The Wii Vitality Sensor could have more uses than you realise

Okay, perhaps ‘brilliant’ is pushing it. But Satoru Iwata’s surprise E3 peripheral doesn’t deserve its overwhelmingly negative post-E3 buzz.

Of course, it’s not intended as a traditional game application - Iwata spoke once again of the need to expand the gaming audience further, inviting new players to the fold. With the Wii increasingly being used in health research, this seems to be the logical next step.

I’ve been speaking to Tim Goodchild, who is a senior lecturer at University Campus, Suffolk, who agrees that despite something of a half-hearted introduction by Iwata - what, no software, Satoru? - it could be the next big thing for Wii.

“[there's] a general keeness on the part of healthcare and academia to support simple human computer interfaces and use current tech to support lifestyle. There is an huge amount of money being put forward to fund research into lifestyle and tech solutions - for example we are putting together a bid for to explore encouraging children to walk and measure how far they walk and link this to a virtual reward system/game.”

It’s obviously not too much of a stretch to think how Nintendo could use this sort of approach - indeed, with current DS title Walk With Me, it’s already exploring the idea of offering virtual rewards for physical activities, while the forthcoming Japanese versions of Pokémon Silver and Gold will come with a Pokéball-themed pedometer which allows players to level up their ‘Mon by running around.

So can the Wii market be expanded even further by positioning it as a genuinely useful healthcare tool? Goodchild certainly thinks so. “If you consider how popular Wii Fit is and the feeling from people that gaming may actually improve their lives, and then link in biometric readings, you have an actual ‘Wii Care’ system,” he explains, sorely tempting me to register said name. “By this I mean healthcare providers can monitor an individual as they try and improve their lifestyle by fun games, which we know are effective, and better their health - this could lead to health education/promotion programmes being linked to Wii.”

“This is a massive area,” Goodchild continues. “From cancer care to post surgery to coronary care - and especialy elderly care - these all require programmes to support individuals in recovery and maintenance. Also, the fact that we can monitor people through the vitality sensor makes this simple evidence-based research, and therefore has huge potential for further development.”

Ah, but what of more traditional game applications? Well, obviously there’s the possibility of relaxation improving in-game performance - the lower your pulse, the faster you run or the higher you fly - but I can definitely see some ideas in games which purposely try to raise your heart rate. Think of how effective the forthcoming Ju-On game could be if you were rewarded for how calm you remained during the scariest bits? Or a game which featured a lie detector test where you have to remain cool and collected in the face of interrogation? Or a stock-market sim like Capcom’s Kabu Trader Shun where you have to keep your pulse low while rapidly buying and selling in the pressure-cooker environment of the trading floor? And assuming the peripheral is a success, then a Wario Ware game where you have to regulate your pulse to prevent the games from reaching impossible speeds surely wouldn’t be too far off.

So while its primary uses would almost certainly be for non-gaming applications, perhaps the Wii Vitality Sensor shouldn’t be written off just yet. It’s a big ask, but if Nintendo can find the right piece of software to bundle with it, there’s no reason this can’t be the next Wii Fit.

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An inflatable Yoshi and a drill bit - will Galaxy 2 have more puzzle-orientated stages?

Wired.com’s excellent Game | Life blog features a fascinating interview as Chris Kohler talks to Shigeru Miyamoto about Nintendo’s forthcoming software and its rivals’ ventures into motion-control territory.

Apparently, Mario Galaxy 2 came about because the development team had so many unused ideas left over that a straight sequel simply made sense - Miyamoto points to Mario’s new drill item as something which could potentially have a dramatic impact upon gameplay, while it seems Yoshi will also play a major part in differentiating the sequel from its wonderful predecessor.

He also suggests that Galaxy 2 will not feature as significant a story as the original, stating that plot is less important a consideration for a game as action-orientated as Mario games traditionally are, and more key for the Zelda series. Talking of which, he reveals that the Zelda announcement wasn’t made on stage at E3 for two reasons - one, he’s not keen on the industry’s habit of talking about games long before their release; and two, “we thought it was just more valuable to continue have the team focus their energies on creating what will be a very entertaining gameplay system, rather than have them waste their energies creating a trailer to announce a game at E3 very far in advance.”

While elsewhere it has been suggested that Miyamoto was privately impressed with what he saw of Project Natal, he hints to Kohler that he feels the controller-free approach isn’t necessarily the right way forward, talking of how important feedback from the remote - from the speaker and the rumble - is to enhancing immersion. He also talks of the “precision” of Wii MotionPlus - and accuracy is no doubt going to be one of Nintendo’s watchwords as Natal’s release approaches. “Looking at what the other companies have shown here at E3, it feels like they have finally obtained the very basic technology for doing motion control, but perhaps they still have to learn how to use that and take advantage of it in an interactive experience,” Miyamoto adds.

He also discusses New Super Mario Bros. Wii and the troubles facing the Japanese games industry. But I’ve pilfered enough highlights from Kohler’s excellent Q+A for now - to read more (and you really should), click here.

