Topic: A year ago today, we first saw the WiiPointer.

[JonLeung]

On Sept. 15, 2005, Nintendo unveiled the Wii controller.  Well, back then, we still knew of the console as the Revolution.  And a lot of us were like "WTF"?

Some people didn't get the "Revmote".  And now we see it as the major selling point of the Wii.  Now many of us can't wait to play the Wii, mostly because of the controller.

So, remembering back, did any of us here actually HATE the controller?

Someone should 'fess up to eating their words!  I'm sure if people still hated it they wouldn't be on this forum!

And, one year from today, who knows what we'll be playing?  Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption may be old news by this time next year, but likely we'll still be "Smashing" it up online in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and thoroughly enjoying games we haven't even heard of yet.  So much can happen in 365 days.

(Putting that into perspective, it's only 65 days 'til we Wii!)

[couchmonkey]

I did not hate it.  At first I was shocked, but within half an hour I was thinking it was cool but it needed more buttons.  I held on to that opinion for a few weeks until I was finally all-out in favour of it.  Then I found out PS3 has better graphx.  While listening to techno, that's what the next generation is all about to me!

[Ian Sane]

"So, remembering back, did any of us here actually HATE the controller?"

I don't know if I would hate an inatimate object but I wasn't too fond of it.  My opinion did improve when I saw Nintendo's E3 showing.  Not that I'm impressed with how they've used the remote but just how it's given them a creative spark that was sorely missing in the last few years of really dull Cube output.  Regardless of how useful the remote is or isn't Nintendo THINKS they've got something to make them more innovative so they're coming up with better concepts than a few years ago.  They've forced themselves to be creative instead of just thinking of new ways to milk Mario.

But the E3 impressions of how the controller worked were mixed so I'm not totally convinced.  IGN's recent Metroid Prime 3 impressions were encouraging however for the accuracy of the remote, since that was the biggest concern at E3.  I still need to try it for myself but I am very interested in trying it out.

[Nick DiMola]

The wheels started turning for me immediately after seeing it. Honestly I was super pysched once I saw it and none of that excitement has worn off since then. I can't wait to play more than ever now, and I'm sure it'll get worse as time goes on. The potential of the Wiimote is huge and I hope it is fully utilized and new game ideas happen. This is a little fire in gaming that has been missing for a long time and I'm glad Nintendo spent the time improving gameplay and not graphics.

[willie1234]

One trend that seems to be emerging is that the wiimote is diffuclt to program for.  

It looks like nintendo made game development easier by using a simple cpu/gpu upgrade so that engines could be reused, but made it harder by introducing motion sensing.  Delays in MP3 and last minute changes to Zelda controlls certainly seem to confirm this.  If we can get 1.5 - 2x more AAA titles on the Wii than we saw on the Cube I'll be happy.  So far so good.  

I'm personally holding off on Wii until Galaxy.  Why?  If Mario Galaxy gets pushed back past March, then I'll have a strong indication that we'll be in for the same droughts, shortages and delays we saw last gen.  At that point I'd rather just wait until hardware and software prices come down and pick up a bunch of great games while I'm at it.  Sorry to be so down, but when it comes to making dates on consoles (not handhelds), Nintendo is working with zero credibility now.  They have to earn back the trust.

[TrueNerd]

Here's what I posted on the GI Forums:

"OH MY GOD.

My range of emotions went from concerned, to confused, to understanding, to pure elation. I am so unbelievably thrilled and tantalized just by the possibilities of this motherf***er. Seriously, I just put ten bucks aside to reserve this bad boy for launch, whenever the hell that is.

I am terribly concerned that shmoe gamer isn't gonna like this at all, however. But I've never agreed with shmoe gamer. He can suck it.

I was starting to become rather concerned that Nintendo was gonna play it safe. THEY COULDNT HAVE PLAYED IT ANY MORE DANGEROUSLY. Seriously, no one in the industry has balls anywhere near the size of Nintendo's. My God, I cannot wait for this thing."

-TrueNerd, September 16th at 2:21am 2005.

I like my initial reaction because I never changed my mind about the whole deal. I'm still very jazzed about the possibilities and I hope one day they are realized.

[Ian Sane]

"One trend that seems to be emerging is that the wiimote is diffuclt to program for."

