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[Cosmozone]

Iwata said interesting things about the vitality sensor, but I still see a big problem with it being uncomfortable to wear and I don't see an easy way to overcome that. I'll try it anyway.

 

[kylej]

Wii? Me: *laughter*

.

 

[lancubap]

Out of all the things you've bolded, you left out the most important part:

My bolding is not perfect. And anyway, Iwata is repeating this since E3 2004. So, it's not really news.

 

[Grampa Simpson]

Hey wouldn't it be cool if the games we play could adjust their difficulty due to the vitality sensor?

Like say if you are playing a game and wearing the vitality sensor and you were fighting a really difficult boss. Depending on the amount of blood flow the sensor would automatically tell the game whether or not to increase or decrease the difficulty either to make sure the game isn't too hard, too easy, or maintain its level of difficulty.

I mean because when a lot of chaos and difficulty is going on in a game doesn't your heart pump faster due to the adrenaline?

This has been done with Tetris before.

 

[freddy]

Why there are so many people saying now that Nintendo's approach is right, whereas just before this E3 and for the last 3 years most of these people considered nintendo and its console as a gimmick; just wondering.

These people are not completely honest.

I'm not sure I see the same people that were slighting the Wii now supporting it. They have just become silent whereas the other crowd have had their opinions somewhat validated. I have noticed a slight decline in the use of Ninthings and Nintards lately though...

 

[nli10]

BMI is just your weight put into a static formula based on your gender, height, and maybe age (I don't recall if age is a part of the BMI calculation). Your oxygenation and pulse can very quite a bit (oxygenation less so without dying, of course. ), though. I'd think they'd want this a lot more for the pulse anyway with maybe a "Rest and let's check your O2 level now" at the end of sessions or something.

He also mentioned autonomic responses, but I'm not familiar with how those would be read with a pulse-ox. Any idea what he'd be referring to?

GF has mentioned those (she's the Physiologist) but i'm not sure specifically what the pulse-ox would get info wise - i'll ask.

Your right that the meter will be measuring over a much smaller time scale than BMI - I'd not really considered the sheer amount of info that would come through, especially if they monitor multiple things.

Wonder if there will be a mode where you pop the Wii on, attach the meter and then watch a DVD and the Wii tells you which bits were exciting etc.? Certainly add a new dimension to MetaCritic!


I'm hoping that we get Wii3D instead of WiiHD anyway - what better way to find a blue ocean (that isn't WiiGP anyway). Decent stereoscopic glasses, and a 1080p output should enable some decent FPS with the current motion controls.

 

[lancubap]

I'm not sure I see the same people that were slighting the Wii now supporting it. They have just become silent whereas the other crowd have had their opinions somewhat validated. I have noticed a slight decline in the use of Ninthings and Nintards lately though...

Agreed. That's why I wrote "most of them" and not "all of them".

 

[donny2112]

This has been done with Tetris before.

On the N64 in Japan by Nintendo.

Wonder if there will be a mode where you pop the Wii on, attach the meter and then watch a DVD and the Wii tells you which bits were exciting etc.? Certainly add a new dimension to MetaCritic!

Wii Fit has the mode where you

Spoiler

dance however you want while watching another channel with the Wiimote keeping time

, so it's at least a possibility. I think I'm going to be disappointed now if they don't have an extra mode like that. :lol

 

[BikoBiko]

So after reading the interview I'm a lot less sceptic about the vitality sensor, kinda curious about what they have planned for it. And that's a pretty cool pic of Iwata right there.

 

[Vinci]

So after reading the interview I'm a lot less sceptic about the vitality sensor, kinda curious about what they have planned for it. And that's a pretty cool pic of Iwata right there.

He looks like he's hanging out with folks. Casually.

EDIT: Sorry, should've bolded that from the start.

 

[Johann]

It makes me wonder who is the more "evil" business man, Yamauchi or Bill Gates? .... On second thought, never mind, that argument would probably cause Neogaf's servers to self-destruct.... :lol

Yamauchi was a very conservative, vain business man. Nevertheless, he made a little card manufacturing company into one of the world's biggest corporations in the world and he had an eye for talent. He also had the foresight to select the talented, experienced Iwata over his own family as his successor and teach him just how volatile and dangerous the gaming industry was and continues to be.

