Wii MotionPlus attached to the Wii Remote
|
|
Manufacturer | Nintendo |
---|---|
Product family | Wii Remote |
Type | Expansion device |
Release date | |
Connectivity | External extension connector |
The Wii MotionPlus (Wiiモーションプラス?) is an expansion device for the Wii Remote video game controller for the Wii that allows it to capture complex motion more accurately. According to Nintendo, the sensor in the device supplements the accelerometer and Sensor Bar capabilities of the Wii Remote to enable actions to be rendered identically on the screen in real time.
The Wii's successor console, the Wii U, supports the Wii MotionPlus and its peripherals in games where use of its touchscreen-built-in primary controller is not necessary.
The Wii MotionPlus was announced by Nintendo in a press release on July 14, 2008, and revealed the next day at a press conference at the E3 Media & Business Summit. It was released in June 2009. On May 3, 2010, Nintendo announced that starting May 9, 2010, the company will include its Wii Sports Resort game and MotionPlus controller with new consoles with no price increase.
The Wii MotionPlus was developed by Nintendo in collaboration with game development tool company AiLive. The sensor used is an InvenSense IDG-600 or IDG-650 in later units, designed in accordance to Nintendo's specification; with a high dynamic range, high mechanical shock tolerance, high temperature and humidity resistance, and small physical size.
The Wii MotionPlus was conceived soon after the completion of the initial Wii Remote design, to address developer demand for more capable motion sensing, but was only announced after the sensors could be purchased in sufficient volume at a reasonable price. During a developer roundtable discussion at E3 2008, Wii Sports Resort producer Katsuya Eguchi discussed the potential influence of the Wii MotionPlus on the Wii's existing market, stating that Nintendo was looking at whether the MotionPlus capability will be built into the Wii Remote in the future, or kept "as an attachment we only use for certain software."