Satoru Iwata speaks

Wii News | Nintendo boss discusses the Wii's E3 performance and the PS3 controller.

US Newspaper the Seattle Times managed to score another interview with Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata, this time after E3. He discusses almost every topic gamers will be interested in, from the controversial Wii name to the PS3's price and controller. he certainly seemed happy with the reaction to the Wii at E3, stating "We thought that we would get mixed reactions to our presentation. However, almost all the people who have touched and played the Wii have shown very positive reactions."

About the name Wii, apparently Iwata had a few names in front of him, saw it and said "this is it". he described the criteria for choosing the name: "It had to be short enough so that we didn't need any other nicknames or abbreviation. What we are targeting with Wii is not only existing gamers, but also people who have shown no interest in other games. These non-gamers, for example, really cannot understand what GBA means, if GBA is something different from Game Boy Advance. We wanted something with a strong impact that people will remember as soon as they hear it"

When the Seattle Times asked Iwata if he thought Sony had copied Nintendo with its new controller, Iwata answered with a laugh. "Actually before they made the announcement we already anticipated that they might do that, so I had to laugh. Even though I was laughing, it was with a grim face, I should add." He continued: "Having said that, please know that putting the motion-sensor technology into the classic-style controller is one thing. Putting the motion-sensor technology into the Wii remote as well as the "nunchuck" controller, where you can use both hands freely and independently, this is quite another thing."

Check out the full interview here for some more interesting tidbits.

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46 Comments

admeister

5 years ago

Nothing unexpected there.

Jellyfish

5 years ago

Iwata wrote

We really want [filmmaker George] Lucas to think about making a game where this can be used as a light saber. It should be fun.

Nice to see someone else is a Star Wars fan

[/quote]

mqphu1

5 years ago

I must admit the Wii virus is raining down on me. All the hypes, news, reports and forums are doing the damage.
Iwata is a wizard. The newly appointed Nintendo marketing team is brilliance. Nintendo deserves a full KUDOS.

Careful now N, you must continues with what u doing and Wii the media with news and updates.

Dont be cheap now and start Wii Millions on media campaign on telvision/newspaper/magazine/internet. Do what Sony/Ms did best with their consoles. OTHERWISE, the Wii will be a failure like the GC and Sega.

Nev

5 years ago

I really just don't know at this point...

A Star Wars game where you can use the remote as a lightsaber sounds awesome... But (and this is the kicker) we have yet to see any evidence that this kind of thing is even possible.

Red Steel was going to be the perfect example of swordplay "done right" on the Wii, and it turned out to be a bit of a bust, inasmuch as the sword doesn't follow the movement of your hand. If the game isn't representing the way you swing the controller, you may as well be using an analog stick.

EDIT: Actually, someone might be able to help me out here. I'm still a bit iffy on how the PS3 controller works - does it only pick up tilting motions? Or can it detect left-right movement, up-down movement, forward-back movement? None of the above? What's the go?

Bitchacho

5 years ago

aren't they 'working on' Red Steel to work as good as everyone expected? i mean, the graphics were pretty pov so it has a long way to go. i wouldn't write it off yet.

what i still cant fathom is that the Wii-mote is going to get waved around pretty damn fast and eratic. how the hell can it recognise your movements? how accurate is it? i mean, isn't the logic of it that you have to aim at the screen and it will take angles and **** of your controller? if you're swinging it like a bat or a sword, you're initially going to aim at the floor or the ceiling right. then youre going to swing it, and you're probably not even going to aim at the tv at all. whats up with that? also, how the hell can it compute the movements into **** on screen? it doesn't sound logical to me.

Cerebral

5 years ago

It has an external sensor that communicates with the gyroscope. Proabably recognises changes in position relative to the sensor (Which is static) and feedds the machine this information accordingly.

Sensor Bar

mqphu1

5 years ago

Mitchacho,
i am just as confuse as you. I am currently do my research on Face Detection/Recognition and 3D scanning with my Webcams. I wonder how the Wii controller will do the all important "Calibration"?
Do we need to do additional settings to TV everytime?
Will the sensor damage the eyes?

Nev,
I know this much about the PS3 controller.
- Six-axis sensing system which no need for additional setting to TV.
- 3 posture axis - roll, pitch, yaw and 3D accelleration in real time.
- Broaden the tilting angle of analog stick
- Higher precision because from 8-bit to 10-bit (L2/R2/Analog Stick)

Cerebral

5 years ago

mqphu1 wrote

Damage the eyes? The sensor just sits there, dude. No flashing lights or ultraviolet beams. Just wireless data transmission.

Also, the Remote does not interface with the actual Television at all. Just like the PS3 interface, there is no need to alter any of the television settings. I don't know where you pulled this from.

Nev

5 years ago

mqphu1: Thanks for that. All I've heard so far is that it's basically the same as the nunchuk portion of the Wii controller, which can detect forward and back, as well as tilting and moving right-to left. Which is pretty cool.

