No one can deny the prolonged stunning success of the Wii. Who knew mediocre graphics coupled with a motion sensing controller could be so popular? But after the Wii what will be Nintendo’s next step?
If the patent uncovered by technabob is a clue, we will be seeing a Nintendo handheld with Wii motion control in the future.
The patent was filed on March 30th, 2007 during the massive Wii surge across the globe. It would make sense that Nintendo would file a patent for similar technology after they saw how popular their console had become. There is no hard evidence if this handheld will ever exist, but we could be looking at the plans for the next Gameboy.
The patent though, looks like it could have some problems from a handheld perspective. Looking at the concept drawings, activating the motion control requires moving the entire handheld drastically.
How is a gamer supposed to keep an eye on what is happening onscreen as they whip their handheld device in every direction imaginable? Also the battery life for the Wii Remote isn’t stellar, and if this problem persisted on a new Nintendo handheld, there could be some tribulations for new owners.
Still it is exciting to begin thinking about Nintendo’s next big announcement. The DS has been going strong for several years, but Nintendo needs a new console to keep their momentum going. Let’s hope these patents turn into the real deal down the road.
