AfterDawn: News

Next generation Wii will not need controllers says Intel

Justin Rattner, Intel's the company's chief technology officer, has suggested in an interview that the next generation of the Nintendo Wii will not have controllers.

"We imagine some future generation of [Nintendo's] Wii won't have hand controllers", Rattner said.



Rattner also suggested that camera technology using sensors around a room to detect player movement would replace the hand controllers.

He explained: "You just set up the cameras around the room and wave your hand like you're playing tennis".

The interview went on to talk about ongoing discussions between Intel and leading games and computer manufacturers including Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo.

Source:
pocketlint

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 20 Dec 2007 17:47

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• 26 comments

• xSModder

  I can't wait to get video through a window of some retard waving his hands around in desperation to hit his virtual tennis ball.

  20.12.2007 21:10 #1

• sk8flawzz

  I dug up and old tennis racket and ball and play against the brick wall next to my house. HAHA

  20.12.2007 21:18 #2

• vinny13

  Oh great. Instead of controllers flying through TVs we'll have arms and legs demolishing them.

  20.12.2007 21:47 #3

• ZimHosein

  Originally posted by vinny13: Oh great. Instead of controllers flying through TVs we'll have arms and legs demolishing them.And lots of online videos proving that sad fact!

  20.12.2007 23:01 #4

• redux79

  Quote:"We imagine some future generation of [Nintendo's] Wii won't have hand controllers", Rattner said.Some future generation? Ok so sometime between 5 and 20 years? Haven’t there been enough crappy futuristic sci-fi movies depicting technologies and devices like that?
  
  I have nothing against Nintendo, their first 3 consoles were a staple growing up and the game cube wasn't half bad. When I watched the first commercials for the wii and saw the controller set up the first thing that came to my mind was how are you going to play Mario cart or smash brothers?... now their is going to be NO controller???.
  
  It seems Nintendo keeps rolling back their main age demographic to at this point around 12... I can see it now little kids all around the world are going to be chugging soda and choking on jolly ranchers as they jump twist and swing their arms sporadically to try and hit the imaginary ball. Is it just me or do I see ALOT of ruined living room furniture, anything made of glass, speakers, and the all important expensive tv. At least when the wii controller fly's out of their hands they have a reason to stop.

  21.12.2007 00:03 #5

• ZimHosein

  Quote:Quote:"We imagine some future generation of [Nintendo's] Wii won't have hand controllers", Rattner said.Some future generation? Ok so sometime between 5 and 20 years? Haven’t there been enough crappy futuristic sci-fi movies depicting technologies and devices like that?
  
  I have nothing against Nintendo, their first 3 consoles were a staple growing up and the game cube wasn't half bad. When I watched the first commercials for the wii and saw the controller set up the first thing that came to my mind was how are you going to play Mario cart or smash brothers?... now their is going to be NO controller???.
  
  It seems Nintendo keeps rolling back their main age demographic to at this point around 12... I can see it now little kids all around the world are going to be chugging soda and choking on jolly ranchers as they jump twist and swing their arms sporadically to try and hit the imaginary ball. Is it just me or do I see ALOT of ruined living room furniture, anything made of glass, speakers, and the all important expensive tv. At least when the wii controller fly's out of their hands they have a reason to stop.Maybe I'm mistaken redux79, but "a lot" of the Wii's success is that the system appeals to a large demographic, not just "little kids."

  21.12.2007 00:12 #6

• Blackjax

  Sounds interesting but these future consoles have one thing in common with non bundled WII consoles right now........
  
  They are non existent!
  
  Hey redux79 can you say bah humbug. Kids are going to accidentally damage things with or without a game. I know I have two "rugrats" running around my abode.

  21.12.2007 00:19 #7

• redux79

  Quote:Maybe I'm mistaken redux79, but "a lot" of the Wii's success is that the system appeals to a large demographic, not just "little kids."
  
  Well your right in a certain respect, most any one can pick up a wii controller and have fun for an hour or two hear and there, Everyone from hardcore gamers to elderly citizens. The games just don't appear to have any real depth or learning curve. The wii is basically the lowest common denominator and therefore is at least some what appealing to everyone. Nintendo’s raking in the money and the wii is out selling the ps3 and 360. I guess you could call that a success, it just seems like an arcade machine to me and not really a next-gen gaming platform.

  21.12.2007 00:33 #8

• 26r0cK

  ..so kinda like wat Sony PS3 is doing with the EyeToy rite now? Cuz that's Sony's aim with using the EyeToy. Except i guess Nintendo will bank its whole next gen console on a similar EyeToy function. I liked it better when you could play video games in just a single spot either like sitting on the ground or on the couch. Nintendo systems will have less graphics and lower price but will require a bigger area to play lol.

  21.12.2007 00:47 #9

• dragnandy

  i think thats a good thing and a bad thing. bad thing because its stupid, why would you want to play tennis with motion detector and stuff on a tv when u can play for real outside? its practically the same thing! the good thing is, being a game console i guess kids will start getting even MORE work out than the wii already, and i guess will convince kids to be more active. active towards physical video games rather than sports though.

  21.12.2007 00:52 #10

• Pop_Smith

  Well this is not a confirmation from Nintendo saying the Next-gen console won't have controllers, its simply speculation by an Intel rep.
  
  Does this mean that the next smash brothers after Brawl will require you to actually fight each other physically? ;)
  
  Peace

  21.12.2007 01:58 #11

• maryjayne

  I guess if this happens, then I will have to stop laughing at my wife who shoots her arms in the air when she hits the jump button (expecting the motion to actually make the jump higher).

