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Wii Remote: the story on HearLore | HearLore
Wii Remote
In 2001, Nintendo quietly licensed motion-sensing patents from a company called Gyration Inc., a move that would eventually birth a controller so revolutionary it redefined what a video game could be. The Wii Remote, initially conceived as a one-handed device with a detachable right half, evolved from early sketches and interviews with hardcore gamers into the iconic white wand known today. By late 2004, Nintendo had settled on the familiar shape, integrating an accelerometer and infrared pointer to allow players to point, swing, and gesture their way through games. This was not merely an evolution of the GameCube controller; it was a deliberate break from tradition, designed to appeal to non-gamers and families who had never before considered video games as a shared experience. The controller was officially revealed at the Tokyo Game Show on the 14th of September 2005, and its final form was unveiled at E3 2006, where it received immediate attention for its unique features. The design process was influenced by mobile phones and automotive navigation systems, with early prototypes resembling cell phones before Nintendo rejected the idea of a touchscreen to avoid blurring the line between portable and home consoles. The finalized version, with its simple button layout and wireless connectivity, was ready for mass production by the end of 2005, setting the stage for a gaming revolution.
From GameCube to Revolution
Before the Wii Remote became synonymous with the Nintendo Wii, it was in development as a peripheral for the GameCube, a console that many critics had labeled a "toy" due to its perceived lack of depth. Video game developer Factor 5 confirmed that during the development of Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader, they had access to an early prototype of the motion-sensing controller. Journalist Matt Casamassina of IGN noted that Nintendo may have intended to extend the GameCube's lifespan with secret peripherals, but ultimately decided to launch the Wii Remote with a new system, the Revolution, to address the GameCube's limitations. Images of the GameCube prototype, including the Nunchuk attachment, surfaced online in October 2018 when one was auctioned, revealing a design that was more traditional than the final product. The decision to pivot the Wii Remote to the Revolution was strategic, aiming to attract a broader audience beyond the core gaming demographic. The controller's design was influenced by Shigeru Miyamoto's interest in mobile phones and automotive navigation systems, leading to prototypes that resembled cell phones before Nintendo rejected the touchscreen idea. The final design, with its simple button layout and wireless connectivity, was ready for mass production by the end of 2005, setting the stage for a gaming revolution.
When was the Wii Remote officially revealed to the public?
The Wii Remote was officially revealed at the Tokyo Game Show on the 14th of September 2005. Its final form was subsequently unveiled at E3 2006 where it received immediate attention for its unique features.
What sensors does the Wii Remote use to track motion and pointing?
The Wii Remote uses an Analog Devices MEMS-based three-dimensional accelerometer to sense acceleration along three axes and an optical sensor from PixArt to detect infrared light emitted from the Sensor Bar. This setup allows the Wii Remote to function as an accurate pointing device up to 5 meters away from the Sensor Bar.
Why did Nintendo issue a recall for the Wii Remote wrist strap in 2006?
Nintendo issued a product recall for the wrist straps because reports emerged that the strap tended to break under heavy use, potentially sending the Wii Remote flying and causing injury. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission became involved in the replacement program and units with thicker straps began to appear on the 8th of December 2006.
How many Wii Remote and Nunchuk units were sold in the United States?
The Wii Remote and Nunchuk combined sold over 8.5 million units in the United States and took the top two spots in video game accessories sales in 2006. The Nunchuk was the best-selling video game hardware for January 2008 with 375,000 units sold.
What patent infringement lawsuit did Nintendo lose against iLife Technologies?
Nintendo lost a patent infringement lawsuit against iLife Technologies in August 2017 where a jury ruled in favor of iLife Technologies and forced Nintendo to pay $144 million in damages. The United States Court of Appeals upheld the jury's decision in December 2017 before a federal court overturned the judgement in January 2020.
At the heart of the Wii Remote lies a sophisticated array of sensors that allow players to interact with games in ways previously impossible. The controller uses an Analog Devices MEMS-based three-dimensional accelerometer to sense acceleration along three axes, enabling it to detect movements like swinging a sword or throwing a ball. An optical sensor from PixArt allows the Wii Remote to determine where it is pointing by detecting infrared light emitted from the Sensor Bar, which contains ten infrared LEDs. This setup allows the Wii Remote to function as an accurate pointing device up to 5 meters away from the Sensor Bar. The Sensor Bar's cable is 1.5 meters long, and it can be placed above or below the television, centered horizontally. The Wii Remote's image sensor locates the Sensor Bar's points of light, and the Wii CPU calculates the distance between the Wii Remote and the Sensor Bar using triangulation. This technology allows the Wii Remote to control slow forward-backward motion of an object in a 3D game, a feature termed "Pushing or Pulling" in the Wii Operations Manual. The use of an infrared sensor to detect position can cause some detection problems in the presence of other infrared sources, such as incandescent light bulbs or candles. Innovative users have used other sources of IR light, such as a pair of flashlights or a pair of candles, as Sensor Bar substitutes. The Wii Remote picks up traces of heat from the sensor, then transmits it to the Wii console to control the pointer on your screen. Such substitutes for the Sensor Bar illustrate the fact that a pair of non-moving lights provide continuous calibration of the direction that the Wii Remote is pointing and its physical location relative to the light sources. There is no way to calibrate the position of the cursor relative to where the user is pointing the controller without the two stable reference sources of light provided by the Sensor Bar or substitutes. Third-party wireless sensor bars have also been released, which have been popular with users of Wii emulators since the official Sensor Bar utilizes a proprietary connector to connect to the Wii console.
