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E308: Wii Fanboy's E3 Endgame Evaluation
In the second year of the newly revamped show, Nintendo released a few much-desired games, as well as a pair of incredible peripherals, and yet, there seemed to be something missing. Much of the show's excitement came from third parties (on my Nintendo Wii?), and some found Nintendo's announcements disappointing. Whatever your reaction, we're sure we can all agree on one thing: there was a ton of news and a flood of media. Luckily, you can revisit it all right here (even the week's most outrageous story, which wasn't even from E3).We've listed a few of the show's highlights below, but for the full index of all our 2008 E3 coverage, hit the break. We still have a few items rolling in, and we'll be updating the index as that happens. Check back with us over the next few days by clicking the E3 sidebar graphic. A new Pikmin sprouts! Animal Crossing: City Folk confirmed The Conduit will use WiiSpeak Wii Sports Resort announced (and Wii MotionPlus!) Mega Man 9 feels more like a 10 Wii Fanboy bats-on with Mario Super Sluggers Animal Crossing to support keyboards, save fruit-picking time Wii Fanboy hands-on with Wii Sports Resort
Rumor: Nintendo exec hints at MotionPlus-infused Wiimotes
Though little is known about the Wii's recently unveiled peripheral, the MotionPlus attachment, other than the fact that it will allow you to throw virtual frisbees to virtual puppies with unparalleled accuracy, Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development director Katsuya Eguchi alluded to a new Wiimote model that would include the MotionPlus technology during an E3 developer roundtable.In Eguchi's own words, Nintendo is "looking at whether or not it will be an attachment or built in," so a MotionPlus Wiimote is far from confirmed. Still, we certainly hope Nintendo never ceases production of the attachment altogether -- forcing a populous that scrambled to acquire the Wii's elusive controller last year to chase after a new Wiimote SKU could lead to an unforeseen, if not slightly ironic, revolution against the prosperous company.
Joystiq E3 hands-on: Wii Sports Resort
What Wii Sports did for the Wiimote, Wii Sports Resort does for the Wii MotionPlus. The added precision of the Wii MotionPlus gets to show off in the title and, from the three minigames we experienced, it gives an idea of how other games could benefit from the accessory.We had a chance to try out Disc Dog, Power Cruising and, our favorite, Sword Play. Nintendo says the Wii MotionPlus gives 1:1 control, but that's stretching the truth just a little. The controls certainly feel more precise than the Wiimote in its current state, but we're not exactly sure just yet if it'll fulfill gamer fantasies of precise lightsaber duels.%Gallery-27741%
Friday Video: Wii Sports Resort Sword Play at E3
Well, so much for Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Really, as much as we love the thought of using our Wiimotes as Lightsabers, we don't think such duels will be able to compare to the Sword Play in Wii Sports Resort. That's right, we went there.Seeing the 1:1 motion controls in action (via the Wii MotionPlus) just puts us in awe. Are we just too easily amazed, or are you guys excited, too? Maybe we can just pretend our swords are Lightsabers. Of course, we'll have to wait until spring to try any of it out, anyway. Too bad, so sad.
Nintendo says it's considering Wiimote with built-in MotionPlus
It's pretty far down on the surprise-o-meter, but it looks like Nintendo is at least considering the possibility of a Wiimote with built-in MotionPlus for further on down the road. That word comes straight from Nintendo's Katsuya Eguchi, who told a developer round table that, "as to looking at whether or not it will be an attachment or built in - we're always looking at how hardware should evolve and where we should take it," and that, "it's something we'll be looking at." Katsuya also insisted that MotionPlus wasn't an acknowledgment that the original Wiimote was somehow lacking, saying that Nintendo is "very happy" with what it did, but that, "of course, you always want more."[Via Yahoo! News / PC Magazine]
Wii Warm Up: E3
Because we've also asked DS fans, we thought we'd pose the same question here: how would you rate the Wii's E3?Despite the angry tidal wave of criticism over what many (but not all) saw as a disappointing Nintendo keynote, the more recent announcement of a third Pikmin game seems to have tempered the outcry a little. Not that there was a shortage of announcements in the first place -- WiiSpeak, Wii Sports Resort, Animal Crossing: City Folk, MotionPlus, Wii Music, and online, WiiSpeak-enabled multiplayer in The Conduit were all entirely new to us.Fill us in on the bits of E3 you liked, the bits you hated, the surprises, and the no-shows.
The rising costs of multiplayer Wii
We're already fascinated by the potential of the Wii MotionPlus, but there is one potential sticking point: the price. Gizmodo went to the trouble of calculating how much the Wii would cost with enough Wii Remotes, Nunchuks, and MotionPlus add-ons (the site estimated -- conservatively in our view -- that the device would cost $15) for four players, and promptly saw the Wii's "cheapest console" tag evaporate.According to Gizmodo's math, a fully equipped four-player Wii set-up would cost $490 -- just $60 less than the PS3 with four controllers and $20 more than the Xbox 360 with four pads; the fact that the Wii is seen as a social gaming console hardly makes thing much better. Maybe a price drop for the Wiimote is in order before the MotionPlus hits stores?%Gallery-19378%
E308: Live highlights from Nintendo's private conference
Did yesterday's Nintendo keynote leave you wanting more? Well, pipe down already -- you're getting more. The company is holding a private conference, and our very own JC Fletcher is invited to the party. Since you can't be there, we'll be posting JC's highlights right here, live. We hope your F5 buttons and refresh fingers are ready, because the word on the street is that something big is going to be revealed. Of course, that could just be disgruntled fans' hopes evolving into a rumor, but we'd like to believe that's not the case. We'd hate to be disappointed by the big N two days in a row, after all.If we hear something big (or not so big), don't worry, you'll be the first to know (well, uh, after us).Update: So far it looks like the same stuff from the keynote. Katsuya Eguchi takes the floor.