I think the most disconcerting thing I've heard is that the Wii remote controls differently depending on how far away you are from the screen, in terms of sensitivity. I'm sure games will feature an adjustment screen where you can change the settings, but that (in addition to setting up the sensor bar) sounds pretty complicated for the non-gamers Nintendo are after. I fully expect to have to set this up and calibrate it for any family members who buy one.

And please, don't get me wrong guys. A lot of my posts about the controller may come across sounding negative, but it's just because I can see the potential here, and it's mind-blowing - I just really hope they take all these issues into consideration and come up with something that is everything people want it to be and more.

Bitchacho

5 years ago

this is my screwed up understanding of the Wii:

Set up vertical sensors next to the tv and do some tests to calibrate it right. then when you point the contoller at the TV, the sensors will judge what point youre aiming at and whatever. i have no idea how i thought of that but it sounds pretty funny.

either way, i still don't understand how the remote knows what it's aiming at, and how accurate it's going to be. the editors on gamespot said that the crosshair on Red Steel was really shaky - comparing it to aiming a laser pointer and trying to keep it still...impossible.

the whole idea of it has me baffled but I can't wait to play it for myself.

David

5 years ago

Nev, the PS3 controller cannot detect any positional movement, only tilting. It's basically just Kirby's Tilt n Tumble. It cannot tell if you push it forward, up, down, anything. It can only tell if you tip it. Forget about what mqphu1 posted, it's literally copied from a Sony press release and is just PR garbage.

Both halves of the Wii controller have full positional movement. Both halves can tell your tilt, as well as any movement in 3D space at all. It combines the tilt and a measurement of distance away from the sensor bar to be able to tell exactly what position it is in and how far away from the TV it is. Every single possible movement you can can do with it is known by the console.

Each half by itself is far more advanced the the PS3 controller, and combined it is much, much more advanced. Because of this, it will probably require calibration the first time you turn it on and position the sensor bar.

Basically, I don't think Sony was ever interested in offering something new for the controller, but they've added an ultra half-assed version of what Nintendo has to create this exact kind of confusion. Now joe-moron on the street hears that the PS3 has motion sensors and assumes it's as good as the Nintendo ones, even though that's clearly no the case.

As for Red Steel - yeah, it looks like the game is a dud in it's current form, but just because a game doesn't work doesn't mean the controller doesn't. In Wii Tennis, Baseball and Golf apparently your arm's motion is matched perfectly on screen - and what's the difference between a bat and a sword? I think the lightsabre thing will work perfectly, as long as they build the game right!

Infested Jibbs

5 years ago

Man, damage the eyes mqphu1?

Your the one damaging my eyes, cause every time you type, i roll mine, which can't be good 20-30 times a day.

I'm really surprised no-one else has any faith in red steel after a quick demo of a beta game on beta(probably) hardware.Remember the negative reaction metroid hunters for ds got when it was first unveiled?People were whinging there ass out(and rightly so) that they simply couldn't control it properly, and that having the game screen on the the same screen you use the stylus to move around on was awkward at best.

So sure enough, at it's next unveiling, some tweaks were made and now look at it.Portable perfection.I have great faith in red steel, and i'll only consider it a dud when the copy i play is an off the shelf retail version, not some advanced, beta tech demo shown at e3/

tullyano7

5 years ago

i have faith in red steel, it has been in production for only about 8 months, which means the demo at E3 would probably have been created in even a shorter time frame, maybe 7 months.
And there is still about 6 months till release, so i still hope it will turn out good

Bitchacho

5 years ago

^yeah if your estimates are correct, theoretically they can make it twice as good. let us pray it does get better.

Frozencry

5 years ago

IMO Red Steel will improve drastically. Remember that the Wiis architecture is designed around the Cubes, so developers are already pretty adept with the engine and can probably dish out some great stuff already. Also I've heard that the demo showcased at E3 was an earlier build, and there's an E3 trailer on gametrailers that shows a seemingly more polished version of Red Steel, which looks quite amazing.

I personally believe Ubisoft will come through with a great game, I've trusted them on so many occasions and almost always they come through.

mqphu1

5 years ago

David,

Now i know why this forum is full of Fanboyism, BECAUSE the writer himself
is a Wii fanboy.

Yes, i got the PS3 controller information from SONY press release.
How the heck you got yours' Wii info? Nintendo PR garbage or you
are the inventer/designer of Wii's controller. I don't think so.

You are so biased that you don't deserve to be a writer. Nothing
is release YET and you already jump onto the Wii wagon. You are a
professional writer for god sake. Wait, you're NOT.

What i am saying in my post is that, if Wii is using infrared
sensors, then it is fine. BUT i am suspecting it uses a special
or laser-like LEDs for higher accuracy. I am saying based on my
last 2 years working with Robotic sensors. Infrared sensors uses
analog technology and ADC to digital form. Bright/flourscent lights might
interfere with the controller's signal. I need to look at the technical spec
of the controller to determine the true. Have you read the designer SPEC of the Wii Controller DAVID? I don't think so.