The Wrist Strap Crisis
The Wii Remote's wrist strap, a simple safety feature, became the center of a legal and public relations storm in 2006. The strap, tied with a cow hitch knot, was designed to prevent the controller from flying away during intense gameplay. However, reports emerged that the strap tended to break under heavy use, potentially sending the Wii Remote flying and causing injury. In response, Nintendo issued a product recall for the wrist straps and replaced broken straps free of charge. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission became involved in the replacement program, and on the 8th of December 2006, units with thicker straps began to appear in some areas of the world. On the 15th of December 2006, Nintendo denied reports of a Wii wrist strap recall, but the issue persisted. A class-action lawsuit was filed by the law firm Green Welling LLP against Nintendo for its "defective wrist straps," leading to a product recall and the issuance of a new version of the strap with an improved securing mechanism. A second class-action lawsuit was filed by a mother in Colorado in December 2008, claiming the updated wrist straps were still ineffective. This suit was dismissed by September 2010, finding for Nintendo that the wrist straps were not knowingly faulty under Colorado consumer protection laws. Despite the legal challenges, the wrist strap remained a critical safety feature, with Nintendo providing guidelines on proper use and offering free replacements through its online Wrist Strap Replacement Request Form. The strap was also used to restrain the Nunchuk's connector by its hook, safely slowing any sudden movement of the Nunchuk's cord if the connector was forcibly disconnected. In 2012, with the launch of the Wii U, the wrist strap was once again updated to allow users to push the sync button through the new jackets and battery covers.
The Speaker and the Rumble
The Wii Remote introduced several firsts in video game controllers, including the first built-in speaker and the first infrared pointer. At the 2006 E3 press conference, it was revealed that the Wii Remote has its own independent speaker on the face of the unit. This was demonstrated by a developer as he strung and shot a bow in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. The sound from both the Wii Remote and television was altered as the bow shot to give the impression of the arrow traveling away from the player. In addition to reproducing certain in-game sound effects that reflect the on-screen action, the Wii Remote speaker can also function as a voice receiver through which non-player characters can speak to the player with long-distance telecommunication, featured in games like Red Steel, Real Heroes: Firefighter and GoldenEye 007. Some party games and hotseat multiplayer games also utilize the speaker to indicate changes between player turns. The volume can be changed or muted with the "Home" button and selecting the corresponding controller icon at the bottom of the screen; if the speaker is muted, any sounds intended to be emitted from the speaker will come from the television in most cases. The rumble feature can also be switched on or off using the Home Menu. The Wii Remote provides basic audio and rumble (vibration) functionality, but the Nunchuk does not. The Wii Remote's expansion port is unsuitable for internal battery charging, and the only type of (externally charged) rechargeable battery supported is nickel-metal hydride (NiMH). A 3300 μF capacitor provides a temporary source of power during quick movements of the Wii Remote when connection to the batteries may be temporarily interrupted. If the Wii Remote is not used for more than 5 minutes, such as when the player is using a GameCube controller, it will shut off, and can be re-activated by pressing any button. Games are able to determine and react to the current battery life of Wii Remotes, with certain games using unique, extra-diegetic methods of alerting the player to low battery life.
The Legacy of Motion
The Wii Remote's influence extended far beyond the Wii console, shaping the future of gaming hardware and inspiring a new generation of controllers. The controller's success led to the development of the Wii Remote Plus, which featured built-in Wii MotionPlus technology, allowing players to use peripherals like the Wii Zapper and Wii Wheel and comfortably use the Wii Remote horizontally without having to remove the Wii MotionPlus attachment from the Wii Remote. The Wii Remote Plus competed with Microsoft Corporation's Kinect and Sony Computer Entertainment's PlayStation Move with PlayStation Eye motion controllers, respectively. Nintendo later announced that the remote would be available in white, black, blue and pink. It was released in Australia on the 28th of October 2010, in Europe on the 5th of November 2010, in North America on the 7th of November 2010, and in Japan on the 11th of November 2010. The Wii Remote's design also influenced the development of the Nintendo Switch, a console small enough and with smaller controllers to also be used as a portable unit. According to Nintendo's Shinya Takahashi, player feedback for the Wii Remote, particularly on reducing its form-factor, led into the development of the Nintendo Switch. The Wii Remote's legacy is evident in the continued use of motion controls in modern gaming, with the Joy-Con controllers of the Nintendo Switch serving as a direct successor to the Wii Remote. The Wii Remote's impact on the gaming industry was profound, with the controller and Nunchuk combined selling over 8.5 million units in the United States, and taking the top two spots in video game accessories sales in 2006. In the United States, the Nunchuk was the best-selling video game hardware for January 2008, with 375,000 units sold, in a month where the Wii was the best-selling console with 274,000 units sold.