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New Super Mario Bros. Wii is currently getting rave previews

After a conference that all but alienated core gamers last year, E3 2009 was a much more exciting one for Nintendo’s loyal fans. A series of core-focused announcements - admittedly almost entirely concentrated on established franchises - made for a more interesting conference, though a rather aloof and curiously flat presentation sucked a little bit of the life out of some of the major reveals. Not helped by an oddly muted audience - compare and contrast with the whooping and hollering at Sony’s briefing two hours later - the likes of New Super Mario Bros. Wii were greeted with silent interest rather than wide-eyed excitement, while even Super Mario Galaxy 2 got a polite rather than rapturous reception. It wasn’t until the ‘wow, really?’ surprise of a new Metroid from Team Ninja that the attendees finally started cheering and clapping to any significant degree.

Yet take Cammie, Reggie and Iwata out of the equation, and the line-up of games shown was pretty impressive. Two brand new Mario games on Wii, both of which look great, and both of which will be here before mid-2010 (Miyamoto confirming that Galaxy might be a Christmas 2009 release were it not for NSMB Wii). A thrillingly different take on a popular franchise in Metroid: Other M. What look to be two vastly improved sequels to two of the console’s biggest games in Wii Sports Resort and Wii Fit Plus - both offering more to core gamers than their predecessors. And plenty of interesting DS titles - WarioWare DIY could well be the handheld’s LittleBigPlanet, while Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story is a welcome return for one of Nintendo’s most unfairly underappreciated franchises. Golden Sun DS was arguably the most warmly-received announcement for the handheld, and we got a brief reminder that we’re getting another portable Zelda by the end of the year. Then there’s Flip Notes Studio - the DSi killer-app you don’t know you want yet. Believe me when I say it’s one of the most significant pieces of software Nintendo announced at the show - the non-game formerly known as Moving Memo is a masterful app which will give creative types hours upon hours of fun.

Endless Ocean 2 - sharks and crocs add a dose of danger

But E3 is about more than just the conferences, and it was interesting to note what Nintendo didn’t show, with plenty of assets on the company’s press site for games which the big N chose not to reveal. On DS alone, we had role-player Glory of Heracles, Picross 3D (née Rittai Picross), The Legendary Starfy and - why didn’t they mention this? - Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box. The latter’s predecessor might not have been the unbridled success in the US that it was in Europe and Japan, but ignoring Layton completely is still a bit of a baffler. Then on Wii, we have - hurrah! - Endless Ocean 2, Sin and Punishment 2 (sadly pushed back to early 2010, but looking tremendous on the show floor) and a triumvirate of games about which little is known. Monado: The Beginning of the World is an RPG from Baten Kaitos creator Monolith, looking not unlike Final Fantasy XII, while Artoon’s Span Smasher is a platformer-cum-pinball game as you swat a rotund hero about the screen, obliterating barriers for points. Meanwhile Line Attack Heroes is apparently a  ‘fast-paced melee action game’ for up to four players. A few shots and a brief press sheet suggests that the games aren’t high on Nintendo’s priority list, and while both could be fun, it wouldn’t be a major surprise to see them sneak out at a budget price.

Taking third-party titles out of the equation for the time being - I’ll be analysing the line-up for DS and Wii in more detail very soon - Nintendo has plenty of interesting titles coming out over the next year or so. The non-appearance of Pikmin 3 and franchise favourites like F-Zero and Starfox was a little disappointing - and we’re still waiting for some really groundbreaking new IP that I’m sure Nintendo is more than capable of - but overall, us Wii and DS owners have much to look forward to.

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It’s not often that huge games publishers hold their hands up and admit their mistakes, but in an interview with VGChartz, Nintendo’s Cammie Dunaway has done just that, suggesting that Nintendo was “disappointed with [its] performance at E3″.

After the conference, there was much internet grumbling about Nintendo abandoning its core fanbase, a criticism which Dunaway acknowledges, expressing regret that more wasn’t done to appease the hardcore. “There were titles like Wario which we think will be really fun titles that we should have showcased” Dunaway admits. “We were excited that Mr. Miyamoto made the commitment that Pikmin is coming. It would have been nice if we could have said that on stage.” 

While Dunaway didn’t win herself too many fans with her enthusiastically patronising performance at E3, these comments should garner a bit of respect in the eyes of most reasonable Nintendoites. Elsewhere, she claims that before working for Nintendo, her family had “a Wii, 3 or 4 DSs, a PSP, an Xbox, [and] a PS2.”

Rival consoles in the house? I’m not sure The Reggienator would stand for that. The full interview can be found here. Check it out.

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 Oof. Some good investigative work by GoNintendo has revealed that anyone hoping for the fourth in the Project Zero series (or Fatal Frame, as it’s known in the US) shouldn’t really be holding their breath.

According to the site, Nintendo’s Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Denise Kaigler, hadn’t heard of the title when interviewed.

“I wanted to know why we didn’t hear about it at the conference, and why it wasn’t on the show floor, or in Nintendo’s meeting room. I was a bit surprised to find out that no one during my meeting had even heard of the game. They weren’t familiar with the title at all. I thought for sure they would know the game I was talking about, considering Nintendo is publishing the title in Japan!”

Deep sigh. That just cements my decision to import the Japanese version next week.