If what you post about the Wii controller is ALL facts, then
you have to calibrate the first time you use it as well as everytime
you move the Wii/TV to achieve optimal accuracy.

THink About It.

EvilHayama

5 years ago

mqphu1 wrote

Flamebait

The people supplying the Wii tech are pixart, their website is here I believe. There's a strip you stick in front of your tv that communicates with the wiimote in your hand. I can't use infrared or sharks with lasers on their heads because that wouldn't work when the wiimote is pointed away from the screen. You would need sharks with lasers on the ceiling and behind the couch also. Please stop making up data.

David: The PS3 controller can detect up/down/left/right movement, but not in 3d, it just knows that you moved the thing up. This was demo'ed with using an upwards jolt to make something on screen jump. The Wiimote however knows where you're pointing it and its orientation and where it is relative to the strip.

David

5 years ago

I could refute your points, but why bother. Just read this:

http://revolution.ign.com/articles/705/705870p1.html

Aw hell, I'll refute them anyway:

mqphu1 wrote

Yes, i got the PS3 controller information from SONY press release. How the heck you got yours' Wii info? Nintendo PR garbage or you are the inventer/designer of Wii's controller. I don't think so.

Um, I got my info from hands on reports from the show floor? Including those from my good friend PALGN's James, who has actually played the Wii?

mqphu1 wrote

You are so biased that you don't deserve to be a writer. Nothing is release YET and you already jump onto the Wii wagon. You are a professional writer for god sake. Wait, you're NOT.

Suggesting the Wii controller is far more advanced the the PS3 controller is not bias, it is truly a fact.

Quote

If what you post about the Wii controller is ALL facts, then
you have to calibrate the first time you use it as well as everytime
you move the Wii/TV to achieve optimal accuracy.

This is true. Every time you move the TV you will have to re-calibrate the sensor bar.

Infested Jibbs

5 years ago

You need not bother David, we all know who talks facts and figures and knows their 'sh!t', and those who simply talk 'sh!t'.

And type with their butt-cheeks.

ObsoletE

5 years ago

but he does have somewhat of a point, this forum IS mostly Nintendo fans first, other consoles second (not necessarily fanboys, usually hateboys, imo).

you really only need to look at the topics on controllers, it was all:
"ewww, the PS controllers suck because the sticks are next to each other"

the Wii-controller cradle thing is revealed
"OMG it rules."
despite the fact it has what was the object of most people hate about the PS controllers, the sticks next to eachother.

at least be consistant with your opinions.

Jibbs: imo, the eye-damage thing was/is a valid question. he didn't know how the works, and therefore the question was asked. and despite this, you've chosen to go off at him. in the past lasers and IR were used, and eye-damage was a concern (legitimate or not), now it's more along the lines of GPS technology (from what i understand, i don't profess to be an expert in either field) to detect the position in space, but would need some form of passive detector for the pointer element, which i don't know what it uses.

David: i understand that the PS3 controller has no spatial positioning, it can't say it's in a particular point in space, but it does have axis accelerometers that can detect movement along these axes (x/y/z) in addition to the tilt, yaw and pitch detections. exactly like the Sidewinder Freestyle controller.

Jim Dash

5 years ago

Honestly, I'm not really biased towards any company. When I saw what Sony did at E3, I thought it was a bit dodgy, but it didn't change whether i'll get a PS3 or not, only when.

Sony's motion **** doesn't compare to the Wii. Totally different uses for it, so big deal.

Whether people here are fanboys or not, they're entitled to their opinion and they're gonna state it. Let it be.

If David loves Nintendo and not Sony who cares? I'm pretty sure if he was doing a Sony review and he enjoyed the game he'd give it a good rating, bias aside.

Frozencry

5 years ago

ObsoletE wrote

I agree. It's getting annoying to see someone compliment or speak of the ps3, then for them to be torn down by everyone else because they think it sucks. I like both, and if both have motion sensors, then f**k, I'm buying both. Who cares who stole what from who and which has better functionality. As long as they work and make you happy, then be content with it.

EvilHayama

5 years ago

The criticism of the sony motion sensing wasn't restricted to fanboy sites, it was pretty much everyone including the developers themselves.

Speaking of nintendo fanboys, I listened to the 4cr podcast just then, and my god, if you think you're a nintendo fanboy listen to that and you shall be humbled.

David

5 years ago

True to some extent Obs - but you may have noted that I went on record as saying I didn't like the stick placement on the classic controller either. I do prefer Nintendo's games, but that stays out of my reporting on this site (as much as is possible).

However, I think the Sony bashing is semi-valid in this topic for two reaons:

1)They clearly copied Nintendo's original idea, and pretended (the the press conference) that it was their idea

2)The implementation and tech are clearly not as good, yet they're pretending that they are.

Can we agree on those two points?

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