Not to mention he gave his pension, worth several million US dollars, to Nintendo. This is an age where companies, not just videogame publishers, are laying off practically half the company while executives are making record high salaries.

 

[Vinci]

Yamauchi was a very conservative, vain business man. Nevertheless, he made a little card manufacturing company into one of the world's biggest corporations in the world and he had an eye for talent. He also had the foresight to select the talented, experienced Iwata over his own family as his successor and teach him just how volatile and dangerous the gaming industry was and continues to be.

Not to mention he gave his pension, worth several million US dollars, to Nintendo. This is an age where companies, not just videogame publishers, are laying off practically half the company while executives are making record high salaries.

Also, he's a super-fly pimp.

He crushes Gates on the evil and awesome scale by a mile.

 

[JKBii]

The man created Kirby, I think he knows how to make unconventional ideas likable by a majority of people. And the fact that he was able to woo his boss' daughter (especially since said boss was Yamauchi) into marrying him should say a lot about his charisma.

This thread is now the official Iwata appreciation station.

You are thinking of Minoru Arakawa who ran Nintendo of America and Masahiro Sakurai who created Kirby.

 

[DarkJediKnight]

I find it funny that Nintendo, for once in its life, made a correct prediction at the beginning of this generation - HD is not important, and won't be for several years.

I'm enjoying the HD games on my PS3 and 360 very much. Makes me go "WOW!" at some of the games, something I haven't said about a Nintendo product since playing Wii sports for the 1st time a few years back.

 

[Vinci]

I find it funny that Nintendo, for once in its life, made a correct prediction at the beginning of this generation - HD is not important, and won't be for several years.

Actually, a variety of Nintendo's predictions - via Yamauchi and Iwata - have been relatively accurate. Far more so than any other group I can think of, in fact. The only one they really, really fucked up on was the move to CD.

 

[norinrad21]

too many sharks in one area make a red ocean; but innovators who swim in the blue ocean have no rivals

Ahehehehehe hehehehehehe

giggles like a litte gir; just by looking at the situation of the wii while Nintendo laughs all the way to the bank :lol

 

[Opiate]

A significant reason? How about the fact that Wii games look ugly on modern HDTV's? A game's look *does* affect the fun the player has.

Please speak for yourself. This is not true for me -- or if it is, the effect is entierly unnoticable. My most played games in the last month are, in order, 1) Yahoo Chess, 2) Yahoo Go, 3) Natural Selection 1.6, a 10 year old Half Life mod.

Now for a small rant. I don't understand how the "graphics whores" came to such prominence. There was a time when they were (unfairly) ridiculed. That's where the term came from: obviously "graphics whore" is a pejorative term meant to imply you care about shallow, superficial things when a "true gamer" cares exclusively about deep, enriching play mechanics. And again, I think that disdain was unfair -- but now it's done a 180. The term has gone from an insult to a virtue. Not only is it okay to care about graphics (and I think it should be okay), but it correct to care about graphics. True gamers want the most from their games, it's immersive, and so forth.

Take a step back, please, and realize that not everyone shares your values. I'm not telling you to stop caring about superficial things, Dreamwriter (and graphics are, by definition, superficial), because games are just recreation anyway. But can you please accept that other people do not share your values?

 

[Haunted]

wasn't your old job basically to talk to people who were your fanclub

He did it admirably, though. I need to watch the studio tour vid again. Hilarious stuff.

 

[Starchasing]

Yes, it is. From a lot of personal experience with that, I'm concerned about it giving consistently reliable information with the typical moving around that can happen while playing a game. In hospitals, it seems pretty easy to mess up its reading. I'm guessing it's probably easier to get a consistent pulse from that than an consistent oxygenation level, though.

you should read the "iwata asks" about wii motion + ... if it is possibe to mak eit reliable those people at EAD will somehow find a way to do so..


What about a games that uses the pointer and you must breathe deeply and slowly to help you in the game... al this whle the music and game vecomes relaxing

Iwata said interesting things about the vitality sensor, but I still see a big problem with it being uncomfortable to wear and I don't see an easy way to overcome that. I'll try it anyway.

i get the feeling they are working on that, maybe making it bluetooth?

