Nintendo Reconfirms Wii Shipments

Gamasutra has Nintendo's 're-confirmation' that they're going to try to ship 6 Million units by the end of March 2007. If you're looking forward to Nintendo's new-gen console, their upcoming media event on September 14th may have just what you're looking for. The article also has a few details on upcoming accessories. From the article: "Although the price and release date of the Wii console and controller is not likely to be revealed until worldwide press events on September 14th and 15th, the Gamestop website lists a number of peripherals for release on November 1st. Included on the site is a Wii 'Controller Glove' for $9.99, a 'HD Premium Component Cable' for $59.99 and a 'S-Video Premium AV Cable' for $39.99." Relatedly, 1up has the news that Castlevania's creator is warming to the Wii. This will result in Belmont-related adventures for the Wii, one would hope.

Comments

"Controller Glove"

[eikonoklastes]

Could this be a next-generation Power Glove? If so, Nintendo for the win!

Re:"Controller Glove"

[Manmademan]

I LOVE the "Controller Glove." It's SO bad.

Re:"Controller Glove"

[badboy_tw2002]

Its so bad. Maybe they'll make The Wizard II, where Fred Savage trains a new generation of Nintendo players to play Nintendo products and live the Nintendo way of life. Wait, that movie wasn't just a big commercial for Nintendo, was it?

Re:"Controller Glove"

[Anonymous Coward]

I doubt it...it's only $10.

Re:"Controller Glove"

[UbuntuDupe]

It sounds like a good idea. If you wore one on each hand and could somehow holster a wiimote to each leg, you could have a full body, 3-dimensional DDR. (Yes, I know there's one where you ahve to match a silhouette, but that doesn't detect 3D.)

Re:"Controller Glove"

[antifoidulus]

Why not just make it a video game? Maybe one where Fred Savage finally figures out that his whole career is a joke/pop culture reference and decides to commit suicide. You can use the Wii and it's tactical feedback to kill Fred many different imaginative ways.

What do you think, too dark?

Re:"Controller Glove"

[SuperRob]

No. The "Controller Glove" is made by BD&A, so it sounds like it's just a carrying case for the Wii-mote.

Re:"Controller Glove"

[MindStalker]

I've seen some "pictures" of this. Basically its a glove that straps the wiimote to the back of your hand. It was just a concept, but something like this could easily cost $10. Of course you would still need the nunchuck or some type of extended trigger to effectivcly do anything but move it around. But it does add a new "feel" to the use of the wiimote.

Re:"Controller Glove"

[Aladrin]

I so wish I had mod points. I loved that movie.

Re:"Controller Glove"

[Mortanius]

For the price, sounds like it's similar to the iPod socks / condoms.

Had my hopes up for a minute, there.

Re:"Controller Glove"

[Mercano]

If they could get the buttons worked out, seems like the prefect way to play Metroid or Megaman.

Re:"Controller Glove"

[timster]

Nonsense. It sounds like the perfect way to play Punch-Out.

Re:"Controller Glove"

[zerocommazero]

Dude, it costs $10. I seriously don't think you'll get a functional controller for that much. It most likely is a wearable sleeve so that you don't drop your wiimote on the ground.

Re:"Controller Glove"

[MustardMan]

Uh... what, exactly, is tactical feedback? Maybe you meant to say tactcile feedback? Of course, most people don't consider a little controller rumbling to be REAL tacticle feedback, and even if you did, it wouldn't be something unique to the Wii. No, I think you meant to say something completely different, and in your effort to use big words said something completely asinine.

Re:"Controller Glove"

[KDR_11k]

The Wii controller already contains all the necessary electronics. Maybe they'll throw some sensors to determine your finger movement to a certain degree (e.g. "fingers 1, 2, 4 and 5 bent, communication finger extended") on it but that's pretty unlikely.

Re:"Controller Glove"

[elcid73]

Uh.... what, exactly is tactcile feedback? Maybe you meant to say tactile? I think you meant to say something completely different, and in your effort to use big words said something completely asinine

Re:"Controller Glove"

[elcid73]

Also, I believe it should be: "...REAL tactile feedback..."

Re:"Controller Glove"

[MustardMan]

I made, and repeated, a silly typo... the OP said something completely retarded.

You, you just trolled me because you're a spelling nazi douchebag.

Re:"Controller Glove"

[voice_of_all_reason]

What would a Bomberman be without bombs?

Re:"Controller Glove"

[elcid73]

The first was obviously a typo, but the second, in my opinion, was not* You corrected the OP from "tactical" to "tacticle." Regardless, the point is that you correcting someone** on the usage of a word shouldn't be done if you don't know how to use it. At least, in so far as to call the OP's usage as "completely asinine." *Other grammar, spelling errors in the post are acceptable, but in the word called in question. **I will say that I used: "I believe..." -as I'm not a douchebag and believe myself to fallible.

Re:"Controller Glove"

[Anonymous Coward]

Correction:

"a spelling nazi douchebag" that scored a +1 Funny mod!

um.. tactcicle!

Re:"Controller Glove"

[LearnToSpell]

You could strap it to something else and play Virtually Jenna! Man, I'm excited now. No, not like that you sickos!

Re:"Controller Glove"

[crgrace]

Uh.... what, exactly is tactcile feedback? Maybe you meant to say tactile? I think you meant to say something completely different, and in your effort to use big words said something completely asinine

He meant testicle feedback. It is a new gaming paradigm that involves a car battery and some electrodes or some-such...

Re:"Controller Glove"

[MrPinstripeCom]

Oooh, it'd be better if Fred savage's character died and was led through some sort of animated cartoon Dante hell led by a Blue, now Bald, Howie Mandell....

anyone with me? We could even cast his younger brother to play his...YOUNGER BROTHER!

Winnie Cooper would So have to be an entire level of Fred's Hell...

The Savages of Youth Acting

(ridiculous frivolous patent pending) This is worth points, people!

