MotionPlus and Wii Sports Sequel to heat up Nintendo’s Summer

Earlier today, Nintendo released a statement that the new MotionPlus add-on for the Nintendo Wii will be released on June 8th. The MotionPlus accessory “redefines game control, by more quickly and accurately reflecting motions in a 3-D space,” according to the product description on Nintendo’s web site. What’s more, the MotionPlus accessory comes out a month and a half before the official launch of Nintendo’s follow-up to its most popular Wii title, Wii Sports Resort.

Wii Sports Resort, a beach-romp themed game, is the follow-up to the system-selling Wii Sports title that was packed in with the system at launch. In this outing, Nintendo promises sword-fighting, frisbee and several other activities. Supposedly, the new MotionPlus will offer a greater level of control. However, we at the Crispy office still think it looks like grown-ups flailing around uncontrollably.

EA Sports Reveals Tennis Title

Electronic Arts announced today that an all-new tennis video game is in development at EA Canada in Vancouver under the EA Sports label. The unnamed EA SPORTS tennis franchise will be available first for the Wii in 2009, followed by other platforms, and it will be the first EA SPORTS game that uses Nintendo’s upcoming Wii MotionPlus accessory for the Wii Remote. This means that EA is making promises about how responsive and reactive the game will be.

EA also announced that this game will be the only one to feature the All England Lawn Tennis Club — home of The Championships, Wimbledon. EA sports promises innovative ways to play, both as or against the greatest players from the past or present, letting you control the ball and work the court like you never have before in a tennis video game.

A web site has already been launched for the game at www.easports.com/tennis. EA is showing off its wares this week at the Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany.

Iwata: Nintendo Working on Next Console

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata dropped a few notable quotes in a Wall Street Journal interview today including the fact that the company is - at the very least - in the conceptual stage of creating their next gaming console. While Iwata says that a new system is being “worked on” and that ideas are being thrown around internally, he also cautioned that the system is being heavily vetted within the company and that no details would be available on what they have planned for quite some time.

Iwata also said that some games would require the new MotionPlus add-on for the Wii Remote, but the price point for it would be relatively inexpensive. He also reminded everyone that the MotionPlus pricing has not been officially announced. Finally Iwata said that, when it comes to peripherals, the company is all out of ideas at the moment. Beyond the MotionPlus and the new Wii microphone revealed at E3 with Animal Crossing: City Folk, Nintendo is pretty much out of ammo at the moment.

Source: WSJ

Ubisoft: Red Steel Sequel, MotionPlus Supported

Ubisoft revealed via an interview that it will be one of the first publishers to embrace Nintendo’s Wii Remote add-on, Wii MotionPlus. In an interview with Gameindustry.biz, Ubisoft executive director Alain Corre said that the company plans to use the add-on device to support the sequel to its Wii sword fighting and shooting game, Red Steel.

Given how awful the first game was, the promise of more precise controls promised with the MotionPlus night be a boon to a new Red Steel game. Of course, that’s assuming that the MotionPlus delivers on all of its promises. Corre blames the failure of the first game on the company’s learning the ins and outs of a new technology. He also added that when you make a good game you need more than a year of development - a luxury the first game didn’t enjoy because it was rushed to be a Wii launch title..

Source: GI.Biz

Nintendo E3 Press Briefing Highlights

Nintendo wants to keep everybody smiling, except apparently hardcore gamers. That was the theme at today’s press briefing, and while some interesting things were shown, Nintendo fans felt a little disappointed. Various Nintendo executives including Reggie Fils-Amie, Cammie Dunaway, Satoru Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto took to the stage to show off new Wii games and to talk up the success of Nintendo Wii and DS. Here’s the highlight reel:

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Pre-E3 Strike: Nintendo Teases With New Controller

Not content to sit on its laurels while Microsoft tries to outdo its competitors, Nintendo has revealed one of the things it will announce tomorrow: a new controller (pictured on the right). Called the MotionPlus, the new controller promises rapid and accurate movement within a 3D space. The MotionPlus is actually an add-on that attaches to the end of the Wii Remote, along with an “accelerometer” (no details on this part)used in a conjunction with the sensor bar.

This apparently allows for more accurate arm tracking and true 1:1 response. More on this will be revealed tomorrow during Nintendo’s press event at E3 in Los angeles. The Crispy staff will be on hand to bring it to you, so keep your eyes on our E3 Hub for all the latest.