Wii Successor to Also use Infrared?

By Jorge Ba-oh 29.10.2008 12

The Wii’s successor may continue to use infrared pointing technology, according to recent rumours.

The Wii uses the fairly dated technology as a means of pointing, and for those who are frustrated with pleas to keep pointing at the screen, or the occasional miscalculation it looks like it’ll continue with the new Wii in the future. Kotaku are saying that sources suggest that the "next-generation Wii device" will also use infrared allowing for cheaper sensors, over tech that doesn’t require sensor bars and continued pointing.

Does using infrared bother you? Should Nintendo be taking the remote forward, with less bits to hook up to the machine?

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Ikana is offline. Ikana 29.10.2008#1

Hm, I certainly wouldn't be surprised to see the pointing return. It works well imo, and I think it's a more worthwhile addition than motion-sensing was. I do have problems with it if I'm apparently too far from the screen though, if flicks around a lot...and it's not good when a dog walks infront of the sensor bar. Smilie I reckon it would be worth using better technology to be honest. To be honest, I think the Wii-successor would need a LOT of improvement to justify a purchase for me. Though I'll probably buy it whether it's justified or not... Smilie

 
trgdr777 is offline. trgdr777 29.10.2008#2

If it does its job and keeps controller prices low, I won't mind. Wireless nunchuck, and rechargeable batteries are more important to me (even if they seem like no-brainers). Some updated pointing tech would be nice though.

 
ohm is offline. ohm 29.10.2008#3

Its range is too low Smilie

 
Canyarion is offline. Canyarion 29.10.2008#4

I've never had any problems with the sensor bar. It's an effective solution and it allows for very precise pointing/aiming.

 
Laurelin is offline. Laurelin 29.10.2008#5

I agree with Canyarion. I only had problems with Boom Blox, but that was inside the game, not because of Ninty's pointing technology.
It may be not the best solution possible, but Nintendo always was about using the most price-sensitive technology and implement it that way, that the consumer may play well and enjoy himself: Gameboy with it's 4 or 8 or 16 greyscale dot-matrix-display (it's own name!) when Lynx had colours, N64 with cartridges when PS1 had CD, Wii with it's cheap hardware when X360 and Co had HD and all these guys never produced a lot of better games then Nintendo did (aside from the shovelware for Wii, that's third party). So I trust Nintendo to use the most experienced and most fitting hardware for my benefits

And I never had problems. I know someone who sits way to the left of his screen, in a high degree from the normalvector of his TV and he complains like crazy about jumping and shuddering cursor. But that's his own fault. I only would pity someone with a big room, who has problems pointing because of the great range.


Okay, Nintendo did wrong with memory on wii, no hdd and too less space, but that's their most capital error on Wii, not them using IR-technology...

I find your lack of faith disturbing!
 
erv is offline. erv 29.10.2008#6

It works?

And it works well... if the next wii thing gets the same wiiware/virtual console and total backwards compatibility with current wii games, I will buy it for sure. Plus, the 1:1 motion thing should be included, as well as some hdmi / hd support.

Obvious, and buyable. I'm gonna love it Smilie

 
ohm is offline. ohm 29.10.2008#7

It works, but the range is too short, you have to sit way too close to the TV. Sunlight also makes the cursor go a bit haywire too. Solving these two would go a long way with me.

 
E-Dracon is offline. E-Dracon 29.10.2008#8

I hate the sensor bar.... The Wii is in the same room as a large window, and so even the tiniest bit of sunlight from the window (closed) makes the pointer go crazy. And at night cars driving by causes the Wii remote to go crazy too. When those two aren't there, it goes crazy anyway.

 
D_prOdigy is offline. D_prOdigy 29.10.2008#9

Good move: keep technology cheap, then the real skill will come from what you make of it. It's the Nintendo ethos that makes them the most efficient company in the industry.

I've never had any problems with the sensor bar, and while my room is very small, the sensor bar is also next to a big window, and the pointer only falters when it's a very sunny day.

But curtains were made for Wii.

 
J4K is offline. J4K 29.10.2008#10

Sensor has been working fine for me. Occasional hick-up, but no real complaints.

Of course its just like Nintendo to not use better technology because its too expensive for them. Smilie

 
JoshSL is offline. JoshSL 30.10.2008#11

I don't care what it has aslong as it's more powerful than the PS3 and doesn't look like a "worse than previous gen" console half the time.

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Darkflame is offline. Darkflame 30.10.2008#12

This makes pretty much no sense at all.

Its physicaly impossible to position abssolutely without markers of some sort.
Seriously. They have to be there.
You cant calculate an absolute position without known referance points. Thats a physical law.

And if your going to have a marker, invisible IR points is pretty much perfect.

The Wiimotes sensor is 1024x1024 pixals...which is really pretty high.

Sure, you could make the sensor higher-res, or the IR lights stronger.
But basicaly, the IR tech is just fine.

The main improvement would be purhapes to add some vertical points so it can calculate true 3D positioning rather then just the 2D crosssection of where the pointer hits the screen;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyvIlKSA0BA
(seriously, watch it, its very informative and cool)

The other possibility is to have referance points placed around the room. Purhapes radio-becons to triangulate. This is likely to be more expensive though.

Either way, anyone that says \"doesn\'t require sensor bars\" effectively means \"games like metroid corruption wouldnt work\".


( Edited 29.10.2008 19:28 by Darkflame )

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