 

[Flying_Phoenix]

This has been done with Tetris before.

And why can't it be used for more games? The difficult is ramped up due to how good you are.

 

[donny2112]

I don't understand how the "graphics whores" came to such prominence. There was a time when they were (unfairly) ridiculed. That's where the term came from: obviously "graphics whore" is a pejorative term meant to imply you care about shallow, superficial things when a "true gamer" cares exclusively about deep, enriching play mechanics. And again, I think that disdain was unfair -- but now it's done a 180. The term has gone from an insult to a virtue. Not only is it okay to care about graphics (and I think it should be okay), but it correct to care about graphics.

<tinfoil hat>
Let's review.

N64/PS1 generation:
N64 > PS1 for in-game graphics. Nintendo disdained.

PS2/XBX/GCN generation:
XBX/GCN > PS2 for graphics. Nintendo disdained.

PS3/360/Wii generation:
PS3 > 360 > Wii for graphics. Nintendo disdained.

I just have no idea what could've changed.
</tinfoil hat>

 

[lowlylowlycook]

Why there are so many people saying now that Nintendo's approach is right, whereas just before this E3 and for the last 3 years most of these people considered nintendo and its console as a gimmick; just wondering.

These people are not completely honest.

This quote from Shane Kim is the best example:

SK: We firmly believe that the Xbox 360 has a life cycle through 2015 (10 years after the launch). Project Natal is a great innovation. It will work with every Xbox 360 sold. It’s not about pushing more pixels on the screen. It’s about how to break down barriers that stop people from playing games.

That's pretty close to "Nintendo was right." As close as a MS exec can get, anyway.

 

[Vinci]

<tinfoil hat>
Let's review.

N64/PS1 generation:
N64 > PS1 for in-game graphics. Nintendo disdained.

PS2/XBX/GCN generation:
XBX/GCN > PS2 for graphics. Nintendo disdained.

PS3/360/Wii generation:
PS3 > 360 > Wii for graphics. Nintendo disdained.

I just have no idea what could've changed.
</tinfoil hat>

Remove the tinfoil that. Makes you look like an idiot.

 

[Xun]

<tinfoil hat>
Let's review.

N64/PS1 generation:
N64 > PS1 for in-game graphics. Nintendo disdained.

PS2/XBX/GCN generation:
XBX/GCN > PS2 for graphics. Nintendo disdained.

PS3/360/Wii generation:
PS3 > 360 > Wii for graphics. Nintendo disdained.

I just have no idea what could've changed.
</tinfoil hat>

:lol

Stealth troll is stealthy.

You fucker.

 

[Caesar III]

Game: 'You appear to be pissed off, would you like the game to be a bit easier or do you like the rough stuff?'

This could be combined with their patent for level hinting.

in relation to this: Is it possible to include a switch in this addon, so I can use this AND a Nunchuk at the same time? Even better, WiiMote, WiiMotion+, Vital Sensor and Nunchuk.


and a question to this thing in your hospital or whereever you use it
I have cold fingers A LOT. Does this matter here then?

 

[WickedAngel]

I think it's sort of disturbing that there are people in here who actively defend the logic that states we have to have powerful hardware or substantive content but can't possibly have both.

I don't know what "mainstream", "true", and "casual" mean in the context of the industry anymore but I know my gaming habits. I rarely play the Wii outside of a few sessions of Wii Sports and revisiting Mario Galaxy. With the PS3 and 360, I don't have to make the sacrifice; there are fantastic games that offer everything that I'm looking for in my gaming experience.

Nintendo might not want me as a repeat customer (And that's fine) but I'm not going to sit here and pretend that they're awesome for it. I don't play games based on how successful their business strategies are; I play games that offer everything I want and Nintendo is severely lacking to a great number of people even if their sales aren't showing it.

 

[Vinci]

and a question to this thing in your hospital or whereever you use it
I have cold fingers A LOT. Does this matter here then?

Based on Iwata's description, it shouldn't.

I think it's sort of disturbing that there are people in here who actively defend the logic that states we have to have powerful hardware or substantive content but can't possibly have both.

