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Wii-mote In Action 398

Posted by CmdrTaco from the answering-your-questions dept.
Jack Lancer writes "Gameworld Network (which is either a network of gameworlds or a gameworld of networks) has posted an epic collection of streaming E3 videos which clearly depicts each and every playable Wii game and how exactly one has to swing, wave, shake, point, wiggle and/or jostle the Wiimote in order to play." And once again this poses the question — is this the future of gaming UI? Sure seems like a great idea for a FPS.
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Wii-mote In Action More

Wii-mote In Action

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  • Ok, I was interested before but now.... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Iguru42 ( 530641 ) * on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @09:28AM (#15575285)
    I'm SOLD. I want this console! I want this console! I want this console! Check out the video for Red Steel. Finally a console where playing an FPS isn't stupid! Please excuse me, I have to go clean myself off.
    • From what I've read, from people who have gotten to play it at E3 demos and such (IGN, etc.). It's not as nice as the videos suggest, since you have to overcompensate in any direction you want to aim, making big elabourate movements instead of calculated manuvers.

      Of course the jury is out until the games and system comes out.
      • Did you watch the videos? The movements look pretty fluid and definitely not overcompensated.

      • Re:Ok, I was interested before but now.... (Score:5, Insightful)

        by ALeavitt ( 636946 ) * <aleavitt@@@gmail...com> on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @09:58AM (#15575447)
        I'm betting that the console, as well as individual games, will have adjustable sensitivity. They wouldn't be able to offer that at e3 because it would take time away from the actual game demo, but it would be almost unthinkable not to have adjustable sensitivity.

      • Re:Ok, I was interested before but now.... (Score:5, Informative)

        by Yahweh Doesn't Exist ( 906833 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @10:02AM (#15575465)
        the biggest FUD about the Wiimote is that people NEED to make big movements.

        When people play the tennis game, for example, for the first time and are told to move as if it's real, that's because it's the simplest and most intuitive way of explaining the control mechanism to them. It doesn't mean you have to play with big realistic motions. They can play instantly, whereas if you start saying things like "to do a backhand with topspin make a curving motion with the controller tilted inwards" it just makes things sound complicated.

        So don't worry: you can play the Wii sitting down and making small movements just as well as you can standing up and swinging your arms about.

      • Re:Ok, I was interested before but now.... (Score:2, Insightful)

        by Anonymous Coward
        as it stands, red steel is shaping up to be a disaster (and im a raging nintendo fanboy)(. here's why:

        - the sword fighting isnt in real-time. it's not like you control the sword, you make gestures which aren't very responsive. personally, id rather just push a button if thats how theyre going to implement the wiimote.
        - in the e3 demo they didnt implement the pointer functionality correctly. in mp3 and mario galaxy, you point on screen to calibrate the remote. it needs to be positioned in 3d space, otherwise
      • Swinging a controller all over hell to get a character to move? Hell, I was doing that on the NES. JUMP MARIO! *makes upward motion with controller*. Guess Nintendo has been paying attention to their customers :P

      • Re:Ok, I was interested before but now.... (Score:4, Interesting)

        by twistedsymphony ( 956982 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @12:02PM (#15576332) Homepage
        From what I've read, from people who have gotten to play it at E3 demos and such (IGN, etc.). It's not as nice as the videos suggest, since you have to overcompensate in any direction you want to aim, making big elaborate movements instead of calculated maneuvers.
        So long as the movement resolution on the WiiMote is good enough wouldn't it depend entirely on how the game is programed? I mean if the game is looking for a big obvious movement then that's what it will take. So long as the wiimote can still determine determine small calculated movements I would think that games could too. Having worked with motion based stuff before they're usually sensitive enough for the kind of calculated movements you're looking for. That is to say the stuff I've used was able to pick up the tiny jitters your hand produces while attempting to hold still.

        Even still I would imagine most games (or even the console/controller) would come with some kind of sensitivity adjustment much like most games that use analog controllers will allow you to adjust the sensitivity of the sticks. Besides as others have pointed out I think most of the exaggerated movements are done by PR schmucks [wii60.com] trying to make sure you understand moving makes things happen on the screen.
    • I think the best thing Nintendo has done is to recognize that FPS games have a very limited appeal. They aren't going after the hardcore gamers. They recognize that if they want to grow the gaming market they have to recreate it into something that will appeal across generational and gender lines. Think Suduko and not GTA
    • My hands on experience with shooters on the Wii is that it's awkward. You want to point the controller at the screen like a gun, but it doesn't work that way. Instead you are moving your cross-hair just like any other console FPS, but now you're doing it with a remote control.

