news via ign

We go Dexter on the Wii's main controller. Satisfy your morbrid curiosity and see it disemboweled within.

November 21, 2006 - It's an open secret that the Wii-remote was originally designed as a GameCube peripheral. Nintendo, however, pursuing the highly publicized 'Blue Ocean' corporate strategy, saw the opportunity to launch a console that would parallel the DS market plan in an entirely new market by means of a new console designed around the freedom provided by a motion-sensing remote controller. The Wii was the result, a console that will lean heavily upon the hypothetically genre-busting gaming innovations that will result due to the console's unique control scheme.

We know the Wii is powered by an IBM CPU and an ATI GPU, and we'd lobotomize one if we had the heart for it. Since we're sensitive peeps, we decided instead to cut straight to the real heart and sole of the Wii: the Wiimote.

Fully assembled, the Wiimote feels well balanced and rather comfortable in hand. It has a good weight, thanks primarily to the batteries, that feels neither too light nor too heavy. Once we broke open the case, however, we discovered quite a bit less circuitry than we had expected.

The Wiimote is held together by four screws, two of which are hidden under the battery compartment. The screws are a propriety three-bit Nintendo design. Actual maintenance kits with proper Nintendo screw-drivers are available through various sources online, however, none were available in time for this feature. Giving up on the potential for actually reassembling our sacrificial Wiimote, we applied a power drill with a 1/8-inch bit and drilled out the screws, which was actually pretty easy.

Once the securing screws were destroyed, the Wiimote came apart quite easily. The plastic buttons connected to the typical silicon membrane electrical connectors as with just about any other controller on the market.

The Wii circuit board looks sparse but actually does quite a lot. The largest chip on the board is the WiFi chip supplied by Broadcom. Motion-sensing wise; forget any imaginative images of a tiny gyroscope spinning inside a tiny box on the circuit board. The Wiimotes accelerometers are based upon miniscule, one-millionth of a gram flaps of silicon flexing against tiny springs within a charged field.

The main Wiimote's accelerometers are supplied by Analog Devices Inc., which declines to specify where on the Wiimote's board its chips reside. Many of the chips on the Wiimote are not labeled, at least not to the natural human eye, but we will speculate that the primary accelerometer chip is the small rectangular one located upon the top side (when held in hand) of the circuit board, in between the 'A' and +, -, and Home button receptors.

Had we not drilled out the screws, we believe we would have been able to reassemble the Wiimote relatively easily. The overall construction of the Wiimote is heavily built and outside of utter destruction via crushing, we expect that the Wiimotes will be able to withstand quite a lot of abuse in the wild. We've already had a wrist-strap-snapping incident that sent a Wiimote flying into a wall. The wall was the decided loser of that battle and suffered a nasty dent, whereas the Wiimote emerged entirely unscathed.

...

news via ign

We go Dexter on the Wii's main controller. Satisfy your morbrid curiosity and see it disemboweled within.

November 21, 2006 - It's an open secret that the Wii-remote was originally designed as a GameCube peripheral. Nintendo, however, pursuing the highly publicized 'Blue Ocean' corporate strategy, saw the opportunity to launch a console that would parallel the DS market plan in an entirely new market by means of a new console designed around the freedom provided by a motion-sensing remote controller. The Wii was the result, a console that will lean heavily upon the hypothetically genre-busting gaming innovations that will result due to the console's unique control scheme.

We know the Wii is powered by an IBM CPU and an ATI GPU, and we'd lobotomize one if we had the heart for it. Since we're sensitive peeps, we decided instead to cut straight to the real heart and sole of the Wii: the Wiimote.

Fully assembled, the Wiimote feels well balanced and rather comfortable in hand. It has a good weight, thanks primarily to the batteries, that feels neither too light nor too heavy. Once we broke open the case, however, we discovered quite a bit less circuitry than we had expected.

The Wiimote is held together by four screws, two of which are hidden under the battery compartment. The screws are a propriety three-bit Nintendo design. Actual maintenance kits with proper Nintendo screw-drivers are available through various sources online, however, none were available in time for this feature. Giving up on the potential for actually reassembling our sacrificial Wiimote, we applied a power drill with a 1/8-inch bit and drilled out the screws, which was actually pretty easy.

