Wii MotionPlus Tech Was 'Too Expensive'

[modeps]

If you were one of the millions of gamers who asked "Why wasn't this type of technology included with the Wii originally?" when Nintendo announced Wii MotionPlus, your question has been answered: 'It was too expensive.' 1Up is running a story (http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3170383) where Reggie has stated that the cost would not fit into the business model.

One of the most significant announcements to come out of Nintendo's otherwise abysmal E3 press conference (and even this was announced before the conference) was the Wii MotionPlus. With this adapter, which attaches to the bottom end of the Wiimote, the controller will be capable of a 1:1 response to the user's movement. Great, right? But there's one nagging question about MotionPlus that we raised immediately after it was first announced: Why wasn't this technology in the Wiimote from the beginning?

As we've now learned, it all comes down to cost. Chatting with VentureBeat about the MotionPlus, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime explained that Nintendo was aware of the technology while designing the Wii but implementing it would have proven too costly for the business model Nintendo was looking to employ. "By waiting about three years, the costs come down substantially and it becomes a viable product," he offered.

...and there you have it.

[jeffbax]

Too expensive... when they are charging $250 when the GameCube sold for $99 for like 3 years... my ass.

[Flatpicker]

It's probably not a problem when you are talking about graphic capability, but when you gimp the core functionality and the sell the improvements separately, it's too easy to split your user base.

They should have just waited till Wii squared or something..

[Ph00p]

WTF?? They even came out and said they wanted to charge $200 retail for the machine but COULDN'T so why not use that money they effectively ripped off of us for the development to improve the initial hardware?

[Ozymandias]

There's probably some truth to it being more expensive back then. That said, it's also fair to say they could have included it from day one, and probably considered it closely. At the end of the day, their goal of having a cost-effective, fun console won out... and really, can anybody here point to any real negative to their strategy so far? Sure, be nice to have... and many of us wish we did. But is it keeping the box from selling to new audiences?

[Reanimated]

Too expensive? The Wii is a repackaged gamecube with a waggle controller that they're selling for 250 bucks. They're probably making at least 200 bucks a pop on these things.

[AbeLincoln]

Yeah my biggest beef with doing this now as opposed to then is the split user base meaning the amount of games that will take advantage is an uncertain...

[oldjadedgamer]

can anybody here point to any real negative to their strategy so far?

They alienated their core fanbase in the process?

[Thumper]

I keep forgetting that companies who try to make a profit are evil. Silly me!

[DarkDaY]

They alienated their core fanbase in the process?

Im one of them, mom has it now, but hard to fault their business model.

Seems to be working um...well?

[thomasc]

I keep forgetting that companies who fuck over their customers to make a profit are evil. Silly me!

Fixed it for you.

[Matthias]

I fail to see how not initially including the cutting edge tech is fucking over their customers. We don't know just how expensive this tech was- it could have easily thrown the figure close to the 360's MSRP, affording a more direct comparison between the two consoles, which nintendo would have a harder time winning due to graphical problems. It's a lot easier for a family to make the snap purchase of a Wii when it's "significantly" cheaper than the 360 and has less intimidating controls. Besides, most of the shovelware being marketed to the people making these snap purchases don't require MotionPlus tech.

Meanwhile, the "hardcore" gamers that will appreciate this tech will likely not have a problem purchasing MotionPlus (and a Wii if they've held off so far), fueling development for the tech. In this case, I think there are simply two markets the Wii can cater to, and Nintendo simply chose to focus on the more casual set first, keeping things simple and cheap in order to rake in enough cash to sell a better-priced MotionPlus to the hardcore down the road... it's a win-win situation, assuming they can get a few good games to release around the same time as MotionPlus, in order to spur the market. I really don't see anything horrible about this.

[Micasa]

At the end of the day, their goal of having a cost-effective, fun console won out... and really, can anybody here point to any real negative to their strategy so far?

The games don't control the way they claimed they would? I think that's a pretty big negative, right there.

All the talk of being able to do these intricate motions and have it read them accurately - including claims of 1:1 golf swings and other motions - and now they say they can deliver that...if we buy an add-on?

[Sensei-X]

ZOMG the bastards! Changing the controller a mere couple of years after release! How much more evil could any company get!! Oh and DualShock3 says hi. :p

[StGeorge]

I agree, they should have waited for the next version of the Wii, this smacks of corporate greed and disregard for the platform.

