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Nintendo Patents Wii Football Controller

by Pedro Hernandez - August 25, 2009, 4:28 am EDT
Total comments: 32 Source: SiliconEra

The controller aspires to bring a new level of interactivity to football games.

Shortly after the discovery of a horse saddle patent, Silicon Era has discovered yet another Nintendo controller patent. The patent is for a soft football controller recently filed by Howard Cheng, Vice President of Research and Development at Nintendo of America.

     

The controller attachment is designed to resemble a football and meant to create a unique level of interactivity in football games. To simulate throwing players strap their hands and make a throwing motion. How the player throws the ball determines the pitch angle and force. The buttons on the Wii Remote changes other options.

     

The football controller would detect full body motions, with the player shifting left and right to dodge incoming tackles. The running speed is determined by the player's jogging motion. The patent goes into detail as to how the 3 axis system would work in a football game.

The patent even shows alternate solutions to controller placement. One of the figures shows a slot for the Nunchuck, while another figure shows the MotionPlus unit attached to the Wii Remote.

Talkback

Wii Football?  I could be down with that.

I think this is one of the those things that is cool in theory, but I doubt it will ever be well executed.

AVAugust 25, 2009

Quote from: Neal

I think this is one of the those things that is cool in theory, but I doubt it will ever be well executed.

yeah i agree.

It's odd because Nintendo is so Japan Friendly, and American Football is not that popular in that part of the world.

SteleAugust 25, 2009

Need the Madden exclusivity to end before this would work I think.  Just one EA game and one Nintendo (Wii Sports style) game using it might not be enough.  Some more competition out there could really make it worthwhile, and maybe find the best uses for it.

BranDonk KongAugust 25, 2009

When I first saw it, I was like "cool", now I'm like, "that's retarded". The Wiimote is fine as it is, it need to golf club, baseball bat, football, etc add-ons. Guns, yes, everything else, no.

BlackNMild2k1August 25, 2009

Wow, you guys jumped on this news quickly.
but as I said in the other thread

Quote from: BlackNMild2k1

As ridiculous as this sounds, and looks.... it does actually look like a functional way to play with only one hand.
Wiimote w/ M+ & Nunchuck controlled comfortably all in one hand? I wouldn't have even thought of it. I wonder what Nintendo has planned for it though.

Gonna take on Madden using Mario? or just giving EA a peripheral for Madden 11 to help boost sales?

KDR_11kAugust 25, 2009

Eh, it's a patent, Nintendo has tons of those that never saw a result. Wake me up if we get an actual product out of this.

TJ SpykeAugust 25, 2009

Quote:

yeah i agree.

It's odd because Nintendo is so Japan Friendly, and American Football is not that popular in that part of the world.

Who says it would be a sim? Nintendo has already published a football game for the Wii based on the Eyeshield 21 anime. Very odd too.

Ian SaneAugust 25, 2009

Nintendo does realize that football isn't rugby, right?  And that there's a certain action that is very common in football that would take the throwing-the-remote-though-the-TV stereotype to a WHOLE new level?  Seriously you release this thing and within hours of it going on sale some moron is going to throw the thing and smash their remote and whatever is in the way to pieces.  And then try to sue Nintendo.

Personally I'm just sick of Nintendo's infactuation with lame ass accessories.

Flames_of_chaosLukasz Balicki, Staff AlumnusAugust 25, 2009

I don't think this peripheral is intuitive at all. The Wii Remote and Nunchuk is more than enough to play a football game like Madden.

NinGurl69 *hugglesAugust 25, 2009

Nintendo snaps up as many nigh-plausible accessories it can so that Sony's left to come up with only the lamest UNPOSSIBLE ones.

KDR_11kAugust 25, 2009

Quote from: Ian

Nintendo does realize that football isn't rugby, right?  And that there's a certain action that is very common in football that would take the throwing-the-remote-though-the-TV stereotype to a WHOLE new level?  Seriously you release this thing and within hours of it going on sale some moron is going to throw the thing and smash their remote and whatever is in the way to pieces.  And then try to sue Nintendo.

Personally I'm just sick of Nintendo's infactuation with lame ass accessories.

Pfft, have you seen the third party Wii bowling ball?

BlackNMild2k1August 25, 2009

Quote from: Ian

Nintendo does realize that football isn't rugby, right?  And that there's a certain action that is very common in football that would take the throwing-the-remote-though-the-TV stereotype to a WHOLE new level?  Seriously you release this thing and within hours of it going on sale some moron is going to throw the thing and smash their remote and whatever is in the way to pieces.  And then try to sue Nintendo.

Personally I'm just sick of Nintendo's infactuation with lame ass accessories.