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A great piece on Nintendo, its fans, and a breakdown in communication from MTV’s Stephen Totilo, here.

Apart from the astute observation about the issues with Animal Crossing (why DIDN’T Nintendo address these problems?) one of the most notable points comes from Nintendo of America’s president Reggie Fils-Aime’s comment about Nintendo’s commitment to core gamers.

“There’s one thing I do want to reinforce. I could almost put myself into the ‘geeks and otaku’ camp. I grew up playing all those great Nintendo games. And so for me I look at product like “Animal Crossing” and I get tremendously excited. I look at “Wario” and get tremendously excited. I look at “Sluggers” coming out and get tremendously excited. So this mentality that we have somehow lost our soul and [are not] speaking to our fanbase, there is nothing further from the truth. And if you talk to Mr. Miyamoto, you really understand that we really have the interest of our core fanbase right at the top of the list. The recognition is — and I think this is really the point — we’re not going to tease you over 18 months or 24 months. We’re going to show you something that’ll make your jaw drop and make it available shortly thereafter.”

Evidently this new strategy of late reveals is going to take a bit of getting used to - particularly after a late 2008 line-up that’s arguably Nintendo’s weakest for a good three years at least. But at least Reggie is aware of fans’ concerns and is attempting to address them. Here’s hoping we get a few announcements before Christmas that make the early part of 2009 a period to really get excited about.

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And you thought Wii Music was the most embarrassing presentation of E3. Here Konami sabotages any chance of success for its own forthcoming music title, Rock Revolution, due out on Wii and DS (and a bunch of other formats, for that matter) in Spring of next year. Just try not to cringe.

Makes you feel better about Nintendo’s conference, eh?

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Nothing like checking out the competition - especially when you’re in need of a core title to bring the fanboys back around.

Yes, NOA president Reggie Fils-Aime and Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto were spotted playing DICE’s fantastic first-person parkour adventure Mirror’s Edge and Guerilla’s PS3 shooter Killzone 2 respectively. The latter was reportedly happy with what he saw, but then Miyamoto has talked up first-person shooters in the past, most recently in the Iwata Asks interview for Link’s Crossbow Training.

Evidently the pair wanted a bit of a break from casual titles to enjoy a bit of hardcore gaming action - it’s just a pity they didn’t see fit to leave space in Nintendo’s actual conference for such shenanigans, eh readers?

Still, we’ll know soon enough if either game has had any kind of influence - if Nintendo’s next announcement is a new title called Wii Shoot, we’ll know they have.

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The New York Times has posted its take on Nintendo’s and Sony’s press briefings at E3, describing them both as “underwhelming”.

“The Japanese video game titans, Nintendo and Sony, announced wide-ranging, if not entirely breathtaking, constellations of new games and services at the E3 convention here on Tuesday, but did not appear to significantly alter their overall strategies in the fast-growing game market, as Microsoft did on Monday” opens the piece, which then goes on to quote Brian Crecente, editor of Kotaku, who admitted he was “a little disappointed”.

Nintendo’s clever targeting of the mainstream media with its promotions and conferences has worked wonders for the company so far, but now more and more people are aware of - and interested in - videogames, publications like the NYT have been forced to increase their coverage of the medium, and thus many have employed writers who are more knowledgeable about games to ensure accuracy in their reportage. While in the past a conference almost entirely targeted at non-gamers and casual players might have reaped dividends in the mainstream media, the more gaming-savvy publications will be all too aware at the disappointment felt by many after the Nintendo show.

In other words, it was a mistake not to at least have one significant nod towards the core audience which kept the company afloat during the years when it started to struggle against the might of Sony (and, to a lesser extent, Microsoft). What made the conference harder to swallow for many was the prior assertion that there would be something for core players. It would appear that Reggie thought Animal Crossing was enough. It wasn’t.

Hopefully Nintendo will have learned its lesson after this muted response. Or perhaps it will stick to its guns, and continue to unveil games only when they’re almost finished.

In which case, why talk about Wii Sports Resort if it’s not coming out until Spring?

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A few more tidbits of info on titles not mentioned at Nintendo’s press briefing:

• Rhythm Tengoku is getting a western release! Yes, Nintendo has released a tiny bit of info on Rhythm Heaven - you’ll “tap, slide or flick the stylus to hit the right beat”. No word on a release date, though.
• Logitech is releasing an officially licensed keyboard for Wii - should be good for Animal Crossing: City Folk, even if that means yet another peripheral cluttering up your front room.
• Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia - which I seem to have completely blanked in my as-it-happened blog post earlier - is out on November 10th on DS. Nothing about Platinum, though.
• The following games are the only first-party Wii titles featured in Nintendo’s E3 press kit - Wii Sports Resort, Wii Music, Animal Crossing: City Folk, Mario Super Sluggers, Wario Land: Shake It!
• And for DS? Cooking Guide, Rhythm Heaven, Kirby Super Star Ultra, Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir, and Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia

Doesn’t seem an awful lot, does it? Let’s hope for some more announcements soon. Perhaps Nintendo wasn’t quite ready to show its core stuff just yet. 

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