[Pnikosis]

The Wii sales numbers prove they did the right thing. Why win less money including a 1:1 controller if they can get big profits with a cheaper one?

[TKO]

Eh? It's not such a disgusting move, is it? Many games could probably be coded to work with or without it, so the market doesn't have to be split. ..I'm just hoping for a super-controller. Don't wanna be adding too much hardware to the regular controller.

Anyway, this is such a first-gen product. Nice to see it refined along the way. Would have sucked to have been stuck without Dual-Analog on the PSX controller for the life of that console, right?

PS: @Reanimated: Don't forget, it's *two* Cubes, plus some duct-tape. Better factor in another $50 plus $2.99. :D

[Flatpicker]

The games don't control the way they claimed they would? I think that's a pretty big negative, right there.
yeah, but people don't seem to be complaining.

[Exodus]

yeah, but people don't seem to be complaining.

I did, that's why i never bought a wii. I could tell the response time and precision were off especially in games like trauma centre. So I decided to wait til they perfected the technology.

They already did it just wasn't cost effective. It's irritating considering I was willing to put forth the money for the precision and sensitivity I would have liked while playing their games at my sisters house. But it's here now so no worries. I mean why get angry it's only a video game system. Unless it breaks down from no fault of my own it doesn't really matter.

[Zaro]

I did, that's why i never bought a wii. I could tell the response time and precision were off especially in games like trauma centre. So I decided to wait til they perfected the technology.


I thought Trauma center use the IR control and not the motion?

[Flatpicker]

I did, that's why i never bought a wii. I could tell the response time and precision were off especially in games like trauma centre. So I decided to wait til they perfected the technology.

They already did it just wasn't cost effective. It's irritating considering I was willing to put forth the money for the precision and sensitivity I would have liked while playing their games at my sisters house. But it's here now so no worries. I mean why get angry it's only a video game system. Unless it breaks down from no fault of my own it doesn't really matter.
Having not really cared for games like trauma center, all I was hoping for was good FPS mouse control.
That never took off either, so I was out of luck.
I Don't think the the extra precision provided by this add on will change the fact that dev's don't use the Wiimote in the way I want.

[Micasa]

ZOMG the bastards! Changing the controller a mere couple of years after release! How much more evil could any company get!! Oh and DualShock3 says hi. :p

This isn't changing the form factor or adding in a non-essential element like rumble - this changes the way games are controlled.

[Exodus]

I thought Trauma center use the IR control and not the motion?

Then the infra-red is still off as well. I've played every wii game up to july of this year. Infra red or motion sensor it is still off and i'm hoping this motion ++ will make it as precise as I would like it as a mouse.

[Froggy]

The games don't control the way they claimed they would? I think that's a pretty big negative, right there.

All the talk of being able to do these intricate motions and have it read them accurately - including claims of 1:1 golf swings and other motions - and now they say they can deliver that...if we buy an add-on?

I see people arguing just to argue. This has always been Nintendo's business model. We've been essentially re-purchasing the same stuff for years. And you know what? I love the product, and I have the means to pay for it. One harumph for capitalism from me.

You don't have to buy it if you don't want to.

[CapnBob]

They could have probably eaten the cost on the pack-in controller, but what if each extra remote cost $70? That's a little less attractive. That said, the motionplus seems like it would be MUCH easier to develop for and I'd expect that the Wii library on the whole would be much better by now had it been available from the start.

[AlwaysOn222]

OMFG.... why the fuck would I buy this shit? It is like buying a 1.5 controller or sth. Seriously Nintendo you should have done this from the start. A couple of million of dollars is not going to hurt you guys anyways is it? Greedy asholes... no way im gonna buy into this crap that's for sure.

[Matthias]

OMFG.... why the fuck would I buy this shit? It is like buying a 1.5 controller or sth. Seriously Nintendo you should have done this from the start. A couple of million of dollars is not going to hurt you guys anyways is it? Greedy asholes... no way im gonna buy into this crap that's for sure.

You're going to buy "this shit" because you'll want to play the more "hardcore" games that will utilize it, because you want to use the wii. It's not like you have to replace all of your controllers, and in fact a large portion of the games that will require the MotionPlus dongle will likely only use one controller. Furthermore, I wouldn't be surprised if the first first-party game comes packaged with one. Nintendo's generally been pretty good about packaging in required new hardware so far- they've done so with the N64 expansion pack and Wii Play, not to mention giving away a memory card with Animal Crossing.

[Venkman]

I call BS. Their business model is to sell lots and lots of accessories.