Cada vez son más las utilidades de los mandos de la consola Wii de Nintendo … desde el control de entornos 3D hasta éste último invento de DFKI.Básicamente han aplicado una plataforma de Wii Fit a un PC y han diseñado una serie de programas capaces de comunicarla con World of Warcraft, traduciendo los movimientos sobre la plataforma en movimientos sobre el mundo virtual.

Quizás solo falte conectar el Wii mando y conseguir que con movimientos de brazo podamos lanzar flechas o blandir una espada para que la sensación sea más realista.

De seguir así … teniendo en cuenta que éste tipo de juegos engancha a mucha gente durante horas al día … quizás acaban dando lugar a cuerpos totalmente atléticos ….

technabob

While there’s still no official word from Nintendo on anything but white Wii-motes, there is now a third-party option for those of you bored with the standard-issue models.

Snakebyte is one of the first companies to offer a third-party substitute for the Wii-mote (called the Riimote), and will be offering them in colors not offered by Nintendo. Functionally, these controllers look pretty much identical to the authentic Wii-motes, although the button designs are a little more modern in styling. The initial models will come in either a gloss black or a dramatic bright purple, which really jumped out at me when I first saw it. They should be available for purchase early in February.

Unfortunately, it looks like Snakebyte hasn’t been able to get their costs down to what Nintendo has since they’re not producing as many, so the price of €39.99 (appx. $59 USD), is a bit hard to stomach. That’s too bad, since they do look really cool.

[via Wii News Daily via Play Gadgets]

[UPDATE: Nintendo Wii Fanboy has posted a number of additional photos of the Riimote and matching Nunchuks.]

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Wii gamers rejoice! It was only a matter of time before it happened. EA has gone on record to say that the insanely popular Rock Band franchise is on its way to Nintendo’s great white console.

In a third-quarter financial conference call today, Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello mentioned in passing that Rock Band is currently in development for the Nintendo Wii.

No release date or pricing was revealed, but I’d say we’ll see it this Fall, so EA can take full advantage of the 2008 holiday season. Stay tuned for more details.

[via IGN]

If you’re like me, you’re a big fan of Nintendo’s groundbreaking Wii-mote controller design. Now you can carry your files on a tiny Wii-mote inspired USB storage device.

Created by SolarMemo, the petite Wedisk flash drive looks like a wee Wii-mote, but press the “A” button, and the USB connector pops out of the top of the controller for you to plug into your computer.

The Wedisk is available in capacities from 1GB to 8GB, but is currently only available in custom production runs (especially if you happen to work for Nintendo). So if you’ve got a bunch of Wii-having friends, take up a collection and order up a couple thousand of these puppies.

[via Gizmodo]

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In the last year, we’ve gone from nary a Wii gun controller to a veritable plethora of available shooter accessories for Nintendo’s little white box. Still, with all the variety that’s to be found these days, this is the first time I’ve seen one with a built in laser sight to help you aim your shots.

The WiiMax (not to be confused with WiMAX) is one substantial light gun controller, designed to flip between “machine gun” and “rifle” modes thanks to a folding front grip. It’s got a fitted slot for holding your Wii-mote, and lets you plunk your Nunchuk into the handle. The laser sight runs on a pair of AAA batteries, and can be easily removed if it gets in your way.

Sure, if you’re willing bring out your inner MacGyver, you could just duct tape a cheap laser pointer onto any light gun. But for about $21, you might as well just pick up one of these, all ready to go. You can grab the WiiMax Wii Light Gun from DealExtreme.

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Looking for a way to bring your gaming obsession into the bedroom? What better way but with a couple of these video game controller pillows on your bed.

Perfect in bed or on your sofa, these 20″ x 20″ pillows from Tofu Design ($40 each) are covered with images of controllers from just about every gaming console you could want. Every system from the Atari 2600 to the Intellivision to the NES to Wii is represented here. Heck, even the never released PS3 boomerang controller makes an appearance on these spectacular pillows. Can you guys name them all?

What’s not to like? As soon as you’re ready to rest your weary head on a couple of comfy cushions, head on over to Upper Playground and place your order. If pillows aren’t your thing, be sure to check out Tofu’s matching controller hoodie and t-shirt designs.

[via Apartment Therapy]

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If you just can’t get enough of Link’s Crossbow Training for the Wii, have I got an accessory for you. Sure the hour-long game already comes inside the package with Nintendo’s Wii Zapper, but that’s not really a crossbow, is it?

What’s kind of wacky about the weapon is that they’ve actually covered up the tip of the “arrow” with a dumb looking plastic ball, taking all the fun out of shooting an arrow through your TV screen. On the other hand, the crossbow does feature a laser sight which should do a fine job reflecting off your display and blinding you.

Priced at about $28, the plastic crossbow is more expensive than the Zapper and Link bundle, making it pretty impractical since that’s the only Wii game I can think of that has a crossbow as its primary weapon.

If you’re still convinced that just have to have this, head on over to DealExtreme to get your hands on one.

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With all of the casemods I’ve seen for the Nintendo Wii, I’m surprised that I haven’t come across any Mario-themed designs in my travels. I guess it was only a matter of time before everyone’s favorite little plumber got his due.

The hand-painted Super Mario themed Wii features a scene from the classic platformer, including a 3-dimensional Mario busting out of the side of the console, courtesy of ample quantities of modeling clay and Bondo.

The grass-covered base conceals an additional USB port, and an LED illuminated mushroom that changes colors to indicate system status. There’s even a Wii-mote charger built into the green drain pipe on the side of the console.

Mario fan BeerBellyJoe has posted a tutorial over on Instructables, showing you how to embellish your own Wii with the same Super Mario theme and features. But if you don’t want to go through the trouble of building your own, keep your eye on eBay, since Joe says he’ll probably be putting this one up for auction in the next week to raise some cash.

[UPDATE 3/17/2008: Looks like Joe followed through with his threat, and has posted his Wii on eBay. With enough money, and a bit of luck it could be yours.]

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Check out these fun Gameboy plush toys I came across in my recent Web travels. Featuring a whimsical, cartoony take on the classic hand-held gaming system, they’re the perfect gift for the Nintendo Fanboy or Fangirl in your life.

Created by Wisconsin crafter KungFuCowgirl, each of the squishy game systems has its own unique personality, thanks to the slight variations in each handmade Gameboy.

They measure in at just a wee-bit bigger than an original Gameboy and come in red, yellow, green, pink or teal. They cost just $14 bucks a piece (so why not buy a bunch?) You can find ‘em over on Etsy.

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