Re:"Controller Glove"

[pianoman113]

You can just keep your "Contoller Gloves" off of my woman.

Re:"Controller Glove"

[Sengoku666]

A man.

Um...

[Anonymous Coward]

Warming his Wii?

Damn it, I still can't take that stupid name seriously. Nintendo, you fail it.

I hope not.

[neoshroom]

Seriously, I remember buying a power glove when it came out. I mean, I was probably 15 at the time and lured by commercials. I just remember when I got it, the thing really was useless and clunky. I ended up returning it shortly thereafter.

This is worse

[the computer guy nex]

Found out yesterday that Sony isn't including a HDMI cable in their packages. OK I can sorta see why.

"'HD Premium Component Cable' for $59.99 "

Component cables should be included. This isn't the 1980's.

Re:This is worse

[joe 155]

thats what I thought, although as far as I knew the Wii can't do HD, so I don't know why you'd do this... I'm just hoping you can plug it into the ariel or a scart like every other ninry console I've had. I hope this isn't the start of a trend.

Although it isn't essential for the Wii. (It isn't essential for the PS3 but the reason for the high price is because of the HD capabilities of the Blu-ray disks)

Re:This is worse

[steveo777]

The Wii can do 480p. It may not require the best in A/V materials to get 480p signal, but some people just like having the best. Or that's all their Hi-Defs will accept, and as I understand it, S-Video isn't all that great even for 480p. Though I may be wrong.

Re:This is worse

[ArmyOfFun]

To be fair this is Gamestop's price for the MadCatz component cable. I really doubt the Nintendo component cable will be $60, as the Gamecube component cables were $25 (though they go for about $60 on ebay now).

Component cables should be included. This isn't the 1980's.

1980's? I thought component cables only came out a few years ago? You might be thinking of composite? I'd be shocked if Wii didn't ship with at least composite cables.

Re:This is worse

[syrinx]

uh, who in the 1980's had component video?!? Shit, I don't have a TV that supports component video now.

Re:This is worse

[Babbster]

Well, S-video doesn't transmit 480p at all. It carries NTSC signals (sometimes, incorrectly, referred to as "480i"). It looks significantly better than most composite connections and marginally worse than an NTSC component connection. 480p via component trumps any NTSC signal, and then 480p via DVI/HDMI would usually be a bit better than that.

Anyway, $60 for a component connection is ridiculous ($30-40 has been bad enough). That's the sort of thing that could make me go from buying the Wii at launch (it would be my first time doing so) to waiting until the price comes down. I'm certainly not going to go back to NTSC if the console is capable of 480p. Fortunately for people without digital TVs (and Nintendo), it won't matter to them.

Re:This is worse

[jonnythan]

S-video doesn't do 480p.

S-video does standard definition 480i in a 4:3 aspect ratio. 480p is considered enhanced definition, is capable of 16:9, and requires component.

Re:This is worse

[Babbster]

I hope you're right about the pricing because $60 is ridiculous (and, as noted above, I have to have my 480p if I can get it).

As for what we refer to as component connections (technically, S-video is classified as a "component" connector because it divides the analog video signal into two components), those debuted at the consumer level in the late 1990s (with DVD). My first DVD player in 1999 had the connectors and I bought my first TV with component inputs in 2000 (an NTSC widescreen Toshiba).

Re:This is worse

[7Prime]

"Component video" has been out for ever. VGA is a type of component video. Any video format that transmits data in separate RGB channels is considered component. Even S-Video is sometimes considered a component video feed (I don't understand why, since it's "luminance/chrominance". BetaCAM is a component video format (even though, once again, it's only luminance/chrominance").

That said, the current 3-cable analog RGB format is quite new. In fact, many CRT tubes are still sold without "component" connectors. i remember that only 10 years ago you had to pay a premium just to get an S-video connector. No TV I own currently has component in, and even many DVD players still do not have component out. Since HDMI is around the corner as a new standard, I think analog component is going to be a very short lived format, and probably not worth a whole lot of fuss over. The biggest difference is whether you can recieve progressive scan, in which S-video handles fairly cleanly. At this point is probably best to skip over analog component and go for HDMI or DVI (which are the same video format, HDMI just includes 6 channels of audio as well).

Re:This is worse

[Frag-A-Muffin]

Anyway, $60 for a component connection is ridiculous ($30-40 has been bad enough). That's the sort of thing that could make me go from buying the Wii at launch (it would be my first time doing so) to waiting until the price comes down. I'm certainly not going to go back to NTSC if the console is capable of 480p. Fortunately for people without digital TVs (and Nintendo), it won't matter to them.

Kinda makes you wonder how the XBOX crowd feels like when they're asked to pay $100+ for the wifi adapter to make their system wifi'able. Think about it, that's half the (not yet announced) price of the Wii! And yes, the Wii will have wifi built in! To people who say the xbox360 isn't that expensive when you include all peripherals and things, I say blah.

Anyways.

If you RTFA, you'll notice these peripherals are all 3rd party ones. So I wouldn't worry quite yet. Sept. 14th is gearing up to be the big day we find out just about every missing details about the new system. (Price, date, peripherals, etc)

That's a week away. For the record, I can't friggin' wait :)

Re:This is worse

[MooseMuffin]

An HDMI and component cables aren't the same thing. Both carry an HD video signal but I believe HDMI can also carry audio, and it supports some of that evil DRM. I don't think the Wii or the 360 even have HDMI ports, though the premium 360 comes with component cables.

Re:This is worse

[RyoShin]

I don't agree. As others said with the Sony article, they're playing to the lowest common denominator. Most of the country has TVs that can handle your standard video+left/right inputs (the term escapes me at the moment). It makes sense to just include that cable and save costs, and allow those who have the fancier TVs to buy the fancier cables.

