Nintendo patents football controller, looks a lot like a football

by Richard Mitchell on Aug 25th 2009 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.

Source

Tags: football, Nintendo, patent, peripherals, Wii

Reader Comments (67)

I keep waiting for the Wii Toilet.

What a crappy idea.

"Looks a lot like a football"

It also looks like a big banana if you think about it. Donkey Kong?

Hey! Now you have a valid reason for breaking your TV!

This seems like the worst possible idea, unless they're thinking of getting into the TV making game - then they'd be set for life.

Wow, now Al Bundy can truly relive the highlight of his life, the game winning touchdown at Polk High!

Now if only I could play this while riding my fake skateboard.

I think I tried a similar sport as a kid, it's why my incisors are chipped. Catching a frisbee while riding a scooter downhill is hard, by the way.

For God's sake kids, GO OUTSIDE!

*sits in corner and cries*

somebody please make them stop.

http://www.saasta.fi/saasta/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/handegg.jpg

Ahem...

Has anyone bothered to tally up the volume, mass, and cost if one were to buy every Nintendo (1st party even) peripheral? I'm curious, but not so curious to do it myself.