Miyamoto Talks Wii-mote Logic

Mr. Miyamoto, in an interview with Nintendo's .jp site, explains some of the logic behind the Wii-mote. From the Gamespot article: "In the process of contemplating how to make a controller that was not intimidating but still allowed for traditional game play, Miyamoto had this realization: 'There's no need to use both hands.' He added that the idea was to break the existing conventions a little, but not too much. 'If you go too far off the deep end, the product will be eccentric for the sake of being eccentric,' Miyamoto said."

Comments

Where Is The Innovation?

[Anonymous Coward]

Nintendo has been bragging about how they are so innovative with their controller ever since E3, but so far all they've shown is a whole bunch of stuff that is your everyday console game with some pointing control added.

Where are all of these 'innovative' games that are going to rock the console world?

Every time I see people talking about the Wii controller I think of how the questions and commentary would be different if it was the exact same controller but made by a different company. The reactions would almost certainly be completely different and negative for a company trying to sell such a gimmick.

Re:Where Is The Innovation?

[timster]

Where are all of these 'innovative' games that are going to rock the console world?

Right now, they are on the Nintendo DS.

Re:Where Is The Innovation?

[MindStalker]

Why yes if some company just released some silly wand controller and said "It will change the face of gameplay." Yes, Yes we would laugh.
If the same company released a silly wand controller and got some 40+ games from major studios signed up to use this controller you would be hearing a different story...

Re:Where Is The Innovation?

[The MAZZTer]

Well let's see, first we have backwards compatibility with GameCube games. Not innovative, but it's a classic Nintendo move that is welcomed by me.

Next we have the online functionality. Again, XBox has got the N beat, but the Virtual Console is significantly different and possibly more expanded than the XBox Live download service (from what I understand at least.. I'm not an XBox user). That qualifies as innovative.

Next we have the software that goes and tries to hook all manners of people, from casual gamers, to hardcore gamers, to people who have never gamed before. THAT is most definitely innovative, or you can call it returning to our roots if you want. Although there's more to it than keeping a mix of harder and simpler games... new "gimmicks" as you call them are introduced and promise to keep gameplay fresh and exciting, I myself am looking forward to the first new and innovative control scheme I've used in a looong time.

And it's not just a pointing control. It can detect full ranges of movement. Tilt, yaw, roll, x, y, z. All six degrees of movement (at least, that's how I understand it). It has some sort of rumble or force feedback built into it, it's got the speaker, and the nunchuck attachment (or other attachment, there's pictures of a lightgun floating around). All these things seem pretty innovative to me, since they're built on a pretty innovative base to begin with, and I'm looking forward to gaming with them.

Not to mention Nintendo already has a strong software lineup which intends to make use of the new features. I'm not sure why you don't see these as innovative... A Metroid FPS which has the potential to actually have some decent aiming capabilities (something never before seen on a console, I don't care what you say, a mouse beats a traditional controller anyday for aiming. I consider the evidence that my FPS skills degrade dramatically switching from PC to console as proof enough for me). Zelda where you can swing the wiimote to swing your sword. Super Smash Bros (don't worry they're not trying wiimote controls with this, which is probably for the best). Excite Truck (hold the wiimote sideways and turn it like a steering wheel!). All seems pretty innovative to me. Then there's Mario plus a few other games I'm sure will sell like hotcakes and be fun. Because I trust Nintendo. They have earned my trust.

Re:Where Is The Innovation?

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

"...but so far all they've shown is a whole bunch of stuff that is your everyday console game with some pointing control added."

That is not true. Look at Pilot Wings, ExciteTruck, Red Steel, Metroid, the sports pack, Wario Ware, etc. All of those games would be far different if they only used the pointer control.

"Every time I see people talking about the Wii controller I think of how the questions and commentary would be different if it was the exact same controller but made by a different company. The reactions would almost certainly be completely different and negative for a company trying to sell such a gimmick."

You're right, any other company would get poo poo'd. That, however, doesn't say a thing about the usefulness of the controller. What seperates a feature from a gimmick is how it is used. Nobody's calling a DS a gimmick anymore.

Re:Where Is The Innovation?

[ubergoober]

>> commentary would be different if it was the exact same controller but made by a different company

Are you kidding me? Until the last few months, all references to Nintendo were about its being a "dinosaur" and "out of the game". The fact that they've overcome the amount of bleh publicity from the Gamecube is impressive. Despite "losing" the last generation console war they've made themselves a possible frontrunner SPECIFICALLY because of their innovation.

Re:Where Is The Innovation?

[Lynxara]

Nitpick: how is backwards compatibility a "classic Nintendo move"? This is the first Nintendo console that will be backwards-compatible with the previous hardware generation. Nintendo's first flirtation with backwards compatibility was the Game Boy Color. They seemed uninterested in bringing backwards compatibility to consoles until Sony proved what a consumer incentive that was with the PS2. Unsurprisingly, backwards compatibility was heavily emphasized for the Game Boy Advance, which launched in Japan about a year after the PS2. They couldn't go with backwards compatibility with the GameCube because they desperately needed to get away from the N64's cartridge format, so the Wii is really their first shot at introducing it.

Re:Not much said here.

[rwven]

Regardless...the more this guy talks, the more he makes sense. He really seems to understand what gamers (and people) in general WANT out of an entertainment device. I remember when the "Wii-Mote" was first announced back before "Wii" was ever heard...people thought it was ridiculous... Until, that is, developers started showing some of the things that could be done with it. He really brought game control from a veritable stone age to the 21st century. I'm impressed...and that's saying a lot from me concerning consoles...

Re:Last one off Slashdot, turn out the lights...

[Anonymous Coward]

Ehhumm, remove the Games and Apple section from your front page? Problem solved? Games defaults to showing only a link to the article rather than the full blurb anyways; I'm sure no one forced you into clicking on this one.

This Wiimote will never work

[WillAffleckUW]

For one thing, it's not incredibly big and requires that I memorize long strings and remapped control sequences.

Secondly, it's intuitive and fun.

Thirdly, it's white. I mean, white is death in Japan, right?

OK, maybe they'll sell it in hot pink or pikachu electric yellow, but right now it's white.

So, give me those incredibly complicated controllers that I have to keep being told "No, the left button, not the left toggle!" by my son.

Oh, and don't throw me into that briar patch either!