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andrewducker ([personal profile] andrewducker) wrote2008-07-16 09:32 am
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[identity profile] call-waiting.livejournal.com 2008-07-16 10:26 am (UTC)(link)
The wiimote is based on accelerometers, so it has several aspects that mean it's not precisely 1:1 spatially. The initial orientation and position of the wiimote relative to the wii can't be established precisely, and because the current positions and orientations are calculated as the path integral of the physical quantity that's *actually* being measured, errors will accumulate and so the calculated position will drift over time. I'm sure the wii probably uses heuristics of some sort to account for this in the current wiimote.

Certain other forthcoming 3d controllers are 1:1 from the get-go.
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[personal profile] andrewducker 2008-07-16 10:32 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, yes - I know that. It just wasn't originally sold that way - it was sold as "it can tell exactly where it's pointing!".

The new addon looks pretty good though - according to some writeups I've seen it looks much more accurate. They were swordfighting at the Nintendo press conference :->

I'll wait and see some actual reviews before I get too excited though.
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[personal profile] andrewducker 2008-07-16 11:33 am (UTC)(link)
Oh - and doesn't the Wii's sensor bar mean that it's got an orientation/position reasonably well established?

[identity profile] pennski.livejournal.com 2008-07-16 08:11 pm (UTC)(link)
More tea now please!

[identity profile] johnbobshaun.livejournal.com 2008-07-17 01:22 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't think MotionPlus is great news. I think its potentially extremely problematic for both developers and Wii owners.

1) How many games are going to support it?
2) Is it going to be the new standard Wii controller?
3) If yes, is there going to be a point where every Wii owner will have been forced to buy it to play new games?
4) Will third party developers be able to make good use of it (since many still haven't done a great job with the standard controller)?
4) Will developers have to take into account that a user may or may not have MotionPlus, developing two different control systems with two different levels of interactivity with the game?
5) Will developers have to take into account that a user may or may not also have a balance board?
6) If no, are these expensive perepherals going to be used in just a handful of games before gathering dust in the attic?
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[personal profile] andrewducker 2008-07-17 02:05 pm (UTC)(link)
So far as I understand so far it's not going to be standard - it's going to be an addon, with a new API and everything. Some games may use it, but they'll just say "requires MotionPlus", just like games that use the lightgun or the WiiFit. If it doesn't take off, nobody will support it, if it does, everyone will, much like with every peripheral.

Similarly, developers can choose to support multiple input options.

The balance board is expensive, but the costs I've seen floated for the MotionPlus are quite cheap at the moment - about $15. If that's the case I expect it to be quite successful, and thus used a lot. If not, then it'll get used in the few games that do support it, and for $15 I'll live with that.

I don't see it as extremely problematic - no more than when any peripheral comes out for a game system.

[identity profile] johnbobshaun.livejournal.com 2008-07-17 02:38 pm (UTC)(link)
"So far as I understand so far it's not going to be standard - it's going to be an addon"

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=190125

"Apparently Nintendo can't decide if MotionPlus should be integral to Wii remotes, or if "it might be good to keep it as an attachment we only use for certain software".

Aside from that, yeah you're probably right. I'd be surprised if it's used in more than a handful of first party titles though.
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[personal profile] andrewducker 2008-07-17 03:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Ooh, that's interesting.

Well, if they do build them into the "next-gen" remotes then they'll be used a lot more - especially if the addon is cheap.

I hope they do - I'd like to have more accurate wiimotes for some far-flung-future day when we get to actually play a Wii game with lightsabers :->
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