Wii Warm Up: MotionPlus or minus?

by Candace Savino { Jul 31st 2008 at 9:00AM }

We've already discussed MotionPlus a bit, but now it's time to talk logistics. While we think MotionPlus will add a lot of depth to many games (even something as simple as Sword Play), we're not sure if third parties incorporating it into their games is a good thing. Will people still be able to play MotionPlus games without actually owning the peripheral, or must there be multiple control schemes? And, how should reviewers base their reviews of games, since it's likely that many people will be left MotionPlus-less?

At any rate, do you think third parties and Wii owners are ready for these games to take advantage of the add-on?

Tags: motionplus

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

EinXIII @ Jul 31st 2008 9:20AM

While it seems like a great idea on the surface I don't think this will pan out as well as Nintendo thinks. I realize that they're giving away one with Wii Sports 2 but I'm not so sure that people will rush out to buy 3 more - UNLESS they are dirt cheap (i.e under $10).

Many add-ons that only enhance gameplay are only purchased by the hardcore. Example being the new cymbal pack coming out for Rock Band 2 - the hardcore will likely eat it up but the common player won't see the need for it ("my current drum set works for me, why would I need that").

koehler83 @ Jul 31st 2008 9:26AM

Agreed. MotionPlus really only targets the now diminishing hardcore contingent of Wii owners. I think third parties are going to go nuts with it, but they will soon find that they'd better be making some pretty spectacular hardcore games to drive the sale of multiple (ADDITIONAL!!!) peripherals.

That said, they seem to be doing alot of interesting hardcore projects based on the decidedly not hardcore WiiFit board, so maybe they'll be able to balance MotionPlus software to encourage a widespread adoption. We'll have to wait and see.

Fullmetal Salchemist @ Jul 31st 2008 5:36PM

The hardcore contingent? No, the Motion Plus targets the newer, casual crowd that rushes out and buys any peripheral with a Nintendo logo on it. That's why it's bundled with Wii Sports 2.

iMeh @ Jul 31st 2008 9:25AM

The 30million user base is just being split more by the addition of the accessory. More than likely this is just another peripheral.

brian @ Jul 31st 2008 9:31AM

The way I am interpreting this is that Wii Motion Plus isn't a separate control scheme and that it is just more sensitive to movement than the Wii Remote is alone.

Is this wrong?

Demotruk @ Jul 31st 2008 9:45AM

It can do things that the basic wii-mote can't. Thus, there will probably be many games that only allow you to do a certain part of the game if you have the accessory.

I think it's fine. If they don't pack it in with Wii's at some point it may be a problem, but I think Nintendo will be clever, ie. sell it as an accessory at first, then soon pack it in with all Wii's and cheapen the accessory for older users. This way they make money, and don't isolate consumers and developers who go for it.

lobotomies4free @ Jul 31st 2008 9:33AM

They should do this the way they did the expansion pack for N64. Release it alongside a must-have title (Wii sports resort doesn't count), and then include it with the sale of future consoles (and controllers) soon after at no extra cost.

Nintendo can only profit from this, even if they don't charge more for them, and knowing everyone owns one is the only way they'll get good 3rd party support.

SoshiKitai @ Jul 31st 2008 3:53PM

But you see Wii Sports Resort DOES count in one way: Sword Fighting looks fun as hell.

I'm not sure what MUST-HAVE game would come out with the Motion+. ... ... ... you mean that Sonic game? Or do you mean the handful of titles that are keeping anonymous until they see the Motion+ do well? Or do you mean a make-believe one... like a new 3D Castlevania game?

Stan @ Jul 31st 2008 9:34AM

well mostly likely not because the wii lacks the extra stuff(can remember the word) that the add on has so it would be less effective.Also i think that nintendo should make the 1st one free like they did with the sleeves for wii.

MrTyzik @ Jul 31st 2008 9:44AM

I don't think it will be a huge thing for third parties but I do think that a few non-N franchises should be jumping to add support. If Tiger Woods (or any other real golf game) gets it, I will buy my dad a Wii and that game.

Hear that Nintendo? You will sell one whole Wii and one MotionPlus if you get a really solid golf game out there for my dad putting the Wii total to 45 billion and 1 & the MotionPlus total to, um 37?

Shogan @ Jul 31st 2008 9:53AM

I heard it was either/or. If a game is made for MotionPlus, you must have the Motionplus to play it. If an older game doesn't support it, the add-on won't improve anything other than profits for battery companies.

samfish @ Jul 31st 2008 10:16AM

If I were Nintendo, I'd include it in several big games, more than just Wii Sports Resort. If it's true that Zelda and pPunch Out will use it, include it in that.
Also pack it in with Wiimotes, the Wii itself and Wii Play just to make SURE it gets out there.

