Nintendo Wii Controller

The Wii Remote, also nicknamed "Wiimote," is the primary controller for Nintendo's Wii console. The main feature of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via movement and pointing, as well as its expandability through the use of attachments.

The Wii Remote was announced at the 2005 Tokyo Game Show on September 17, 2005 and has since received much attention due to its unique features and the contrast between it and typical gaming controllers. Nintendo has announced that Wii Remote units will retail in Japan for JP¥3,800,[1] in the United States for US$39.99,[2] in Canada for CA$44.99, in Europe for €39,[3] in the United Kingdom for £29,[3] in Australia for AU$69.95 and in New Zealand for NZ$99.95. In Japan, Australia and Europe Wii Play is sold with a Wii Remote for the same price or cheaper than a normal Wii title.

Design
The Wii Remote is not based on the traditional gamepad controller design of current gaming consoles, but instead assumes a one-handed remote control-based design more familiar to the non-gaming public. This was done to make motion sensitivity more intuitive, as a remote design is fitted perfectly for pointing, and in part to help the console appeal to a broader audience that includes non-gamers. The controller communicates wirelessly with the console via short-range Bluetooth radio, with which it is possible to operate up to 4 controllers as far as 10 meters (approx. 30 ft.) away from the console. However, for full functionality the Wii Remote must be used within 5 meters of a Wii sensor bar.[4][5] The controller's symmetrical design allows it to be used ambidextrously, meaning it can be used by either the right hand or the left hand. The Wii Remote can also be turned horizontally and used like a Family Computer / NES controller, or in some cases (like Excite Truck and Sonic and the Secret Rings) a steering wheel. Nintendo has also hinted at the idea of a single player holding a Wii Remote in each hand, which would help in creating games such as boxing (not to be confused with the boxing game found in Wii Sports).

At E3 2006, a few minor changes were made to the controller from the design presented at the Game Developer's Conference. The controller was made slightly longer, and a speaker was added to the face beneath the centre row of buttons. The "B" button became more curved resembling a trigger. The "Start" and "Select" buttons were changed to plus "+" and minus "–", and the "a" and "b" buttons were changed to "1" and "2" to differentiate them from the "A" and "B" buttons. Also, the symbol on the "Home" button was changed from a blue dot to a shape resembling a home/house, the shape of the power button was circular rather than rectangular, and the blue LEDs indicating player number are now represented with small dots instead of Arabic numerals, with "1" being "•", "2" being "••", "3" being "•••", and "4" being "••••". The Nintendo logo at the bottom of the controller face was replaced with the Wii logo. Also, the expansion port was redesigned, with expansion plugs featuring a smaller snap-on design.

Power source
The current design of the Wii Remote uses two AA batteries as a power source, which can power a Wii Remote for 60 hours using only the accelerometer functionality and 30 hours using both accelerometer and pointer functionality.[6] A direct recharging option for the Wii Remote has not yet been revealed. According to an interview with Nintendo industrial designer Lance Barr, limitations of the Wii Remote's expansion port make it unlikely that it will be used for internal battery charging.[7] Nintendo of America's Senior Director of Public Relations, Beth Llewelyn, has stated that Nintendo "hasn't quite figured out what to do about power for the Remotes".[8][6] Although the Wii manual discourages the use of rechargeable batteries, Nintendo's support website has indicated that NiMH rechargeable batteries may be used.[9]

Colors
At E3 2006, Nintendo displayed white, black, and blue controllers. At a Wii event held on August 15, 2006 held by THQ, where the publisher's launch titles were demonstrated to press and children, all the controllers were in a two-toned scheme, black on the face, gunmetal on the reverse side.[10] The controllers were glossy on the front, matte on the back, similar to the controllers Nintendo showed after the 2005 Tokyo Game Show.[11] IGN published numerous photos of the event featuring the black controllers, but have since taken them down, as well as requesting their removal at other sites that had republished the photos.[12] The Wii console launched with only the white model, with Shigeru Miyamoto commenting that new hues will be provided after supply limitations are resolved, which will not be until Spring 2007.[13] Currently, controllers are only available in white.

Strap

The Wii Remote comes with a wrist strap attached to the bottom to ensure the safety of the device. The Wii console actually displays a caution screen upon loading a game to warn the player to use the strap in order to avoid the remote slipping from the grip during erratic movements. Regardless, many people[14] as well as IGN[15] have reported that the strap tends to break under heavy use, potentially - given that the player doesn't have a good grip on the device and moves it with too much force - sending the remote itself flying into various directions with a powerful force. In response, Nintendo has posted guidelines on proper use of the strap and the Wii Remote. [16] On December 8, 2006, units with thicker straps began to appear in some areas of the world.[17] On December 15, 2006, Nintendo denied reports of a Wii wrist strap recall. While Nintendo refuted claims that 3 million straps had been recalled, it will be providing replacement wrist straps free of charge for anyone who has broken theirs.[18] However, the U.S. CPSC has become involved in the "replacement program".[19] The old 0.6mm diameter strap is replaced by a larger, 1.0mm diameter version.

Memory
The Wii Remote contains 6 kilobytes of internal EEPROM memory[6]. Part of this memory is available to store up to 10 Mii avatars, which can be transported for use with another Wii console. At least 4000 bytes are available and unused before the Mii data, which may be used in future games.

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