Nintendo patents football controller, looks a lot like a football

by Richard Mitchell { Aug 25th 2009 at 10:00PM }

At some point, it really behooves a gamer to ask the question, "How many peripherals is enough peripherals?" The Wii remote is a pretty sweet piece of technology. We get that. The nunchuk adds some much-needed flexibility, sure. MotionPlus adds some extra sensitivity for 1:1 play. Okay, we all want that, right? But a football?

Siliconera reports that Nintendo vice president of R&D, Howard Cheng, has submitted a patent for a Wii football peripheral. Specifically, it's a football shaped shell for the Wii remote with different variations, like the tweaked MotionPlus version featured above. The patent cites different examples of how to use the peripheral. Obviously, throwing motions are mentioned. The Wii remote could also detect body motion and interpret it as "running." Call us cynics, but can't the Wii remote do all of that without a squishy football wrapped around it?

Then again, it's probably awesome for Punch-OutII.

Tags: football, patent, peripherals

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Sly [Planeteer | Power of Teets & Crumpets] @ Aug 25th 2009 10:02PM

but... but... where's the controller condom? it needs it.

Lunastra78 (PSN: lunastra78) @ Aug 25th 2009 10:36PM

With balls as big as these, nobody tells Nintendo he needs to put a condom on his Wii.

Sly [Planeteer | Power of Teets & Crumpets] @ Aug 25th 2009 11:07PM

wow, excellent execution...

Laughton @ Aug 25th 2009 10:02PM

MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE! MAKE IT STOP!!!

Thanks!

Wayne @ Aug 25th 2009 10:28PM

It will stop when these obnoxious patents are rejected by the USPTO for being obvious.

If you patent a chair, I cannot then patent a chair with arms. The wiimote is the chair. All these peripherals are simply chairs with arms.

JXCgunrunna @ Aug 25th 2009 10:46PM

Feel free to interchange Microsoft or Sony in with Nintendo at any point in the following:

Stop bitching. Its either nintendo puts a patent on it or some other company does and just sits on it til nintendo wants to actually do something with the design. Then the third party company sues nintendo for an idea they were never going to use in the first place. we have all seen it plenty of times.

borland502 (SDF Macross) @ Aug 26th 2009 9:07AM

"Stop bitching."

No.

"Its either nintendo puts a patent on it or some other company does and just sits on it til nintendo wants to actually do something with the design."

So let me get this straight: You actually consider a football with a strap and a slot for a controller to be...worthy of a patent? And as I have said before, the difference between Nintendo's silly patents and Sony/MS stupid patents is that largely the latter try to patent goofy things with more than one use.

rooshma @ Aug 25th 2009 10:04PM

"How do I play?"

"You throw the ball to your friends!"

"You mean, exactly like I do in real life?"

"Yeah! Isn't this cooler than being outside?"

Bradwart @ Aug 25th 2009 10:06PM

No, you throw the football through the TV! Isn't it obvious!

BigD145 @ Aug 25th 2009 10:39PM

People have been doing this without the football carrier since day 1.

MuToiD_MaN @ Aug 26th 2009 5:06AM

Did somebody say Football Phone?

JeezWhiz87 @ Aug 26th 2009 5:23AM

Ring ring ring ring ring ring ring! Football Phone! Hoot Hooka Dooka Doot!

Bradwart @ Aug 25th 2009 10:04PM

You know, all these controller gloves and such will end up in the landfill next to the E.T. carts.

Hopefully there's a 'phone' jacket, so the little guy can phone home.

Lionbacker @ Aug 25th 2009 10:17PM

HIYO!!!

Shadowbender ( Sweatshop Supporter In Hiding) @ Aug 25th 2009 10:22PM

I was thinking the same thing, my friend.

MuToiD_MaN @ Aug 26th 2009 5:06AM

You were thinking Football Phone too?

aacman007 @ Aug 25th 2009 10:05PM

Humanity is dead to me now.