Once the securing screws were destroyed, the Wiimote came apart quite easily. The plastic buttons connected to the typical silicon membrane electrical connectors as with just about any other controller on the market.

The Wii circuit board looks sparse but actually does quite a lot. The largest chip on the board is the WiFi chip supplied by Broadcom. Motion-sensing wise; forget any imaginative images of a tiny gyroscope spinning inside a tiny box on the circuit board. The Wiimotes accelerometers are based upon miniscule, one-millionth of a gram flaps of silicon flexing against tiny springs within a charged field.

The main Wiimote's accelerometers are supplied by Analog Devices Inc., which declines to specify where on the Wiimote's board its chips reside. Many of the chips on the Wiimote are not labeled, at least not to the natural human eye, but we will speculate that the primary accelerometer chip is the small rectangular one located upon the top side (when held in hand) of the circuit board, in between the 'A' and +, -, and Home button receptors.

Had we not drilled out the screws, we believe we would have been able to reassemble the Wiimote relatively easily. The overall construction of the Wiimote is heavily built and outside of utter destruction via crushing, we expect that the Wiimotes will be able to withstand quite a lot of abuse in the wild. We've already had a wrist-strap-snapping incident that sent a Wiimote flying into a wall. The wall was the decided loser of that battle and suffered a nasty dent, whereas the Wiimote emerged entirely unscathed.

...

news via ign

We go Dexter on the Wii's main controller. Satisfy your morbrid curiosity and see it disemboweled within.

November 21, 2006 - It's an open secret that the Wii-remote was originally designed as a GameCube peripheral. Nintendo, however, pursuing the highly publicized 'Blue Ocean' corporate strategy, saw the opportunity to launch a console that would parallel the DS market plan in an entirely new market by means of a new console designed around the freedom provided by a motion-sensing remote controller. The Wii was the result, a console that will lean heavily upon the hypothetically genre-busting gaming innovations that will result due to the console's unique control scheme.

We know the Wii is powered by an IBM CPU and an ATI GPU, and we'd lobotomize one if we had the heart for it. Since we're sensitive peeps, we decided instead to cut straight to the real heart and sole of the Wii: the Wiimote.

Fully assembled, the Wiimote feels well balanced and rather comfortable in hand. It has a good weight, thanks primarily to the batteries, that feels neither too light nor too heavy. Once we broke open the case, however, we discovered quite a bit less circuitry than we had expected.

The Wiimote is held together by four screws, two of which are hidden under the battery compartment. The screws are a propriety three-bit Nintendo design. Actual maintenance kits with proper Nintendo screw-drivers are available through various sources online, however, none were available in time for this feature. Giving up on the potential for actually reassembling our sacrificial Wiimote, we applied a power drill with a 1/8-inch bit and drilled out the screws, which was actually pretty easy.

Once the securing screws were destroyed, the Wiimote came apart quite easily. The plastic buttons connected to the typical silicon membrane electrical connectors as with just about any other controller on the market.

The Wii circuit board looks sparse but actually does quite a lot. The largest chip on the board is the WiFi chip supplied by Broadcom. Motion-sensing wise; forget any imaginative images of a tiny gyroscope spinning inside a tiny box on the circuit board. The Wiimotes accelerometers are based upon miniscule, one-millionth of a gram flaps of silicon flexing against tiny springs within a charged field.

The main Wiimote's accelerometers are supplied by Analog Devices Inc., which declines to specify where on the Wiimote's board its chips reside. Many of the chips on the Wiimote are not labeled, at least not to the natural human eye, but we will speculate that the primary accelerometer chip is the small rectangular one located upon the top side (when held in hand) of the circuit board, in between the 'A' and +, -, and Home button receptors.

Had we not drilled out the screws, we believe we would have been able to reassemble the Wiimote relatively easily. The overall construction of the Wiimote is heavily built and outside of utter destruction via crushing, we expect that the Wiimotes will be able to withstand quite a lot of abuse in the wild. We've already had a wrist-strap-snapping incident that sent a Wiimote flying into a wall. The wall was the decided loser of that battle and suffered a nasty dent, whereas the Wiimote emerged entirely unscathed.

...

news via businessweek

The graphics leave something to be desired, but the motion-sensitive remote makes this next-gen game system a tough competitor

For a sense of how the underdog Nintendo Wii fares against Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3, this scene from my home one recent night says it all.

