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New Controller Gets Rid of the Unsightly Sensor Bar On Your TV

Tim Stevens — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:39:00 EST

The Wiimote (and the little console it wirelessly connects to) has taken the world by storm. It's surprising, then, that more competitors haven't come out with their own interpretation's of Nintendo's novelty. Sony, of course, threw a little motion sensitivity into its PlayStation 3 controller, but that's really been about it.

Now, however, PC accessory maker Motus is in the planning stages of launching its own little and white motion-sensing device that itll call the Darwin. We're not quite sure the evolved name is appropriate, though, at least not based on the Darwin specs.

The Darwin looks quite a bit like the Wiimote, is roughly the same size and offers a similar button placement. It is, however, rounder in shape, like the hilt on a Samurai sword. So, presumably, it should be a little more comfortable, and with no sensor bar (that unsightly contraption you have to put on your TV) required, the Darwin shouldn't require that you point it at the screen to enable it to tell where it's indicating. This device will use an internal gyroscope instead of the IR sensors used by the Wii, potentially enabling it to always know which direction it is pointing.

While that does sound more advanced, the planned price of $79 - $99 puts it at twice that of Nintendo's offering. Likewise, while Nintendo has already pushed millions and millions of their Wiimotes, Motus won't make the available until sometime next year.

Yes, next year. '2008' is still looking a little fresh, so expect it to be a long, long wait.

From Engadget and Technology Review

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New Controller Gets Rid of the Unsightly Sensor Bar On Your TV originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geriatric Wii Tournament Crowns 84 Year-Old Winner

Alon Avdi — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:31:00 EST

Filed under: Video Games, Gamer, Jock/Sports Fan, Wii

Don't look now, but it appears that even the AARP digs the Nintendo Wii gaming console. Want proof? TG Daily reports that a Washington, D.C.-area retirement community recently held a Wii bowling tournament that culminated in a matchup between 79-year-old real bowling champion and an 84-year-old Wii-prodigy challenger. Nancy Davies beat Hal Winters 202 to 182 at the Riderwood Retirement Community in one of many Wii tournaments held at the geriatric complex. While Winters is an actual bowling expert, Davies only began bowling only a year ago, exclusively on the Wii, which makes the upset so shocking.

Since several Wii units were received last March, the plaid-loving residents have flocked to play and challenge each other in shooting and hockey games in addition to bowling free-for-alls. This item of news marks the unique marketability of the Wii toward demographics heretofore unresponsive to the gaming world, groups including the elderly, female and middle-aged populations. Now if we can just get Grandma to talk trash we'll be getting somewhere...

From Engadget Via TG Daily and Examiner.com

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Geriatric Wii Tournament Crowns 84 Year-Old Winner originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Collapsible Sensor Bar Makes Your Wii More Portable

Tim Stevens — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 15:27:00 EST

Filed under: Video Games, Reviews, Wii

Nintendo's Wii is one of those video game consoles that you definitely want to take with you when you go to a party at a friend's house -- assuming of course they don't already have one of their own. And, given the size of the little white box, the Wii seems like it would be the perfect thing to throw in a bag and take a long. However, that long and fragile looking sensor bar stuck to the top of your TV with double-sided tape doesn't exactly lend itself to easy portability.

Enter the Sensor Wiire, a third-party accessory that replaces the stock sensor bar with something that's a lot easier to take along. Instead of a solid bar, the Sensor Wire has two small boxes that clip together. Held end-to-end they are about the size of a pack of gum, and combined with a retractable cord, the whole package hardly takes up any room at all.

It uses a similar design found in many wired portable mice, with a small spring-loaded wheel winding the cable up to keep things neat while traveling. However, that wheel leads to the one and only drawback of the thing -- it's not long enough. The sensor wire is only two feet long, very short compared to the ten feet of wire attached to the stock sensor bar. That's not enough to even reach the top of most HDTVs.

So, while you're a little restricted in how you setup your Wii when using this, installation is otherwise a breeze. Just plug it into the same stock bar port on the back of your Wii, extend the cable, set the sensors down in front of the television, and you're ready to play. It works well. For those who are constantly taking their Wiis on-the-go and would rather avoid tangle-prone cords, the Sensor Bar may be a worthwhile purchase, but everyone else will find the two-feet of cable somewhat useless and certainly no replacement for the stock bar.

Gallery: Wii Sensor Wiire

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Collapsible Sensor Bar Makes Your Wii More Portable originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 02 Jan 2008 15:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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