News flash: Wii motion-controls doable without sweating
by Blake Snow 
{ Oct 13th 2006 at 8:01PM }
Still concerned with the thought of tiring while playing Nintendo's Wii for an extended period of time? UK-based Entertainmentwise reports after a two hour game session with the console:"If you have health related concerns that you or your friends and family suffer from a tiredness health problem, it's not going to bar you from enjoying the Nintendo Wii. We've tested it now and after two hours, it's safe to say that it's possible to play on the Wii launch line up for two hours and not be dripping with sweat afterwards. Just remember that large body motions are not a requirement – they're what players do to have fun with the game. Playing with smaller movements or sitting down is largely possible, doable and healthy."
Yes, the Wii intends to be very different from what we are accustomed to when playing video games. But haven't Guitar Hero and non-sedentary lifestyles already proven the entertainment value of motion without problematic exhaustion?
[Thanks, pandlcg]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Erec @ Oct 13th 2006 8:13PM
I think for some games, it won't be a problem. But for some other games, tiredness will absolutely be a problem. Has anyone had the misfortune of playing TotemBall yet? I'm a pretty athletic guy, I play tennis regularly, but I was finding that having to hold my arms out only making very small movements got pretty tiring pretty quickly. The developers realized it, too, because they put rest pickups everywhere so people could get 10 seconds or so to rest their arms.
So I think for games like Wii Sports, where your arms are moving constantly and in different ways, tiredness won't be a problem. But for games where the vast majority of the time you'll have your arm out in front of you pointing at the screen, I definitely think it could be a problem.
Took your name @ Oct 13th 2006 8:32PM
Take that haters!!!!. That is all.
broseph @ Oct 13th 2006 8:35PM
Yeah, you're obviously not going to break a sweat, but I can certainly see some tired wrists and arms being an issue.
Aphony @ Oct 13th 2006 8:44PM
Um. I sweat when I have to move a joystick around for too long. Wii's going to be a HUGE problem. ;) Mwahaha!
By the way, anyone who plays Guitar Hero sitting has absolutely no sense of fun!
Vince @ Oct 13th 2006 8:55PM
I can see many a Sony fanboy's argument crumbling now.
Which is odd considering I'm a Sony fanboy...
heh, at least I can show some reasoning, unlike certain fanboy regulars here that I can name. All three systems are gonna be great, and anyone that can't see that needs to GTFO my webternets.
Optimus Prime @ Oct 13th 2006 8:56PM
Wow..two whole hours of game play .. now, lets see them play for two hours, every other day, for the next couple of years...yea, no problems at all.
Zelda TP is like 80 hrs of gameplay .. lets see them finish that and see what they say.
RSIs dont develop after two hours of anything.
Aphony @ Oct 13th 2006 8:59PM
Now we can seperate the men/women from the children. If you can beat Zelda (after 80 hrs OMG!) then we know you're skilledz to the maximum X130!!!
Vince @ Oct 13th 2006 9:03PM
Optimus, I fail to see the logic in your statement (no offense). I commute. I drive a good 3 hours every other day. I must be sweating my arse off and getting lots of horrible cramps in the car, because by then an RSI would have developed due to the HUGE amount of energy I exert... moving the sterring wheel/pushing my foot into the ground.
striderhayasa @ Oct 13th 2006 9:12PM
What's the deal with these people that can't seem to get a clue?
If you sit down with your elbows rested on you knees or leaning back like you would with a regular controller, why would the Wiimote be any different than relaxing with a regular controller? Slight movements of the wrist will work. Move your wrist instead of moving your thumb. "OHHHHHHH that's so hard, it's going to tire me out and cause cronic pain". Give me break.
Who the hell is going to still there with their arm stretch out when you don't have to? Get a grip people, pick up a tv remote and see how confortable it is, pointing it at the television.
Now here comes more of the fanboy rant of the day...
"Wii sukz azz! Nintendo douchebag fanboys! ZOMG!!! Wii iz teh blah blah blah"
Move along...there's nothing to see here....nothing to see.
Optimus Prime @ Oct 13th 2006 9:13PM
Vince; this demo means nothing; its not realistic. These arent gamers; they're entertainment journalists experimenting with what their producer told to write up on.
