 Wii MotionPlus attached to the Wii Remote (without the included safety jacket) | |
| Manufacturer | Nintendo |
|---|---|
| Product family | Wii Remote |
| Type | Expansion device |
| Released | |
| Connectivity | External extension connector |
| Successor | Wii Remote Plus |
TheWii MotionPlus (Wiiモーションプラス) is an expansion device for theWii Remote, the primarygame controller for theWii. The device allows more complex motion to be interpreted than the Wii Remote can do alone. Both the Wii and its successor, theWii U, support the Wii MotionPlus accessory ingames.
The accessory was first released in June 2009. A later hardware revision of the Wii Remote, theWii Remote Plus, was later released with the Wii MotionPlus technology built-in.
The Wii MotionPlus was announced by Nintendo in a press release on July 14, 2008,[4] and revealed the next day at a press conference at theE3 Media & Business Summit. It was released in June 2009.[3][1] On May 3, 2010, Nintendo announced that starting May 9, 2010, the company would include itsWii Sports Resort game and MotionPlus controller with new consoles with no price increase.[5]
The Wii MotionPlus was developed by Nintendo in collaboration withgame development tool companyAiLive.[6] The sensor used is anInvenSense IDG-600[7] or IDG-650 in later units, designed in accordance to Nintendo's specification;[8][9] with a highdynamic range, highmechanical shock tolerance, high temperature andhumidity resistance, and small physical size.[10][11]
The Wii MotionPlus was conceived soon after the completion of the initial Wii Remote design, to address developer demand for more capable motion sensing, but was only announced after the sensors could be purchased in sufficient volume at a reasonable price.[12][13] During a developerround table discussion at E3 2008,Wii Sports Resort producerKatsuya Eguchi discussed the potential influence of the Wii MotionPlus on the Wii's existing market, stating that Nintendo was looking at whether the MotionPlus capability will be built into the Wii Remote in the future, or kept "as an attachment we only use for certain software."[14] Nintendo ultimately chose the former by releasing the Wii Remote Plus in late 2010.
From June to August 2009,Club Nintendo in Japan held a contest wherein members who purchased and registered a copy ofWii Sports Resort would be entered into adraw to win a sky blue Wii MotionPlus in one of 5,000 blue controller sets.[15][16] In November 2009, a black Wii MotionPlus was released to coincide with the release of the black Wii console. Bundles containing a black Wii Remote and MotionPlus attachment were also released. In North America, non-white Wii Remotes are bundled with a MotionPlus of matching color for black Wii Remotes and a white MotionPlus unit with a translucent jacket for blue and pink Wii Remotes. In a 2010 Nintendo Conference[citation needed], the Wii Remote Plus was announced, which places the function of the MotionPlus into a regular sized Wii remote. It would be the same as the Wii Remote, but the curved text "Wii MotionPlus INSIDE" is added below the Wii logo.
The device incorporates a dual-axis[10]tuning fork gyroscope,[17] and a single-axis gyroscope which can determine rotational motion. The information captured by the angular rate sensor can then be used to distinguish true linear motion from the accelerometer readings.[18] This allows for the capture of more complex movements than possible with the Wii Remote alone.[12][19] To ensure that it functions properly, the MotionPlus can becalibrated before or during gameplay by placing the Wii Remote facedown (so that the B Button is facing up) on a flat surface and keeping it motionless for at most 10 seconds until an on-screen notification indicates that calibration is complete.[20]
The Wii MotionPlus features a pass-through External Extension Connector, allowing otherexpansions such as theNunchuk orClassic Controller to be used simultaneously with the device. Because the Wii MotionPlus extends the length of the Wii Remote, making it impossible to clip the Nunchuk's connector hook to the wrist strap, the MotionPlus dongle features a tethered socket cap that can be snapped onto the connector hook to secure it from abrupt movement should it be forcibly disconnected.[21] The attachment has a color-coded mechanical slide switch for locking the clip release. When attached to the (original, non-MotionPlus) Wii Remote, the add-on unit extends the length of the controller body[22] by approximately 1.5 in (4 cm).[23][needs update] Each Wii MotionPlus includes a longer version of the Wii Remote Jacket to accommodate the added length,[12] and according to Nintendo, the Wii MotionPlus is unsafe to use without it.[24] However, the newer Wii Remote Plus eliminates the need for such elongated jackets by integrating the MotionPlus technology into the Remote itself.
