Though little is known about the Wii's recently unveiled peripheral, the MotionPlus attachment, other than the fact that it will allow you to throw virtual frisbees to virtual puppies with unparalleled accuracy, Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development director Katsuya Eguchi alluded to a new Wiimote model that would include the MotionPlus technology during an E3 developer roundtable.

In Eguchi's own words, Nintendo is "looking at whether or not it will be an attachment or built in," so a MotionPlus Wiimote is far from confirmed. Still, we certainly hope Nintendo never ceases production of the attachment altogether -- forcing a populous that scrambled to acquire the Wii's elusive controller last year to chase after a new Wiimote SKU could lead to an unforeseen, if not slightly ironic, revolution against the prosperous company.

At the end of last month's issue of Nintendo Power, the editors promised a huge reveal in the magazine's following issue, teasing those anxiously awaiting Wii-exclusive installments in the Earthbound and Kingdom Hearts franchises. However, if the supposed scans of the cover of the upcoming edition of Nintendo Power that have begun to trickle onto the internet are legit, then the publication's big surprise could be coming from an unexpected source -- a new adventure of a recognizable blue rodent, titled Sonic and the Black Knight.

Assuming the scans are real, the twentieth anniversary edition of Nintendo Power will give readers their first look at the title. No other details are given on the supposed cover, though we're sure the sole image of the cerulean speedster brandishing a broadsword is enough to send you into a tizzy. However, let us not forget the disaster that resulted the last time we bestowed a lethal weapon upon a hedgehog.

What Wii Sports did for the Wiimote, Wii Sports Resort does for the Wii MotionPlus. The added precision of the Wii MotionPlus gets to show off in the title and, from the three minigames we experienced, it gives an idea of how other games could benefit from the accessory.

We had a chance to try out Disc Dog, Power Cruising and, our favorite, Sword Play. Nintendo says the Wii MotionPlus gives 1:1 control, but that's stretching the truth just a little. The controls certainly feel more precise than the Wiimote in its current state, but we're not exactly sure just yet if it'll fulfill gamer fantasies of precise lightsaber duels.

How does an adult -- a gamer -- explain Nintendo's strongly touted Wii Music without conveying an overwhelming feeling of dread? It's like the Fisher-Price version of music games and in some dark nightmare it could become a major hit. The skill required to play Wii Music is comparable to putting a three-year-old in front of a toy piano and just letting them bang away, but no matter what key the child hits it continues to play the correct note to create a song. Wii Music is not a game, it's a toy; another glorified tech demo to keep Wii Sports and Wii Play company.

If music snobs dismiss the skill required to play games like Rock Band or Guitar Hero, which do require talent to play and succeed, then those folks are going to have a full-blown aneurysm if Wii Music becomes a best seller. Our experience with the game was interesting, but we can't imagine spending more time with it beyond testing out the features or using it to entertain a child toddler when company comes over and the adults want to talk.

That niggling feeling in the back of your head that Nintendo wasn't talking to you with their E3 press conference? Good news: It wasn't your imagination! Straight from the mouth of Shigeru Miyamoto, the company says that they're not using E3 to speak to the core gamer anymore. Yeah, thanks Shiggy, we pieced it together.

What, you ask, are they using E3 for? Well Miyamoto describes it as "an opportunity for [them] to introduce new concepts and new types of play that [they] intend to bring to the broader audience, particularly because of the media that gathers at E3 now." So, there you have it. Hey ... does that mean that we don't have to go anymore?

[Thanks a ton, Ridgecity!]

Nintendo has sent their second text message out (here's the first): "After just 20 mos, Wii is the new console leader in the US @ nearly 10.9 million units, says NPD 2day". (For the record, that's 102 out of 160 possible SMS characters. There's no excuse to write "2day.") So to translate, the Nintendo Wii has finally overtaken Microsoft as King of America. Last we checked in May, Wii was at 9.5 million

We've heard rumblings that something big might be announced at this post-press conference event, but it's far from a sure thing. Keep it here.