People are going to buy Zelda, call in sick, run home, and put in as many hours on it as possible and in as little time as possible; 6, 8, 10 hours a day ..isnt unrealstic. Thats the true test, not, this two hour experimentation with the hardware.
And, have you ever used a laser pointer for a presentation.. was that fun? ..now imagine surfing the web with that pointer for 2+ hours; every other day, ..for the next 2+ years.
And, RSIs have to do with small movements, done over and over and over, over a period of time ... this is what the Wiimote is doing with its pointing and gesture input..and its worst than with std. controllers (with button presses) becuase you are using the larger muscles in your forearms and (in some cases) the ever larger muscles in your sholder.
Vince @ Oct 13th 2006 9:19PM
I still don't see that impacting most of the Wii's games, simply due to the fact that you aren't required to make huge movements, therefore the muscles you said wouldn't be used as much. And while big movements are more fun, I don't see it being that hard to, when you get tired, just switch over to small movements.
And about the laser pointer thing, no I've never done that... I am using a 3D mouse right now though, and I sit at my computer for hours on end, every day. No pain here.
James @ Oct 13th 2006 9:27PM
The only way you can get tired playing the Wii is if you want to show off and do backflips whilst you play ze Wii.
Capt. Castellanos @ Oct 15th 2006 5:13PM
whattabout wario ware?
that game is gonna tire people out.
even without the wiimote that game is tireing!
(but still very fun to play)
Senshida @ Oct 13th 2006 9:32PM
This isn't really news, since Iwata said it earlier. But its good that there is proof to support his claim now.
And about the whole RSI issue Optimus Prime brought up, the PS3 controller can cause that too. :P And it would take 7+ hours every day playing it to get RSI. Thats why its also known as "work related upper limb disorder", because most people who get it spend 7+ hours at work using the muscles in the arm and wrist. Even with that, RSI is still rare.
Wulkar @ Oct 13th 2006 9:47PM
its like the angus burger commercials. if you can sit down..pick up a wii!!
seamonkey420 @ Oct 13th 2006 10:40PM
wait wait... wouldn't using large motions in turn excerise you? is it really such a horrible thing that us gamers might start to get more toned upper bodies? hahah! i know.. crazy thought..
ya never know..
anywho... to me, i don't see this as an issue unless you want to show off as prev mentioned... but might be for those weaker of foe.. :P
peace
Felkster @ Oct 13th 2006 11:04PM
Honestly, the only reason I'm holding off on buying the Wii at launch is because I want a much bigger sampling of reviews which say that extended play *truly* isn't annoying or tiring. I'm hoping that the general public agrees after a week or two of the console being out, but I'm still somewhat skeptical and believe that some game developers will do a poor job at "stress testing" their games by playing for hours.
JM Scion @ Oct 15th 2006 2:40PM
This actually gets me more excited for the Wii. I know there will be very few, if any, games that will actually make you sweat, but if you do it adds another immersive aspect. You actually feel the strain your character is going through. You think they don't wear themselves out as they backflip all over the place? Plus this means Wii owners can actually get exercise. I guess I might be getting a Wii after all after I get a 360.
Matthew Rader @ Oct 13th 2006 11:40PM
Having actually played the Wii, I can say that very tiny movement are more than enough to swing your tennis racket or point your gun. If you want to big swing, do big swings. If not, then don't. That simple.
Foetoid @ Oct 14th 2006 12:02AM
@1: "But for games where the vast majority of the time you'll have your arm out in front of you pointing at the screen, I definitely think it could be a problem"
Oh for gods sake, omg. Lets take red steel for example, where twists of the wrist aim the gun on screen. Noone said anything ever about having to have the damn thing POINTED AT THE SCREEN AT ARMS LENGTH...rest your elbow on your leg and twist it then. Tuck your elbow into your side and twist it, sit on it and twist it. Either way, the movements will still be reconised on screen, you dont have to have it at arms length.
Ness @ Oct 14th 2006 12:26AM
8. Optimus, I fail to see the logic in your statement (no offense). I commute. I drive a good 3 hours every other day. I must be sweating my arse off and getting lots of horrible cramps in the car, because by then an RSI would have developed due to the HUGE amount of energy I exert... moving the sterring wheel/pushing my foot into the ground.