It's the same reason that they won't be including the DVD dongle with the set- to keep the price lower. If you want to play DVDs on it, great, go out and buy the dongle. Those who just want to play games, which are the majority of purchasers, won't have to pay extra for features they won't use.

Re:This is worse

[NivMizzet]

Nintendo isn't marketing to the general High Definition audience. They're looking to capture the average joe with your average TV. People with HDTV's probably don't care too much if they spend another $60 on a cable for a High Definition Wii, and most people who will buy the Wii wouldn't ever use it, myself included. For those that do want the cables, $60 does grant an excessive profit margin.

Re:This is worse

[Fred Or Alive]

Personally I'm waiting to see how much extra I'm going to have to pay for a proper wired Ethernet connection on the Revolution. Bloody newfangled wireless stuff!

Re:This is worse

[Fred Or Alive]

You can do 16:9 anamorphically over RF if you really wanted to. Composite and S-video are fine as well. I've run NiGHTS and Panzer Dragoon Zwei in widescreen through an S-video cable before. Plus an Xbox in widescreen over composite. DVDs store anamophic widescreen with an interlaced SDTV picture as well.

Although 480P will be better, I don't know if the widescreen is non-anamophic, but general progressiveness will be an improvement anyway.

Re:This is worse

[Headcase88]

"To be fair this is Gamestop's price for the MadCatz component cable."

Mad Catz!? Not only will that cable cost $60, but it won't even work a week later. Hopefully Nintendo's price is a little more reasonable.

Re:This is worse

[MooseMuffin]

Why do I need a wifi connection for a console? Mine don't travel very often and I'd prefer the lower latencey and higher reliability of a wired connection anyway.

Re:This is worse

[basscomm]

Presumably so you can connect it with your DS.

Re:This is worse

[Anonymous Coward]

SCART has included component pins (alongside the composite pins) since the late 1980s. I remember the Amstrad GX4000 console had RGB output via its SCART socket. Usually TVs only support component SCART on one or two of their SCART inputs however, devices on the other inputs are stuck with composite out.

It just shows that sometimes a simple technology (which component is) is not included for some obscure reason in an area of the world even though it is standard in other parts.

Re:This is worse

[MooseMuffin]

Maybe, but that hardly validates the parent's critisim of the xbox costing $100 extra for wifi when its a non-issue for most people using the platform.

Re:This is worse

[basscomm]

uh, who in the 1980's had component video?!?

Commodore

Re:This is worse

[7Prime]

I believe the terminology is a little off there, but I'm not completely sure, myself. NTSC refers to the resolution and framerate, not the field rate, so both 480i and 480p are both considered NTSC standards. Now, I was previously under the impression that all North American (and Japanese) standards are refered to as NTSC, including 720p, 1080i and 1080p, but I gather from reading this that NTSC only refers to 480i and 480p. I've never heard NTSC exclusively used to define 480i, though.

I was unaware, until today, that S-video does not allow for progressive scan transmission. My question is, then, what is S-video's main advantage over composite? Is it simply that separating the luminance and chrominance components causes less video artifacts? I've never really noticed a huge difference myself. Maybe I should look around for a component-capable set.

Re:This is worse

[poot_rootbeer]

Any video format that transmits data in separate RGB channels is considered component. Even S-Video is sometimes considered a component video feed (I don't understand why, since it's "luminance/chrominance".

In that case, the 3-cable video interconnect commonly called "component", but more accurately described as "YPrPb", isn't a true component format by your definition, either. The signals aren't true red, green, and blue levels: the "green" line is a luminance signal, not unlike the one on the Y pin of an S-Video connector, and the other two are color deltas.

go for HDMI or DVI (which are the same video format, HDMI just includes 6 channels of audio as well).

The HDMI spec, AFAIK, does not support a fixed number of audio channels, but rather a single data stream which may be decoded by the receiver to 2.0, 5.1, 7.1, etc. Just like the SPDIF coaxial and optical digital audio jacks on existing gear, only built into the same cable assembly as the digital video.

Thus: HDMI = DVI + SPDIF.

Oh, + DRM also. Can't forget about that.

Re:This is worse

[ElleyKitten]

Why do I need a wifi connection for a console? Mine don't travel very often and I'd prefer the lower latencey and higher reliability of a wired connection anyway.

Well, I don't want a cable stretching from one end of my apartment (where my DSL modem lives), through the hallway, under doors, across the dining room and then through the living room finally to my consoles. The Wii will be my first console (well, besides my DS) that I connect to the internet, for this exact reason.

Re:This is worse

[Anonymous Coward]

Wrong. S-Video cannot handle a 480p signal. If you want a progressive picture, you need component video or digital (dvi or hdmi).

Re:This is worse

[dreemernj]

Bingo. I never bothered with a network adapter for my PS2 because I have never kept my tv and video games anywhere near my computer and router. For about a day I had my DC plugged into my computer for internet access but I always end up moving the consoles away from the computers.

I believe the Wii is more taylored to the setups the average household has. But then, I am biased because at this point the Wii is the only console this generation I am interested in :)

Re:This is worse

[Babbster]

No. NTSC is entirely interlaced. It's an analog video standard of [about] 60 interlaced fields per second with each frame (or two fields together) consisting of 484 scan lines (there are actually more lines transmitted, but the extras are used for things like sync, closed captioning, etc.). "480p," on the other hand, is a part of the ATSC digital standard and it is either [progressive] 640x480 in 4:3 or 704x480 in 16:9. Those resolutions can also be interlaced (hence, "480i") in the digital standard, but it's not a "standard" resolution being used by anyone.

To break it down real world style, it's like this: Let's say you're hooking up an Xbox with component cables. If you hook it up in this fashion to an analog NTSC television you'll be able to get the highest-quality analog, interlaced NTSC picture possible - it will not be either 480i or 480p. If you hook it up to a digital television (and make the appropriate selections in the Xbox's configuration menus), the Xbox can transmit a 480p (or 720p or 1080i, depending on the capabilities of the software and the TV) signal over the component cables. If you hook up via S-video or composite, you'll be entirely restricted to an analog signal no matter the TV (though most digital TVs upconvert NTSC signals to 480p for display).

