Minor hardware revisions are common in electronics. As parts get smaller, cheaper, and draw smaller amounts of energy, companies swap out the internals for identically-functioning new versions. It's no surprise that Nintendo is looking into alternate
accelerometer chips to provide the motion sensing functions of the Wii Remote, or that companies who manufacture accelerometers are clamoring to get their devices into the controller, thus ensuring a constant demand for their chips. Nintendo is currently looking at samples sent from many different manufacturers.
According to a Nikkei Tech-On! article, one of the companies, Kionix, may make it possible to increase the sensitivity of the accelerometer's motion-sensing. Nintendo has yet to make any decisions. "It is difficult for manufacturers to be selected as a new supplier," an employee of a sensor company told Nikkei.
[Via
Gadget Lab]
{ Dec 4th 2008 at 10:00AM } 
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
meist3r @ Dec 4th 2008 10:24AM
So you're telling me they'll be pushing out a Wiimote with non-patent violating technology and the Motion+ upgrade included? Who would have thought?
Matt @ Dec 4th 2008 11:15AM
The technology is the same as what's currently being used. It's called MEMS and it's used by ADI (Wiimote accelerometer), ST Micro (Nunchuck accelerometer) and Kionix. I used to work at an automotive tier 1 that supplied inertial modules and worked with all three companies. It's really amazing what you can do with a tiny chunk of silicon.
CJLopez @ Dec 4th 2008 11:19AM
I just hope they'd reduce the cost on the wiimotes, cuz still, 60 bucks for the whole package is not pretty affordable, less this days the econoy is not looking quite good
Jayenkai @ Dec 4th 2008 5:36PM
Keeping costs down is great, but they have to be sure that the accelerometers work with the same kind of sensitivity.
It's all well and good finding "Better" ones, but if player one has "Super" controller, and player two has "Ye-olde Suckage" controller, folk are going to get peeved..
That's why the Motion+ is there as an add on, it keeps thing fair.
They'll try to find as similar a chip as possible, I'd imagine.. Just a bit cheaper!
MIchael Markowitz @ Dec 5th 2008 5:47PM
STMicroelectronics has been a reliable supplier to Nintendo from its first shipment of the revolutionary Wii gaming system. We continue to have a strong relationship with Nintendo and have been achieving all appropriate milestones. That other suppliers are trying to take this business shouldn't be news to anyone. With regard to future developments, ST is moving forward aggressively in our own accelerometer developments, as we've always done. Since delivering the first accelerometers for the Wii, we've continued to improve the sensitivity and performance of our accelerometers while increasing our manufacturing efficiency. All this is aimed at maintaining and reinforcing our existing business relationships and at building strong new ones by helping our customers deliver cooler gaming systems, hotter phones, and better products