      Yes, I only got 5 minutes with the thing, so I'm hoping it will feel a lot better once you get use to it. But it didn't feel like I was shooting from the remote, but from the screen (if that makes any sense).

      Oh, and before the Ninte

  • A Collection of Videos on /. ??? (Score:5, Funny)

    by Pieroxy ( 222434 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @09:30AM (#15575294) Homepage
    posted an epic collection of streaming E3 videos

    And someone jealous decided to destroy it all by posting it to slashdot. Bye bye bandwidth!

    --
    Krazy Kat and Ignatz Mouse [ignatzmouse.net]

  • Great, more confusion (Score:5, Funny)

    by 99luftballon ( 838486 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @09:32AM (#15575309)
    First it was Bluetooth headsets that made it tough to decide if the person coming up behind you was on the phone or a schizophrenic. Now I'll be wondering if the kids on the underground are gamers or epileptics.

  • Change is good (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @09:33AM (#15575311)
    I expect the Wii to be a huge success, but even if it isn't, at least Nintendo is introducing some change into the stalling industry. Combine with the Virtual Console for an easy delivery system for Indie developers, and you have an interesting setup that separates itself from other gaming systems.

    • Re:Change is good (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Zigg ( 64962 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @09:36AM (#15575330)

      Wait, what part of that doesn't Xbox Live Arcade already do?

      I'm a Nintendo fan, and I'm more interested in VC than XBLA simply because of the Nintendo titles and (hopefully) potential of the service by way of the percieved audience, but I'm not going to deny XBLA its due for setting the precedent here.

      • Re:Change is good (Score:3, Informative)

        by Lobo42 ( 723131 )
        Umm...the part where it can detect motion in three-dimensions and replicate them in the game-world?

        • Ahh, sorry, I misread the original post. I guess I've had to deal with one too many comments on how the Virtual Console is "original" lately. Original post is right, combining VC with Wii's control options will be very interesting indeed.

        • Re:Change is good (Score:3, Interesting)

          by DarkSarin ( 651985 )
          Is it really only 3 dimensions?

          Think:
          D1: Forward/Back
          D2: Up/Down
          D3: Left/Right
          D4: Twist (around vertical axis)
          D5: Rotate (around horizontal axis)
          D5: Rotateb (around left/right axis)

          Then there are factors like acceleration, velocity, etc.

          How many of these can the wiimote sense, and how sensitive is it?

          Sounds like more than 3 dimensions to me.

  • Picture it (Score:5, Funny)

    by MrSquirrel ( 976630 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @09:34AM (#15575317)
    To make Jack Thompson happy, someone should make a fighting game where you hold the wii-mote and physically smack the other person. "Ah ha, see, video games do cause real-world violence". That's what I call force feedback!

  • Total Revolution (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Pablo El Vagabundo ( 775863 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @09:37AM (#15575337)
    Nintendo have done well this round.

    They put together something different, marketed it well, kept up interest, got developers interested, got public interested, created news news news...

    There overall plan is very well thought out with lots of subtle nooks and crannies. I really hope it all works out and people buy these things in droves. This kind of think deserves results.

    I'm buying three at or near launch. (one for me, me bro and me mam) And at least 6 to 8 games between the homes.

    Pablo
    • Nintendo have done well this round....I'm buying three at or near launch. (one for me, me bro and me mam) And at least 6 to 8 games between the homes.

      Then you are a huge sucker.

      I'm sorry, its time to burn some karma. Repeat after me: The Wii has not shipped. You barely know anything about it aside from press releases and E3 demos.

      Seriously, what happened to waiting until we actually can get our hands on these things before deciding which console to go with? I mean, I'm happy for you and all, with this

      • Re:Total Revolution - flame on (Score:5, Insightful)

        by joshsisk ( 161347 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @10:45AM (#15575751)
        Right now I see each of these boxes as having a significant strike against it: The PS3 is going to (probably) cost too much; the X360 relies heavily on Live! for value and has no standard HD; and the Wii can't do HD.

        If that's the ONLY strike against the Wii, then why is he a sucker to want to buy it? Perhaps he simply doesn't care about HD. I know that I, personally, will likely not have an HDTV for the next several years... I think most people are also in the same boat, planning to upgrade to HDTV in a few years but not yet.

