Wiimote -- Engadget

'Baby and Me' special edition includes Wiimote-ready doll

by Paul Miller posted Nov 2nd 2009 at 4:51PM

A new, janktastic Wii title dubbed Baby and Me (not to be confused with the new 50 Cent song, "Baby by Me") is shipping in limited quantities as a special edition that actually includes a doll "accessory" in the box. The regular game is designed to work with the Wiimote attached to any old doll, but in case your child is looking for a premium fake baby experience, we suppose this special edition is the way to go. The actual game play includes motion sensitive baby-rocking, Balance Board support for teaching the child avatar to walk, and the sound of gurgles and burps output through the Wiimote's built-in speaker. It sounds exactly like caring for a real child.

[Via Switched]

Houston newscaster dictates slide transitions, goes bowling with Wiimote

by Darren Murph posted Oct 28th 2009 at 3:14PM

We're not sure who's winning the ratings war in Houston, but we're going to give the upper-hand to KHOU based on these shots alone. As you can clearly see in the image above (and the enlarged versions there in the gallery), this newscaster is wielding a Wiimote. It's hard to say if the news station actually has their slide transitions setup to change with a swing of the controller, or if weather map zooming is handled with something typically used for gaming, but one thing's for darn sure -- lightning rounds of Wii bowling during commercial breaks are definitely happening.

[Thanks, Edmar]

Update: Whoa, looks like this was indeed the real deal. Check the details here!

Gallery: Houston newscaster dictates slide transitions, goes bowling with Wiimote

Nyko Wii Wands get a dash of color

by Vladislav Savov posted Oct 16th 2009 at 6:36AM

Just as Nintendo finally decides to bring some of that noir goodness over to the US, Nyko pops up with no less than four new colorways for its Wand Wii remote. We're no anthropologists here, but we reckon one of these new options will do a lot better in sales than the other three. All the same, with Nintendo furnishing Japan with blue and pink Wiimotes, Nyko has played it safe and followed suit. These should be hitting Walmart right about now with an MSRP of $29.99, so look out for them at your next government-sponsored Wii bowl-a-thon.

Gallery: Nyko Wii Wands get a dash of color

Black Wii Remote, MotionPlus add-on and Nunchuck arrive on November 16th

by Paul Miller posted Oct 14th 2009 at 9:58AM

We knew they were coming for the holidays, and now Nintendo's black Wii gear has some prices and a November 16th release date. The black Wii Remote comes bundled with a MotionPlus add-on -- obviously Nintendo doesn't want to risk too many more people picking up a controller without one -- and retails for $50, while the black Nunchuck (shown after the break) is all by its lonesome for $20. Unfortunately, still no word of a black Wii in the US to hang out with these finely tinted accessories.

Continue reading Black Wii Remote, MotionPlus add-on and Nunchuck arrive on November 16th

Bona fide exercise bike abuses Wiimote accessory license... badly

by Darren Murph posted Oct 14th 2009 at 7:40AM

See that up there? That's an exercise bike. And a Wii. Amazingly enough, there's a strong correlation between the two, and unless the entire world is being pranked here, BigBen interactive is actually looking to ship a "full-size" Wiimote-compatible fitness machine with its next game. We can't even fathom how quickly this thing is bound to fall apart (or how absurdly expensive it'll be if there's even a smidgen of quality), but we're more than anxious to learn of an MSRP. Now, if only Ford would pump out a Wiimote-friendly Focus to use in the next installment of Mario Kart, we'd be set.

[Via Joystiq]

Blaze announces 'Wii style' Motion Freedom 3D controller for PS3, really

by Donald Melanson posted Oct 12th 2009 at 7:50PM

We were fairly impressed by Blaze's knack for impressive but questionably useful gadgets when it introduced a three-cart contraption for the DSi last month, but it looks like it's truly outdone itself with its latest peripheral. While it's possible that it's the result of some miscommunication or a bet taken to its limits, it does appear that the company is indeed set to release a controller that can only be described as a Wiimote for the PlayStation 3. Of course, it's still a bit light on specifics, but Blaze says its so-called Motion Freedom 3D Controller will open up "unthinkable gaming possibilities," and let you "become one" with games like Sega Tennis and Tiger Woods Golf. It's even been "ergonomically designed from the ground up." How can you possibly go wrong?

Nintendo quietly reveals pink and blue Wiimotes for Japanese market

by Darren Murph posted Oct 8th 2009 at 11:38PM

Rumors of a rainbow-splashed Wii and Wiimote lineup have been running for just about ever now, and while we've seen Nintendo cave and offer a black Wii, blue Wiimote and black Wiimote in select locales, the company has yet to push colors in a big way as it has on the DS lineup. Hopefully, all that's gearing up to change. At a small, quaint retailer event over in Japan, the Big N revealed that a blue and pink Wiimote would hit the Land of The Rising Sun on December 3rd, though pricing on the new hues remains undisclosed. In related news, a few new Japan-only Wii console / game bundles were also made public, and while the Samurai Warriors 3 package will indeed include a glossy black Wii, you'll need a round-trip ticket to Akihabara in order to claim one as your own. For shame.