On S-video versus composite: Yes, the separation of S-video provides an improved picture over composite, but it can also depend on the "comb filter" in the particular TV (more expensive analog TVs can make composite connections look better, sometimes as good as S-video). The main advantage of S-video is that there is less "color bleeding" which provides a sharper picture.

As to your comment about perhaps getting a TV with component inputs, you should really only upgrade if you're planning to go digital. Upgrading from S-video to component in analog is just not very cost effective for the [relatively] small improvement in picture quality.

Re:This is worse

[manno]

Hysterical.

Re:This is worse

[7Prime]

If I remember correctly, SVGA is also YPrPb as well, so basically anytime you're talking about analog transmision of RGB, you're really meaning YPrPb, which, since you can extract the relative Green level from the rest, is basically just symantics.

But thanks for the info on HDMI, now that I think about it, yes, it is encoded audio, of any type.

Re:This is worse

[decep]

Actually, Commodores had a composite connector.

Re:This is worse

[basscomm]

I stand corrected. Looks like my memory is broken today.

Re:This is worse

[Anonymous Coward]

'HD Premium Component Cable' for $59.99

emph mine. Who says they're not including a basic, not-made-out-of-6-9s-copper one?

Re:This is worse

[courtarro]

The evil part is the proprietary multiconnector at the back of all these popular consoles. Component video is just 3 "phone" (or "RCA") connectors, which are physically identical to composite video and analog audio connectors. Thus, if the device actually had the normal 3 phone jacks on the back, you could just use any decent 3-head video/left-audio/right-audio cable at $5 a pop. It's the multiconnector that allows manufacturers to lock in these absurd prices ($60).

controller glove + AO rating...

[192939495969798999]

In other news, I go to hell for even thinking about some AO rated games and that preported controller glove!

Re:controller glove + AO rating...

[gstoddart]

In other news, I go to hell for even thinking about some AO rated games and that preported controller glove!

Hmmmm .... something electronic, and, er, um, moisture.

You could end up electrifying your own damned Wii. Unless you think someone is going to makea sealed system glove for those AO games -- and I just can't see there being enough of a market (or anyone willing to go into a store and buy the Wii-Wanker 3000).

"Due to the intimate nature of this product, we cannot offer returns or warranty service. Once opened, we don't want to see this product ever again. Product may cause blindness." ;-)

Cheers

Re:controller glove + AO rating...

[Anonymous Coward]

Since Nintendo has previously stated that they'd like to make development kits (of a sort) available to consumers so they can make their own games, you can make your own AO game!

As for the peripheral, just tape or glue the Wii controller to a sock and then place it on your Wii.

Remember, the Wii controller can detect forward and backward thrusts as well as side to side!

Re:controller glove + AO rating...

[JFMulder]

People already go in sex shops to buy porn, why should this Wanker-mote be different?

Re:controller glove + AO rating...

[gstoddart]

People already go in sex shops to buy porn, why should this Wanker-mote be different?

If (and only if) it was sold in an adult shop, then people might buy it.

But, I doubt that if you had such a product, most adult shops would be interested in carrying it or even know about it. You would have market, er, penetration problems. =) You could discover that the intersection between owners of the Wii and consumers of porn is too small.

I, for instance, have never seen an adult shop carrying adult only titles for my PS2. Heck, I'm not sure I've even seen adult oriented software titles for the PC or anything else either in the last bunch of years. While I agree that it is theoretically possible that such a remote could have a market, and could be distributed through adult shops; I think that the idea has a lot of practical limitations which would stifle it from being successful. I just seriously doubt that you could make said product for a mainstream console game and really have that much of a market.

However, if you would like to take the idea in 'hand', and do some studies to get a 'grasp' on the t^Hissues, then you could be onto a wank^H^H^Hinner, and they will 'beat' a path to your door. If you build it ... oh, forget it. ;-)

I would, however, like to see either the conversation with a VC firm or the patent application. Those would have great entertainment value. And I'm sure it would infringe on any teledildonics patents which may or may not already exist.

Cheers

Re:controller glove + AO rating...

[ElleyKitten]

Hmmmm .... something electronic, and, er, um, moisture. You could end up electrifying your own damned Wii.

What I don't understand is why so many vibrators are not waterproof. My Hello Kitty vibe actually has openings over where the batteries are! Are they trying to kill me? So I doubt any of the Wii peripherals will be waterproof. Grr.

Re:controller glove + AO rating...

[gstoddart]

What I don't understand is why so many vibrators are not waterproof. My Hello Kitty vibe actually has openings over where the batteries are! Are they trying to kill me? So I doubt any of the Wii peripherals will be waterproof. Grr.

laugh Well, I'm afraid my knowledge of Hello Kitty vibrators is limited to just now discovering they exist. Other than the completely ironic name, I would suggest not taking it into the tub and maybe slipping a condom over the battery end so any lube on your hands doesn't contribute to your premature demise. They do make waterproof vibes though.

That being said, it's probably just a couple of AA-cells, so at worst you'll get a tingling sensation, which might not be all bad depending on what you're into. =)

Cheers

Re:controller glove + AO rating...

[Thansal]

That is because it is a back massager you PERVERT!

Horrible, perverted people, taing a wonderful novelty backmassager from Sanrio and PERVERTING IT!

(this is the point when you all chime in and wonder why he (I) knows about said "back massager" in the firstplace)

Re:controller glove + AO rating...

[JFMulder]

discover that the intersection between owners of the Wii and consumers of porn is too small
I thought that the majority of porn consumers had a we^Hii.

Re:controller glove + AO rating...

[Jerf]

Heck, I'm not sure I've even seen adult oriented software titles for the PC or anything else either in the last bunch of years.