I don't agree with it either, but it seems as though most of the power has been utilized pretty much solely towards graphics as opposed to anything truly innovative. Yes, there are exceptions to this - but they're few and far between.

I don't know what "mainstream", "true", and "casual" mean in the context of the industry anymore but I know my gaming habits. I rarely play the Wii outside of a few sessions of Wii Sports and revisiting Mario Galaxy. With the PS3 and 360, I don't have to make the sacrifice; there are fantastic games that offer everything that I'm looking for in my gaming experience.

Nintendo might not want me as a repeat customer (And that's fine) but I'm not going to sit here and pretend that they're awesome for it. I don't play games based on how successful their business strategies are; I play games that offer everything I want and Nintendo is severely lacking to a great number of people even if their sales aren't showing it.

Realize, for one instant, that some people are actually happy with their Wii even if you aren't. We can be impressed by someone's business acumen without enjoying their products. I enjoy both.

 

[Starchasing]

I think it's sort of disturbing that there are people in here who actively defend the logic that states we have to have powerful hardware or substantive content but can't possibly have both.

I don't know what "mainstream", "true", and "casual" mean in the context of the industry anymore but I know my gaming habits. I rarely play the Wii outside of a few sessions of Wii Sports and revisiting Mario Galaxy. With the PS3 and 360, I don't have to make the sacrifice; there are fantastic games that offer everything that I'm looking for in my gaming experience.

Nintendo might not want me as a repeat customer (And that's fine) but I'm not going to sit here and pretend that they're awesome for it. I don't play games based on how successful their business strategies are; I play games that offer everything I want and Nintendo is severely lacking to a great number of people even if their sales aren't showing it.

did you read the interview?

 

[WickedAngel]

did you read the interview?

Yes, and Iwata still sounds like he doesn't really give a fuck about anyone that isn't in his camp at the moment.

Again, his promise of HD in the future doesn't really do anything for me now when I've got two consoles that are offering it as we speak.

 

[ArjanN]

I'm suprised so many people thought there would be a Wii HD.

Unlike neogaf, Nintendo's new audience doesn't care/know about HD, so Nintendo doesn't really have to bother. They can probably keep selling the Wii for another 10 years.

 

[donny2112]

and a question to this thing in your hospital or whereever you use it
I have cold fingers A LOT. Does this matter here then?

No but painting your fingernails might. Wonder how they'll get around that. They're not just going to tell girls to not paint their fingernails before using the Vitality Sensor. Hmmm.

 

[Blue Geezer]

Wii Vitality Sensor comes packaged with Wii Yoga

its interesting that most people think of stuff like this (i know most of it is aimed at nintendo's reputation at their expense) wheras the most obvious use for the sensor is to build horror type games around your pulse and how to get the most out of that alone.

if they could make a game that revolves around your pulse in a way to make you jump as often as possible that would blow my mind.

or how about simple things such as the music in a game speeding up based on how fast your pulse is racing?

there is a lot of potential.

 

[AndrewG009]

This interview in particular makes it clear how deeply he understands the game industry as a whole. He's clearly aware that gamer's first reactions to the Vitality Sensor is "OH GOD DAMNIT NINTENDO". He knows what they have to do to make Motion+ thrive. He knows they've got to find a new blue ocean to jump into.

Iwata really is a mastermind.

He is. He's in our brains, reading our thoughts. Seriously though, the head of any company especially one such as Nintendo has to know what to do to give the people what they want, even if they don't think they want it right now. That's the blessing of knowing your customer.

 

[hellclerk]

:lol

Stealth troll is stealthy.

You fucker.

well, he IS technically correct, the cel processor can do a bit more, just good luck finding someone who will be able to take advantage of it fully...

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

<tinfoil hat>
Let's review.

N64/PS1 generation:
N64 > PS1 for in-game graphics. Nintendo disdained.

PS2/XBX/GCN generation:
XBX/GCN > PS2 for graphics. Nintendo disdained.

PS3/360/Wii generation:
PS3 > 360 > Wii for graphics. Nintendo disdained.

I just have no idea what could've changed.
</tinfoil hat>

this now applies for motion controls.