  21.12.2007 10:13 #12

• Allegro1

  Quote:
  I guess you could call that a success, it just seems like an arcade machine to me and not really a next-gen gaming platform.As dumb as it may seem, you're right. Why do you think stuipd arcade games rake in the quarters at arcades? Personally, I see these things and say they'll hold my interest for about 5 minutes, but in most cases, where does the fun come from? From playing with someone else, another real human being. Whether Nintendo realized this or not, they are captializing on it and pulling in the bucks.

  21.12.2007 11:27 #13

• emugamer

  As long as it's not a Gamecube X.0, I would be interested in trying it out. That's the reason why I gave up on the Wii. I was looking for games with more detail and depth on the graphics end. And not just the graphics. A more powerful machine would open the doors to more open-ended environments. It's 2008. I don't want to feel like I'm playing a game from 2003. If the Wii was as powerful as the PS3 or 360, I would've kept it.
  
  I don't get why people make comments like "why don't you just go out and play real tennis?" As if every person in the world has access and birth-rights to a tennis court.
  
  Is the PS3 really experimenting with EyeToy? I bought the PS2 EyeToy for my kids. It's a fun little novelty, but it sucks when you just don't have the proper lighting.

  21.12.2007 12:02 #14

• tester22

  Originally posted by xSModder: I can't wait to get video through a window of some retard waving his hands around in desperation to hit his virtual tennis ball.AGREED!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  I too can't wait to smack the air like the Beavis and Butthead dance. It only feels natural to hold 'SOMETHING' so the lame brain idea of 'nothing' just sucks. Though my schlong will make a nice size substitute for a tennis racket............or better yet...........a baseball bat.

  21.12.2007 15:48 #15

• Snatched

  I don't know what you guys have against doing a little cardiovascular work. In an age where hardly any of these kids actually go out to play. Maybe half of these McDonald overweight eating buckets of vomit will lose some fat.

  21.12.2007 19:41 #16

• saltynuts

  Originally posted by Snatched: I don't know what you guys have against doing a little cardiovascular work. In an age where hardly any of these kids actually go out to play. Maybe half of these McDonald overweight eating buckets of vomit will lose some fat.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Thats what the gym is for and for the kids gym class in school,its a game console thats all.so you come home from a long day and sit in your chair with a nice cold one to chill and play a couple quick rounds of whatever.and you gotta stand up swinging your body around like a crazy wack job,good for kids.

  21.12.2007 23:11 #17

• DoomLight

  Nintendo should call the next system The Huh™ which wil utilize the state of the art 4bit color chip set from Atari™ and can be controlled with mere whistling. that would be brilliant.
  
  since the big N is all about the cheap. maybe that ground breaking techology will propel them into gaming history.
  
  but in all seriousness Nintendo has lost alot of respect in my book if they do indeed thing this magic wand of a system is gonna really hold up with a shelf life of the other systems on the market. and camera's be serious. those will cost more to have. and not everyone has an Ideal layout for this proposed new way to play games. assuming u gotta aim ur camera's at you like pointing a direct TV dish. the last thing i wanna hear my unborn kid say is "hey dad whats the degree of azimuth for the 3rd camera again? i cant make mario jump on level 3 of Super Mario Furniture Mover"
  
  jeeze.... innovation my ass!

  22.12.2007 00:58 #18

• emugamer

  Originally posted by DoomLight: and not everyone has an Ideal layout for this proposed new way to play games.Exactly why I can't buy Rock Band :-(

  22.12.2007 08:57 #19

• ZippyDSM

  The technology is like eye toy only it can pick out more fine details of what you are doing, altho theres no getting away from a controller base once you add a ounce of retro gaming.

  22.12.2007 09:05 #20

• emugamer

  Originally posted by ZippyDSM: The technology is like eye toy only it can pick out more fine details of what you are doing, altho theres no getting away from a controller base once you add a ounce of retro gaming.NIce, so I can make Mario pick his nose and flip off the Koopas!

  22.12.2007 12:25 #21

• ZippyDSM

  Quote:Originally posted by ZippyDSM: The technology is like eye toy only it can pick out more fine details of what you are doing, altho theres no getting away from a controller base once you add a ounce of retro gaming.NIce, so I can make Mario pick his nose and flip off the Koopas!If it can count fingers yes, I ahve a feeling the consumer side device that will be made will have trouble with fingers but can track body ,arm,head,leg movement with not much problem, facsail and finger movemnts might be to hard for it but in a sence thats what they are trying to do the only trouble is you need buttons for most commands like shoot,grab,use,ect,ect

  22.12.2007 17:22 #22

• emugamer

  Wasn't there a virtual boy by Nintendo, that was like a head set? The could expand on that. Like all those sci-fi movies where people just plug in and let their imagination play while they sit motionless in a chair.

  23.12.2007 11:53 #23

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by emugamer: Wasn't there a virtual boy by Nintendo, that was like a head set? The could expand on that. Like all those sci-fi movies where people just plug in and let their imagination play while they sit motionless in a chair.it was more a 3D glasses thing than "virtual".
  
  Also theres no easy way to connect with the brain at this point and time, and following eyes is limited is like a mouse with one button.

  23.12.2007 14:04 #24

• borhan9

  If they bring something like Virtual Reality controlers and 3D glasses out this will be great for the users.

  28.12.2007 18:13 #25

• NHS2008

  Originally posted by Rattner: You just set up the cameras around the room and wave your hand like you're playing tennis
  Don't you think that instead getting a Wii and setting up cameras and imagine that you are playing Tennis, you can rather go outside and play the real thing?
  So much for the motion sensing!

  1.1.2008 09:58 #26