That might just be because it's a new concept and devs just aren't familiar with it yet.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

"no one in the industry has balls anywhere near the size of Nintendo's"

Yah, they're Reggie's.

I never wanted more than 2 launch games before.  Now I want (and will be getting) 6.  My interest and excitement has never ceased, and the prospect of Wii's first-year line-up compared to GameCube's first-year line-up (totally crushes GC's) makes me more excited than ever.

But I don't have time to be excited, cuz of school and work.

I can't wait to preorder this thing (YES, I CAN'T WAIT TO GIVE UP $50).

[BigJim]

I didn't hate the controller, but I didn't like it either. I was just "WTF" and pretty much stayed there.

Today I am more or less indifferent to it. I believe that Nintendo needs this controller more than we do, because they would've gotten zero attention without it. Meanwhile regular controllers are still fine for today's gameplay on the whole.

[SixthAngel]

I was crazy for motion control the second I heard of it.
Notice that if you look around at videogame sites there are two kinds of people, those that "get it" and those that don't.  Those that don't are pretty much like the gamespot editors that are so used to the current control scheme that they don't know why people want this and those that "get it" see something new and immersive and don't want the same experiences they have had for years.

[Kairon]

I've always been positive on this controller.

I can't abide the thought of being stuck forever with buttons and sticks. Games are about INTERFACES people! And...since I'm in school for game development... I want those interfaces to allow me to get more creative and more ambitious with games than ever. With a view towards treating videogames as a new entertainment medium for the next century, I'm waaaay thumbs up.

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

[Strell]

I knew it kicked ass from the second I saw it.

Finally a way to play FPS games the way they were meant to be played.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

I need this controller if I will bother playing tomorrow's FPSs.  Today's gameplay needs non-suck gameplay.  Today's FPSs are suck.

Actually, tomorrow's FPS are suck too when you consider Ubisoft and Id Soft bump maps are what lead the way.

I HATE WHAT GHOST RECON AND RAINBOW SIX TURNED INTO.  MAINSTREAM MILITARY COSPLAY BS.

[AnyoneEB]

I was a bit iffy on it at first, but generally trusting in Nintendo to get it right. Especially after seeing the MP3 expert mode, I do not have any doubts on it anymore.

On the other hand, I have heard varied responses from other gamers (Nintendo and non-Nintendo owners alike). Some of them still say it sounds like a stupid idea, although that group is mostly willing to give it a try. That is the audience that Nintendo needs to make sure they get to demo kisoks. They will probably end up buying the Wii as a secondary console or not at all. Others have expressed great interest. These are usually casual gamers (i.e., may own an XBox or PS2, but do not play games much, like the lesser cost and simple controls... Nintendo's blue ocean audience).

[Crimm]

I remember waiting for class to end so I could race home and see.  I spent the entire evening staring at the clock instead of paying attention to the professor.

On the way home I passed a friend of mine, who had already seen it.  I didn't let him tell me, but from the look on his face I knew I had to start bracing myself.  I think it took me till the first hand-on reactions came out for the shell shock to go away.  

[BigJim]

Link to the TGS Iwataton Thread

We can see our real-time reactions for ourselves.

I jumped to page 10 where it started to get interesting.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Sadly I don't even think I posted in that thread, that was back when I thought you guys were a bunch of weirdos. Oh wait I still do .

[IceCold]

Revisionist theory would work even better here, since if you edited your post, it would still be September 15 Good times.. I had some concerns as soon as I saw it, but over time those dissolved. Come to think of it, many of them were irrational. Here are some of the best quotes..

Quote
Originally posted by: IceCold
WOW - I did a double post by mistake and TWO posts got sandwiched inbetween it...

Quote
Originally posted by: couchmonkey
That controller is SO 2004.  Looks interesting though.  I'm glad it comes in more than Ipod white.

Edit: I PRAY it comes in more than Ipod white.  (remembering how Nintendo showed like six GameCube colours at launch).

Quote
Originally posted by: Nile Boogie
Stop what you're doing and remember this moment....


SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2005. REMEMBER THE REVOLUTION!!!!!

Quote
Originally posted by: Renny
The IWATATON is consuming the world like a great tsunami delivered from the heavens unto Tokyo. We should all be howling.

Quote
Originally posted by: NRevolutionR
Praise God in the highest for he is good.

