Wii Sqweeze: yet another limited-use Wiimote peripheral

A Wii Wheel for racing? Fine. A club attachment for golfing. Eh, okay. InterAction Laboratories' Wii Sqweeze? Puh-lease. Recently "demonstrated" by CEO Greg Merril, this goofball peripheral possesses a pair of rubber handles which "allow for shoulder abduction and adduction." Reportedly, the unit was shown off playing some sort of bow hunting game on a PC, though the company promises native Wii compatibility before its 2009 launch. Can we get a show of hands from people who'd actually buy this thing for more than $4.99? Don't make us phone in the quick-lipped auctioneer.

[bartoron @ Aug 18th 2008 10:05PM]

Well it's good for that one game... you know... uhh... well....

Screw you, Greg Merril!

[Blackstar @ Aug 18th 2008 11:14PM]

Don't worry. The Wii Thigh-Master will make a comeback, just you wait.

[bstear @ Aug 19th 2008 9:52AM]

They're coming out with a cow-milking simulation game? Milking Mama?

[Christian @ Aug 18th 2008 10:06PM]

uhh.... don't think so.

[DeoWulf @ Aug 18th 2008 10:08PM]

I don't know- force feedback would be great for the Wii, but not in a one-game peripheral...

[Ridgecity @ Aug 18th 2008 10:13PM]

Native Wii Compatibility with what? a peripheral needs at least one game to work...

[Ryan @ Aug 18th 2008 10:14PM]

I want it!!!

[Craig @ Aug 18th 2008 10:20PM]

Let me know when they come out with the ThiiMaster.

[Omen_20 @ Aug 18th 2008 10:21PM]

I know in LA bow hunting may sound unpopular but you have to consider the Wii's Walmart audience. This thing would sell with a Cabela game attached to it.

Note: I live in KY but I don't hunt.

[Craig @ Aug 18th 2008 10:28PM]

Note: I live in KY but I don't hunt.

So you're the one.

[Omen_20 @ Aug 18th 2008 10:40PM]

lol no, but a bunch of people in my family would buy it.

[Kamokazi @ Aug 18th 2008 11:51PM]

I know what you mean. I have a 12 year old cousin with a Wii who bagged a 7-pointer last year (gun, not bow, dunno if it was rifle or shotgun/slug offhand) who would pick this up in a heartbeat. His dad would probably play it quite a bit, too. I coudl think of many other family members and friends who would pick this up also.

I wouldn't pick it up because hunting isn't exactly my cup of tea, although I do enjoy exterminating the vermin who go after my dad's crops from time to time. Only takes a few damn coons to devastate an acre of sweet corn....but it only takes a few shells to devistate a few coons :-)

[JDGATX @ Aug 18th 2008 10:25PM]

I'm going to "abduct" the guy who invented this shitbag.

[Cameron Lothridge @ Aug 18th 2008 10:43PM]

I actually played this while I was working for Congress in July. They had a videogame thing in the Rayburn building one day during lunch and this was there. While it was still in beta testing it seemed like a good concept but just didn't come out perfect. Hopefully they fixed the bugs like enormous blind spots and how uncalibrated it was, even after calibrating it. I will admit afterwards me and my friends arms were sore and I'm sure this could cause sore arms for the first few days of playing it.

[alexanderdavidholt @ Aug 19th 2008 5:52PM]

I did too. It was pretty lame. The other thing they used to train soldiers in CQC was really cool though.

[ethana2 @ Aug 18th 2008 10:51PM]

But what happens when the cow /kicks/ you?

No seriously, this is the last thing we need.
'playing with your wii' just got WORSE. Did we think it was possible?

[ethana2 @ Aug 18th 2008 11:00PM]

To clarify that, the people who say stuff like 'playing with your wii' are being stupid. It's not really /that/ bad in and of itself. I just had no reason to suspect that it ever would be, and now, in my opinion, it has crossed that line.

If this becomes a common peripheral, the lame jokes will never stop. I recommend giving it this peripheral a name unrelated to its function.

[ethana2 @ Aug 18th 2008 11:01PM]

...blasted post-edit-less comment system..

[Dan Halen @ Aug 19th 2008 2:11AM]

God bless you man, but I really never have any idea what the hell you're talking about.

