Archive for Wii

Guy controls canoe with Wiimote

Posted in Wii by Conner Flynn on July 28th, 2008


Canoing is supposed to be about the great outdoors, exercise and relaxation. But for nerds, canoing is like anything else, it needs to be modded for laziness and the end result should be a lot like sitting on the couch and playing a game. Mission accomplished.

This guy made a small electric motor that’s controllable via a Wiimote. The result is that the canoe is steered by finger movement. Sure it would have been cooler to see him control the rowing by wiimote, or have the canoe walk itself into the water, but I’m sure this is just a geek stepping stone to bigger things.

Photo printing service hits Japanese Wiis

Posted in Wii by Conner Flynn on July 27th, 2008

Photo printing service hits Japanese WiisHere’s something else to complain about when it comes to Nintendo’s constant need to keep things away from American hands. A new partnership between Nintendo and Fujifilm is spawning the Wii Digicam Print Channel, which is immediately available for Japanese Wii consoles to access.

It lets owners upload images from SD cards and get customized prints, photo books, business cards, and more in the mail. I’m not entirely sure why they feel the need to waste resources on this one when people can just use their computer, but I’m sure one or two people will love it. Probably the same people who bought the gameboy printer. It will likely hit North America and Europe at some point in the future.

Nintendo working to fix its Wii bit of storage

Posted in Wii by Darrin Olson on July 24th, 2008

Nintendo creating storage solution for the Wii game console.When the Wii game console could only play media on external discs the issue of storage was not a problem, but now that owners can download, store and play games online the issue of storage, as with competitor consoles such as the PS3 and Xbox 360, has suddenly become an issue.

Sure you can store some data onto SD cards and swap things in and out of 512MB of internal Wii storage, but that capacity is quickly becoming inadequate and is putting a damper on those wanting to download a lot of games not to mention the ability for Nintendo to sell more games online.

Comics coming to the Nintendo Wii

Posted in Wii by Conner Flynn on July 24th, 2008

Comics coming to the Nintendo WiiSettle down now. I didn’t mention Batman or Spiderman, now did I? A Japanese joint venture between several comic loving entities will be distributing digital comic books to the Nintendo Wii through the Internet. Again, settle down. The service will be available to those in Japan only.

In fact, the digital content delivery service has already begun, and they are working on being able to transfer the data to the DS Lite platform down the road. This means that it’s only a matter of time until we can get actual Marvel or DC comics delivered to our Wii. And that is the most awesomest thing ever. But for now, just settle down.

Sanyo’s Eneloop rechargeable battery packs for the Wii

Posted in Wii by Conner Flynn on July 24th, 2008

Sanyo’s Eneloop rechargeable battery packs for the Wii
We love the Wii, but we hate throwing away batteries. It’s not good for the environment and it’s costing you a lot of money. That’s why Sanyo is offering the Eneloop charging station with a battery pack replacement for your Wii remote and a charging base that holds up to four controllers.

Your remotes will charge in 220 minutes and the cool thing is that they charge in order, one after another so you don’t have to wait to play. It’s priced at $73 and is an import, but I’d be surprised if this didn’t show up in North America very soon. Go get the calculator and add up how much you’ve already spent in batteries. This is a real bargain.

Wii Music Trailer

Posted in Wii by Conner Flynn on July 20th, 2008

Wii Music Trailer
If you want to feel like you’ve just downed a 2-liter bottle of I don’t know, say LSD, have a look at the freaky video below that shows off Wii Music. Does it have what it takes to become a best seller? I don’t know, but it’s gotta require some level of skill right? Should we love it or should we hate it? All I know for sure is that the video below is like a nightmarish, trippy Mii music video that seems to want to get into your head and convert you.

Wii outsells Xbox 360 in the US

Posted in Wii by Conner Flynn on July 18th, 2008

Wii outsells Xbox 360 in the US
Nintendo’s Wii has now surpassed the Xbox 360 as the leading console in U.S. homes among the latest generation of video-game players. As of June, U.S. consumers bought nearly 10.9 million Wii consoles since it’s introduction, which makes Nintendo top console dog. In fact, the Wii has been the top-selling console in all but one month in the U.S. since it launched, according to research firm NPD Group Inc.

Nintendo is projecting that worldwide, the Wii’s annual sales will surpass the number of consoles that Sony sells for the first time this fiscal year. The formula seems pretty straightforward. Get people actually in the game with motion control and Miis, appeal to all ages and keep the price somewhat reasonable.

Wii Sports Resort bundled with MotionPlus next spring

Posted in Wii by Conner Flynn on July 15th, 2008

Wii Sports Resort bundled with MotionPlus next spring
Looks like Wii Sports Resort, which is basically Wii Sports: The Next Generation, will come bundled with the MotionPlus accessory, when it becomes available next spring. The MotionPlus attachment gives you 1:1 motion mirroring on your Wiimote.