On a rainy Monday, three friends stopped over for drinks before we were supposed to head out for dinner. Nearly five hours later, at 12:30 in the morning, they were finally shoved out the door, exhausted from the workout they gave the Wii and wondering where they could go to grab one of their own. The whole time they were there, the PS3 and Xbox 360 sat forlorn and ignored.

The Wii has the stuff to replicate that scenario in homes far and wide. Despite graphics that are far inferior to those of competitors and a design that looks more like an external hard drive than a next-gen game system, the Wii is just plain fun to play.
Virtual Reality in Your Living Room

What makes it so outstanding? It boils down to Nintendo's (NTDOY) decision to focus on how games are played, rather than the glitz and glitter of the games themselves. The company's innovative motion-sensitive Wii Remote controller truly creates the closest thing you'll get on a home system to virtual reality. Always thought you could be the next Andy Roddick? Playing even the simplest game of tennis with the Wii controller and rudimentary Wii Sports game package might show you how wrong you were.

Nintendo set about making the gaming experience itself something even a grandmother might look forward to, and it does a great job right out of the box.

Setup was fairly simple and intuitive. From the start, you put the Wii on its stand, connect the sensor pickup to the unit, and figure out where to place it near your TV for best pickup of your movements with the remote. I was concerned the sensor, placed below a giant-screen Sharp Aquos HDTV set would not pick up the signal, but it worked just fine.
It's All About Mii

After adjusting the clock and other settings, I set up a wireless connection to my home network in just a few minutes, without incident. Once you're Web-connected, as with the PlayStation 3, the system immediately downloads a software update. The next step is gaining access to the too-cutely-named Mii Channel, where you create your own Mii-simplistic but fun digital avatars that represent you in the Wii Sports games that are included with the console. Other online menu features like news and weather were not yet active.

But as I hinted before, the Wii Remote is the true hero of the system, and makes all the console's other features, or lack thereof, seem almost inconsequential. Nintendo wisely continues to license the force feedback technology that produces satisfying tactile cues through the controller. The same goes for Microsoft's (MSFT) Xbox 360. Sony leaves that feature out of the PlayStation 3, a decision that may come back to haunt the manufacturer as game developers make the most of the feature in the other consoles. The remote also provides great audio, such as the whooshing sound when you swing it like a tennis racket.

The true value of the Wii is its ability to reconvey that sense of child-like wonder that has been lost over the years as games like Electronic Arts' (ERTS) Madden NFL and Activision's (ATVI) Tony Hawk become familiar even as they get more technically complex. Anyone familiar with Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz will recognize the challenge of rolling monkeys through maze-like levels, or fans of Zelda know well they have to solve a raft of challenges and puzzles to win the game. But when you're using this controller to stab and slash, bob and weave, you'll experience even the most familiar games in a whole new way.

The Good: Wii controller creates an entirely novel playing experience

The Bad: Online features not fully enabled; graphics don't match rival consoles ...

news via businessweek

The graphics leave something to be desired, but the motion-sensitive remote makes this next-gen game system a tough competitor

For a sense of how the underdog Nintendo Wii fares against Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3, this scene from my home one recent night says it all.

On a rainy Monday, three friends stopped over for drinks before we were supposed to head out for dinner. Nearly five hours later, at 12:30 in the morning, they were finally shoved out the door, exhausted from the workout they gave the Wii and wondering where they could go to grab one of their own. The whole time they were there, the PS3 and Xbox 360 sat forlorn and ignored.

The Wii has the stuff to replicate that scenario in homes far and wide. Despite graphics that are far inferior to those of competitors and a design that looks more like an external hard drive than a next-gen game system, the Wii is just plain fun to play.
Virtual Reality in Your Living Room

What makes it so outstanding? It boils down to Nintendo's (NTDOY) decision to focus on how games are played, rather than the glitz and glitter of the games themselves. The company's innovative motion-sensitive Wii Remote controller truly creates the closest thing you'll get on a home system to virtual reality. Always thought you could be the next Andy Roddick? Playing even the simplest game of tennis with the Wii controller and rudimentary Wii Sports game package might show you how wrong you were.