Das Boot @ Aug 25th 2009 10:09PM

It's been dead for a while, friend.
Now it's smelly carcass is become apparent.

In other news. The Powerglove.
Was a bad idea 20 years ago.
And this is just as bad.
Strangely, very similar.

WINterfang @ Aug 25th 2009 10:05PM

ROFL

ThePhantomnaut @ Aug 25th 2009 10:05PM

Now I am thinking of a Nerf Football...

1. Buy Nerf football
2. Get Wii MotionPlus
3. Get masking tape
4. Tape together
5. Aim at TV
6. Throw at TV
7. ???
8. Profit

TreyIM @ Aug 25th 2009 10:07PM

*smh*

WINterfang @ Aug 25th 2009 10:12PM

That just reminds me of those Nerf wii sports add ones, it just for giving a little more realism for some people, it's unoffensive.

halongw77 @ Aug 25th 2009 10:15PM

I think Nintendo pisses peripherals.

Das Boot @ Aug 25th 2009 10:17PM

Sadly, the money they make from said peripherals, allows them to wipe their big fat ass with 100 dollar bills.

DBuck_Eye @ Aug 25th 2009 10:18PM

Pisses them? I had enough trouble passing a kidney stone, but if they're passing footballs and Balance Boards...

Tyger @ Aug 25th 2009 10:15PM

how do you play defense? Shoulder pad accessory?

Bradwart @ Aug 25th 2009 10:16PM

You tackle the Wii-it's so effective, the other team stops playing!

Vidikron @ Aug 25th 2009 10:17PM

It's absurd that you can even patent useless shit like this.

Wayne @ Aug 25th 2009 10:30PM

You can't. These peripherals will be rejected for being obvious. See my reply to Laughton above.

Vidikron @ Aug 26th 2009 2:34AM

You have more faith then me. I've seen countless obvious patents.

Vidikron @ Aug 26th 2009 2:34AM

*than

threefour @ Aug 25th 2009 10:17PM

i'd be pretty interested in playing mario football, of coarse not with this thing, but yeah.

MuToiD_MaN @ Aug 26th 2009 5:06AM

Pretty coarse remark you just made there.

LocalToast @ Aug 25th 2009 10:19PM

Wow.

Maybe this is an attempt to stop the crappy peripherals from being released by 3rd parties. As in, when they try to sell them, Nintendo will turn the tables and pull a copyright infringement case of their own this time!

PN04 @ Aug 25th 2009 10:31PM

This actually makes the most sense, I mean look at hose many of those sterring wheels showed up after the first wii racing game hit the streets. then it was the tennis and golfing attachments. they're just trying to force people to pay them for using these ideas.

Shadowbender ( Sweatshop Supporter In Hiding) @ Aug 25th 2009 10:20PM

If Nintendo keeps on patenting stuff like this, some people will never come out of their homes again.

Oh, and Nintendo, how's the new Zelda game for Wii coming along? What's you say? Production hasn't started yet? Because you're too busy making peripherals? Cut the crap, and let's get with the program here.

tuunicopapi @ Aug 25th 2009 10:36PM

"Cut the crap, and let's get with the program here."

friend as much as i (and TONS of others) would love to see that, it's just not happening this generation. next generation? sure why not! but certainly not this generation. sure we'll get a few solid game's here and there, but i honestly believe Nintendos sticking to their game plan. sigh but i REALLY would like for the big N to get it into gear.

KaBob799 @ Aug 25th 2009 11:27PM

Everybody always acts like Nintendo is making less of its main games, but this isn't really the case. If you compare the amount of "main" Nintendo games released on the Wii so far, its probably around the same as the N64 and Gamecube were after the same amount of time.

Mr Khan @ Aug 26th 2009 10:51AM

It's been in production for some time, they just haven't shown anything beyond that bit of art. It was well under way as of E3, but they decided not to show it because the team didn't feel like taking the time out of the dev cycle just to make a demo or a trailer.