No word yet on the price of the MotionPlus by itself, but the thinking is that people will buy Wii Sports Resort just to get the accessory just like with Wii Play.

E3 2008: WiiSpeak community mic for online chatting

Posted in Wii by Conner Flynn on July 15th, 2008

E3 2008: WiiSpeak community mic for online group chatting
Another new Wii accessory fresh from E3 is the WiiSpeak community mic and speaker that will let you chat with friends and enemies online. It’s not like an Xbox 360 headset since the emphasis is on group chatting and since it resides not on your head but on top of your TV. It will come bundled with Animal Crossing City Folk and will be out later this year. Pretty cool no? I’m not sure how it will filter out game sounds and such, but it must be pretty good.

E3 2008: Nintendo announces Wii Music

Posted in Wii by Conner Flynn on July 15th, 2008

E3 2008: Nintendo announces Wii MusicNintendo just announced Wii Music, a new music game that will let you use the Wiimote, Nunchuk and the Wii-Fit Balance Board to create music. It’s not like Rock Band or Guitar Hero, which are based on precise timing. Instead, this one lets you mash buttons and swing the remote around like a crazy Jedi to create some original tunes. Your motions and button mashing will make beautiful music.

It’s like Beamz but with a wiimote. Hopefully less dorky. Users can play different instruments and their are a lot of options like guitar, drums, saxophone and violin. Plus you’ll be able to create music videos as well. You like? I’m not so sure it can compare to pure rocking like Guitar Hero. We’ll see.

Logitech announces wireless Wii keyboard

Posted in Wii by Conner Flynn on July 15th, 2008

Logitech announces wireless Wii keyboard
I don’t know many people who surf the web using their Wii, but if that’s your idea of fun then Logitech has a brand spanking new keyboard to go along with your frustration. It broadcasts using 2.4 GHz wireless technology and will work from 30 feet away.

It’s not just a plain old wireless keyboard either. It was designed with the Wii in mind and so comes with dedicated buttons for things like Zoom In/Out, Forward/Back, Quit and OK. No word on a release date, but it will cost you $50 when it arrives. That’s a bit more expensive then the Logic 3, which is only available in the uk currently.

New wireless Guitar Hero controller for the Wii spotted

Posted in Wii by Conner Flynn on July 14th, 2008

New wireless Guitar Hero controller for the Wii spotted
Some guy from Michigan spotted this sweet looking guitar at his local Wal-Mart so he snapped a pic. It’s a mysterious new controller for Guitar Hero for the Wii called the Rage. It may or may not be all the Rage.

No one seems to know anything about it and there’s nothing on Google either, which seems a bit odd since it looks so sweet and all. According to the box, it’s super realistic and this baby even has light-up LEDs on the fretboard. The $54.78 price tag isn’t all that awesome, but it’s different if you’re looking for a new fake guitar.

Logic 3 wireless Wii keyboard

Posted in Wii by Conner Flynn on July 8th, 2008

Logic 3 wireless Wii keyboard
It’s not all about running around in Zelda land collecting hearts and rupees. Sometimes you want to take a break and send a message to your buddy. Probably telling him all about that Princess Peach upskirt you found when freezing Super Smash Bros.

Thanks to Logic 3’s 32-key wireless keyboard, you can do just that. Enter in names, messages, Wii Friend Codes etc. Then get back to prancing around Hyrule like a fairy. It’s $27 and will be released July 18 in the UK.

Solar-powered Wii station for outdoor play

Posted in Wii by Conner Flynn on July 1st, 2008

Solar-powered Wii station for outdoor play
It’s a beautiful summer day. You want nothing more then to play your Wii and enjoy the outdoors. But you can’t do both. Or can you? Now you can, thanks to this solar powered Wii station.

Whether it’s some exercise with Wii fit or a kick-ass round of Mario Kart, you’ll be having fun in the sun. It’s basically little more then a wooden case that houses the Wii, a high definition display, a solar power panel, and a battery, so I’m sure it’s entirely worth the $1,431 build cost.

Nintendo pushes back DVD-Wii in Japan

Posted in Wii by Conner Flynn on June 30th, 2008

Nintendo pushes back DVD-Wii in Japan
Those of us in the U.S. know damn well that we are never going to have a DVD playing Wii, while those who live in Japan have reason to hope. The company has made promises stating that a DVD system was on the way in some form, at some point.

Now the poor Wii playing Japanese are thinking they may never get one as well since Nintendo has just announced yet another delay to the system while still giving no date. IGN says that Nintendo President Satoru Iwata would only say that due to the continuing worldwide Wii shortages, “the priority is on the current model.”





Other blogs from the Topic Soup Network that you might like:

PopTherapy.com - A therapeutic guide to popular culture

WeathyReader.com - Where reading pays off.

HealthyReader.com web site

Botropolis.com web site