Nintendo Wii Fanboy

Having something dubbed the "killer" of your concept is a sign that you've arrived. Welcome to the Wii era, when any other motion-sensing technology will automatically be called the "Wii-killer!" Expect to hear this phrase a lot, particularly since Nintendo's innovative new controller is still viewed as a gimmick by many. The newest "Wii-killer" is actually a third-party controller by In2Games codenamed "fusion" that purports to communicate motion as accurately as possible by utilizing "sound waves and other technical wizardry" in addition to other sensors. Some of the included videos seem to be out there as direct Wii-competition (like the bowling controller), but it seems like something of a stretch to assume that many companies will base games around a third-party controller which will probably end up costing a pretty penny. Especially when consumers can just get a Wii, which comes with all the power of Nintendo behind it instead of being limited to sports games (which it seems In2Games is focusing on).

So what do you think? Interesting new toy, omfg-megaton-Wii-killer, or just another big yawn?

[Thanks, Canuckle!]

Whether it's the backing of an unorthodox console or just the sight of an opponent stumbling over a price tag, Iwata exudes a good deal of confidence in the interview where he shrugs off the PS3's knee-jerk addition of motion sensing capabilities. Mr. Iwata points out that having to hold the DualShake with both hands makes for a noticeably different experience. "There's a huge gap between the two, I can tell you, with that whole experience, so I really don't think that the inclusion of motion sensing into Sony's classic type of controller can affect in one way or the other the advantage that we have with the Wii controller."

Though gamers will be pointing and yelling "thief" for a while to come, Iwata's calm reaction is probably the best illustration of what's really happening here. The PS3 controller has an extra feature (at the expense of rumbling) that, judging by the games we've seen so far, is unlikely to become the primary form of input as it has with the Wii. The types of games on the two systems are thus likely to be different enough to dismiss any sort of suggestion that Sony is somehow stealing from and encroaching upon Nintendo's market. It's important to keep in mind that the functions of a controller, whether they be motion sensing or sensual massaging, are pretty worthless without games that make proper use of them. (That excludes the original Xbox controller. It made for an exceedingly effective blunt weapon.)