Umm...im assuming some of that is red lights and the other is highway miles. And most often when you drive your fans rest on the wheel not in the air....think before you post
Optimus Prime @ Oct 14th 2006 12:46AM
Like i said; the article sited is unrealistic and unrepresetative; its doesnt prove anything one way or the other. The reality will reveal itself after Wii is launched to the masses and people start playing as they normally would.
Im betting that some games will have built in rest sessions; like a forced cut-scene after a long boss battle, etc. Or, it may monitor your cumulative movements and warn you to take a rest.
And, repetattive wrist flicks are a problem. Its hard to appreciate it unless you spend time studying it..so, im not going to get into it anymore here.
Lekko @ Oct 14th 2006 12:46AM
I just want to see new commercials reflecting "playing it easy and not being overly dramatic".
Like, a chubby dude on a couch with the controller in his lap twitching it in small, subdued motions to play the game. That just seems kinda lame to me..
Me @ Oct 14th 2006 1:20AM
The whole idea of the Wii seems lame to me......Old crappy looking graphics with a motion controller !!! I don't know about yall, but graphics and gameplay both have to be great for a game to be "great" in my opinion and the graphics the Wii will be putting out are about as good as PS2 games like RE4 and GOW. Those kind of graphics are old to me and just not appealing anymore. The Wii only has different gameplay this time around so i won't be buying it at all. PS3 !! FTW !!!
Mullinator @ Oct 14th 2006 1:50AM
I swear Sony has gone on an internet campaign paying various 12 year olds to insult Nintendo and the Wii on popular gaming sites. take "Me" as the perfect potential example.
Vince @ Oct 14th 2006 2:12AM
Ness, isn't it ironic that your own statement is applicable to you? Highway miles my ass. About 20 miles of my commute are highway, and it takes me about 20 minutes to drive that distance on the highway. Other than that, its mostly urban areas in-between Lancaster County PA, where I live, and Toms River NJ, which is where I work. Even so, I don't see myself exerting more energy using the Wiimote than I do driving. How about, instead of telling me to think before I post, take your own advice instead?
#23: Old crappy looking graphics? I'm sorry but even the PS2 isn't considered old, and the PS2's graphics were greatly outdone by the Xbox's and even the Gamecubes. So for something with greater graphics than the Xbox to be considered to have old graphics... thats fuzzy logic.
Optimus Prime... while I do disagree with what you've said, it's hard not to realize that you are pretty damn smart for being able to incorporate RSI into your opinion, or at least smarter than most of the posters here... I'm surprised you don't have stars.
Anonymousity @ Oct 14th 2006 3:25AM
I like how the guy complaining that people get tired when they play a Wii has not even tried it yet.
kyle @ Oct 14th 2006 3:53AM
come on . Somebody at least take this thing home and own it for a week or two before I have to listen to this crap. Until it's released it's a fictional system with an unorthodox set of controls. Same as the Ps3.
Lets wait til november. then non of this fanboy talk will matter because everybody will be busy playing great games no matter what console they buy
duscrom @ Oct 14th 2006 4:55AM
Yeah, but what about the visually impared..... What happens when you aren't line of sight from the sensor bar.....
Infil @ Oct 14th 2006 5:56AM
#28: The sensor bar does nothing more than cast an IR grid, picking up Wiimote signals. It then tells the Wiimote where it is in 3D space, and the Wiimote broadcasts this to the console via Bluetooth.
This isn't a light gun situation. Because of the grid action, it won't matter if you're not "directly in sight" with the TV. All the angles will be calculated accordingly and your position will be maintained correctly. There won't be a problem.
(And this is only for games that use the absolute value positioning of the Wiimote. For games that use nothing more than the built-in accelerometers, which I'd wager to say is the majority, the sensor bar doesn't even come into play.)
Saiclone @ Oct 14th 2006 7:11AM
@ 28
How does someone who can't see play VIDEO games?:)
Fruit Brute @ Oct 14th 2006 8:17AM
@ 30
I know of two documented cases of blind people playing video games. It is not out of the realm of reality...
teknotom @ Oct 14th 2006 8:31AM
Um, there's a difference. Visually impaired = wears glasses, may have anything in between slight to major sight loss. Blind = blind. See http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/sight/visual_impairment.html (no i don't use that site, it was the first thing that came up when I googled). I'm the former and I can't wait to get my Wii on.
teknotom @ Oct 14th 2006 8:33AM
That was @30 by the way.