[Via Joystiq]

Video: SNES runs beautifully on N900, makes our hearts flutter

by Darren Murph posted Sep 30th 2009 at 9:53AM

We've already seen Nokia's Maemo 5-powered N900 pull off some pretty fanciful tricks, but without qualification this is the one most dear to our hearts. Somehow or another, Konttori managed to get his palms around an N900 of his own, and rather than testing out the social networking abilities or battery life, he simply installed an SNES emulator, tweaked it to accept Wiimote controls and even connected it to his TV for a staggeringly authentic gameplay experience. Vicarious living is just a click or two away, so hop on past the break for a video of the action. Oh, and don't mind the baby -- he's not in the corner or anything.

[Thanks, Sathish]

Continue reading Video: SNES runs beautifully on N900, makes our hearts flutter

Black Wii remote bundle coming to North America, no matching console in sight

by Ross Miller posted Sep 1st 2009 at 6:42AM

Oh Nintendo, you tease. You still won't give us that jet black Wii console bound for Japan, but you've got no problem giving us in North America a taste of the dark side with a black Wiimote and Motion Plus bundle, coming this holiday along with a black nunchuk sold separately. With any luck this is just the sign of things to come, and should the Wii's sales momentum drop, we're sure quite a few new colors will start shipping their way over here (light blue, anyone?). On the more portable side of things, the DSi will be adding pink and white to its repertoire on September 13th. Unless the House that Mario Built is feeling particularly nasty, prices should be the same as their pre-existing color counterparts -- you wouldn't put a premium on a palette swap, right Nintendo?

Gallery: Black Wii remote bundle coming to North America, no matching console in sight

[Via Joystiq]

Nintendo KIRFs Nerf with soft football patent attempt

by Vladislav Savov posted Aug 26th 2009 at 9:31AM

Ready for your daily dose of absurdity? Nintendo has filed for patent protection of yet another inflatable idea, this time throwing up a spongy football accoutrement for your Wiimote. The "ball" has a strap to keep you from actually throwing it, and in-game trajectories are calculated on the basis of the angle and force of your pseudo-throwing motion. If you're thinking the Wiimote can do all this even without a plush attachment, you'd be right, but then you'd just look silly jumping and juking in front of your TV without a proper accessory in hand.

[Via Joystiq]

Wiipod modder shoves an MP3 player in his Wiimote, calls it a day

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Aug 21st 2009 at 9:23PM

Readers, don't act like you're appalled that this mod consists entirely of an old iPod shuffle shoved into the battery compartment of a Wiimote game controller. If anything, you should be amused that this mod consists entirely of an old iPod shuffle KIRF shoved into the battery compartment of a Wiimote game controller. See for yourself after the break.

[Via Technabob]

Continue reading Wiipod modder shoves an MP3 player in his Wiimote, calls it a day

Psyclone / React Wiimote chargers recalled due to fire hazard

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Aug 12th 2009 at 4:06PM

Wii owners, you just can't catch a break, can you? First you're busting up the TV when all you ever wanted was a little ball-free faux-bowling action, and then there's that Rock Band controller / chemical burn fiasco. And now? The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has just announced a voluntary recall of a little something called the 4-Dock Battery Recharge Station. This guy (available from Target, Toys R Us, and Amazon.com under the Psyclone brand, or from Best Buy under the React name) has been recharging batteries, excessively overheating batteries, posing fire risks, and burning the occasional hand since they first went on sale in January, 2008. Think you may have one of the offending units? Don't just call the Waaaambulance -- hit that read link and demand satisfaction!

[Via GamesIndustry.biz]

Nintendo patent filing reveals inflatable cushion controller for horse riding, shark jumping

by Donald Melanson posted Aug 11th 2009 at 6:26PM

"For centuries throughout the world, horseback riding has captured the imagination of adventurous people. In the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans, the horse was a symbol of power. In medieval Europe and Japan, horses were essential for quick movement across large distances and were often used in warfare. In the American wild west, the horse was a cowboy's constant companion and a symbol of self-reliance and adventure."

- Nintendo patent application, building up to... an inflatable cushion for your Wiimote. Really.

[Via Joystiq]

OpenChord allows actual guitars to play Guitar Hero, sound atrocious

by Darren Murph posted Aug 7th 2009 at 9:53AM

You've heard that saying "so close, yet so far away," right? This, folks, is why that very quote exists. The obviously brilliant team over at OpenChord has designed a system that enables an honest-to-goodness guitar to sync up with Nintendo's Wii in order to play Guitar Hero. You simply plug the Wiimote into the axe and use the bona fide strings and frets in place of those plastic buttons you're so used to using. The only problem? Guitar Hero wasn't designed for use with six strings and 22 to 24 frets, and man, does it show. Hop on past the break to have a listen, and yes, your dreams of actually taking advantage of this will be shattered. Bet on it.

[Via Joystiq]

Continue reading OpenChord allows actual guitars to play Guitar Hero, sound atrocious

Touchable Holography uses Wiimotes to add touch to holograms

by Laura June posted Aug 6th 2009 at 11:36AM

Researchers from The University of Tokyo have demoed a touchable hologram at Siggraph 2009. The project, called Touchable Holography, involves the use of Wiimotes placed above the display to track hand motion, and an airborne ultrasound tactile display created in the university's lab to create the sensation of touch. The result is a holographic image that produces tactile feedback without any actual touching, and without degrading the image itself. Check out the video after the break for a fuller, more stunning explanation.

[Thanks, Adam]

Continue reading Touchable Holography uses Wiimotes to add touch to holograms