It's currently too politically dangerous to make an AO game for a console, and I think the console licenser (Nintendo, Sony, etc.) wouldn't greenlight it under almost any conditions.

The problem is that politically, every game is presumed to be virtually thrown at children of all ages. This doesn't seem to come up with any other medium; everybody knows AO magazines, PC games, videos, etc. are kept from children, and even M video games are getting better protected all the time. But for some reason, politicians still get to get away with the implicit idea that any given nasty game could well be a pack-in with the console. (Note that it's so implicit that Slashdotters as a whole don't even notice the premise.)

If it weren't for that, the "blame video games" crowd wouldn't have a case at all.

So, no AO games on consoles anytime soon. It's still too easy for one AO game to become representative of console games as a whole.

(Note that ultimately, this failure of logic isn't so much prudery or excessively zealous "protect the children" problems, because if that was the problem these same people would be screaming about internet porn and other such things. It all comes down to this idea that any 11 child can wander into Gamestop and the salespeople will thrust Debbie Does Dallas: PS3 Edition into their hands at the earliest available opportunity.)

Re:controller glove + AO rating...

[Anonymous Coward]

You could end up electrifying your own damned Wii.

There's an urban myth about that. Some bloke wii-ed on a live train track. Killed instantly and burnt his dick off.

Re:controller glove + AO rating...

[Rachel Lucid]

If it honestly bothers you, use a hot glue gun to patch up the seals. It's effective enough to keep water out, but you can still break the seal when needed.

That said, most 'electric' dental devices like toothbrushes and handheld flossers (whose primary use is SOLELY to vibrate) are already watertight. It's like they WANT to be stuck in some wet orifice on purpose.

And now I'm going to get a bunch of perverted responses on SlashDot, but come on, it's not like this isn't already pretty obvious stuff...

Re:controller glove + AO rating...

[Knuckles]

http://www.funfactory.de/

Re:controller glove + AO rating...

[Calinous]

I think it's a shoulder massager

Good console.

[Swordless Samurai]

I really think Wii is shaping up to be a good console, granted it will not be the next Xbox 360, but honestly, I think the uniquness of it will be it's selling point. I think they may have filled some of the features of the controller and glove to show more dramatic effects, but it still is very new and unique. The Price may not have been announced, but honestly, they have said before that it would be cheap, so we can expect hopefully less then $200 U.S. which would make it a big seller for christmas. In my god honest opinion, the problem with MS and Sony is they are trying to cram too much power too quickly, so all the new Xbox games look great, but from what i hear, they are a lot shorter then the standard game, or have less fetures. But we know the Wii will never compare to the Xbox or sony, and I say good, this will mean we will see more user oriented games, rather then computer oriented games.

Re:Good console.

[Twiceblessedman]

The wii will be better and exceed the xbox 360. The xbox 360 is doing worse than it's predecessar if you compare it to it's predecessor in a similiar timeframe. Nintendo has really set themselves up well for this generation.

Re:Good console.

[Bones3D_mac]

I'm actually looking forward to the Wii, but I think I'll be buying one primarily for access to first party titles and Wii exclusives. While there are already titles that are expected to be released on the Wii and the Xbox 360, I'll probably stick with the 360 versions of these titles until I can experience the full gamut of the Wii's capabilities for myself.

Oh great

[lawpoop]

How many 8-year-olds with sprained wrists and cases of carpal tunnel are there going to be as a result of Simon Belmont whipping Vlad to death on Castlevania Wii?

Re:Oh great

[Tim_sama]

None. If there's anything /.ers are experts on, it's exactly how much you can do with a wrist before it becomes strained.

Re:Oh great

[KDR_11k]

Currently not many since Igarashi thinks the same as you and isn't going to make a Wii Castlevania, although lately it seems like he's been reconsidering.

And I'd hope we'd finally see Julius in the main role. Although he wouldn't be as cool since he'd be a 20-something run-off-the-mill Cv main character instead of the 50 year old man he is in the Sorrow games.

Re:Oh great

[Svartalf]

And from the looks of the posts on here, it appears that there's quite a bit that can be done before problems show up...

On the cable topic....

[Churla]

One would expect a lowest common demoninator cable to come with the box, and then fancier cables to be purchasable...

Unless of course one of your main selling points to the system was the high definition drive on it which would require a higher priced cable to get full utilization out of.. Of course nobody would do that, right?

Back on topic... I look forward to the glove, Especially with some of the potential combinations of glove + Wiimote. (i.e. KotR style game where you would have a glove to do force power gestures with your left hand while light sabering with your right. Possible geekgasm territory there.)

I would also really love to see some of the possibilities of a "DS as remote controller" options. Imagine football games where you could practice, create your playbook, store your playbook on your DS, then go to a friends house and play him with your DS as your coaches clipboard.

Re:On the cable topic....

[Dr. Eggman]

Hehe, a gesture sensing glove would be nice, but when I heard "controller glove" I figured they just ment a sleeve to place your controllers in when not in use so they don't get lost. Like companies make remote holders that can be draped across the arm of your chair.

Re:On the cable topic....

[Svartalf]

It might be any number of things. A sleeve with data collecting sensors a' la PowerGlove/P5 with no other component that can hold the Wiimote and be plugged into the Joystick jack on the bottom of the main controller could concievably be only $10, considering that the P5's only $30-40, always been that, and the bulk of the cost is the positioning system, not the gestures component.

Please Note - GS Prices

[tmjr3353]

Note that the prices and accessories listed are from Gamestop's website. They are not official in either regard and are likely just placeholder information until we have official details. They're also pricing most of the games at $60 IIRC, even though Nintendo explicitly said their games would remain at the $50 mark.

Re:Please Note - GS Prices

[Tanmi-Daiow]

I read an interview with Satoru Iwata, I believe, who said that he wanted Wii games to be even cheaper than that. They would be priced directly on how much development time/resources went into it. Thus the only truly $50 games would be full length rpgs or the like.

