Next Generation of Gyroscopic Controllers on the Horizon

Jamie found a story about a next gen input device that is functionally similiar to the Wii, but instead of using IR, it gets all location information from gyroscopes and accelerometers. This has the potential to be more accurate and maybe not require me to contort my wrist to bizarre angles in order to successfully collect the stars that are like oxygen to me.

Comments

Re:This is the Wii remote, minus functionality

[PyroMosh]

It sounds to me like you're right, but this device does the first half (gyroscopic sensing) with a great deal more precision than the Wii remote is capable of.

It's not hard to confuse the Wii remote's gyro sensors via erratic motion, or a combination of motions it doesn't understand.

While this seems like a step up in that respect, there are very few applications that are useful on the Wii without the IR component as a frame of reference for where the screen is.

At best, this would require a quick calibration process to orient it to where the screen is ("touch the upper left corner of your screen and press 'A'. Now touch the lower right corner of your screen and touch 'A'.") At worst, it would only be able to run Wii apps like Wii Sports, Excite Truck and Marble Mania. Apps like Wii Play, or Twilight Princess or Mario Galaxy would not work with this.

I could see Nintendo courting this company to license the tech for Wii 2.0, if they felt they needed the added precision though.

Re:I'll stick with the mouse...

[Sciros]

Any input device that requires you to continually keep your hands elevated will never work. Whoa, whoa, in what context? Maybe for coding in Eclipse, but if you're talking about input devices in general, that's just batcrap loco. The Wii, and pretty much all game consoles ever, have been working just fine with input devices where your hands are "elevated."

The reason a mouse and keyboard is so effective is because you can use them both all day long with little to no effort. Uh, no. The reason they're effective is because they're intuitive and they let you work efficiently, not because you can use them all day long. A two-button keyboard where you press the button to scroll through input characters with one and accept them with the other can be used all day long and your hands won't get any more tired but it would NOT be effective.

Hacker project...

[Temkin]

If it can be hacked, and converted into an inertial navigation system... Then the Wii will run afoul of ITAR export regulations... Truly the mark of all sufficiently advanced video game systems. :-P

to go boldly

[lymond01]

Whenever I see new handheld gyroscopic devices I think of one word:

Holodeck.

Re:If Nintendo is smart...

[LordVader717]

Nintendo is smart, and they almost certainly began developing the "next generation" befor the Wii was released. I bet they had something very similar to this when working on the original Wiimonte before they finalised the IR-pointing/acceleromters/tilt sensors combo.

Also, it's as much about how talented the game developers are at interpreting the infornation from the remote. Whilst earlier games often had clumsy controls, they seem to be getting better at it.
But as others have pointed out, most games opt for a simple gesture based triggers, rather than more complex interpretation by the game. So even with more sophisticated equipment, developers might prefer to make their games more beginner-freindly or simply want to avoid more work.

Re:The Wiimote's failures

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

2) The design of the Wii remote is similar to that of the earliest handguns: basically a bar which must be held forward in order to aim. And, like those models which were ultimately abandoned, it has a major flaw. The default aiming position forces the wrist's pivot to one extreme, rather than in the middle of its range of motion, as a contemporary handgun would. This is a strain, and particularly so whenever the need arises to aim lower. The Wii remote compounds this flaw with the need to use the thumb to access buttons and controls on top of the device. For a dramatic illustration of this flaw, grab your Wii remote, point your arm straight ahead, point the remote straight ahead as though aiming at something parallel with the remote, and now access the d-pad with your thumb. Try this while aiming down. Visualize playing a game for several hours like this. Now visualize using a Wii remote which fit the hand like a hand gun and decide which would cause fewer problems for the wrist. a.) Not all games on the Wii are shooter games. Your suggestion for adaption would hurt those games in the same way you're complaining about now.

b.) The Light Zapper accessory addresses this problem, and you don't need $100 new controller with less features to do it.