        I personally will not buy the Wii until i've had a chance to play an in-store unit, but as long as it's pretty fun, I'll be getting one. At $250-$300 including Zelda, that's not an outlandish purchase.

        • Re:Total Revolution - flame on (Score:5, Interesting)

          by klausboop ( 322537 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @11:27AM (#15576035)

          If that's the ONLY strike against the Wii, then why is he a sucker to want to buy it? Perhaps he simply doesn't care about HD. I know that I, personally, will likely not have an HDTV for the next several years...

          Similarly, my family isn't planning on getting a Wii or any other home console during this round because each of us now has a Nintendo DS (the wife and I bought one when the Lite came out). We moved from playing multiplayer Mariokart on the TV where we each had our own section of the screen to playing multiplayer Mariokart where we all have our own handheld console.

          I understand we're not getting the near photorealistic graphics that a modern console or good PC could deliver, nor the game depth that a disk- (vs. cartridge-) based game sometimes delivers. However, the DS delivers everything that our family DOES want out of a console, and is portable to boot. Once the web browser is released it'll have even more portable utility.

          • Re:Total Revolution - flame on (Score:5, Insightful)

            by thatguywhoiam ( 524290 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @11:36AM (#15576098)
            We moved from playing multiplayer Mariokart on the TV where we each had our own section of the screen to playing multiplayer Mariokart where we all have our own handheld console...I understand we're not getting the near photorealistic graphics that a modern console or good PC could deliver, nor the game depth that a disk- (vs. cartridge-) based game sometimes delivers.

            Now there is an *excellent* point. After all, the standard Nintendo creed is, Its Not About The Graphics, Its The Gameplay... right?

      • Re:Total Revolution - flame on (Score:5, Interesting)

        by lordmatthias215 ( 919632 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @11:55AM (#15576268)
        Dude, if you would read the next line of Pablo's post, you would realize that he's saying Nintendo has done well in the areas of development and marketing both to developers and to consumers. While I agree that this doesn't neccesarily mean that the Wii will be a good system, I myself plan to get a Wii on launch day, a few extra controllers, and some games. I've played every major (and some minor) game consoles since the NES, and I've always prefered Nintendo. I got the CameCube the Christmas it came out, and although my dad got a PS2 and Xbox for free shortly thereafter, I've been most satisfied with the Gamecube. So I'm willing to take the risk that Wii won't be that good, because the risk is slim. I see no reason to pay $600 (plus games & accessories) to play upgraded versions of the PS2 games that were more of the same even in the previous generation. Worse yet, $400 (plus yadda yadda) so I can play the crummy game that PDZ is (tried it at a friend's, hated it), or to get the opportunity to download zuma, which I can find online. And if it turns out that the Wii's new control scheme isn't as fun as I had hoped, there's still a good number of old games I missed out on availble on VC.

  • Riiiight (Score:5, Funny)

    by tickbox ( 945624 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @09:37AM (#15575338)
    I think having to flick the mouse around is more than enough physical exertion for the average FPS gamer. What makes you think they'll take to this?
    • Using a lightgun (or the Wiimote) is indeed much more tiring than using a mouse, especially if you're standing up. Our bodies weren't meant to hold things in front of us for extended periods of time, and I imagine you couldn't play this game without taking frequent breaks (which might be good for RSI but aren't very good for immersion).

      Otherwise, I think this is a great idea and would love to swordfight some dude in a game.
      • >Using a lightgun (or the Wiimote) is indeed much more tiring than using a mouse, especially if you're standing up.

        jeez, it's not like the game forces you to stand up. sit down if you want, you're a big boy now and don't need to ask permission.

      • Re:That's true. (Score:2, Insightful)

        by JPribe ( 946570 )
        Our bodies weren't meant to hold things in front of us for extended periods of time
        What do you think the guys do in Iraq all day???? Have you ever had to hold an M16 for a few hours in a firing excercise? No couch warrior, you don't get a break.

      • Re:That's true. (Score:5, Insightful)

        by poot_rootbeer ( 188613 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @10:34AM (#15575679)
        I imagine you couldn't play this game without taking frequent breaks (which might be good for RSI but aren't very good for immersion).

        Depends on what definition of 'immersion' you're using.

        The old idea about immersive gaming is kind of like being in a hot tub -- you ease yourself in, but once you're comfortable you can stay there for hours.

        Nintendo's new idea of immersion is like a diving board -- you climb up, leap off, in an instant you're enveloped by the water, and then quickly you're at the side of the pool again, ready to take another dive.