Thank you

Quote
Originally posted by: BigJim, mantidor, Pale, Caliban, Artimus
Wow it DOES look like a remote... weird
(...)
I dont know what to feel about that controller
(...)
Man.. i seriously don't know what to think.
(...)
Read the IGN article on how it'll work with current games. Sounds amazing. Before reading that I was like WTF? But reading that...it makes sense!  

Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
I notice some people talking about retooling controls for certain games.

NO ONE IS GOING TO RETOOL SH!T.  Nintendo isn't the market leader.  No one will go to that effort for them.  If a game doesn't work as is on this controller it's just not going to be ported.  Nintendo's the oddball.  First and second place use one design while third place uses another.  That means first and second place are the standard.

Quote
Excellent. On another forum, so far we have "The sh!ttiest piece of gaming hardware in history." and "A disgrace to gaming."

Quote
Originally posted by: vudu
So ... are the folks at Microsoft crapping their pants right now or are they laughing their ass off?

Quote
Originally posted by: zakkiel
I will say this: anyone says Nintendo needs to take more risks after this, I will hunt you down and punch you in the throat. Seriously. They're jumping off a cliff and, as much faith as they may have in their creation, they can't really know if the chute will open.

Quote
Originally posted by: Hostile Creation
I seem to remember MANTI5 from a while back and I seem to remember him being a bit of a douche then, too.

Edit: Oh by the way, haven't said anything, but I think this has the potential to rock the freakin' world.  Viva la revolution, for sure.
MANTI5 seems to forget that the powerglove is what?  A decade and a half old, and a much bigger gap.

 

[zakkiel]

Let's finish the quote, shall we?

Quote
As I think about it, though, I'm warming more and more to the idea, and not just because I have a soft spot for sheer insanity. And Ian: I think porting will not be as irrelevant as you think. The interface will take a lot of work, obviously, but I think it's much more port-friendly than, say, the DS. If nothing else, you can use the various kinds of motions you can make with the wand as buttons.

But you're right: it's gonna be all about the exclusives. This, more than any mere speech, declares that Nintendo intends to be the top home console company or close to it by the end of the next generation. They don't have a choice.

Sorry, but it pisses me off when people take quotes out of context in an attempt to misrepresent the author's attitudes.  

[18 Days]

I have a fuinny but not very story concerning the first controller announcement. I was to be working outside the day it was happening, I told some friends to be ready to SMS me the moment it was unveiled. Of course I managed to then forget to take my phone to work. Returning home I find 3 messages on my phone. One telling me taht Iwata time was delayed and that it was instead, lunch time a later one from the same person just saying they said wow and a third froma  friend announcing that ipods would control Revolution.

I was immediately excited.

[Talon]

Quote
Originally posted by: willie1234
One trend that seems to be emerging is that the wiimote is diffuclt to program for.

Its difficult to program for because its an entirely new concept and way of interacting with games.  Im sure alot of these developers havent had much time to fully understand how the controller works or even use the controller.  Its one thing for a Nintendo rep to walk into a company and say we have got this awesome new controller capable of doing x,y and z and then for a developer to visualise the concept and turn it into a workable product without any prior experience.  I think that even for gamers its going to be quite a transition and will take some time to get used to.  I just hope developers dont rush to get games out for the sake of having a game on Wii.

Its going to be interesting to see what the 2nd and 3rd generation Wii games are going to be like once developers begin to fully utilize and understand the controller.

[Ian Sane]

It's interesting reading the old quote of mine since it was under the assumption that MS and Sony would continue as they were.  Things have totally changed because of Sony's potentially suicidal descisions regarding the PS3.  Before I saw it like Nintendo arriving to a hockey game with a tennis racket.  But now Sony has slipped and cracked their head open on the ice.  Suddenly having the wrong equipment doesn't seem to matter as much.

[ShyGuy]

You Canadians and your wacky Hockey analogies....

[couchmonkey]

Just for that, I'm going to use more of them.

[Kairon]

Nintendo's psyched Sony out, and Microsoft just can't seem to build up speed.

What makes Nintendo's decisions look wise in hindsight is that they weren't ambitious in the wrong things, like MS and Sony have been. Their modesty has lessened our concerns for future complications in the areas that have given Sony and MS so much trouble.

And where they HAVE been ambitious, its played to Nintendo's strengths and they've executed strongly... we hope.

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com