This is something that really should have been in the Wiimote from the start, so it's up to Nintendo to do everything they can to make sure that a good 90% of all Wii owners have the motionplus device.

Hot$auce_Magik @ Jul 31st 2008 10:53AM

As always I am in complete agreement with you Samfish.

I am, however, disappointed that I am going to have to buy something TO MAKE MY WII DO WHAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO DO FROM DAY 1.

Sorry for the outburst.

SoshiKitai @ Jul 31st 2008 4:00PM

Maybe Nintendo was just testing the waters. Maybe they planned Motion+ from DAY 1, waiting for the public to go weary of the bland-ness of several 3rd party party-games... then when the Balance Board gets people a bit tired, BOOM! They shoot the Motion+ in your face so that your hype gets you back into being a super-shopper!

... theory, of course.

As for me, I never really thought the Wii motion controls would ever be able to handle all that for a day one release.
...I mean, I've tried all sorts of arcades, even in Japan... I haven't seen motion controls THIS (Motion+) GOOD unless it was attached to the floor of a science museum in Europe.
So I DID imagine sword games for the Wii, but I saw it as inaccurate and stalled... but if someone were smart enough to make "fake" slashes (in other words, your swinging isn't real, it's just reacting to your directional-waggle), dramatic sword games could be made out of it.
...so, I thought of it as that.

I never would have imagined that it would get THIS GOOD so soon... I know I'm putting my hopes up to the guillotine, but this once again makes me think of an array of great Wii games... I know I'm probably going to get my hopes chopped up, but hey, the Wii is ALL ABOUT hope in video games.

John B. @ Jul 31st 2008 10:18AM

I've been a Nintendo die hard ever since I got an original Game Boy for Christmas as a child. I've owned every Nintendo console/handheld since (except the GB Micro and SP) and I've owned most of the first party games they've made at one point or another. Hardware like the MotionPlus, however, is the kind of the thing that makes me want to put my Wii up on Craigs List.

Lets examine the BEST case scenario for this thing - the scenario in which 3rd parties jump on the MotionPlus in order to produce realistic games.

Remember when the Wii came out, and the first few weeks were amazing, but then we all started growing increasingly irritated at the number of minigame collections that existed because a developer lunged at the chance to use such an innovative controller?

Yeah, well get ready for tons of completely awful games that are essentially clones of one another. Mega Ninja Sword Fight. Supreme Fencing Deluxe, parts I, II, and III. A new Dragon Ball Z game with swords. Harry Potter: Wand Adventures. Kill me.

SoshiKitai @ Jul 31st 2008 4:11PM

It's called faith, my friend.
It's all we can do at this point (except for selling our Wiis and buying another system).

... it isn't like Nintendo to just let their fans COMPLETELY die out just to make mulaah (that seemed more like a Sony thing... Microsoft doesn't count since they just use the same tactic over and over again)...
Nintendo's probably trying to figure out what they can do with the Wii that'll entice the casual crowd into becoming a permanent party of the video game industry, as well as entice 3rd-party developers into being more creative.
If Nintendo were to just help out its fans - the casuals would then ignore Nintendo until the next gaming platform, and 3rd-party developers would then lose several freedoms - and though they'll make less crappy games, they'll lose their chance at making an identity for themselves... and many will die off as the casuals suddenly disappear.

I know many fans hate what the casuals are encouraging from the Wii. But hey, everyone started off as a casual gamer. They eventually turned into core, or hardcore gamers. Nintendo's just trying to do that again, but the years, battlefield, mindsets, and generations have changed - so the formula to make them a core and hardcore gamer has changed as well.
...mind you, the Xbox 360 is turning several casual gamers into core and hardcore gamers at an alarming rate. But the casual gamers in this are from a different crowd, and if you noticed: Doesn't encourage family fun. Which is what the old Nintendo used to be about.

Maybe I'm just speaking BS. But I see it as enlightening optimism.

SoshiKitai @ Jul 31st 2008 4:15PM

Ah right, I forgot to add where the fans fall into place:
After the casuals become more comfy.

Nintendo's probably hoping for the 3rd parties to take care of us as they try to take care of the casual players.
Once the casuals finally say "alright, you're hired", Nintendo can then focus 100% on the fans once more, while the 3rd parties cater to the new need for the casuals.

... yeah, sounds like BS again.