    • Re:Riiiight (Score:2, Insightful)

      by jonging ( 981292 )
      You're missing the point. The Wii is targeted at all users, not just hardcore gamers. That's why I'm getting one. I like having fun without having to make fake computer rendered gore left and right.

      • Re:Riiiight (Score:5, Insightful)

        by CastrTroy ( 595695 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @11:17AM (#15575948)
        Often when I go over to someone's house and play video games, it gets really boring really fast, because some of the new games require so much time to learn. This is with games that are meant to be played with others, like sports, driving, and fighting games. It gets even worse for FPSs and games that are mostly played with 1 player, or over a network. I have a gamecube, and I like that there's a lot of games available that don't require weeks of play before someone is good. Games like Bomberman, MarioKart, MarioParty, really stand out as games that anybody can pick up and play.
    • Flicking the mouse around never felt comfortable as an FPS controller to me, so after the keyboard-controlled goodness of Doom and its brethren I mostly drifted away from FPSes. To me, this looks like just the thing to get me back into them.
    • Because it's fun.

  • still hard to really tell (Score:5, Interesting)

    by EggyToast ( 858951 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @09:38AM (#15575344) Homepage
    The Wii thing really seems like a "try it to get it" sort of thing. The concepts are easy enough to explain, sure, but I don't think I'll really understand just exactly how to move the controller.

    Does that mean I'm getting old? Now that I think about it, it sounds like my dad, who rocked the joystick back when we had an Atari XE, didn't really get newer controllers until he was actually playing a game (and usually got confused by the multiple things to control).

    But yeah, wiggling and shaking demonstrates how it works, but given the fine control w/ the "Wii-mote," I still think it'll be until people have it in their hand that they really get it. Didn't people at E3 say that people started out gesticulating wildly, and then calmed down when it "clicked"? Luckily it seems like a very easy thing to pick up.

  • What about the traditional non-gamer crowd? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Dark Paladin ( 116525 ) <jhummel.johnhummel@net> on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @09:39AM (#15575349) Homepage
    I've been seeing the DS/DS Lite make inroads with people I work with - especially when they see me playing "Brain Age" or "Big Brain Academy" - I had my DS Lite passed around the office for about an hour as people tried out the test from the latter game. At least one or two people - in their 40's, never played games before, but now are seriously thinking about picking up a DS for their kids and maybe the Brain Age for themselves.

    So I wonder if Nintendo's "Blue Ocean" approach will work with the Wii. Iwata, as I understand it, has mentioned that he'd like for people to play the Wii every day - much like my wife and I play the DS (she digs the Brain Games and "Magnetica" - this from a women that for the last 12 years wouldn't touch a computer game unless it had the words "Tetris" or "Solitaire" on it).

    Which is all they need - my wife plays Brain Age a little bit every day. I'm wondering if Nintendo can't leverage the Wii sports games with "Work out every day for 30 minutes - helps get you in shape!" Tie in some workouts, perhaps like the Brain Age games put in the competitive aspects (which has helped each of us play the DS every day to try and one-up each other - so far, I'm at a B+ in Academy.

    Obviously we'll have to wait and see, but the other day a coworker asked me "Hey, that Nintendo thing coming out - that's the competor for the Xbox, isn't it?" I'm not sure which was more telling: that he knew that there was a Nintendo thing coming out - or that he thought that was the Xbox competitor, not the new Playstation.

    Well, just another 4-5 months to go.

    • Re:What about the traditional non-gamer crowd? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by iabervon ( 1971 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @10:15AM (#15575541) Homepage Journal
      The Wii is really designed to interest the non-gamers. The point of the controller is basically to let games have people make movements that they actually make in real life, rather than traditional gaming, where the player is actually sitting still holding a small box and moving their fingers slightly. It lets them have a ping-pong game where, instead of using a bunch of knobs and buttons to play ping-pong, you play ping-pong to play ping-pong. This is obviously likely to be more popular with non-gamer ping-pong players.

      I think Brain Age reflects this shift in thinking; you say things by saying things, and write by writing. When you're reading aloud, it's just like you're holding a small hardcover book and reading it. I think the goal of the Wii is to expand the concept of having the player action match the character action beyond fingertips and voice.

      Another hint that it's not targetted at gamers: there's little hardware difference between the Gamecube and the Wii aside from the controller, especially compared to the difference between the Xbox and 360 or PS2 and PS3. The Gamecube is therefore already essentially sufficient for what they want the hardware to do, aside from the limited interaction with the controller.

