a profit as non-innovative, then nearly every single company in the face of this earth should be considered as such. The biggest and brightest companies are the ones who can be innovative and turn a profit at the same time. And if you follow history, most of the big name players have had their time in the lime light mainly because they were being innovative.

When Sony made the first successful CD based game machine, that was their attempt at being innovative. Take something that has never been done properly and do it before your competition does. By doing that, they made a hugh profit. Were they not innovative simply because they made a profit off of the PS1?

When Microsoft sold the Xbox as an internet ready system and launched it with Xbox Live. They were trying to be innovative. Although they didnt make a killing with the Xbox, their attempt at innovation still scored them a well deserved spot in the console wars. Were they not being innovative because they benefited from their ideas?

When Apple took the hard drive, the portable music player, the touch screen interface; tossed it around in the noggins and came up with the iPods line and the iPhone. They were being innovative by taking common place technology and made it into some that appealed to the public. They made a massive profit from it. Were they not being innovative because they made money?

All companies do this, all companies wish to be able to do this. Now its just Nintendo's turn because they were the ones who came up with a winning concept. This list can go on and on and on and it will continue to go on and on. Get use to it, that's how business works. Innovation = Money.

[shanoboy @ Jan 8th 2008 4:54PM]

In the last generation of game systems Nintendo followed the crowd (as you suggest they should be doing now) with the Gamecube. Yay! We had three systems that were all basically the same!

They came in third.

Wii was a smart move.

[Mohammed @ Jan 8th 2008 5:30PM]

Innovative: ahead of the times; being or producing something like nothing done or experienced or created before

Technically speaking the DS is both innovative and non-innovative. It is innovative because it takes old technology to create a whole new experience, but it is also non-innovative because it uses old technology, yet in a different way that produces a different output.

My information is based off of technical information that has been previously stated by other members(the IR sensors and gyros). If this is true, then my whole opinion is correct. If what this member said isn't true, then my opinion is completely fictitious.

However, if what Mike said is correct, then the Wii, indeed, is innovative considering the new technology being used.

You choose.

[01 @ Jan 8th 2008 6:28PM]

RV - It might be a little more helpful to give examples of how "innovative" Sony & MS are being with the PS3 and the XBOX 360, respectively. I'm not going to apologize for many crappy games, some bad graphics and lack of a solid online experience, but Nintendo has made people interact and think about their games differently. They had to cast a wide net, and have managed to do so. Can you imagine a FPS using both the wiimote and the wii fit board? Crouching, peeking around corners, even jumping could work with it, and if that's not innovative...well, sign me up for some Live.