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wraggster
January 10th, 2010, 21:47
A pair of attachments would turn two Wiimotes into a set of sticks, presumably for an air-drumming game, according to a patent filed recently by Namco Bandai.

While the patent doesn't specifically reference the Wiimote, the drawings do look awful familiar, and so far it's the most notable example of a rectangular control with an accelerometer inside. A shock absorber inside the coverings helps protect the controllers while striking the attachment tips against a desk or a flat surface.

The sound made by the game depends on the angle at which the drumsticks strike the surface - tom, snare, cymbals and hi-hat are all referenced in the patent application.

While it doesn't look like a game changer for the rhythm genre, I do think incorporating an actual strike into the gameplay, as opposed to drumming against the air, is a good bet. But how much abuse these things can take is a good question. People playing the drums delicately don't have much fun. And then there's the whole finger-twirl thing. How are we gonna pull that off?

http://kotaku.com/5444846/namco-files-patent-for-wiimote-drumming-game/gallery/