Wow

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow

Wii whip action could be even COOLER than Wii sword action.

There is coolness in our midst.

Much coolness.

Next week = killer week, component cable question

[Yvan256]

Apple: 2006-09-12
Nintendo: 2006-09-14

Also, does anyone know if my Gameucbe component cable work with the Wii? After all, Nintendo used the same S-video cable for the SNES, N64 and Gamecube.

Interesting thing to note

[Mortanius]

Granted, release dates from GameStop / EB aren't worth the paper they're printed on, but it's interesting to note that while most Wii release games have a ship date of 11/1/06, Metroid Prime 3 has a release date of 10/1/06. How great would it be if on the 14th/15th they just get up and say, "Here they are, start buying!"

In other news, Duck Hunt!

Re:Interesting thing to note

[CastrTroy]

Is anybody really willing to pay $59.99 for duckhunt? I don't care how good the graphics are.

Re:Interesting thing to note

[Mortanius]

But... it's ducks! And hunting! In your living room! It's the best of both worlds! You don't have to even get out of your recliner, and if you finish your beer, you just have to ask your girlfriend/wife/hound dog to grab you another out of the fridge!

But yeah, that does seem a bit steep. But who knows, I've watched people pump dollar after dollar into the buck hunting machines at the arcade.

Re:Interesting thing to note

[Anonymous Coward]

The real question is whether they will get Cheney to beta test it.

Re:Interesting thing to note

[Alzheimers]

As long as I finally get to shoot that damn dog!

Re:Interesting thing to note

[Anonymous Coward]

you could shoot it in the bonus round of the arcade version.

Re:Interesting thing to note

[Aerokii]

One must realise that you can't trust some of the websites, or even the actual stores. Eb, for example, is notorious for not changing its release dates when the companies do. Since that has happened, I've had people asking me while I work at Best Buy to get them a copy of Final Fantasy XII, which is due in October, as far as I know, or Twilight Princess, which was due... last year. And they never changed that.

Re:Next week = killer week, component cable questi

[Anonymous Coward]

No, they won't work.

$599 Wii, $499 crippled version

[ConfusedSelfHating]

If the Wii is released for $599 ... I think it will fail. Despite the historical giant crabs, real-time weapon change and Ridge Racer.

Re:$599 Wii, $499 crippled version

[krakelohm]

Dude I think you are really confused here. Wii is rumored to retail for under $250. PS3 is $499 & $599.

Re:$599 Wii, $499 crippled version

[Anonymous Coward]

You fail it.

Re:$599 Wii, $499 crippled version

[miscz]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH2w2l1JTs4

Re:$599 Wii, $499 crippled version

[ConfusedSelfHating]

I'm glad someone got my joke :)

Re:$599 Wii, $499 crippled version

[poot_rootbeer]

And the Wii is far too underpowered to support features like real-time weapon change.

If you hit a Giant Feudal Crab's weak point in a Wii game, you'll be lucky to get only MILD damage from it.

Re:Next week = killer week, component cable questi

[Anonymous Coward]

Next week will totally Rawk,joo n00b>:)I am teh 1337$0/\/\3!!!!!!

$60 Component Video?

[ludomancer]

$60 for a cable?! I never paid more than $20, which is already an outrageous price for it. That damned thing better come with one of those anyway! What the hell kind of reason do they have for not including one in the first place? Lets not go the stupid Sony route, please.

Re:$60 Component Video?

[KDR_11k]

That's a third-party product. Their purpose is to generate profit for the store and allow the clerk to make uninformed parents buy them.

Re:$60 Component Video?

[_Swank]

they don't include it because it's used for analog transport of HD signals. and that's not the main market for the wii. i'm sure the wii includes composite cables and probably not s-video. are you getting component and composite cables confused as many have in this thread?

though $60 is still overpriced for the component cables, if you go to most consumer electronics stores for them, they'll be somewhere around this range. mostly because they're the standard overpriced monster cables. online you can get them much cheaper.

FINALLY! Somebody gets it!

[badboy_tw2002]

You know, all I see on /. is people trashing Nintendo, and I'm sick and tired of it. All you ever see around here are people touting prettier graphics of the "Big 2" systems. Its the games people! I'm glad I'm not the only one to think like this!

And I agree, its about time we make games "user oriented" so people can play them instead of "computer oriented." I'm tired of losing to the computer opponent. It turns out, its all been an input problem as to why I could never beat Mike Tyson in punchout. Now with the Wii, I'll be able to dodge those blows no problem!

Re:Next week = killer week, component cable questi

[RyoShin]

Remember, Remember, That week of September
When gaming and PCs ran hot
I see no reason why those PCs and gaming
Should ever be forgot...

Re:Next week = killer week, component cable questi

[vitaflo]

Also, does anyone know if my Gameucbe component cable work with the Wii? After all, Nintendo used the same S-video cable for the SNES, N64 and Gamecube.


It is not the same cable. The connector on the back of the Wii is different.

Cables

[brunes69]

'HD Premium Component Cable' for $59.99 and a 'S-Video Premium AV Cable' for $39.99."

... and the day after launch you will be able to buy 3rd party cables for $10 each on eBay.

Does anyone *serourls buy into* this cable bullshit? Who spends > $20 on a piece of wire?

Re:Cables

[Shark]

The same kind as those who buy Bose home audio products... ... that is people who buy stuff because they were told it's better and don't have the sense or sensory ability to notice a difference.

Re:Cables

[pixelite]

the short answer is: idiot drones.
the long answer: people that have been brainwashed into
thinking that the fancier, ie expensive, highly marked up, cables
are better. for the most part this is wrong, cheap component
cables are no worse or better than expensive ones. the signal
that travels on them is raw. there is now loss, no risk of interference.
ditto for composite cables.

coax cables on the other hand have the signal on an rf carrier, and
therefore need sheilding to protect it from interference. period.

