Did Nintendo make the right choice with the Wiimote?

As you probably know, Nintendo's new console has an unusual controller in the shape of a remote.  It has a few buttons, but its main focus is motion sensing.  In short, they pretty much threw the original console controller design out the window.

My question is this: do you think Nintendo should have done this?  Should they have thrown away the original design?  Was motion sensing the way to go or did they make a big mistake?

I myself think they should have kept an original controller design.  There is a slot at the bottom of the Wii remote where you plug in the nunchuk or classic controller.  A Wiimote-like device could have been plugged into one of these stuck onto the bottom of a normal controller..  I like motion sensing and the normal controller, but I don't like how Nintendo has thrown away the normal controller.

It is something different than just upgrading the hardware and calling it a day. And it seems to be working.foxhound_fox

Yeah, but don't you miss the original controller design?

As you probably know, Nintendo's new console has an unusual controller in the shape of a remote. It has a few buttons, but its main focus is motion sensing. In short, they pretty much threw the original console controller design out the window.

My question is this: do you think Nintendo should have done this? Should they have thrown away the original design? Was motion sensing the way to go or did they make a big mistake?

I myself think they should have kept an original controller design. There is a slot at the bottom of the Wii remote where you plug in the nunchuk or classic controller. A Wiimote-like device could have been plugged into one of these stuck onto the bottom of a normal controller.. I like motion sensing and the normal controller, but I don't like how Nintendo has thrown away the normal controller.

Ptolemaueus

[QUOTE="foxhound_fox"]It is something different than just upgrading the hardware and calling it a day. And it seems to be working.Ptolemaueus

Yeah, but don't you miss the original controller design?

[QUOTE="Ptolemaueus"]

[QUOTE="foxhound_fox"]It is something different than just upgrading the hardware and calling it a day. And it seems to be working.magus-21

Yeah, but don't you miss the original controller design?

The Wiimote doesn't have as many buttons and is pretty much a different shape.

[QUOTE="magus-21"][QUOTE="Ptolemaueus"]

[QUOTE="foxhound_fox"]It is something different than just upgrading the hardware and calling it a day. And it seems to be working.Ptolemaueus

Yeah, but don't you miss the original controller design?

The Wiimote doesn't have as many buttons and is pretty much a different shape.

Yeah, but don't you miss the original controller design?Ptolemaueus

i think they did make the right choice. controller tech has been ignored in the pursuit of raw power which is a shame imho. there is a case for having a motion sensor in a traditional controller (ie the six axis) but its design limits movement to a certain extent. both hands have to be on the controller to get the best out of it. in contrast the wiis controller only requires one hand which means that a second sensor can be plonked into the other hand (ala the nunchuck). this makes 2 things feel far more natural. 1) its more natural to move hands independently and this makes the controller a bit more intuitive. 2) it makes pointing at the screen feel more natural than trying to point with a traditional controller. do remember that the wimote does more than detect motion. theres the pointing facility too which can make it beahave like a mouse. many games on the PC are completly driven by the mouse. MEd2 total war for exmaple only really needs a mouse (though a keyboard does help with controle...but the nunchuck could easly fit that role). i dont need to say how brilliant that game is do i? good luck getting that to work on a normal controller.osan0

Yes, but I question how well the Wii remote will be able to function playing taditional games.

[QUOTE="Ptolemaueus"]Yeah, but don't you miss the original controller design?foxhound_fox

Good point, but usually they're somewhat similar.

I hate the Xbox and PS2 controllers

x box has 8 buttons and then three controllers that are also buttons......You might has well use a keybord

the PS2 control is not far off.

I love the fact that Nintendo went away from all the buttons....I hope to see other companies follow their lead

[QUOTE="Ptolemaueus"][QUOTE="magus-21"][QUOTE="Ptolemaueus"]

[QUOTE="foxhound_fox"]It is something different than just upgrading the hardware and calling it a day. And it seems to be working.magus-21

Yeah, but don't you miss the original controller design?