Nintendo set about making the gaming experience itself something even a grandmother might look forward to, and it does a great job right out of the box.

Setup was fairly simple and intuitive. From the start, you put the Wii on its stand, connect the sensor pickup to the unit, and figure out where to place it near your TV for best pickup of your movements with the remote. I was concerned the sensor, placed below a giant-screen Sharp Aquos HDTV set would not pick up the signal, but it worked just fine.
It's All About Mii

After adjusting the clock and other settings, I set up a wireless connection to my home network in just a few minutes, without incident. Once you're Web-connected, as with the PlayStation 3, the system immediately downloads a software update. The next step is gaining access to the too-cutely-named Mii Channel, where you create your own Mii-simplistic but fun digital avatars that represent you in the Wii Sports games that are included with the console. Other online menu features like news and weather were not yet active.

But as I hinted before, the Wii Remote is the true hero of the system, and makes all the console's other features, or lack thereof, seem almost inconsequential. Nintendo wisely continues to license the force feedback technology that produces satisfying tactile cues through the controller. The same goes for Microsoft's (MSFT) Xbox 360. Sony leaves that feature out of the PlayStation 3, a decision that may come back to haunt the manufacturer as game developers make the most of the feature in the other consoles. The remote also provides great audio, such as the whooshing sound when you swing it like a tennis racket.

The true value of the Wii is its ability to reconvey that sense of child-like wonder that has been lost over the years as games like Electronic Arts' (ERTS) Madden NFL and Activision's (ATVI) Tony Hawk become familiar even as they get more technically complex. Anyone familiar with Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz will recognize the challenge of rolling monkeys through maze-like levels, or fans of Zelda know well they have to solve a raft of challenges and puzzles to win the game. But when you're using this controller to stab and slash, bob and weave, you'll experience even the most familiar games in a whole new way.

The Good: Wii controller creates an entirely novel playing experience

The Bad: Online features not fully enabled; graphics don't match rival consoles ...

news via businessweek

The graphics leave something to be desired, but the motion-sensitive remote makes this next-gen game system a tough competitor

For a sense of how the underdog Nintendo Wii fares against Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3, this scene from my home one recent night says it all.

On a rainy Monday, three friends stopped over for drinks before we were supposed to head out for dinner. Nearly five hours later, at 12:30 in the morning, they were finally shoved out the door, exhausted from the workout they gave the Wii and wondering where they could go to grab one of their own. The whole time they were there, the PS3 and Xbox 360 sat forlorn and ignored.

The Wii has the stuff to replicate that scenario in homes far and wide. Despite graphics that are far inferior to those of competitors and a design that looks more like an external hard drive than a next-gen game system, the Wii is just plain fun to play.
Virtual Reality in Your Living Room

What makes it so outstanding? It boils down to Nintendo's (NTDOY) decision to focus on how games are played, rather than the glitz and glitter of the games themselves. The company's innovative motion-sensitive Wii Remote controller truly creates the closest thing you'll get on a home system to virtual reality. Always thought you could be the next Andy Roddick? Playing even the simplest game of tennis with the Wii controller and rudimentary Wii Sports game package might show you how wrong you were.

Nintendo set about making the gaming experience itself something even a grandmother might look forward to, and it does a great job right out of the box.

Setup was fairly simple and intuitive. From the start, you put the Wii on its stand, connect the sensor pickup to the unit, and figure out where to place it near your TV for best pickup of your movements with the remote. I was concerned the sensor, placed below a giant-screen Sharp Aquos HDTV set would not pick up the signal, but it worked just fine.
It's All About Mii

After adjusting the clock and other settings, I set up a wireless connection to my home network in just a few minutes, without incident. Once you're Web-connected, as with the PlayStation 3, the system immediately downloads a software update. The next step is gaining access to the too-cutely-named Mii Channel, where you create your own Mii-simplistic but fun digital avatars that represent you in the Wii Sports games that are included with the console. Other online menu features like news and weather were not yet active.

But as I hinted before, the Wii Remote is the true hero of the system, and makes all the console's other features, or lack thereof, seem almost inconsequential. Nintendo wisely continues to license the force feedback technology that produces satisfying tactile cues through the controller. The same goes for Microsoft's (MSFT) Xbox 360. Sony leaves that feature out of the PlayStation 3, a decision that may come back to haunt the manufacturer as game developers make the most of the feature in the other consoles. The remote also provides great audio, such as the whooshing sound when you swing it like a tennis racket.