    • Re:What about the traditional non-gamer crowd? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by steveo777 ( 183629 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @10:24AM (#15575601) Homepage Journal
      I've been trying to keep people educated about the new generation of systems vs. the old. Sometimes it's funny, other times I want to call it pathetic. I was exitedly talking about Red Steel and Warhawk. Both look amazing, but I can only afford one. One guy said to me, "That new Nintendo is supposed to be almost as powerful as the first XBox, it's going to be a piece of junk." I asked if he had a minute or two for a quick demo. We were in a coffee shop and I had my laptop.

      I typically keep preview movies on my HDD for way too long. I loaded up something I had used to show the graphical difference between Spiderman 2 as it was made by the same dev house for all three "last-gen" systems. A friend of mine had spliced them together to run simultaneously. The scenes weren't the same, but the effect was there.

      This guy isn't a gamer. He's played a lot of Halo, though. I achieved the desired effect, he was unable to distinguish between the XBox and GC versions, but pointed at the PS2 version saying that it was the worst looking. I didn't tell him why there were three screens. But clarified that the other two were the non-PS2 and showed him the XBox was a bit better as there was an increased draw distance. The guy was taken aback. He still isn't a gamer, but someone's gotta clear this stuff up!

      • I've been trying to keep people educated about the new generation of systems vs. the old. Sometimes it's funny, other times I want to call it pathetic.

        Indeed, making it a life goal to keep people educated about the new generation of video game systems is pathetic, but at the same time it's kind of funny anybody would do that. So either choice is correct!

  • Can't wait (Score:5, Insightful)

    by squison ( 546401 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @09:40AM (#15575356)
    I can't wait for this system. Games are boring the hell out of me lately with the same thing churned out over and over again. If the E3 videos are any indication of how fun and new the Wii games are, it's going to be awesome. I'm looking forward to some sword fighting in Red Steel, Wii Sports for Tennis and Golf, the new Metriod and of course.. Smash Bros Brawl (even if it doesn't use the Wiimote like the other games, they did exactly what they needed to do to Smash Bros -- smooth out the gameplay, give it Internet capabilities and that's it.) This'll be the first system I'll buy on day 1 since my SNES.
    • Games are boring the hell out of me lately with the same thing churned out over and over again

      and...

      I'm looking forward to some sword fighting in Red Steel, Wii Sports for Tennis and Golf, the new Metriod and of course.. Smash Bros Brawl

      SSDC (Same Sh*t, Different Controller). I doubt it will greatly increase the player activity. The most innovative controller I've seen lately is a DDR mat. Still can't do things like play DDR with a Wii-mote. I don't DDR myself, but I encourage my kids to do so because it ge
  • ...which means my computer isn't powerful enough to play them. :-/ (Like I ever would get a computer.. eh..?)

  • Summary lifted? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @09:43AM (#15575370)
    Maybe the submitter also submitted this to nintendowiifanboy.com, but if not he just lifted the summary and made no reference to the source.

    http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2006/06/20/footag e-of-every-wii-game-at-e3/ [nintendowiifanboy.com]

  • My take on it... (Score:5, Informative)

    by rAiNsT0rm ( 877553 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @09:46AM (#15575386) Homepage
    I was lucky enough to get to try it out on Metroid Prime in NY on a modified GC, and I can honestly say the control is great. All the FPS fans who were bagging on the Wii in favor of their favorite console Sony or MS will be in for a real surprise.

    I will say however, at E3, that there were no real standout games or "must haves" from what I have seen and played so far. Excitetruck is fun, but nothing new, and Mario Galaxy controls like a dream but is a bit too gimmicky. Red Steel is an ABSOLUTE DUD. Don't buy into the hype, it is pure crap. Zelda is a mess to control, the aiming and controls seriously need tweaked and made to be a shitload more forgiving especially aiming the bow and arrow. Wii Sports and Hudson's flying game are the two main games so far that have me interested.

    These are just my opinions and based on unfinished and beta games/hardware. So are everyone elses, take them for what they are and realize that I'm being as fair and honest as possible.
    • Out of interest, what is so bad about Red Steel? I've read that the sword-fighting has been improved since E3, but I have heard some bad things about the gameplay from other people too.

      I've watched a bunch of videos of Mario Galaxy and it looked great to me, finally the "Mario 128" Miyamoto has been promising: lots of clever little challenges split across little planets.
    • Zelda is a mess to control, the aiming and controls seriously need tweaked and made to be a shitload more forgiving especially aiming the bow and arrow.