E308: Wii MotionPlus may kill battery life
At least, the prototype Wii MotionPlus accessory sucks down batteries, according to Siliconera's Spencer Yip. After a talk with an unnamed Nintendo representative, Siliconera is reporting that the early versions of the add-on deliver an underwhelming nine hours of battery life on a fresh pair of AAs. Considering that Wii owners have been struggling to find solutions to battery-eating remotes since the console debuted, this could be bad news indeed. Luckily, Yip says the Nintendo rep assured him that these are only prototypes and, by the time the add-on is ready, they hope to have the issue fixed. But don't be surprised if they follow up with Wii MotionPlus 2 six months after the initial accessory is released.
InvenSense boasts about Wii MotionPlus-powering IDG-600 motion sensor
With Nintendo's official business out of the way, the motion sensing-minded folks at InvenSense are now free to brag about the technology behind the new Wii MotionPlus add-on, a press release we're sure they've been itching to send out. The key bit of kit in the forthcoming accessory, it seems, is the IDG-600 multi-axis MEMS rate gyroscope, which InvenSense describes as a "truly disruptive technology" that boasts just the right combination of manufacturing and performance advantages to make it ideal for Nintendo's purposes. InvenSense also says that it has already begun shipping to Nintendo in mass production quantities, which is certainly assuring, if unsurprising.
E308: Highlights from Nintendo's keynote
This year's Nintendo conference at E3 felt much too short, but was packed with some really great announcements ... like Wii Speak! But in case you missed the show, or simply prefer an abridged version, here are the highlights. Read our live reactions here, or check out Joystiq's live blog if you're feeling adventurous. Shaun White Snowboarding demonstration (with Shaun White!), and a lot of stuff we already knew about the Ubisoft title, such as release window and the fact that it uses the Balance Board. Unsurprisingly, no mention of the abhorrent graphics. Animal Crossing: City Folk! With multiplayer, auctions, Mii masks, and voice chat. Wii Speak: megatonik peripheral that adds voice chat to the Wii. Wii Sports Resort takes you to the beach ... with Wii MotionPlus. Wii Music to release this year, with Balance Board support and a metric ton of instruments. No Zelda, no Kid Icarus, no Pikmin ... how sad. But we did get voice chat, and it's hard to complain about that addition.
Wii Sports Resort coming to the Wii, with MotionPlus in tow
Nintendo has announced Wii Sports Resort, a sequel of sorts to the most popular title on the best selling console system this generation. It will include the previously announced Wii Motion Plus controller, and allow players to experience a fun "day at the beach" -- there will be a frisbee game, as well as a jetskiing experience, and a... sword dueling game?Nintendo plans to replicate the success of Wii Sports and Wii Play, and throw in a new accessory with the pack as well. The game is set for a release in spring of next year.
Wii Warm Up: Motion controls ... plus
This morning, we'll find out more about Wii MotionPlus, the new addition for the Wii remote that's supposed to improve, well, the Wii's whole purpose. It seems like such a big thing, adding improved functionality to the Wii's major selling point, and it's all handled by a very tiny device. But we'll find out more about exactly what it does later. What we want to know right now is: what was the first thing you thought of when you heard? An old game that could have used improvement? A new game that's already been announced? Or something completely different that, before, you didn't think was quite possible? One of these?
Wii Fanboy E308 Poll: What games series needs Wii MotionPlus?
You've had several years to complain about the missed potential for immersive applications with a Wii Remote supporting true 1:1 response; now that Nintendo has announced the Wii MotionPlus accessory, enabling games to track your movements faster and more accurately, we want to know which game series you feel would benefit the most from the new technologyAre you hoping for the most obvious pick -- compelling lightsaber duels in a Star Wars game? Or are you looking for Wii Sports 2 with support for more subtle movements? If you don't see your preferred series in our list of poll choices, make sure to leave a comment and let us know what game you think needs Wii MotionPlus!%Poll-16808%
E308: Wii MotionPlus puts better control in your motion control
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Nintendo_unveils_Wii_MotionPlus_for_unmatched_precision'; Concerned that motion controls aren't quite precise enough to get the job done? No worries -- Nintendo's on it. While we expect more details at tomorrow's E3 press briefing, a press release has surfaced for the Wii MotionPlus, an add-on for the Wii remote that "allows for more comprehensive tracking of a player's arm position and orientation." That opens up nearly as many questions as it answers, so we'll be watching tomorrow's conference even more excitedly. If things get more any more intense around here, well, we just might explode.See also: Ding ding! Another E3 prediction resolved.[Thanks, Erie!]
Nintendo unveils Wii MotionPlus accessory for 'unmatched precision'
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Nintendo_unveils_Wii_MotionPlus_for_unmatched_precision'; Nintendo has announced via press release Wii MotionPlus, an accessory for the Wii remote that works with both the sensor bar and accelerometer to "allow for more comprehensive tracking of a player's arm position and orientation." No other details are provided at the moment, but more information is promised for Nintendo's press conferece tomorrow.