The patent shows that it has a hand strap. The Wiimote probably should have had one too.
I hope Nintendo patents a helmet so all these "at-risk" gamers can protect themselves from Wii related head injury too.

NinGurl69 *hugglesAugust 25, 2009

Everyone should be happy that Natal has NO accessories, no?

Imagine RE5 on that baby.

TJ SpykeAugust 25, 2009

Quote from: BlackNMild2k1

The patent shows that it has a hand strap. The Wiimote probably should have had one too.
I hope Nintendo patents a helmet so all these "at-risk" gamers can protect themselves from Wii related head injury too.

If they ever release a "Wiimote" , I agree. The Wii Remote though has ALWAYS come with a strap. It's just that some morons either didn't wear it or they didn't actually tighten it up.

StogiAugust 25, 2009

Sarcasm has once again lost to the internet.

KDR_11kAugust 25, 2009

Quote from: TJ

If they ever release a "Wiimote" , I agree.

I was reluctant to use that term until I noticed it's actually printed on the cardboard box of the Wiimotes that are sold separately.

BlackNMild2k1August 25, 2009

Quote from: Kashogi

Sarcasm has once again lost to the internet.

Just a battle, but not the war.

NinGurl69 *hugglesAugust 25, 2009

That sly fox Rommel got the upper hand this round.  Marshall and his army of JUSTICE will bring an assault the likes of which the enemy will not recover from.

ShyGuyAugust 25, 2009

Nintendo is a pioneer in the exciting field of virtual reality. Ten years from now when we are playing in our holo decks, you people will feel bad for impeding their progress.

MoronSonOfBoronGarnet Red, Contributing WriterAugust 25, 2009

this + horse saddle = JOUSTING

Mop it upAugust 25, 2009

I don't really see the point of this, it's just another shell which adds nothing.

broodwarsAugust 25, 2009

I'll bet EA is just kicking themselves that they didn't patent it first.  :rolleyes:  It's nice to see Nintendo putting their free time as market leader to good use.

NinGurl69 *hugglesAugust 25, 2009

This is another example of Nintendo preventing 3rd parties from thriving.

BlackNMild2k1August 25, 2009

This is another example of Nintendo taking the initiative for the 3rd partease. trying to stimulate the creative juices.

SteleAugust 26, 2009

Quote from: BlackNMild2k1

I hope Nintendo patents a helmet so all these "at-risk" gamers can protect themselves from Wii related head injury too.

My wife hits me in the head with a Wiimote quite often.

Especially during any of WSR's sword modes.

It hurts.  :o

BlackNMild2k1August 26, 2009

Quote from: Stele

Quote from: BlackNMild2k1

I hope Nintendo patents a helmet so all these "at-risk" gamers can protect themselves from Wii related head injury too.

My wife hits me in the head with a Wiimote quite often.

Especially during any of WSR's sword modes.

It hurts.  :o

See Nintendo, there is a market for it. Get to it.

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterAugust 26, 2009

You guys may think I am crazy for saying this, but I think this is a neat idea!

To me, it makes more sense than the Vitality Sensor and the horse saddle since it shows a concept that could well work. Even if EA has done well with Madden on Wii I believe there has yet to be a definitive Wii football game that says "You can't play this on the 360 or PS3!", much less games that use the Wii Remote and Nunchuck effectively.

This shells sounds and looks like it adds more control to the player despite its unusual design. The fact that it even allows for nunchuck and MotionPlus makes me believe they are onto something.

Of course, they need a game in order to seal the deal. Since Nintendo patented it I wouldn't be surprised if they were the ones to make a football game that uses this controller. That or EA, Madden and all that.

So in short, I think it is far more logical than the saddle and Vitality Sensor, but it needs a game to convince people it works.

vuduAugust 26, 2009

Maybe it's just Nintendo cock-blocking Sony and Microsoft.

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterAugust 26, 2009

How would creating a toy football be cock blocking Sony and MS?

BlackNMild2k1August 27, 2009

Stops them from making a peripheral just like it for Madden Motion HD when Natal & Wand release?

PlugabugzAugust 27, 2009

Quote from: Ian

Nintendo does realize that football isn't rugby, right?  And that there's a certain action that is very common in football that would take the throwing-the-remote-though-the-TV stereotype to a WHOLE new level?  Seriously you release this thing and within hours of it going on sale some moron is going to throw the thing and smash their remote and whatever is in the way to pieces.  And then try to sue Nintendo.

You missed "and then upload millions of destroyed tv's on youtube"

Quote:

Personally I'm just sick of Nintendo's infactuation with lame ass accessories.

Me too. But i've said that already. Why they didn't port Pennant Chase Baseball to wii is anyone's guess.

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