      Assuming there actually is (was) a problem with it, somehow I doubt they would leave it untweaked. And since the Wii will support the GC controllers, I imagine you'll be able to switch control schemes if you so desire.

      Red Steel is an ABSOLUTE DUD. Don't buy into the hype, it is pure crap.

      Funny you should say that, I just saw a short blurb [gonintendo.com] from Game Informer

    • Re:My take on it... (Score:4, Interesting)

      by radish ( 98371 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @10:13AM (#15575521) Homepage
      I liked the two Sega games - Sonic and Monkey Ball. Both worked pretty well with the controller and the Monkey Ball minigames in particular were a lot of fun. Although, for several of them you'd need 2 controllers per player. We haven't yet seen the pricing on additional controllers...

  • Am I the only one (Score:2, Interesting)

    by cybrthng ( 22291 )
    Who thinks this will wear off really quick? I like game immersion in a seemless fashion where i can think, plan and strategize and the standard controller fits that perfectly.. The action of waving my arms around or shaking hands or even swaying back and forth just appears to be as another style of button mashing to me.

    I think its a got a "neat-o" factor but hardly something I see myself adopting for anything longer then a party game system when i just want to BS around and not actually get immsersed int
    • You may be right in that the novelty of the remote will wear off, but I think the focus Nintendo is putting into developing new and interesting gameplay will keep you entertained for a while.

    • Re:Am I the only one (Score:5, Interesting)

      by BenjyD ( 316700 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @10:06AM (#15575485)
      I'm not sure why using a standard controller would be more immersive, it's an extremely abstract control device.

      Personally, if Nintendo can pull off with the Wii what they have with the DS, then they are going to make a fortune. The DS has plenty of weird and 'different' games (Trauma Center, Kirby etc) as well as plenty of traditional games (Mario 64, advance wars, tony hawks) and non-gamer games (Brain training, Animal crossing).
      • It is an extremely abstract device and thus i'm focused on the game instead of the controller The standard controller is abstract enough there isn't a steep learning curve to mastering. Aka mouse & keyboard for some. I can customize to my liking without impacting game play for the most part and i question if they're designing Wii games to specific game play because of the controlle.
        • That was kind of the point I was going to make, except I got distracted halfway through and clicked submit too early: the DS has a very obvious, 'different' control mechanism available, just like the Wii. But, while that enables some really different games, there are also plenty of traditional-style games as well. With the controller shell, the ability to use the GCN controller and the apparent ease and cheapness of developing for it, the Wii could end up being as successful as the DS.

        • Re:Am I the only one (Score:4, Interesting)

          by justchris ( 802302 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @09:55PM (#15579941) Homepage
          You do realize that first sentence doesn't actually make sense.

          An abstract control device does nothing to focus you on the game, because it is an abstract. That means that for every action you wish to perform in game, you have an abstract layer it has to pass through before you get the result you want. A direct control device lacks that abstract layer, and therefore requires one less neural pathway to perform. It's the difference between thinking, "I want to attack, so I press A," and thinking, "I want to attack, so I attack." That's a matter of biology.

          Not that that means the Wiimote will be any different, mind you. It is still very much an abstract device, just as a mouse and keyboard are. However, in some cases (Wii Sports being the showcase) it is a very direct device. You don't have to think about both what you want to do, and what you need to accomplish to do it, you just think about what you want to do. Abstract control cannot possibly be more immersive than direct control.

          And believe me, there is a very, very steep learning curve to using a standard controller. Going from an FPS to a Platformer, it takes the average person from several minutes to a half hour to completely switch gears between two very different control schemes.

    • Re:Am I the only one (Score:3, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward
      I see your point and a year ago I would have agreed with you however things have changed in the past year. What has changed? The Nintendo DS is whats changed. I never thought when I first played on one that I would like the trouch screen. To begin with I thought it was stupid, I thought the PSP with its analog stick was the right idea however, having owned both PSP and DS, I soon leant that my PSP was a £180 paper weight and my DS was £90 of fun. I soon sold the PSP, partly because of no decent
  • My wife sits in a wheelchair and can't move her hands or arms a lot. Fingers are OK. I'd have loved to buy a Nintendo, but as it seems, I'm going to wait until PS3 is out and then chose between that and the Xbox.

    I really wanted to buy the Wii, but now it seems, that with my significant other unable to enjoy much of the games, it's not an option.