The Legal Battles
The Wii Remote's innovative design did not come without legal challenges, as several companies filed patent-infringement lawsuits against Nintendo. Interlink Electronics filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against Nintendo in December 2006 over the pointing functionality of the Wii Remote, claiming "loss of reasonable royalties, reduced sales and/or lost profits as a result of the infringing activities" of Nintendo. The lawsuit was terminated in March 2007. On the 19th of August 2008, Hillcrest Laboratories Inc. filed a complaint against Nintendo with the U.S International Trade Commission, alleging that the Wii Remote infringed on three of its patents. A fourth Hillcrest patent (for graphical interfaces displayed on television screens) was also allegedly violated. Hillcrest sought a ban on Wii consoles imported to the U.S. On the 24th of August 2009, Nintendo and Hillcrest reached a settlement, although the terms were not publicly disclosed. In September 2011, ThinkOptics Inc. filed a lawsuit against Nintendo in United States District Court of the Eastern District of Texas over their controller, the Wavit Remote, claiming that the Wii violated its patent for a "handheld vision based absolute pointing system". They also said that the Wii U infringes on their patents as well and claims that Nintendo was aware of the fact that the Wii allegedly violates ThinkOptics' patents. The lawsuit sought an injunction against violating products, royalties, attorney's fees, and damages for lost profits. The lawsuit was dismissed by ThinkOptics in August 2014. Starting in December 2012, iLife Technologies sued several large companies over patent infringement over a set of patents they held related to "systems and methods for evaluating movement of a body relative to an environment", principally aimed at the medical field; Nintendo was sued by iLife in December 2013 for the Wii Remote's infringement on their patents, with the lawsuit seeking $144 million in damages, based on a $4 fine for the Wii units it had sold to date. A jury trial was heard in August 2017, and the jury ruled in favor of iLife Technologies and Nintendo was forced to pay $144 million in damages. While Nintendo attempted to appeal this ruling, the United States Court of Appeals upheld the jury's decision in December 2017. However, in January 2020, a federal court overturned the judgement and ruled that iLife's patent was too broad.
The Third-Party Revolution
The Wii Remote's open design and wireless connectivity inspired a wave of third-party development and innovation. Since the release of the Wii console, many aesthetic, ergonomic, and functional accessories have been developed for the Wii Remote by third parties. One popular Windows program called GlovePIE allows the Wii Remote to be used on a personal computer to emulate a keyboard, mouse or joystick. Connecting the Wii Remote to a personal computer is done via a Bluetooth connection. The Bluetooth program BlueSoleil has been proven to successfully connect a Wii Remote to a PC. Still another program (like GlovePIE) is needed to utilize the Wii Remote's protocol and to use the data it offers. The Wii Remote Bluetooth protocol can be implemented on other devices including cell phones, which often have poor usability with games. Two students have demonstrated this concept by creating driver software that has the capability to connect the Wii Remote to a Symbian smartphone. The idea behind this driver is that a mobile phone with a TV-out port can replace the game console. Programmer Johnny Lee posted video demos and sample code at his website related to the use of the Wii Remote for finger tracking, low-cost multipoint interactive whiteboards, and head tracking for desktop VR displays. He demonstrated several such applications at a TED conference. The WiimoteProject forum became the discussion, support and sharing site for Lee's Wii Remote projects and other newer developments. Studies have been conducted to use the Wii Remote as a practice method to fine-tune surgeons' hand motions. Utilizing DarwiinRemote, researchers at the University of Memphis adapted the Wii Remote for data collection in cognitive psychology experiments. Autodesk released a plugin that allows the Wii Remote to control orientation of 3D models in Autodesk Design Review. The Wii Remote's versatility extended beyond gaming, with applications in education, medicine, and even home automation. The Wii Remote's impact on the gaming industry was profound, with the controller and Nunchuk combined selling over 8.5 million units in the United States, and taking the top two spots in video game accessories sales in 2006. In the United States, the Nunchuk was the best-selling video game hardware for January 2008, with 375,000 units sold, in a month where the Wii was the best-selling console with 274,000 units sold.