Nintendo Big No to PS3, Xbox 360 Motion-Sensing Approaches

Got "lucky" with Wii

Posted by Staff
Satoru Iwata
Satoru Iwata
Nintendo's president, Satoru Iwata, has said that Nintendo considered the approaches Sony and Microsoft have taken toward motion control and rejected them.

The Financial Times reports that it was told by Iwata that "his company had made experimental games controlled by camera-based sensors, but got better results with the accelerometers it eventually chose to use for its Wii console."

Sony's wand controller uses optical location detection, while Microsoft's Project Natal has no peripheral to hold at all - though there looks to have been some trickery involved in the video demo released.

Iwata also offered the FT some less passive aggressive, more modest words.

On building on the Wii's success, Iwata said, “First, we never use the word ‘success’. When overseas subsidiaries put ‘success’ in draft releases we tell them to delete it.

“Also, there are things that we did through ability, and things that were luck. You know, Nintendo was lucky. I was confident that expanding the gaming population was the right idea, but to actually do it in three to four years was incredibly lucky.”
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Comments

deleted 5 Jun 2009 09:54
1/17
Sorry but doesnt the Wii sensoe Bar have optical recognition (be it only IR) so technically the Sony approach is a more advanced form of this, Nintendo will have to up the game with the Wii2 so Dismissing Optical Tracking now is that a good idea? as next gen will need incredible accurate pinpoint tracking, and they still need to overcome playing most genres with motion devices, i wont be happy with just another batch of Mario Party, Kart and Metroid.

As for Natal im sure its more advance technically better than the Wii`s concept but we need yet to actually see this working out of MS hands, Although the great ET man was happy with it, did that involve real excitment or Wads`o`Cash?
OptimusP 5 Jun 2009 11:08
2/17
@haritori
You would right, if you think mister Iwata thinks the same way as you do aka, very restricted. Thank good mister Iwata has a very broad vision.

The Wiimote + nunchuk is actually the total package, it has motion sensing, IR-pointing and, surprise surprise, buttons and a analog stick! Does Natal have buttons? As far as i can see, no. The PS3 wands seem to have a button or two, but no analog stick. And that made me wonder...how the bloody hell are you supposed to move your charater with both devices? Now with natal you could hold you controller in your hands...but that beats the purpose of the damn thing.

Also, both presentations of both devices were horrible actually. They showed no games for it while WiiMotion plus has allready a couple of REAL games coming out in a couple of months. Hell, if people are going to say that Sony and/or MS won E3 because of those techs, then Nintendo won E3 last year because not only did they show their new tech but also a game that you could play the VERY NEXT DAY AT THE EXPO. What do MS and Sony have? Some kid you can talk to...fantastic gameplay!!

See the pattern here, Nintendo shows of Wiimote, shows of WiiSports, Wiisports playable the next day, Nintendo shows of Balance Board, shows WiiFit, playable the next day, Nintendo shows WiiMotionPlus, shows WiiSports Resort, playable the next day. Sony and MS show their new tech...and...eeuh...yeah...
You can have whatever tech you want, if you don't use it in significant quantity to have relevant impact, it will be irrelevant. Especially if your competitors do use it better.

So Sony and MS are not only behind, they're really really behind. Hell, MS is now using the exact same words Nintendo said at E3 2006 (E3 2004 if you really want to stretch it).Then you have to know that both companies have no expercience in making motion-controlled games, something even Nintendo seems to have problems with. Which puts them even more behind. Hell, Nintendo allready has a game uses face and hand recognition...on the DSi!

Sony's and MS tech will be utter useless and completely unimpactfull unless they support it with ample first-party efforts. Right about now, they have nothing and seeing the priorities they give these kind of add-ons in regards of gamedevelopment, it will stay at nothing for quite some time. Meanwhile, Nintendo is just continuiing it's merry jig further.

And really, when Nintendo experiments with stuff, they do it extremely torough, just read on the new Iwata Asks interviews around the development of WiiMotionPlus and what crazy s**t the engineers tried to moisturize the thing or to test if the ting doesn't come of with extreme shaking.
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Joji 5 Jun 2009 12:20
3/17
Its interesting to see Sony and MS come out with this 'can't beat em, join em' attitude, and while they are noticeably different to Wii, you'd think Iwata should be encouraging them. Perhaps he fears doing so, only to get back home and have Nintendo HQ demote him.

