But Wait…There’s More! Stuff for your Wii

I remember even before the Wii was released in 2006, it was marketed primarily based on the very bizarre controller it came with. The public dubbed this device: the “Wiimote”. The initial teaser ads contained a slightly creepy montage of people looking into the camera while waving the Wiimote around in unusual ways, amidst the sounds of everything from cars driving, tennis balls being hit and guns being fired. This magical remote could do anything it seemed. So why is Nintendo tripping over itself in a rush to change it?

Indeed, this remote was able to transform into a gun, steering wheel, spatula, knife, fishing rod or whatever the game called for at any given moment. Still, not long after the release of the Wii, Nintendo started releasing add-ons such as: a gun attachment, tennis racket attachment and a steering wheel. These devices may enhance the experience, but isn’t this kind of going back on the visual promise they initially gave us? The Wii was supposed to be a new system that focused on the gaming rather than sheer power like the PS3 and XBOX 360. Simplicity was the key.

And now there is a new way to spend your hard-earned money: the Wii Motion Plus. This doesn’t actually change the controller. It simply offers more sensitivity in the way that it recognizes your hand movements. Isn’t this a bit like saying the Wii is broken? How could the technology have changed so much in under two years? The sensible side of me has to say that this is a poor strategy to get more money out of people. The materialistic side still has this need to have everything that I feel is going to make my gaming more enjoyable. Still, I can’t help but feel like the Wii is taking a step back here; kind of like reintroducing the Power Glove.

If Nintendo really wants to give us attachments to make our gaming more real, maybe they should make Wii attachments that would allow us to complete real world tasks while gaming. How about a Ginsu knife attachment so that you can actually be cooking gazpacho, while playing Cooking Mama. I’m seeing a janitor spin off of that game, Cleaning Bathroom, with a scrubber attachment sponsored by Swiffer. What about a dog attachment so that you can track your dog while you are at work, making sure he doesn’t really “Wii”.

Whatever they do, I hope they get more creative than what we have seen so far. I’d rather spend my money on more games than a little chunk of plastic. If Nintendo is already the number one selling game system, then they shouldn’t have to reinvent themselves every week.