The true value of the Wii is its ability to reconvey that sense of child-like wonder that has been lost over the years as games like Electronic Arts' (ERTS) Madden NFL and Activision's (ATVI) Tony Hawk become familiar even as they get more technically complex. Anyone familiar with Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz will recognize the challenge of rolling monkeys through maze-like levels, or fans of Zelda know well they have to solve a raft of challenges and puzzles to win the game. But when you're using this controller to stab and slash, bob and weave, you'll experience even the most familiar games in a whole new way.

The Good: Wii controller creates an entirely novel playing experience

The Bad: Online features not fully enabled; graphics don't match rival consoles ...

news via redherring

Buyers prefer less expensive, more readily available game console.
November 21, 2006

Sony’s PlayStation 3 may have had a two-day head start on eBay, but rival Nintendo’s Wii has quickly emerged as the game console of choice among shoppers on the popular Internet auction site.

eBay officials on Tuesday afternoon said shoppers had already bought more than 14,400 Wiis since the console was first put up for sale on Sunday. Wiis, which went on sale Sunday at U.S. retail stores for $249, have sold on eBay for an average price of nearly $430—a 72 percent markup.

Online demand for Sony’s PS3 appeared heavy in the early going. eBay shoppers snapped up more than 500 PlayStation 3 by Friday morning, only hours after they went on sale at U.S. retail stores, the company said. The auction site said average selling prices tipped the scales at a hefty $2,700—not a bad markup from the system’s $499 or $599 retail price. “This is pretty much par for the course,” eBay spokesman Hani Durzy said of demand (see Ready to Big Big at eBay for a Console?).

But as of Tuesday afternoon, eBay had count some 11,300 PS3 units sold, well behind rival Wii’s sales on the auction site. The PS3’s average price fell sharply from the early going to $1,460, although that remained a healthy 143 percent premium over its retail price.

Teardown

But Sony isn’t seeing a whole lot of holiday cheer. Despite the PS3’s high retail price, analysts believe Sony is losing hundreds of dollars on each console it sells. In a detailed analysis released on November 16, research firm iSuppli estimated the Japanese gaming giant loses has under-priced its PS3 by as much as $307 a unit. Dubbing the amount remarkable even for the video game business, iSuppli nonetheless described the console as a “great bargain” well worth its hefty retail price tag (see PS3 Loyalty, Guts Examined).

Wiis, on the other hand, are less sophisticated and more readily available than the PS3 or Xbox 360, making the system less expensive to manufacture. In fact, Nintendo appears to be making money on each system it sells. Without giving specifics, Nintendo of Canada exec Pierre-Paul Trepanier told gaming news web site GamesIndustry.biz that the company is “making money from day one on the Wii.”

Both the PS3 and the Wii, which are challenging Microsoft’s long-released Xbox 360 to become the dominant next-generation game console, were rushed out to the U.S. market to be available for the holiday season. But the two consoles are in short supply and retailers are selling out of the units as quickly as they receive them. Many of those lucky enough to snag a new PS3 or Wii are turning eBay, where the not-so-lucky are more than willing to pay steep markups. With both consoles trickling through U.S. retail channels, eBay’s secondary economy is likely to continue humming. ...

news via redherring

Buyers prefer less expensive, more readily available game console.
November 21, 2006

Sony’s PlayStation 3 may have had a two-day head start on eBay, but rival Nintendo’s Wii has quickly emerged as the game console of choice among shoppers on the popular Internet auction site.

eBay officials on Tuesday afternoon said shoppers had already bought more than 14,400 Wiis since the console was first put up for sale on Sunday. Wiis, which went on sale Sunday at U.S. retail stores for $249, have sold on eBay for an average price of nearly $430—a 72 percent markup.

Online demand for Sony’s PS3 appeared heavy in the early going. eBay shoppers snapped up more than 500 PlayStation 3 by Friday morning, only hours after they went on sale at U.S. retail stores, the company said. The auction site said average selling prices tipped the scales at a hefty $2,700—not a bad markup from the system’s $499 or $599 retail price. “This is pretty much par for the course,” eBay spokesman Hani Durzy said of demand (see Ready to Big Big at eBay for a Console?).