The device is only used bygames that have been specifically developed to use its functionality. Thetitle screens of these games also provide an option to access a series of instructional videos created by Nintendo to help players learn how to attach and remove the accessory, recalibrate it, connect external controllers to it or otherwise disconnect them. It can remain attached to the Wii Remote when playing games that do not support it without causing any problems, but it will not enhance gameplay. The add-on version of the device is incompatible with any Wii Remote accessories that snugly encase the Remote itself, such as theWii Wheel, theWii Zapper,guitar controllers forGuitar Hero andRock Band games andNHL Slapshot's hockey stick accessory.
In September 2010, rumors circulated of a Wii Remote being released with built-in Wii MotionPlus, after the upcomingFlingSmash was revealed to be bundled with "Wii Remote Plus".[25][26] Nintendo initially declined to comment, but later announced the device on September 29, 2010, confirming it to be a Wii Remote with MotionPlus built in, allowing players to use peripherals like theWii Zapper andWii Wheel without having to remove Wii MotionPlus from the Wii Remote. It competes with theKinect and thePlayStation Move withPlayStation Eyemotion controllers for theXbox 360 and thePlayStation 3 home consoles, respectively. Nintendo later announced that the remote would be available in white, black, blue and pink. It was released in Australia on October 28, 2010, in Europe on November 5, 2010, in North America on November 7, 2010, and in Japan on November 11, 2010.[27] It was also released in red as part of a bundle containingWii Sports,New Super Mario Bros. Wii, a red Wii console, and red Nunchuk.[28]
In 2011, it was announced that the European version ofWii Play: Motion would be bundled with the red Wii Remote Plus,[29] while the black Wii Remote Plus was also included with other versions of the game. All Wii Family Edition units contained a Wii Remote Plus. The first was released in North America on October 23, 2011, in black, along with a black Wii Family Edition console, black Nunchuk,New Super Mario Bros. Wii and a limited edition soundtrack forSuper Mario Galaxy. The second was released in Europe on November 4, 2011, in white, along with a white Wii Family Edition console, white Nunchuk,Wii Party andWii Sports. The third was also released in Europe on November 18, 2011, in blue, along with a blue Wii Family Edition console, blue Nunchuk andMario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The fourth, which is a revision of the North American bundle, was released on October 28, 2012, along with the initialWii Sports duology. A red Wii Remote Plus and red Nunchuk is also included with every Wii Mini unit.
AtE3 2011, it was revealed that a gold Wii Remote Plus with the royalHylian Crest superimposed over its speaker would be released alongsideThe Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.[30][31] It was available as part of a bundle withSkyward Sword for a limited time.[32]
After theWii U, the Wii's successor, was launched, Nintendo began releasing Wii Remote Plus controllers that are themed off of characters from theMario universe, starting withMario andLuigi on November 1, 2013,[33] to accompany the release of the Wii U Deluxe set. Months later, Nintendo released aPrincess Peach-themed Wii Remote Plus, on April 24, 2014.[34] Over a year later, Nintendo also released Wii Remote Plus controllers themed off ofBowser, aToad andYoshi in the fall of 2015 to accompany the releases ofSuper Mario Maker andYoshi's Woolly World. These three Remotes were exclusively available atGameStop in North America.[35]
Before Nintendo eventually released the Wii Remote Plus, third-party companies have expressed interest in designing and produced Wii Remotes with the MotionPlus technology integrated into them, eliminating the need for a separate add-on.
Developers atElectronic Arts have noted that the fidelity of the device can be too sensitive[40] and at times inaccurate,[41] although technology reviewers have likened the improved accuracy as to the leap from the fidelity of VHS to that ofBlu-ray.[42]
Game reviewers at Official Nintendo Magazine have called the device "100% accurate" and stated that movements are "captured extremely accurately".[43]
In North America, approximately 374,000 Wii MotionPlus units were sold in June 2009 (including nearly 205,000 units sold as part of a bundle withTiger Woods PGA Tour 10), according to theNPD Group.[44]
In Japan, the Wii MotionPlus sold approximately 650,000 units in its opening week (including units sold as part of a bundle withWii Sports Resort), with about 296,000 sold as standalone units.[45][46]
No, the intention was to integrate the two from the very start. This is why when we use the term Wii MotionPlus, we are referring to the accessory with the Wii MotionPlus Jacket attached.
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