The Wiimote doesn't have as many buttons and is pretty much a different shape.

Traditional games might not be able to function as well on the Wii remote.  Zelda sacrificed camera control and being able to press a button for your sword.  While none of these were bad, camera control would have been nice and the way to use your sword feels tacked on in the Wii version.  Zelda did a good job, but would other games do as good of a job?

Good point, but usually they're somewhat similar.Ptolemaueus

I see no similarities other than colours and button names.foxhound_fox

[QUOTE="foxhound_fox"]It is something different than just upgrading the hardware and calling it a day. And it seems to be working.Ptolemaueus

Yeah, but don't you miss the original controller design?

[QUOTE="Ptolemaueus"]Good point, but usually they're somewhat similar.foxhound_fox

On the SNES they added X, Y, R, L
On the N64 they added a thumbstick, Z, the C buttons, and got rid of X and Y.
On the Cube they replaced the C buttons with a C stick and re-added X and Y.

The button placement and number has varied, but usually the buttons are there.  The Nintendo controllers are built on the previous ones.  Even the designs are a little similar.  From NES to SNES.  On N64 it changed, but on GC they made it a little similar to the N64.  The Wii remote is totally different from the others.

Maybe I didn't explain the point of this thread very well (which is more than likely.)

What I'm trying to ask is did Nintendo make the right choice by changing the design so drastically that traditional games wouldn't be able to function as well as they did previously on the other consoles.

What other choice could they make? If Nintendo decided to go the route of improved graphical horsepower, then we would have another situation like that of the GameCube, with no one buying it due to a hefty next-gen price tag and limited third party support (the cornerstone of any successful console). Nintendo would not be able to stand up to other companies offering the same, nor would they be able to entice new customers like the Wii does. The Wiimote has opened up a lot of potential and is offering developers the option to develop for a cheap price and to bring some innovation to the way we play videogames. It was not only the right choice, it was the only choice.-Spock-

[QUOTE="magus-21"][QUOTE="Ptolemaueus"][QUOTE="magus-21"][QUOTE="Ptolemaueus"]

[QUOTE="foxhound_fox"]It is something different than just upgrading the hardware and calling it a day. And it seems to be working.Ptolemaueus

Yeah, but don't you miss the original controller design?

The Wiimote doesn't have as many buttons and is pretty much a different shape.

Traditional games might not be able to function as well on the Wii remote. Zelda sacrificed camera control and being able to press a button for your sword. While none of these were bad, camera control would have been nice and the way to use your sword feels tacked on in the Wii version. Zelda did a good job, but would other games do as good of a job?

Zelda did a good job, but would other games do as good of a job?Ptolemaueus

Maybe I didn't explain the point of this thread very well (which is more than likely.)

What I'm trying to ask is did Nintendo make the right choice by changing the design so drastically that traditional games wouldn't be able to function as well as they did previously on the other consoles.

Ptolemaueus

Maybe I didn't explain the point of this thread very well (which is more than likely.)

What I'm trying to ask is did Nintendo make the right choice by changing the design so drastically that traditional games wouldn't be able to function as well as they did previously on the other consoles.

Ptolemaueus

Maybe I didn't explain the point of this thread very well (which is more than likely.)

What I'm trying to ask is did Nintendo make the right choice by changing the design so drastically that traditional games wouldn't be able to function as well as they did previously on the other consoles.

Ptolemaueus

Maybe but what I think you are having a hard time understanding is that their is a number of people who don't like the "new 8+ button" traditional button games. I play the xbox right now I am playing KOTOR but I hate when I am playing Halo and I have to think what do all these buttons do. Some of us just want to pick up a game and play. Not needing 5 million buttons just to shoot and kill.

IMO, Nintendo didn't have a choice, especially if they were to keep the current wii systems specs along with the traditional controller.  There is no way that they would be able to compete with the 360 and the ps3 with so little to offer.  The wii without the motion sensing right now would not work. 