I agree, that MS and Sony's offering will need to bear solid, juicy gaming fruit, before they can be taken seriously. Time will tell. From my perspective as a 360 owner, I can't say I want to buy anymore peripherals, as I have many consoles now. All this tech is another means to supposedly game, and to be honest I like my gaming how it is now, but understand if MS and Sony want a piece of casual pie. So long as that stuff doesn't supersede normal games, I'll be happy.

Don't forget, many thought Wii was a lot of bs, when it was first shown, and look what happened. I'll give MS and Sony a chance to blow away my scepticism.
tyrion 5 Jun 2009 13:00
4/17
The different approaches reflect the different companies;

Nintendo is a hardware/software company. They design the hardware and software together at the same time. The hardware won't be ready to show before the software because the software design feeds back into the hardware design. They also don't seem to give much thought to early 3rd party access to new stuff. Their new tech is presented to the world complete, but other devs take quite a while to catch up.

Sony is a hardware company and develops the hardware first. Then they let their own software guys look at it and then they open it up to the 3rd parties. Sony's 1st and 2nd party studios usually only have a few months lead time over 3rd party devs, but the hardware has been seen for years.

Microsoft is a software company and does very little hardware development themselves. They usually license or package up someone else's hardware or use very simple hardware and do all of the clever stuff in software. This means they have the APIs and libraries in front of 3rd party devs before the hardware has been finalised, usually they make new stuff work with old APIs so there is no huge learning curve.

With respect to this new tech, Microsoft and Sony don't need Natal or PSWand to have analogue sticks because their existing controllers have that. These new technologies provide complementary controllers that are for the Wii Sports type of games that don't even need a nunchuck. In this case, Sony have the advantage of buttons and Microsoft have the advantage of full body input.

It's going to be interesting to see how everybody reacts to the new tech we saw at E3.

Sony can respond to Natal with full body tracking, just minus the depth aspect, because they've done 2D body tracking before with Eye-Toy and PS-Eye.

Microsoft can introduce a Wand-like instrument for Natal to better capture sword motion, etc and have buttons on there.

Nintendo, who knows? They'll probably have a camera system lying around they can use, but for now, they're just riding the wave. It's telling that Iwata-san said that Nintendo have been lucky, I don't believe for one second that they were prepared for the huge success of the DS and the Wii.
wiiboy101 8 Jun 2009 16:49
5/17
wiimote with wiimotion plus = 1to1 perfect 3d motion controls with 1mm perfection and a true perfect aim ir mouse pointer


ps3 motion has no perfect pointer and its motion sensing is only 1cm accurate its no were near wii motion plus or wiimote mouse pointer it simply does not compete

also no speaker no rumble and no nunchuck type analog stick so no fps motion controls


its a weak copy wii motion and other controls conbined kill ps3 motion and natal


natal no feed back no rumble no speaker no fuking controls at all = better eyetoy and thats all

no fps fpa rts rta advantage no analog stick and 50% of demos and promos were faked


scan the skate borad then not use it that didnt even make sense


there both waggle fest ideas wave about ideas there not 1to1 perfection with ainm and traditional analog combanation controls like wii and therws no speaker or rumble


THERE FOR THERE WEAK COPYS

WII HD WITH DUAL WII MOTION PLUS AND DUAL IR POINTER MOUSE AND A WIISPEAK AND CAM IN THE BOX FOR A RETAIL PRICE = TO WIIS SAY END 2010


DESTROYS MICROSOFTS HOPES AND SONYS

A WII PRICE DROP TO SUM 100 POUNDS SUM 150 DOLLARS AGAIN DESTROYS THE COMPETITIONS DREAMS


ITS OVER NINTENDO HAS ALREADY WON
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MICROSOFT DOESN'T HAVE REAL 3D ETRHER ITS JUST EYETOY ADVANCE ITS IMPOSABLE TO DO FAST PERFECT FPS ETC VIA NATAL

ITS IMPOSABLE TO MIX NATAL WITH A ANALOG STICK

AND ITS IMPOSABLE TO GET RUMBLE OR SOUND FEED BACK IN UR HANDS WITH NATAL


SONY AND MICROSOFT CLEARLY CANNOT COMPETE

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FANBOY SHUT UP EVERY SINGLE IN DEPTH ARTICLE CLEARLY STATES 7MM SQUARE ACCURATE

