One of the investigative sleuths over at Neogaf has uncovered a recent patent filed by Nintendo regarding the Wii U tablet controller. The controller itself will include a magnetometer, an IR port, a speaker, a microphone and built-in flash memory. We should hear more from Nintendo about these additions in the near future.
Not to sound like a jerk, but you can tell most of those things just by looking at it.
I’d understand too, just the magnetometer I didn’t know about, really.
Magnetometer? LOL WUT. I can only imagine why the tablet-controller would need one of those O_o
Whats a megnetometer?
From what I know it’s used to measure magnetic fields. Why the controller has it I cant imagine.
Magnetometer? No idea what that is. IR port? 3DS connection. Speaker? A given. Microphone? Knew that already. Flash memory? Cache.
“And Magneto…” :D
“…meter” :|
What IS a magnetometer anyway?
its something that can track the position and distance of a certain magetic signal. so i t seems to me they’re making it so it can tell how far away you are from the tv? idk lol
I don’t even know what some of those things do. Magnetometer and ir port that is.
But hey built in speaker, hope it works really well with online
ir port stands for infra red but I have no idea what a magnometer is.
Well, we all know about the microphone fom the Ghost Recon trailer. But the other are nice to know.
What is a Magnetometer? I googled it, but I don’t understand what it does and why Nintendo would want to use it. :/
I’m sorry if this is a dumb question.
Magnetometers can be helped used to make compasses in phones, so maybe a compass?
I might sound like an idiot, but what is a magnetometer?
Why would it use a Magnometer? o.o
Next thing you know, the controller will be a thermometer too :P
How would you take your rectal temperature with it? That’s a lot of stretching.LOL! ;o
LOLolololololtrololololll
It might be used to help depict it position in correlation to the actual console.
From wiki:
Many smartphones contain magnetometers. There are compass apps which show direction.[3]:
Researchers at Deutsche Telekom have used magnetometers embedded in mobile devices to permit touchless 3-D interaction. Their interaction framework, called MagiTact, tracks changes to the magnetic field around a cellphone to identify different gestures made by a hand holding or wearing a magnet.[4]
I get it now, so it allows us to move 360 degrees with the controller while it displays the location on screen like a gps basically. But used with games.
Thats cool……..i guess…
Like with phones if you tilt your phone the display will move. Like if you want a wider angle rather then holding it upright you can hold it sideways instead. Games like super monkey ball from Sega on iPhone/iPad are controlled by moving the phone not pressing any buttons. There’s a zippo lighter app on iPhone and android where ou can light then move the phone. The flame will move as you move the phone.
It’s nice and all but I’d honestly prefer it if they didn’t keep adding all this stuff to the controller to rack up the price of it and keep it cheaper at like £50 so we can use multiple controllers with the WiiU. I’m a huge huge supporter of the WiiU, but I think the one controller thing is the dumbest idea Nintendo have ever done. They’re taking away the option of buying additional controllers, they don’t have to make it mandatory, just giving us the option would be nice though, I know I’d be willing to spent £50/$75 to a second WiiU Pad.
You must have missed the news for multiple “WiiPad” controller support. It is believed that while at E3, the presenters were not well informed on the specifics. While they showed how 1 would work, it has been confirmed by Reggie that there is multiple support, meaning they will sell extra in the stores. The initial games (by Nintendo) will likely focus on one, but it was confirmed that multiple controller support is there.
Nintendo already stated that they are selling 1 wii u tablet per console and that it will NOT be sold on it’s own. In other words if you want 4 wii u tablets you gotta buy 4 wii u’s too.
This is all subject to change but they day after they showed this off at E3 they said that.
I think your mistaken on nintendo stating that “it will NOT be sold on it’s own”. Can you cite that info?
A magnetometer detects when you move your controller, if i’m correct
For those asking, a magnetometer is whats used in a metal detector. But I don’t know what Nintendo plan on using it for!
f***in magnetometers, how do they work?