But as of Tuesday afternoon, eBay had count some 11,300 PS3 units sold, well behind rival Wii’s sales on the auction site. The PS3’s average price fell sharply from the early going to $1,460, although that remained a healthy 143 percent premium over its retail price.

Teardown

But Sony isn’t seeing a whole lot of holiday cheer. Despite the PS3’s high retail price, analysts believe Sony is losing hundreds of dollars on each console it sells. In a detailed analysis released on November 16, research firm iSuppli estimated the Japanese gaming giant loses has under-priced its PS3 by as much as $307 a unit. Dubbing the amount remarkable even for the video game business, iSuppli nonetheless described the console as a “great bargain” well worth its hefty retail price tag (see PS3 Loyalty, Guts Examined).

Wiis, on the other hand, are less sophisticated and more readily available than the PS3 or Xbox 360, making the system less expensive to manufacture. In fact, Nintendo appears to be making money on each system it sells. Without giving specifics, Nintendo of Canada exec Pierre-Paul Trepanier told gaming news web site GamesIndustry.biz that the company is “making money from day one on the Wii.”

Both the PS3 and the Wii, which are challenging Microsoft’s long-released Xbox 360 to become the dominant next-generation game console, were rushed out to the U.S. market to be available for the holiday season. But the two consoles are in short supply and retailers are selling out of the units as quickly as they receive them. Many of those lucky enough to snag a new PS3 or Wii are turning eBay, where the not-so-lucky are more than willing to pay steep markups. With both consoles trickling through U.S. retail channels, eBay’s secondary economy is likely to continue humming. ...

news via redherring

Buyers prefer less expensive, more readily available game console.
November 21, 2006

Sony’s PlayStation 3 may have had a two-day head start on eBay, but rival Nintendo’s Wii has quickly emerged as the game console of choice among shoppers on the popular Internet auction site.

eBay officials on Tuesday afternoon said shoppers had already bought more than 14,400 Wiis since the console was first put up for sale on Sunday. Wiis, which went on sale Sunday at U.S. retail stores for $249, have sold on eBay for an average price of nearly $430—a 72 percent markup.

Online demand for Sony’s PS3 appeared heavy in the early going. eBay shoppers snapped up more than 500 PlayStation 3 by Friday morning, only hours after they went on sale at U.S. retail stores, the company said. The auction site said average selling prices tipped the scales at a hefty $2,700—not a bad markup from the system’s $499 or $599 retail price. “This is pretty much par for the course,” eBay spokesman Hani Durzy said of demand (see Ready to Big Big at eBay for a Console?).

But as of Tuesday afternoon, eBay had count some 11,300 PS3 units sold, well behind rival Wii’s sales on the auction site. The PS3’s average price fell sharply from the early going to $1,460, although that remained a healthy 143 percent premium over its retail price.

Teardown

But Sony isn’t seeing a whole lot of holiday cheer. Despite the PS3’s high retail price, analysts believe Sony is losing hundreds of dollars on each console it sells. In a detailed analysis released on November 16, research firm iSuppli estimated the Japanese gaming giant loses has under-priced its PS3 by as much as $307 a unit. Dubbing the amount remarkable even for the video game business, iSuppli nonetheless described the console as a “great bargain” well worth its hefty retail price tag (see PS3 Loyalty, Guts Examined).

Wiis, on the other hand, are less sophisticated and more readily available than the PS3 or Xbox 360, making the system less expensive to manufacture. In fact, Nintendo appears to be making money on each system it sells. Without giving specifics, Nintendo of Canada exec Pierre-Paul Trepanier told gaming news web site GamesIndustry.biz that the company is “making money from day one on the Wii.”

Both the PS3 and the Wii, which are challenging Microsoft’s long-released Xbox 360 to become the dominant next-generation game console, were rushed out to the U.S. market to be available for the holiday season. But the two consoles are in short supply and retailers are selling out of the units as quickly as they receive them. Many of those lucky enough to snag a new PS3 or Wii are turning eBay, where the not-so-lucky are more than willing to pay steep markups. With both consoles trickling through U.S. retail channels, eBay’s secondary economy is likely to continue humming. ...