 

[Starchasing]

Realize, for one instant, that some people are actually happy with their Wii even if you aren't. We can be impressed by someone's business acumen without enjoying their products. I enjoy both.

Im a major in bussines administration and I admire Iwata for his smart. I also love how polite he is. He once was asked to comment on the PS3 failure and he declined to answer saying it would be rude for him as a president to comment, but he said that he owned one and he liked it

I also loved his speech at gdc 2005


"On my business card, I am a corporate president. In my mind, I am a game developer. But in my heart—I am a gamer."

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=10378

 

[Grampa Simpson]

A significant reason? How about the fact that Wii games look ugly on modern HDTV's?

Did you break your TV? Have you adjusted it correctly? I don't know about anybody else, but Super Mario Galaxy looks amazing on my 50" plasma.

 

[Grampa Simpson]

And why can't it be used for more games? The difficult is ramped up due to how good you are.

There's no reason it can't. Just saying that it's been done before. I wonder if it could be combined with bastard tetris for hilarious results.

 

[lowlylowlycook]

its interesting that most people think of stuff like this (i know most of it is aimed at nintendo's reputation at their expense) wheras the most obvious use for the sensor is to build horror type games around your pulse and how to get the most out of that alone.

if they could make a game that revolves around your pulse in a way to make you jump as often as possible that would blow my mind.

or how about simple things such as the music in a game speeding up based on how fast your pulse is racing?

there is a lot of potential.

What if the L4D director had access to your pulse rate?

 

[jrricky]

<tinfoil hat>
Let's review.

N64/PS1 generation:
N64 > PS1 for in-game graphics. Nintendo disdained.

PS2/XBX/GCN generation:
XBX/GCN > PS2 for graphics. Nintendo disdained.

PS3/360/Wii generation:
PS3 > 360 > Wii for graphics. Nintendo disdained.

I just have no idea what could've changed.
</tinfoil hat>

that's a pretty accurate tinfoil hat you're wearing. Nintendo would have been snubbed if they took the same route again.

 

[Blue Geezer]

What if the L4D director had access to your pulse rate?

NOW we are talking

 

[WickedAngel]

Im a major in bussines administration and I admire Iwata for his smart. I also love how polite he is. He once was asked to comment on the PS3 failure and he declined to answer saying it would be rude for him as a president to comment, but he said that he owned one and he liked it

And yet that quote does nothing but affirm what I just said. Telling me that I'm irrelevant and that other people enjoy their product does nothing to keep me as a customer and smacks of the kind of arrogance that got them into trouble in the 80's.

As a Business Administration major, I'd hope that you'd recognize that responsiveness to the needs of your customer (Both now and in the future) is a major part of long-term success. You don't just ignore 1 angry customer because 5 are satisfied. That isn't to imply that I know more about business than Iwata (I most certainly don't) or that they'll ever get into trouble because of it (Because that's purely speculative) but it's a risk that they don't have to take. Again, the distinction doesn't have to be made; you can have quality hardware and innovative games.

 

[gkryhewy]

After describing the vitality sensor's possibilities briefly to my wife: "when does it come out?" :lol

Iwata wins again.

 

[TigersFan]

well, he IS technically correct, the cell processor can do a bit more, just good luck finding someone who will be able to take advantage of it fully...

I specifically heard someone at E3 (I think it was the Mod Nation Racers guys) say that they are using the full power of the Cell in their talk. So they're the ones to go to I guess.

 

[d+pad]

Please speak for yourself. This is not true for me -- or if it is, the effect is entierly unnoticable. My most played games in the last month are, in order, 1) Yahoo Chess, 2) Yahoo Go, 3) Natural Selection 1.6, a 10 year old Half Life mod.

Now for a small rant. I don't understand how the "graphics whores" came to such prominence. There was a time when they were (unfairly) ridiculed. That's where the term came from: obviously "graphics whore" is a pejorative term meant to imply you care about shallow, superficial things when a "true gamer" cares exclusively about deep, enriching play mechanics. And again, I think that disdain was unfair -- but now it's done a 180. The term has gone from an insult to a virtue. Not only is it okay to care about graphics (and I think it should be okay), but it correct to care about graphics. True gamers want the most from their games, it's immersive, and so forth.