MIRACLES
A magnetometer is a compass. You can use it in combination with an accelerometer and gyroscope (the Wii remote has both) to get absolute rotation of the device. Google Steve Jobs Jenga to see this in action (this tech is in the iPhone 4).
the patents also show triggers, which weren’t part of the design shown at e3.
Uhh, yes they were. :/
uh..no they were not. those were simple buttons not analog triggers (e3-not pressure sensitive)
Magneto meter can be used as an addition to the gyrscope inside. When you look to your screen via the controller, it can use the “compass” data as well as the gyroscope data to enhance the “how an where are you holding the controller”-output. (My first guess…)
Though Im not sure if its necessary already having a gyroscope. Perhaps for the use excluding your tv? Dunno possibility overload again!
so its six-axis motion sensing then. cool.
I’m might be backwards…but I really like regular controllers. Why would I want to play a Nintendo game with a tablet?
There are buttons and a circle pad on there.. just think of it as a dualshock expanded with a large screen on there.
I think it will be pretty cool to use it. I had questioned the Wii remote, but I love using it, just not so much the motion part of it (like galaxy, metroid, mario kart (with nunchuck)).
You dont have to play with the tablet controller. Nintendo said the WiiU will be compatible with all the wii controllers, including the classic controller/plus, for your “regular controllers” needs
If the Controller has memory, couldn’t that mean you can save games on your controller as if it was a portable
Well technically yes, I guess. The Wiimotes also have memory inside, but that memory is only used for storing Miis.
You can store more than Mii data: for example, if you have Pokemon Battle Revolution, it can save your team so you can use your Pokemon at a friend’s house. :)
The schematics on this controller are incredible. So much potential crammed into this little tablet. Now the game developers need to figure out how to use it.
Sounds like an added motion sensor basically. I wondered how they would keep the screen on the mote so perfectly alligned with the TV.
Why does the patent show 2 buttons on that black strip by the camera?
Those are the IR sensors. It’s similar to the sensor bar for the wii. You’ve got Infrared LED’s spaced apart so the controller can track them.
That’s totally weird. I can’t imagine pointing a Wii remote from a couple feet away at a 6-inch screen. Interesting…
The IR will work with the Wii controller and maybe the 3DS. It’s like a sensor bar. the magnetometer is a shocker. That is used to measure the strength and direction of a magnetic field; the magnetic field can either be created by nature, but they can also make an artificial one. My guess is that they will use something as a magnetic field so that the controller knows which way is where and all that. In theory, this would be more advanced than just motion sensing as we know it. If this is what Nintendo is planning to do, then it’ll be very different to what Sony supposedly can do with the PS3 and Vita. The Wii U will be on a level of its own then.
everyone has realised that the magnetometer will be able to act as a compass enabling things like gps and maps to be more useful and interactive, but if you wanted to make a game with one in, it could be used as a metal detector too. (cant think why you would want that, but im just letting you know that magnetometers can measure magnetic fields. that is what they do)
Guess well know when the release comes.
I just read through the patents, and there are some pretty interesting things in there. I suggest checking it out. It does talk about using multiple tablets at once, connecting it up to other devices on a network, controlling your tv, getting info on the show that you are watching or a program guide. There is a lot more in there too. Kinda technical and redundant, but worth it.
Ummm you guys remember the Pirate Ships Tech Demo, and the Ubisoft Alien Shooter game, both of them used the magneto meter.
Don’t get magnetometer confused with accelerometer and gyroscope. A magnetometer is used to track magnetic changes in position, so like if you move around the room with the controller for example your Mii might copy you and change its position accordingly or something, but we’re talking about position. Accelerometers and gyroscopes are used to track orientation and changes in gravity, ie. rotation and tilt angles. The different Wii remotes, the 3DS and most new Apple products contain accelerometers and gyroscopes.
OH yes i can see it , the next selling hit will be “Wii Magnetometer plus” “Wii Flash plus”
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Hmm, it must be an interesting addon.. I would like to see one please…
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