Comments on: Nintendo Claims MotionPlus Tech Was Too Expensive During Wii Development

By: MazerR

MazerR — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 20:44:00 +0000

What I think is that I never was able to purchase a Wii because of the insane demand and that now, looking back on the quality of the games that have come out and the held-back developments that Nintendo is dripping out, I’m pretty squarely in the category of ‘not going to ever purchase a Wii’

I’ll wait for Wii2. Hopefully, it will be the best of both worlds: take all the ‘innovation’ and ‘think different’ of the original Wii, throw in the boatloads of $$$ that Nintendo has been collecting since they released Wii1 so as to get a far more sophisticated system (graphics, processor, harddrive, memory), and voila: an awesome system in the wings.

Not that far away – they’re saying maybe xmas 2009 or summer 2010. I can wait.

By: MazerR

MazerR — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:48:56 +0000

Not a single comment on the most obvious point: games.
I fear that Nintendo, for all their capacity to innovate, is falling (albeit more slowly) into the ‘tech conquers all’ trap, i.e. ‘cool new tech will drive sales’. As we’ve seen, this just isn’t so (PS3)

Wii’s greatest weakness is the lack of quality games. This seems to just compound that problem: what’s the point of a 1:1 motion-sensing peripheral if there are no games that can efffectively utilize the device?

By: Matthew

Matthew — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:37:11 +0000

Motion tracking can use quite a lot of processing power. If this really is an improvement it should use the same amount of system resources.

By: Monster_user

Monster_user — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:59:57 +0000

After reading a few of these comments, I have to agree with the view that the 1:1 motion feature should have been saved for the next-gen console.

The Nintendo Wii has the potential to match the Playstation 2 in terms of popularity, and game sales.

The 1:1 MotionPlus system does sound like something that overcomplicates the Nintendo design, which already sells attachments well. It will also overcomplicate game development, as developers supporting the MotionPlus will also have to design the game to work without the feature. Then again, that has been Nintendo’s MMO since the days of the N64.

If they waited to introduce it with the next-gen Wii2, then it would be seen as a logical improvement of the core Wii implimentation.

By: runemaster

runemaster — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:57:59 +0000

Not integrating it in the first run was obviously the right decision, because the chosen price point seems to be perfect ( just look at the sales figures ).
Releasing this device now … i´m not sure, it is nice to be able to get a more accurate reading of the movements, still i doubt the casual gamer will notice it. Now it´s up to Nintendo to educate the masses … and that´s a job even most goverments seem to have a problem with. But Nintendo has a nag for making things simple.

By: PaulC.

PaulC. — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:21:17 +0000

its just really nice to see nintendo shoving it up the big guys asses by concentrating on “fun factor” rather than graphics and such. (MS and sony.) and i hope they keep the console fun and family centered to that they stay up top in sales.

By: Jack Bauer

Jack Bauer — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:53:25 +0000

There’s no reason to not upgrade if you’re a Wii owner. Just do it and shut up. Be glad you’re even getting that!

By: Used Cisco

Used Cisco — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:40:00 +0000

I don’t understand why they bothered. This would have been a great improvement for the Wii2. My fear is that because they released it already, Wii 2 might be a LONG way off.

By: EvanSent

EvanSent — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:12:32 +0000

I imagine it won’t ever be required per se, but it will have best enjoyed with Motion Plus add on, on the box or whatever

By: Iron Tiger

Iron Tiger — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:44:45 +0000

As long as every game under the sun does not require it them I do not see a problem with it. If they do start making the majority of the games with MotionPlus then that needs to be clearly labeled on the box.