STOP SUCKING UP TO SONY THERE LIARS THERE GAMING HOSTORY CLEARLY PROVES IT

COMPARE SONYS MOTION LIKE THIS SONY ANALOG VS NINTENDO

NO CONTEST AND IT WILL BE THE SAME WITH MOTION I PUT MY LIFE ON IT MY SOUL MY CHILDRENS SOULS

SONY USED CAMS NINTENDO HAD ALREADY REJECTED CAMS

SO WHAT ENGINEERING DESIGN REASON WAS THAT

CAMS ARE WEAK AT MOTION SENSING GET IT THRU UR SONY LOVING HEAD

STOP THE WHOLE SONY IS BETTER WEN HISTORY PROVES OTHERWISE


RUMBLE PAKS NINTENDOS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN BETTER

ANALOG STICKS NINTENDOS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN BETTER

LOADTIMES AGAIN BETTER

CONSOLE BUILD QUALITY AGAIJN BETTR PLEASE SEE SONY FOR WHAT THEY ARE

AND THE SONY MOTION CONTROLS HAVE BASIC ACCELORSENSER THINGS IN THEM NO BETTER THAN NUNCHUCK

THE ORBS ARE FOR MOTION TRACKING not perfect fps like aiming or mouse

its not accurate and its not 1to1 and its no match for wii motion plus

and WERES THE ANALOG STICK

JESUS FRIEND 2+2=4 AND 4 ONLY NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES SONY TELL YOU THE ANSWER IS 6.7


AND COPYING IS GOD DAM GAY INNOVATING IS GENIUS

do you fan copiers and thiefs because i dont
wiiboy101uk 8 Jun 2009 17:07
6/17
posts of mine from other blogs...ABOVE ILL JUST RE CAP FOR STUPID SONY/MICROSOFT FANS.....

wiimote ir mouse pointer 1to1 acurate in realtime to a good 1mm square= perfect 3d mouse FPS SHOOT AND AIM CONTROLS..

ps3 orbs are for tracking not perfect pointing (ps3 motion fails) FACTUAL FANBOYS DON'T DARE ARGUE THE FACTS...... NO FPS AIM SHOOT


ps3 motion sensing and cam tracking is confirmed by sony them selfs to be 7mm square accurate thats around 1cm sqaure and with sony nown for lieing im guessing its even worse than there saying 7mm to 1cm square is far from accurate its no better than six axis or nunchuck its no were near wiimotes tight 3d motion AND IS LEFT FOR DEAD BY WII-MOTION-PLUS

ITS LIKE THIS combine sixaxis weak sensing with orbs a camera can track ITS A WAVEY WAVEY CONTROLLER NOT A PERFECT 3D INTERFACE LIKE wiimote and wimote plus wii motion plus GET IT NOW

theres also no analog (huh stupid) and possible no rumble and no imursion speaker speakers SO ITS A PILE OF CRAP OBVIOUSLY

WII MOTION PLUS IS 3D MOTION 1TO1 PERFECT AND 1TO1 PERFECT 3D MOTION PHYSICS PS3 MOTION IS FOR WAVING = HIGHLY GAY CASUAL CRAP

NATAL NO aim pointer mouse no analog stick no rumble and just frayling about eyetoy advance controls totally casual and un core


add balance board both natal and ps3 motion support falls behind further

ADD 3rd PARTYS ARE BRINGING EYETOY CAMS WITH SOFTWARE TO WII AS AN EXTRA ubisoft have a wii fitness game with its own motion cam included

now imagine wiimote nunchuck wiimotion plus and eyetoy cam COMBINED

I CLEARLY SEE WITH MY EYES AND THINK WITH MY BRAIN

WHO ARE SONY TRYING TO KID WHO ARE MICRSOFT TRYING TO KID

IMITATION IS SUICIDE AND MIMICRY THE ACTIONS OF THE UN-TALENTED

wii HD CAN RELEAE ANYTIME NINTENDO WANTS TO 2010 ON WARDS
PreciousRoi 8 Jun 2009 17:43
7/17
Thank you tyr...absolutely brilliant.
wiigodlikebouy101uk 8 Jun 2009 18:05
8/17
imitation is SUICIDE and mimicry the action of the UN-TALENTED....