[bstear @ Aug 19th 2008 9:55AM]

The cow kicking you is where the force-feedback comes in. The one arm snaps back and whacks you in the gut for a more realistic simulation.

[Richard Pound @ Aug 18th 2008 10:51PM]

The Wii's next game is going to be called "Extreme Lemon Sqweezing"

[McFly @ Aug 19th 2008 12:35AM]

or virtual bubble-wrap popping

[Starnerf @ Aug 19th 2008 8:14AM]

Ah, bubble wrap. The REAL great American pastime.

[Eric Schreiber @ Aug 18th 2008 10:53PM]

My father knows Greg Merril and so I got to test the "Wii Sqweeze" a few months ago. It sounds silly but it's actually kind of fun. If I remember correctly, you can adjust the resistance and they have a few different applications for it. Fun fact: the other company Merril started is the one that held up the release of the PS3 controller with vibration.

[Sean @ Aug 19th 2008 7:25PM]

Bastard!

[Xenoterranos @ Aug 18th 2008 11:00PM]

Thii Master?

[Marvin Quach @ Aug 18th 2008 11:51PM]

I think I'm going to make a "limited-use" Wii-pan - it will double as a peripheral for games like Cooking Mama, and also double as a real skillet for kitchen use!

Actually, now that I think about it, this is probably more useful than any other peripheral out there!

[Ignatius @ Aug 18th 2008 11:53PM]

I'm just holding out til they come out with the burger-flipper attachment. Then I can simulate later life for people who develop this bilge.

[Ignatius @ Aug 19th 2008 12:24AM]

Huh. I think my comment just got deleted.. or swallowed by the void of the Internet.

[Ignatius @ Aug 19th 2008 12:24AM]

Or thanks to forces unknown, wasn't displayed until I posted my next comment. Joy.

[crow610 @ Aug 19th 2008 2:09AM]

Wiisure Suit Larry

[ddub @ Aug 19th 2008 2:22AM]

(That's me raising my hand)

[deshliem @ Aug 19th 2008 2:53AM]

It would be great for a Manhunt kinda game when you kill people by chocking them to death.
or maybe a game where you go around and catch Cute characters a squeeze them.

all those sadistic games will be fun. >;)

[ddub @ Aug 19th 2008 3:05AM]

I hope you never leave your mom's basement.

[deshliem @ Aug 19th 2008 8:00AM]

I know, came out kinda creepy.
But hey, think of all the games that require squeezing.
Maybe a game not involve violence will be a game where you squeeze a pump of air to feel up a balloon really fast in order to stay airborne.
Like and air balloon that always fly from left to right and there are obstacles on the way so you fill it with air by squeezing and so you go above the obstacle.

[Mustaine @ Aug 19th 2008 1:12PM]

Actually, a Wii target dummy would be a lot of fun.. great work-out.
something like one of these: http://www.dummiesunlimited.com/products/martialarts/

[Abby @ Aug 19th 2008 10:43AM]

I've read other articles on the internet about this thing and it seems pretty cool. The concept is great because there aren't any peripherals out there for strength exercise. I would be interested to know your opinion on things like DDR and the WiiFit and why you think that they are successful. But, based off of how you gave absolutely no detail about this product, how it works, and any benefits it may render, it really makes me believe that you spent no one on one time with it at all. Based solely off of other articles (because this one is so negative without any supporting facts) I would gladly pay more than $4.99 for something that can provide me a strength beneifts while playing video games. It sure beats paying $75/month for a gym membership and $4/gallon to get there!

[butanecans @ Aug 20th 2008 10:46AM]

A peripheral can really only be evaluated within the context of the complete gaming experience, so you can't tell much just by looking at the Sqweeze. I think it has lots of potential as long as it's packaged with some great games. Look at the Wiimote: it looks like a tv remote control so it's hard to imagine the versatility that such a thing could have -- a game called Wii Channel Surf maybe? I realize that this is a silly assumption given the already proven versatility of the controller. Even the iconic Guitar Hero Guitar (which looks like a cheap kid's toy) would have been destined for the junk pile had it not been for a fantastic game to pair it with. For any peripheral (no matter how rediculous-looking), it's all about the total experience. I can't wait to see what games they come up with for the Sqweeze...