Re:Cables

[gabebear]

Bose may be insanely priced, but at least they have products that are actually superior to the competition. The Bose Wave is stupidly expensive, but it does sound wonderful. My parents own one of those high-end Wave systems and it is a REALLY AWESOME system. You can put together a system that sounds as good for half the price, but it will be at least twice as big and much harder to setup. Monster cables offer no value whatsoever.

Re:Next week = killer week, component cable questi

[Cutriss]

The Wii will be using a single video interface for all output types, regardless of analog or digital content, so you won't be able to use that S-Video cable on it either.

Re:Next week = killer week, component cable questi

[doormat]

Dont forget TiVo is supposed to launch their S3 HD TiVo sometime next week as well (rumors speculate it may also launch on 9/12).

New Wii Commercial

[WillAffleckUW]

Kid 1: Man, my parents promised me this PS3 thing and now they say I have to wait until April 2007! And I can't even afford the games for it, plus most of them are those lame FPS and Sports games - nothing fun ...

Kid 2: Yeah, well my parents said if my first mid-term report card has 3.0 or better, they're buying me a Wii first thing in October - and with the money they're saving, they'll let my buy ten games that I want, in every gaming genre there is!

Kid 1: Dude! You're getting a Wii! Way to go!

[kids high five Kid 2]

Re:New Wii Commercial

[Anonymous Coward]

More like

Kid 1: Man, my parents promised me this PS3 thing and now they say I have to wait until April 2007! And I can't even afford the games for it, plus most of them are those lame FPS and Sports games - nothing fun ...

Kid 2: Good, now hopefully it will explode when your entire fucktarded sony loving sheeple family of yours are in the house so it will take you and the rest of your fucktarded family out of the genepool.

Kid 3: Nah, all it will do is once it's hooks to the network, it will install rootkits onto all computers on the network. Then they would have to continually pay someone to remove the malware from the computers. Then they will all die from starvation as they will spend all of their moeny on computer repair people.

Kid 1: Ok, I'll ask my parents for a nintendo piss.

Kid 2 & 3 beat kid 1 to a pulp.

Kid 1: Ok, I'll ask my parents for a Nintendo Wii.

Re:New Wii Commercial

[WillAffleckUW]

so, your message is, friends don't let friends install rootkits?

Re:FINALLY! Somebody gets it!

[KDR_11k]

What the hell are you talking about? The past few months it's always been people fawning over the Wii, bringing it up in every gaming-related discussion and people making fun of the PS3. The XB3 is on roughly even ground, some like it, others hate it and everyone's complaining about Zonk putting a pro-XBox-anti-PS3 spin on almost every news story.

Re:"Controller Glove" or Fists of Furry?

[WillAffleckUW]

Karate Chop!

oops, sorry, was just thinking about how cool the martial arts games are going to be with that one ... and since Nintendo is making sure many of the normally Japan-only games are available in Europe and the US, we get to play them!

"You keep using that word...

[Ristol]

...I do not think it means what you think it means." Anyway, I think by 'glove' they mean an enclosure to fit over the wiimote, similar to the many mockups done by IGN and other websites around the time of E3. Here's an example As cool as it would be to have another power glove... probably not gonna happen.

IGA and the Wii

[Psykechan]

Crazy IGA is (possibly) making a new Castlevania game for the Wii? Pass.

Not that the recent handheld CV games haven't had some fun to them but I don't think that a Wii CV will be 2D. The last two 3D games have been annoying yawn-fests that have caused me to lose any hope of there ever being a good 3D CV. Heck, the N64 game(s) were flawed but at least they had some promise; the IGA produced ones are just pointless.

OK, I'm a little bitter. People associate Castlevania with Koji Igarashi (IGA) even though he hasn't really done anything to better the series for quite some time. Why don't people mention the music and art direction from Ayami Kojima and Michiru Yamane? IGA hasn't even fulfilled the promise of a modern port of Chi no Rondo although we did get a remake of the X68000 version as a consolation prize.

Just stick to the 2D games until you "perfect" your 3D games a little more.

Re:"Controller Glove" or Fists of Pain?

[WillAffleckUW]

Uh... what, exactly, is tactical feedback? Maybe you meant to say tactcile feedback?

It's when the glove constricts to simulate what happens when you punch a steel wall or have your opponent stomp on your fist with his boot when you do a flying ninja move.

Ouch!

Mind you, it's better than what happens with the optional underpants ...

Re:FINALLY! Somebody gets it!

[Anonymous Coward]

WHOOSH!!!

I'm sure...

[ElboRuum]

...that Monster Cables could give you reams of sales reports confirming that, yes, people do buy cables with exorbitant price tags, probably with little notes in the margins like 'Idiots!', 'OMG! Stupid pricks, but I'll take their dough!', 'Mental note: make serious attempt to sell the Brooklyn Bridge", etc.

Re:Next week = killer week, component cable questi

[anti-human 1]

That depends. Does your component cable use the older style analog connector, or the gamecube-specific "digital" connector? According to You know who, I believe you have an analog component cord, not made by Nintendo.

* Unusually, the Digital output can be used to output analog component video using Nintendo's component cable, which contains a custom DAC to perform this conversion. The port was removed in a hardware revision in May 2004. Models without the port are DOL-101.[5] The original system with the port is model DOL-001.

I'll be the first to admit I know nothing about what ports the Wii will have. If they phased out the digital out on the GC, maybe it will make a comeback on the Wii, maybe not.

Major next-gen console news tonight at 12:01 EST

[dividedsky319]

I know it's sorta dumb to link to a news story promising a news story in the future, but...

Joystiq is promising some "major" next-gen console news tonight at 12:01AM EST on their site.

Lets hope for some Wii info...

Re:FINALLY! Somebody gets it!

[Anonymous Coward]

all I see on /. is people trashing Nintendo, and I'm sick and tired of it

FANBOY! FANBOY! FANBOY!