Doom3 @ Oct 14th 2006 4:58PM
It's fuuny but this tiredness you speak of is a good thing and could lead to you being fit and able to endure longer play periods. Thats what happen when you exercise. Your muscle get stronger. Will you sweat maybe or maybe not it really depends on hydrated you are...LOL
Just like professional sports any thing can be played in a lazy fashion. So don't be worried just turn the skill level down and the difficulty. You'll be fine. That jelly roll at the bottom of your chest you've worked so hard to preserve will be fine. Your massive thundering arms of cool whip will be safe.
Even the UFO canidates out there will be fine. You know the guys who would be right at home feeding thur a tube in zero gravity for 15years will have no problem with the wii. Lucky you don't need legs to play.
YourParody @ Oct 14th 2006 2:45PM
"How does someone who can't see play VIDEO games?:)"
See:
http://www.joystiq.com/2005/07/25/blind-teen-can-beat-you-at-soul-calibur-ii/
broseph @ Oct 14th 2006 3:42PM
Where's the immersion in having your hands in your lap and flicking your wrists?
John Lucas @ Oct 15th 2006 3:31AM
People forget to factor in adrenaline when worrying about the Wii control.
And maybe that's really a statement on the direction the industry has taken recently.
Fun is contagious & it ramps up adrenaline.
When you play with another person there's an energy level you normally don't reach alone.
There are people who MAY be winded after an intense session of play but they won't because the charge will be so great. They'll be on that natural high & you'll see a winded smile.
When you are TRULY enjoying yourself you can go a lot longer than you normally would when you're at moderate energy level.
Fun is not only contagious but also addicting & those same winded folks will want to play some MORE as soon as they catch their breath.
People don't factor in how the Wii control connects with the emotion of the player & I think this is the big misreading. The natural intuitiveness of the control puts you closer to the action than the Control Pads (and their derivatives) we've been playing since 1983/1985 (Famicom/NES).
Not to get too adult here but when you're having bad sex you find yourself counting the minutes, distracted, unable to put much energy into the act.
When you're having GOOD sex it's a marvel seeing just how long you can stay at it focused as time flies.
Sure you can play without a bunch of unnecessary motion but chances are that's JUST how people will play. And those extraneous motions will connect the player the the game better than ever before.
That's the promise of Wii.
John Lucas
Martin @ Oct 16th 2006 7:54AM
Seriously, did any of you see the PS3 E3 Video, and how much effort needed to be put in to use PS3's motion sensing control. And that didn't look like it was to make it dramatic, they were spazzing out on stage!
Not to hate on the PS3 or anything, but they are using motion sensing too, and there is a lot bigger risk of tiredness and injury using a standard controller for motion sensing than using a controller specifically designed for motion sensing.
Draganta @ Oct 17th 2006 11:54AM
I think that anyone concerned about getting tired while playing the Wii are forgetting a few things.
1.) if I remember correctly most companies recommend that you take a break every two or three hours. If you can't last longer then a thirty minutes or so, then just keep practicing, and you will be able to play for longer period of time with out getting tired.
2.)There is this handy feature that pretty much all games have called pause. if you are getting tired, hit start, get something to eat, go to the bathroom, write a novel, watch some T.V., ect. Once your arm isn't tired anymore, go back to playing.
3.) For some games, like Red Steel or Metroid Prime 3, if you play with your arm staight out pointing at the screan then your shoulder will probobly get tired. Especially if you are like me and have shoulder problems to begin with. Again, you can hit pause, or if you arn't using any of the attachments you can use your other hand to help support the one with the controller, just like you would with a gun (it would also help with aim, which would be a good thing)
In the end, none of this really matters. The fan boys will buy their prefered system at launch, and like it regardless of any problems with the system and controller. For people who can't make up their minds or for people who don't have an opinion, they will be waiting for reviews to come out.
At the moment, arguing over which system is better is pointless. Once we accually have the systems, then we will have first hand experiences and we can definitivly say which (in our opinion) is the better system.