5:44 PM PDT There are roughly 100 members of the press gathered on the green plush seats of the L.A. Convention Center's Theater 411. No music in the background this time, just the low chatter of dozens and dozens of journalists.

5:49 A few latecomers are straggling in, but it looks like it will be far from a capacity crowd. About half the seats are empty.

5:54 The lack of background music is a little disturbing. We find ourselves humming Bill Joel's "No Man's Land" under our breaths for no apparent reason ...

How long the Wii will remain a rupee-making juggernaut remains a question for debate, though according to Nintendo corporate communications director, Charlie Scibetta, players will continue to nurse tired limbs in their living rooms for some time.

"As long as publishers and our own first-party teams are able to get good use out of the technology that's there to make gameplay experiences people will like, it's going to be a legitimate console," he told us, adding that "the well is nowhere near dry in terms of what this console can do." Unfortunately, one thing the console can't seem to do is stay on store shelves, though he spun the scarcity as best he could, stating simply that "we're just trying to get as many out there as quick as we can."

In case you couldn't keep up with all the announcements, here are the highlights from Nintendo's E3 2008 press conference:

• Ubisoft's Shaun White Snowboarding to use Wii Balance Board
• Nintendo selling 200k Wiis a week, 700k a month
• Animal Crossing: City Folk coming to Wii in 2008
• Nintendo introduces the Wii Speak community microphone
• Wii Sports Resort coming to the Wii, with Motion Plus in tow
• English version of DS recipe application coming to America in November
• Nintendo announces GTA: Chinatown Wars
• Guitar Hero: On Tour Decades announced
• Nintendo announces Wii Music with 50 instruments
• Nintendo press conference bingo results

Sony Corp. chairman and CEO Sir Howard Stringer has something to admit: He's played a Wii. Sir Stringer also has something to report about Nintendo's console: it's "an expensive niche game device."

According to Bloomberg, Stringer made the statement last week while attending the Allen & Co. media conference in Sun Valley, Idaho ... far away from his home in England, where Wii is obviously going for a lot more than in the US. Actually, it's £179 with Wii Sports. PS3 is £289 and, according to Stringer, is "still the best way to buy a Blu-ray player." (Note: In addition to Blu-ray movies, PS3 also plays games.)

[Via Wii Fanboy]

As E3 gets closer, the speculation about what will be announced at the show gets more and more out there. So now that E3 is actually here, we get this post from IGN's Matt Cassamassina positing that Activision is working on an accelerometer-equipped, tilt-sensitive attachment for the Nintendo DS' Game Boy Advance slot. Nothing too surprising about that news, but the post jumps off from there to suggest Nintendo is also working on a similar tilt-sensing cart for the DS slot. Why would they do such a thing? Because Nintendo is planning to release a new DS without a Game Boy Advance slot, of course.

Yes, IGN buried the lede a bit, suggesting two paragraphs down that "trusted insiders that Nintendo" say a new, slimmed-down DS (a la the Game Boy Micro) could be coming out soon. The new unit would have no GBA slot (thereby explaining the need for tilt-sensitive DS carts) and come in at a cool sub-$100 price, if IGN is to be believed. Of course, IGN still considers everything it writes just a rumor. We'll know soon enough, as anything from Activision or Nintendo would likely be revealed at their press conference tomorrow.

Proving that no bit of news is to trivial for E3, Computer and Video Games presents (via a Nintendo press release) a list of the presenters planned for tomorrow's Nintendo press conference. They are:

• Nintendo Co Ltd. President Satoru Iwata
• Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime
• Designer/producer/supervisor/god Shigeru Miyamoto
• NOA Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing Cammie Dunaway
• NOA Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Affairs Denise Kaigler

Exciting, no? Really, there's nothing especially revelatory about this list of speakers. The question remains though, what will they all speak about? We'll find out tomorrow morning at 9 AM Pacific. Until then, of course, rampant speculation is welcome using the comments link below.