The gamecube tried to compete head on with the other 2 systems, and it came in last.  The only option left for Nintendo was to try and grab the market from a different perspective, which was innovation and cheaper pricing - and it appears to be working out for them.

What other choice could they make? If Nintendo decided to go the route of improved graphical horsepower, then we would have another situation like that of the GameCube, with no one buying it due to a hefty next-gen price tag and limited third party support (the cornerstone of any successful console). Nintendo would not be able to stand up to other companies offering the same, nor would they be able to entice new customers like the Wii does. The Wiimote has opened up a lot of potential and is offering developers the option to develop for a cheap price and to bring some innovation to the way we play videogames. It was not only the right choice, it was the only choice.-Spock-

[QUOTE="Ptolemaueus"]

Maybe I didn't explain the point of this thread very well (which is more than likely.)

What I'm trying to ask is did Nintendo make the right choice by changing the design so drastically that traditional games wouldn't be able to function as well as they did previously on the other consoles.

magus-21

That's the problem here.  What we have right now are Wii games built around the Wiimote.  That's good, don't get me wrong.  But when we have games with traditional controls (or are supposed to have them) what do we get?  Call of Duty 2, Red Steel, Splinter Cell: DA, etc.  They're supposed to have traditional controls, but those games are average or less.  This may or may not be attributed to the devs not being used to the console, though.

[QUOTE="Ptolemaueus"]

Maybe I didn't explain the point of this thread very well (which is more than likely.)

What I'm trying to ask is did Nintendo make the right choice by changing the design so drastically that traditional games wouldn't be able to function as well as they did previously on the other consoles.

HarlockJC

Maybe but what I think you are having a hard time understanding is that their is a number of people who don't like the "new 8+ button" traditional button games. I play the xbox right now I am playing KOTOR but I hate when I am playing Halo and I have to think what do all these buttons do. Some of us just want to pick up a game and play. Not needing 5 million buttons just to shoot and kill.

I like both, honestly.  But I think the Wiimote might limit the genres that come to the console.

[QUOTE="magus-21"][QUOTE="Ptolemaueus"]

Maybe I didn't explain the point of this thread very well (which is more than likely.)

What I'm trying to ask is did Nintendo make the right choice by changing the design so drastically that traditional games wouldn't be able to function as well as they did previously on the other consoles.

Ptolemaueus

That's the problem here. What we have right now are Wii games built around the Wiimote. That's good, don't get me wrong. But when we have games with traditional controls (or are supposed to have them) what do we get? Call of Duty 2, Red Steel, Splinter Cell: DA, etc. They're supposed to have traditional controls, but those games are average or less. This may or may not be attributed to the devs not being used to the console, though.

[QUOTE="Ptolemaueus"][QUOTE="magus-21"][QUOTE="Ptolemaueus"]

Maybe I didn't explain the point of this thread very well (which is more than likely.)

What I'm trying to ask is did Nintendo make the right choice by changing the design so drastically that traditional games wouldn't be able to function as well as they did previously on the other consoles.

magus-21

That's the problem here. What we have right now are Wii games built around the Wiimote. That's good, don't get me wrong. But when we have games with traditional controls (or are supposed to have them) what do we get? Call of Duty 2, Red Steel, Splinter Cell: DA, etc. They're supposed to have traditional controls, but those games are average or less. This may or may not be attributed to the devs not being used to the console, though.

:lol:  I didn't think of that one.  Yeah, those probably aren't the best examples.  And given we're just a couple months past launch, I guess I'm questioning the Wii remote a little too early.  Given Nintendo hasn't let me down before, I don't know why the hell I'm questioning them at all.

I think the Wii remote is a great idea. And I'm sure the 3 million or so people that have bought a Wii so far would also agree!

Like a few others have said, If Nintendo had just gone with a standard controller and beefed up to the graphics then they would be in the same situation they were with the Gamecube!

The current sales numbers show that Nintendo have made a great decision!