Re:Next week = killer week, component cable questi

[Yvan256]

That depends. Does your component cable use the older style analog connector, or the gamecube-specific "digital" connector? According to You know who, I believe you have an analog component cord, not made by Nintendo.

The component cable connects to a different connector on the back of my Gamecube (component video on one cable, other S-video/audio cable for the stereo audio output). My cable is an official Nintendo cable, imported from Japan.

Re:Interesting thing to note or ducking the quest

[WillAffleckUW]

But... it's ducks! And hunting! In your living room! It's the best of both worlds! You don't have to even get out of your recliner, and if you finish your beer, you just have to ask your girlfriend/wife/hound dog to grab you another out of the fridge!

That's why Jesus invented the Beer Can Hat with a sipping straw.

Considering...

[Svartalf]

That someone made that USB powered vibe and Ted Nelson came up with the idea of Teledildonics...it wouldn't surprise
me if some perverse person came up with a haptic feedback device for resale for adult console titles...

Re:Considering...

[mabhatter654]

the pieces are already there if you look up the sex toys sites... but it's not put into a "video game" per se. The online-interactive stuff is already here.

Re:Next week = killer week, component cable questi

[AnyoneEB]

An AV Multi-output port for component, composite or S-video.

- the company itself

As other posters mentioned, the GCN had two ports for that, so the logical implication is that the Wii's port is different.

"'HD Premium Component Cable' for $59.99".....

[Anonymous Coward]

DARN THAT EVIL SONY, how in the hell do they get off with charging us $60 for a HD cable???

... Oh wait, I mean, I WOV NINTENDO, THANK THEM for not charging me for a usless component cable!

I'm all for LCD and all

[rsilvergun]

but $40 bucks for an svideo cable is fsckin' nuts. $60 for a component cable is even worse. I paid $20 for my ps2 svideo, and can get a component for $25-$30 (oem Sony).

Re:Next week = killer week, component cable questi

[mabhatter654]

I see a plot here!!! Apple will add Nintendo games to iTunes and the Wii will be the media extender box we're all waiting for. Tivo will allow us to download directly to our ipods, and store games and media for the Wii.... It's a master marketing plan!!!!

Not any worse than anything else....

[daniel422]

Wait a minute. The xbox wifi adapter is priced competitively with other "game specific" wifi routers from Linksys, D-Link, and Netgear (all about $100 retail at any big electronics stores). I don't see this as gouging (that much). Of course the smart user buys a wireless access point for $30 and runs a short cable to their xbox, but Microsoft certainly isn't out of place asking $100 for such an item -- A custom enclosed and specifically designed piece of hardware with such a limited market.
I don't know anybody who thinks the 360 is cheap (!) but their peripherals are as over-priced as anyone else (no excpetion to Nintendo).
Now the xbox (not 360) IS still cheap -- with or without wifi -- for what it is capable of. Let's see if the Wii is quite as capable.

$40 for an S-Video cable?

[Anonymous Coward]

Is it made of magic?

How much is their own SCART cable going to be? £120? The saddest thing is people will probably spend that amount - with the GC most of the 3rd part SCART cables were composite sync based crap. I bought 4 third party ones before I found a genuine RGB wired one.

Re:Next week = killer week, component cable questi

[Kuvter]

I hope so. I had a friend who lost their Game Cube one when bringing it around to friend's houses and now uses the N64 one. Now he just has all 3 systems laying there, all electrically plugged in, but uses only one S-video cable to plug in the system he's currently using.

Controller Glove is $9.99

[Anonymous Coward]

Um, given the price of the 'Controller Glove', I do not think it is what many of you think it is.

I suspect some sort of fingerless leather glove, sort of like a golfer's glove, white with a nintendo logo on the back...

Re:Controller Glove is $9.99

[The Wooden Badger]

My bet was a "skin", or a cover of some sort. 10 bucks sounds about right for a controller cover.

MOD PARENT UP 5+ INSIGHTFUL!!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

Pretty much sums up all the pissy, rabid fanboy drivel that gets posted here and else where.

Why a whip?

[MMaestro]

Who said anything about using the Wii controller as a means of controlling Simon (or whoever) Belmont's whip? Why not play the game using the controller in a traditional style and only use the motion sensor to draw seals the same way Aria of Sorrow did?

Re:Why a whip?

[lawpoop]

"Who said anything about using the Wii controller as a means of controlling Simon (or whoever) Belmont's whip?"

Me. I did. That's what I want, and I won't be buying the game unless I can whip supernatural monsters ;)

Glove Love

[MrCopilot]

All I could dredge up. http://www.nwiizone.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/07 /wii_power_glove.jpg

Re:Glove Love

[Telepathetic Man]

Yea, picture that with not just one, but two of the nunchucku! Are any developers making any games that would really make good use of that kind of gameplay?

Mod parent up

[Okita]

This isn't really a troll-- whether you love or hate the games he's made recently, it's more than a little disingenuous for the summary to cite his name in the context of making a new, innovative Castlevania... In most interviews he expounds on how he really wants to continue making games in the same formula regardless of the critical reception, or accusations of milking the franchise.

Re: No Sound.

[trdrstv]

Even if the port was identical (on the Wii) to the Digital port on the Back of the GC, you would be sacrificing sound. The GC had 2 ports (An analog, and Digital out) initially, and the analog cables were still needed for sound. (Don't know why they did it that way, but meh... they did.)

I have them, and they are great cables. (F-Zero in particular is SWEET) I only hope Monster or Nintendo has Wii Component cables at launch, otherwise I'll have to make choice between 'Zelda GC in 480p' or 'Zelda Wii in 480i and 16:9 ' Grrrrrrrrr....

Wii Chips

[Telepathetic Man]

Wow, great news... I guess they too now know that the Wii chips have now... uh... shipped...

This just in, Wii chips are actually WOW! chips, mmm... OLean. Pfft! Pun intended.