  • The "Wiimote" (gawd I hate that even worse than "Wii") looks like it will be very cool, but there's one thing I'm curious about:

    What about if I don't find it comfortable to keep both hands on the control all the time? Playing Halo on my XBOX or any FPS on my PC, I can always take a hand away from the controls and still be able to at least aim and fire.

    And what about those people who would prefer the classic console interface? I know it's got attachments to expand its abilities, but this device doesn't seem

  • Hot Coffee (Score:5, Funny)

    by Eric Coleman ( 833730 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @10:14AM (#15575533)

    Can you imagine the kind of movement you have to do for the Hot Coffee mod [wikipedia.org] on this console?

    And the speaker in the wiimote could make some noises as well. Squishy wet noises of... um... hot coffee, yeah!

  • Power Pad (Score:2, Interesting)

    by kurtis25 ( 909650 )
    I will buy when nintendo combines this with the power pad. You acctually have to walk to move in an FPS or walk and jump in mario. Talk about a work out, maybe bring back the guns and combine all three for the ultimate FPS game or sensory over load I'm not sure which one.

  • Win or Lose (Score:4, Interesting)

    by necro81 ( 917438 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @10:17AM (#15575551) Journal
    I really have to give Nintendo a lot of credit for going out on a limb and trying something new. When you think about it, game controllers haven't changed much in the last 20 years. You have a controller with a joystick or direction pad and a couple of buttons. Making the joystick analog instead of directional is an evolutionary change, as is having more and more buttons. The rest is just ergonomics - making the controller comfortable and sleek rather than a thumb-killer. Folks have been able to dress up controllers to look really cool, but they are essentially unchanged from the days of Atari and the NES.

    This, on the other hand, is like a whole 'nother branch on the evolutionary tree. I hope that it gains some real traction and gets game developers thinking in unconventional ways. The samples from E3 indicate that they have already begun to do so. And, if imitation is the best form of flattery, it appears that sony is paying attention, too.

  • Not all that for fps (Score:5, Informative)

    by Sark666 ( 756464 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @10:30AM (#15575650)
    The mouse and keyboard is perfection but it would be cool if there was an alternative even for a more emmersive factor.

    I posted this awhile back on digg on the topic:

    What I'd like to hear is just exactly how the wii controller works with a fps.

    We all know the venerable mouse/keyboard combo is the superior method for most, with consoles lacking in the precision using a dual analog method.

    I'm trying to picture exactly how a fps would work with I assume would be the nunchuck mode.

    So the addon part of the controller would replace the wasd, but how would the actual aiming work.

    Because what's perfect with the mouse is, you can position it slowly for accurate aiming, or whip it around to do a quick 180'. Now the thing is when one does this quick movement of the mouse, you have to lift the mouse to recenter it, how would that work when translated to the wii?

    In one scenario I can picture the motion sensing tracking where your aiming and the onscreen gun actually remains center like a traditional fps and just your view changes.

    This works fine when facing one direction, but say you want to quickly turn around? Wouldn't one end up not facing the screen if they simulate a turning around motion? Because the problem is, how do you simulate the lifting of the mouse to recenter?

    Or they could make it that the onscreen gun is 'free floating' and can aim at the edge of the screen, and you could use the analog stick to actually change orientation or by aiming at the far edge of the screen, your view rotates. But I could see that being a fixed speed, kind of like rotating in descent.

    So even though this controller looks really cool, and might add some truely new styles of gameplay, I'm curious how the nunchuk fairs with a fps. I think it's obvious that it's going to be superior to console's dual analog history of controlling fps's, but can it match a mouse? Or maybe the added 'submersion' by just playing with the controller would make up for any shortcomings?

    And someone directed me to this article:

    http://www.gamespot.com/e3/e3story.html?sid=615026 3&pid=928517 [gamespot.com]

    A relevant bit:


    "Before getting too much further into describing the demo level, we'll talk about how the control scheme is handled in Corruption. The game uses the remote-plus-nunchuk configuration, where you'll want to use the remote in your dominant hand, as that is what handles aiming. Simply point the remote at the screen to aim Samus' arm cannon. The cursor actually moves within the screen, instead of being fixed to the center of the screen as with most first-person shooters. This makes it possible to aim and fire at something you see without moving Samus, but the tradeoff is that your ability to turn quickly is compromised. To turn, you'll need to move the cursor all the way to the edge of the screen, at which point Samus will begin turning. There's definitely a learning curve involved with getting used to how the Wii controller works for aiming, but thankfully you can press on the Z trigger on the nunchuk to lock on to a target, which keeps the interface feeling somewhat consistent with previous Prime games. The lock-on only works if you have an enemy somewhat close to the center of the screen, so it's not exactly a crutch--and lock-on won't work on very fast-moving targets, plus enemies can often break out of target lock by dodging back and forth."