But hey, I'm optimistic when others are pessimistic. (and vice versa)

Davedrastic @ Jul 31st 2008 10:20AM

In regards to how to review games seeing as most/some people won't have the wii motion plus, the sensible and professional thing to do would be to provide two reviews/scores/conclusions. If it doesn't sell, fair enough to ignore it. But seeing as it will sell in droves (wether or not it's consistently used) it would be best to incorporate it into reviews.

In fact I think reviewers should do this will all/most games. For example, the latest Need for Speed game could be rated 8/10 if you don't have any driving games or are casual to the genre, as it's pretty slick and has some good racing, with no major faults. But if you're a fully fledged racing fan and have a few or more driving games, a 6/10 would be more realistic as it doesn't offer anything new.

Al3xand3r @ Jul 31st 2008 10:36AM

Only buy one, duh, very few party games will ever need motionplus at all for more than 1 or 2 player, it's likely to be mostly used for more serious titles which are either single player or online multi player. People saying you need to buy 4 of these are being absurd. Not to mention that so many people have their own Wiis, get your friends to buy their own MotionPlus and bring it over for multiplayer, the same way they would bring over their standard remotes.

Anyway, Nintendo will do a grand job marketing this and in 2-3 years we won't even remember there was a time withOUT motionplus. Just look at how Sony did with introducing the analogue stick for the Playstation. I don't remember seeing reviews rate games differently taking in account some people may not have the dual shock because it was a fact the vast majority did have it after sometime.

Nintendo will do even better with the MotionPlus and they're off to a great start with bundling it with Wii Fit Resort since it'll sell like hot cakes, potentially even more than the constantly selling out Wii Play. The more games that use it, the more it will sell, the more games will use it, the more it will sell, and so on and so forth, it's a cycle which starts off in the best possible way with that bundle.

Al3xand3r @ Jul 31st 2008 10:43AM

Also, saying all games will be clones of one another is like saying all mouse controlled games are the same, or all analogue stick controlled games are the same. Just because you CAN have swords doesn't mean you WILL have swords or that ALL sword games will be identical (are all gun games identical? UT3 is like Counter-Strike? What?). This can also just be used to increase control quality in all sorts of games, not make them all have swords, where's your imagination? Oh right, killed by generic shooter #3594598 and party game #98592385. Too bad, but that doesn't mean good creative games aren't on the way also. The MotionPlus can simply help improve them, not make them all them identical or all turn into sword games...

Maxx the Slash @ Jul 31st 2008 12:29PM

If they release this MotionPlus thing, they better provide those longer remote jackets free of charge, because I'm not ordering them again.

Polecat @ Jul 31st 2008 12:34PM

I see Motion-Plus and I worry that it is a gimmick... and a pretty lame one at that. SURE I'm going to buy it first chance I get, but from MY perspective, it seems like it's going to pretty much ONLY going to be for swordy/stick movement games. Maybe the prototype model is what we're looking at, and that's where my fear comes from. I just look at the thing and think "How the hell am I supposed to move my dude?" Being able to lightsaber like a pro is one thing, ( in fact it is the BEST thing to come out of this) But I just don't see any way to move your character from place to place once this thing has been attache, at least not in any way that doesn't look like it would be terribly awkward.

In short, I see a lot of sword-games, and the Wii equivelant to FMV titles coming about because of this. While On-Rails shooters are great in their own right, I see the novelty wearing off fast when EVERY GAME becomes a rails shooter.

Al3xand3r @ Jul 31st 2008 1:05PM

Eh, how about moving him with the nunchuck's analogue stick as usual? Unless you think you will be doing Kill Bill moves and getting yourself tied up with the cable.

Jonny boy @ Jul 31st 2008 6:42PM

You know, we wondered the exact same thing when the Wii first came out, when we were worried about the Nunchuks. I would look at this particular prepherial as the forerunner to the Motionplus in terms of success. I'd guess the thing will probably be 20 bucks just like the nunchuk, which is well within most peoples coffer limits. besides, i doubt there will be many 4 player motionplus games. Like you saw in sports resort, swordfighting and wave race were both 2 player, while the other game they showed was one person only. Other games in the set may not even use the Motionplus at all.

gremlinzrus @ Jul 31st 2008 7:37PM

I'm kind of on the fence on this one as a midcore gamer. On one hand, I like the *idea* of the Wii MotionPlus. On the other hand, maybe it should've been on there from the beginning. It's just one of those ideas that makes you go "huh?"

Either way, I'll be happy if the Motion+ results in games getting better and it's widely supported by third parties (oh wait.. Nintendo just dropped the ball on them). My love letter to Nintendo: $10 for the Plus and the jacket, please. Getting expensive down in Wiiville.