ANYONE BACKS A WEAK COPY AGAINST A SUPERIOR INNOVATION HAS PERSONAL MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES (BLIND FANBOYISUM)

A CORE EMBRACES THE FUTURE NOT PRETEND ITS CRAP THEN SUDDENLY STATE HOW GREAT IT IS WEN HIS FANNED COMPANY COPY IT AND ALSO IN A WEAK ASSED WAY

NATAL IS 2D BOLLOX AND CLEARLY """""""OVERLY CASUAL"""" LIKE ITS BEING FORCED DOWN ARE THROATS BY A DESPERATE COMPANY TRYING HARD BUT SHOWING NO TALENT AND THE DEMOS WENT BEYOND DUBIOUS THEY WERE BLATANTLY FAKE


SIX AXIS TILT SENSING AND SOME GAY MANS LOVE ORBS FROM THE GAY SECTION OF ANN SUMMERS SEX SHOP DONT CUT IT WITH ME


A COMPANY REJECTS CAMERAS AND THE OTHER TWO EMBRASE

CLEARLY

MICROSOFT AND SONY THINK

1 WEAK LOSE POOR COPYS WONT BE RECOGNIZED BY CONSUMERS

2ITS STILL NOT CORE GAMER BASED AS WII IS WII INCLUDE ALL CORE AND ALL CASUAL INTO ONE INTERFACE THE COMPETITION ARE DESIGNING NON CORE MOTION AS A ADD ON ONLY AND MAINTAINING THE COUGH COUGH RETRO/CLASSIC PAD MENTALLITY

HARDLY CORE IS IT

DISRUPTION OWNS COPIERS MOAN AND WII PLUS WII HD JUST LIKE DS PLUS DSI WILL DESIMATE THE COMPETITION

PreciousRoi 8 Jun 2009 18:11
9/17
Hey, I think we've found SS4 and OptimusP's developmentally challenged love child...

Actually thats really not fair to either one of them...this guy is a bigger douchebag than even the synergy of those two would suggest.
ITS A CORE GAMER THING VS HARDLY CORES FANBOYING 8 Jun 2009 18:18
10/17
Sony and Microsoft motion was nothing more than a nat buzzing in Nintendos ear a mere annoyance.....

ps3 with price drop and a eyetoy and motion kit will still be very expensive and ps3 motion still a add on not a part of the console wii balance board alone has a ps3 level userbase wii its self by the time ps3 wavegay orbs hit will be so far ahead its beyond funny

wii hd at wii 1 price would utterly destroy the competition

x360 plus natal will again be expensive wii price drops and wii hd at wii release price again disrupts any chance the competition will have

GAME-OVER
PreciousRoi 8 Jun 2009 18:24
11/17
Man, someone has one hell of an inferiority complex....
wiiboy1012009 UK 8 Jun 2009 18:51
12/17
ps3 motion 7mm/1cm square accurate = utterly rubbish

ps3 no 1to1 gyro wii motion plus ability whats so ever standard gyros sense 300 to 360 degrees...

wii motion plus senses 1600 degrees 1to1 in realtime combine with ir 3d mouse pointer and nunchucks analog stick PRESTO core gaming perfection

ps3 motion is light tracking orbs of lag

natal is just eyetoy on steroids

disruption is king ALL OTHERS ARE BIRDMEN
OptimusP 8 Jun 2009 18:53
13/17
I think he migrates to other websites when they ban him...seriously, I saw the exact same things posted at some other sites and then he just dissapears. It's incredible obnoxious.

On the other side, GAF is full it...
im not into gay love signals 8 Jun 2009 19:12
14/17
im so macho i own a ps3 im so with it im so savy and cool,,im so HD

i look so with it and in the know WAVING 2 PINK ORBS

gay very very GAY
wiiboy101 8 Jun 2009 19:19
15/17
are sony expanding into the untapped GAY market


pink orbs i ask ya seriously pink orbs pink virating love eggs of GAY more like
OptimusP 8 Jun 2009 19:20
16/17
tyrion wrote:
It's telling that Iwata-san said that Nintendo have been lucky, I don't believe for one second that they were prepared for the huge success of the DS and the Wii.


Well, there was no way anyone knew the Wii could have been a succes so fast. No one knew how big the market was untill Nintendo tapped it, even Nintendo itself. Nintendo knew it was making a disruptive product, and disruptive products do not pick up steam after a certain period, which they knew as well.

If you had a checklist for disruptive products, the Wii checks them all off except for it's immediate succes. Maybe that shows how much traditional gaming was overshooting a lot of people and leaving them cold, even with small depth charges like Eyetoy, The Sims and Pokemon.
Wiibouy101uk 10 Jun 2009 17:42
17/17
camera motion 300 degrees thats ur lot per second

wii motion plus 1600 degrees per second

plus precision at the point of movement UR HANDS

i rest mt case lol cams = rehected gay fodder by nintendo WHY WAS IT REJECTED
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