    "We did have some trouble here and there when the sensors seemed to have trouble reacquiring the signal whenever we put our hands down--finding that invisible plane where the sensor wants your hands to be can be a little tricky or frustrating if you put your hands down for any reason."

    That certainly doesn't sound like a revolutionary way to play a fps, esp if it has a need to give the player a button to lock on to enemies. Sounds like it getting around the same old limitations that console controllers have when playing a fps.

    And I haven't seen the vids yet, I'll check them out now, but I don't think the wii will revolutionize the fps.
  • And once again this poses the question- is this the future of gaming UI?

    Something about this sentence caught my eye, but it took me a few moments to figure out what:

    It says "poses" the question, not "begs." Perhaps the efforts of anal-retentive grammar fascists like me are finally paying off.

    Oops-- I mean, "Perhaps the efforts of anal-retentive grammar fascists like me are finally things off of which is paid."
  • Has anybody read this month's EGM? There's in interview in there with Miyamoto, in which he is asked how the Wiimote will be used in Twilight Princess. He said it'll be used for things like aiming the bow, but will not use it for actually controlling Link's sword. He noted that they tried to do that, but it was too tiring for players.

    In my mind, that's a pretty big confirmation of the problems many people expected the Wiimote to have. Gyroscopic controllers aren't new, and they've failed in the past for exa

  • Hope it has a wrist strap (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Esion Modnar ( 632431 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @10:54AM (#15575803)
    Hate to be going for that backhand shot, have the thing slip out of my fingers, and go right through my (hypothetical) $3000 TV.

    • Re:Hope it has a wrist strap (Score:4, Funny)

      by Lumpy ( 12016 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @02:13PM (#15577396) Homepage
      if your TV is so cheaply built that a 3 ounce plastic remote can go through the front glass then you either need to stopping for AV equipment from the back of vans in parking lots or have someone go with you to buy your gear to keep you from buying things made from tinfoil and thin plastic.

      My Panasonic 48" Plasma can take a 6 ounce remote being thrown HARD at the screen without damage.

      Having a friend over that drank way too much at the Superbowl party was that way to discover that one.

  • The strength of Wii is that it's not just FPS (Score:3, Insightful)

    by WillAffleckUW ( 858324 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @11:01AM (#15575846) Homepage Journal
    But that it makes a lot of non-FPS games really fun to play.

    Not every stick you see on the ground is a gun. Some can become swords. Some can become walking sticks, or pitons to use as you climb Mount Everest without the use of your left leg. Some can become claws as you become a crab beneath the waves. Some can become fishing rods, as you wait patiently for the slippery silvery salmon to go by.

    The attraction of the Wii is that many things become fun - not just one.

  • How to tell if someone has a Wii or a PS3 (Score:4, Funny)

    by WillAffleckUW ( 858324 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @12:41PM (#15576639) Homepage Journal
    The person who has toned arm and leg muscles has the Wii.

    The one with the weight problem has the PS3.

    I guess the one with the xBox360 is a Borg. Or at least dresses like one.

  • Problem with downloaded movs (Score:3, Interesting)

    by xtieburn ( 906792 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @04:39PM (#15578456)
    In case anyone else has had the same issues. At least some of the downloaded zips confuse the crap out of Windows and WinRAR they simply wont be able to extract them. Explorer will get confused over what the directory structure is doing. WinRAR wont even show you the directory the mov is in. (This may be because my winRAR isnt fully up to date.)

    The current winACE will open the file fine though.

    As to why im not so sure. For metroid the directory that causes the problems is \\227.mov (explorer reads it as WINDOWS) I can only assume this is because the thing was made on a Unix system and that folder will work on Unix will not work on Windows.

    Needless to say there wasnt really any reason to have any folder structure zipped up, let alone a folder that can cause issues. Still its free so cant complain. (Well I can, and have... but you should probably ignore that.)

  • Wii-mote (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Lac ( 135355 ) on Wednesday June 21, 2006 @09:18PM (#15579795)
    Forget FPS. I want a lightsaber game. I've been wanting one for almost thirty years.

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