Take a step back, please, and realize that not everyone shares your values. I'm not telling you to stop caring about superficial things, Dreamwriter (and graphics are, by definition, superficial), because games are just recreation anyway. But can you please accept that other people do not share your values?

This is one of the most intelligent comments I've read in a long time. Other than the comments made by Iwata, of course

 

[Caesar III]

[Nintendo has no HD so their games are not meant to be for me]

I love my Wii and I love my electricity bill as well. 19W on load is a blast!

I don't need HD on my TV at the moment. Why? Because I have an oldscool SD TV and I'm not willing to change to a flatscreen as long as there is no established HD TV out there here.

Most of the games I own are unique and I bought them because of this. I can barely find such great games on the HD consoles (I'm not talking about PSN and XBL!). The focus here is more in the HD sense, so GRAPHICS. They are expensive as fuck and so some things don't get that much attention.

It's funny I think. All the games I'm interested in on the HD consoles are on PSN or XBL because the focus here is in gameplay, fun and innovation. And people can be creative because it's not that expensive to make a game. The next step is the Wii. Just look at High Voltage for example. Or to mention some games "de Blob" and "Swords and Soldiers"

 

[M3d10n]

A Wii revision with HD is mostly a pipe dream. It would be too complicated. Before all, some components would need to be actually replaced by different ones to merely allow HD video output, and that carries a high risk of breaking the compatibility with both Wii and GC games, since everything runs too close to the metal.

Having it be able to render existing games in HD would require increasing the specs to at least quadruple the fillrate. I'm not sure its possible without moving to a different GPU altogether. And then compatibility issues would read their ugly heads, and would it be cost effective to entirely replace the GPU only for better IQ? Having a even beefier GPU that games could use would split the userbase, GBC-style. That's not proven to be workable in console-space.

At most, an HDMI output and a built-in deinterlacer for 480p output is the only thing in the realm of possibility. Even an upscaler would probably not be cost-effective. And both of those aren't marketable in a way that would move more units.

With the DSi, Nintendo did some upgrades to the hardware, but those were made solely to support the new features they are focusing in: the cameras, the DSiWare and the internet connectivity. Unless they come up with new ideas to the Wii hardware itself that would demand an upgrade, its unlikely to happen and they'd better save it for their next console.

 

[Vinci]

And yet that quote does nothing but affirm what I just said. Telling me that I'm irrelevant and that other people enjoy their product does nothing to keep me as a customer and smacks of the kind of arrogance that got them into trouble in the 80's.

This is gross hyperbole. Seriously, man, you're taking this way out of proportion. They didn't offer HD on the Wii due to HD's limited market and because of the rise in development costs that it would entail. Period. They don't hate you.

As a Business Administration major, I'd hope that you'd recognize that responsiveness to the needs of your customer (Both now and in the future) is a major part of long-term success. You don't just ignore 1 angry customer because 5 are satisfied. That isn't to imply that I know more about business than Iwata (I most certainly don't) or that they'll ever get into trouble because of it (Because that's purely speculative) but it's a risk that they don't have to take. Again, the distinction doesn't have to be made; you can have quality hardware and innovative games.

And what about the Wii suddenly makes it a shitty product? The fact that it's not HD or doesn't focus on online? Why are these suddenly the measurements of quality? If the games they've produced on the Wii doesn't sell you on the product, being HD or having online isn't going to either.

 

[TheGrayGhost]

<tinfoil hat>
Let's review.

N64/PS1 generation:
N64 > PS1 for in-game graphics. Nintendo disdained.

PS2/XBX/GCN generation:
XBX/GCN > PS2 for graphics. Nintendo disdained.

PS3/360/Wii generation:
PS3 > 360 > Wii for graphics. Nintendo disdained.

I just have no idea what could've changed.
</tinfoil hat>

 

[The Hermit]

Sometimes you are physically tired at night but your brain is functioning too much to go to sleep. If you can have software that helps you understand how you can shift from such a tense situation to being more relaxed, then that would help. At some point, what is invisible can become visible. You can learn your level of relaxation.

Oh shit! He fucking gets it!!