Ubisoft's steering wheel, boxed
by Alisha Karabinus 
{ Oct 31st 2006 at 3:15PM }
It's the doughnut, ready and willing to cradle your Wiimote while you take those hairpin turns. If you're not picking up GT Pro Series or Monster 4x4 (both of which come packaged with the wheel), then you can snag one of these for a pretty reasonable $19.99. While it may look funny (and so will you when using it), the steering wheel has actually gotten some pretty good reviews, the most recent from Chris Kohler of GameLife.
Check after the jump for the back of the box.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
TVGenius @ Oct 31st 2006 6:06PM
So should we just call it the Wiill?
Fred-Erik @ Oct 31st 2006 3:57PM
$20,- for a piece of plastic?! Come on! 'Reasonable' they call that! OK, it isnt't much compared to real (computer) steering wheels, but this thingy costs almost nothing to make.
The good thing is, every dumbhead can produce such a steering wheel, so there will be a cheapier one pretty fast (I hope).
Marc @ Oct 31st 2006 4:17PM
I wish they released two versions of the games.
One with the wheel.
And one without it.
That way the consumer at least has a choice.
Gabriel Jordan @ Oct 31st 2006 4:04PM
i see its been officiallu sanctioned by Nintendo (their seal is on the bottom of the back of the box)... interesting
david @ Oct 31st 2006 4:14PM
i want to be able to have the nunchuck sitting in my lap and be able to grab it and use it as a shift knob. this seems like it would be a perfect showcase example of how immersive and creative the controls for the wii can be, but i have yet to read anything about this functionality for any of the car games, specially the GT Pro.
Loban @ Oct 31st 2006 4:27PM
$20 for a piece of plastic is perfectly reasonable depending on the quality of the plastic. Is it the type of plastic that kid's toys are made of, or is it the type of high grade plastic like what Porsche puts on the interior of their cars or that Oakley makes their sunglasses from? There is a HUGE difference. Heck even the type of plastic that the DS Lite and the Wii are made of is high grade plastic. My guess that for $20 it's probably not cheapy plastic, but who knows, if it is, THEN it's a ripoff. If this thing really does make driving games more fun to play and it's a quality product that will last, I wouldn't have a problem paying $20 for it.
Author X @ Oct 31st 2006 4:41PM
$20 does seem like quite a bit of money for something that simply provides an easier grip.
*hides his "controller gloves" set purchased weeks before the system is out*
Erm... anyway... for driving games, I'm going Power Glove style. Remember that scene in The Wizard where the one kid plays a racing game with the PG that would never actually work that way? Now at last, by holding the controller in one hand, I can actually have that same non-sensical experience. Yeah, that's how I roll.
Jonathan @ Oct 31st 2006 5:42PM
It's so funny how the "Gamelife" link debunks the post right under it. Apparently there will be no new character revealed after all! lol
metayoshi @ Oct 31st 2006 6:23PM
$20... Reasonable?
I don't think so. Getting it for free with GT Pro Series or Monster 4x4 is a much better deal.
IGN's gave the wheel favorable comments, so I *might* pick up one of those games. What I wonder is how this baby would feel while playing Excite Truck. And although they aren't driving games, I wonder if this thing would better the experience of Sonic or Tony Hawk.
BPM? @ Oct 31st 2006 7:17PM
I'll wait for it to be packed with a racing game I might like (say, Mario Kart Wii Circuit... or whatever they'll call it...).
PickleHead @ Oct 31st 2006 10:19PM
I could just tape my wiimote to my playstation steering wheel. That way it would only turn on one axis, it would have resistance, and I don't have to pay $20 for a piece of plastic.
Mabui @ Nov 1st 2006 8:41AM
They should have had the control plug into the steering wheel at least so you wouldn't have to do a reach around to get at the bottoms instead could have had them transfered to the wheel itself (Than 20 bucks wouldn't have seemed so bad)
Myself, I would have gone for a different approach, they could have just made a base that you sit into your opposing hand, to allow it to spin 360 degrees, and on that base is the gas/break buttons that you can click with fingers and thumb.
Mike @ Nov 2nd 2006 11:11AM
With Nintendo seal of approval - $20
Without Nintendo seal of approval - $5
Scott @ Nov 2nd 2006 5:16PM
Choking hazard? Yeah, because everyone knows three-year-olds have big, gaping, saliva-coated maws, just waiting for 8 inch diameter plastic steering wheels to get themselves lodged in there.