To make gaming as accessible to people of all ages and all abilities, Nintendo wanted to create a controller that was as inviting as it was sophisticated- the result is the Wii Remote. Nintendo fused the global familiarity of a remote control with the sophistication of motion-sensing technology to come up with an input device that differentiates the Wii from any other console that has come before it. Now Nintendo is making this revolutionary device available in Pink, Black, or Blue.

Revolutionary control

Sporting the dimensions of a small traditional remote control, the wireless Wii Remote is a multifunctional device that is limited only by the game designer’s imagination.

The magic of the Wii Remote’s design lies within; acellerometers inside the controller body measure movement in all directions and at all speeds. In a tennis game, it serves as your racket as you swing your arm for a long forehand or a quick and hard backhand. In a 4×4 driving game it serves as a steering wheel, allowing you to swerve to avoid obstacles or pickup power-ups. In first-person shooters, the Wii Remote acts as a firearm that you can point directly at an on-screen enemy. The list of potential uses is enormous, and the light weight of the Wii Remote allows gamers to play for hours without feeling fatigued.

As comfortable as it is functional

The Wii Remote is equally comfortable in right and left hands and houses just the right number of buttons for gaming- not so many that new players will get confused, but enough so that Wii games don’t feel constrained. On the face of the remote are the D (or “plus”) pad, a large “A” button which is used for major on-screen actions, and two small options buttons. Between the game buttons are a plus and minus buttons (which often act as “forwards” and “back”), as well as a “Home” button to engage the Wii home screen to change settings or check remote battery levels. On the back side of the controller is a trigger-like “B” button, perfect for timing releases.

Wii MotionPlus

Simple. Intuitive. Easy to use. Connect the Wii MotionPlus accessory to your Wii Remote controller to increase accuracy and enhance play control on compatible games. Look on the back of Wii Game Disc WiiMotion Plus detailspackaging to see which games are specially designed for use with Wii MotionPlus. Wii MotionPlus contains additional sensors that make the Wii Remote respond to the slightest movement, motion, or twist of the wrist. Wii MotionPlus must be used with a Wii Remote, which is sold separately.

Product Description

Bundle includes one each of the following accessories

• Wii Remote controller – Pink – The wireless, freehand Wii Remote not only makes games easy to play, it makes them more fun than ever before. Accentuating the sense of touch in the game lets you feel the heat of emotion with each movement. Because up to four players can grab a Wii Remote and play, there’s always a party ready to happen with Wii! The Wii Remote frees you from cords and excessive, complicated buttons without sacrificing game play depth. Wireless and motion-sensitive, the Wii Remote offers an intuitive, natural way to play games. The controller plays into the conventional motions you make every day.
• Wii MotionPlus – White – Simple. Intuitive. Easy to use. Connect the Wii MotionPlus accessory to your Wii Remote controller to increase accuracy and enhance play control on compatible games. Wii MotionPlus contains additional sensors that make the Wii Remote respond to the slightest movement, motion, or twist of the wrist.

Nintendo blamed the weaker financial performance on several factors, including a recent price drop on the Wii, fewer strong Wii titles, appreciation of the yen, and poor global sales.

Demand for the Wii was down in the first part of the fiscal year due to slower consumer spending during the recession. But the company said sales of the game console did rebound over the holiday-shopping season. For the full fiscal year, Nintendo sold 20.5 million Wii consoles compared with 26 million the previous year.

(full story at CNET)

Sony originally said it would introduce the controller this spring, but is now delaying the release of its new motion-sensing controller for the PlayStation 3 game console until autumn.

The new release date gives Sony more time to accumulate a “comprehensive portfolio of titles to choose from at launch.”

This may still bring the new PS3 controller out before the XBox version, which games rival Microsoft Corp. aims to release in time for the end-of-year holiday season. Supposedly the Microsoft entry (Project Natal) eliminates the need for a controller altogether by using the body’s movements to control on-screen actions.

Nintendo, whose Wii videogame console originated the motion-controller, has not indicated whether it’s upgrading its controller.

We spend a couple of hundred to get the Wii machine, as much as $50 or more each to get some good games, some more yet to get additional controllers (expensive due to sensors inside) and then I find out that some (many?) of the games will not work well without nunchuks!!! What’s a Nunchuk?

That said, the family loves this beast, and the sensor feature in the controllers is awesome!

One would have to ask, what is it about the Nintendo Wii Fit that makes it such a highly coveted video game title?

The obvious answer? Many people believe that the Nintendo Wii Fit is something that will help them lose weight and something that will help them enjoy a good and healthy life.

But then again, there is the debacle of Wii Sports, which is bundled with the Nintendo Wii. Before the release of the Nintendo Wii, many people believed that Wii Sports was a title that will compel them to exert physical effort in an enjoyable way, a process which would surely lead to substantial weight loss and a healthier life. Such a belief was shattered when an editor of a video game website experimented on Wii Sports by playing it for 2 hours a day for 14 days straight, and recorded a loss of 2 lbs. during that period.

Now, a lot of people are asking: can the Nintendo Wii Fit really help you lose weight?

Much like Wii Sports, the Nintendo Wii Fit comes with a variety of games – or activities – that you can choose to tackle. These include aerobics, jogging, strength conditioning exercises, balance exercises and even yoga. More activities can be unlocked by accomplishing particular goals in the core games.

The centerpiece of the Nintendo Wii Fit is the balance board that comes with it. The user is to step on this board, and the board will measure how much weight will be placed on each feet. Such will correspond to the motion on screen. Many people say that the balance board is actually more accurate than the motion sensing capabilities of the Wiimote.

This is the Nintendo Wii Fit in a nutshell.

But can it help you lose weight?

Experts say that yes, the Nintendo Wii Fit can help you lose weight… if you’ll take its activities seriously and if you’ll religiously observe the routines which the software prescribes.

The exercises included with the Nintendo Wii Fit are, by no means, comprehensive. Nothing can beat a specialized program developed by an expert. Nevertheless, the Nintendo Wii Fit can boast of something that other workout regiments cannor…

It can provided the motivation you need to actually go through the workout plans.

The exercises are still presented as video games which you should beat for appropriate rewards. This challenge can be very fun and enticing, and it is something that gym works or other fitness activities won’t be able to replicate. And here lies the beauty of the Nintendo Wii Fit as a weight loss device: you can actually work up some sweat without getting bored to tears.