20080421 nintendo wii game innovation talk thaweesak

Nintendo Wii Game Innovation

Thaweesak KoanantakoolNECTEC Tea TalkApril 21, 2008

Agenda

• The Wii Game• Nintendo R&D spending• Wii Remote• Wii Console• Nintendo’s Patents• Research opportunities

2Nintendo Wii Game Innovationy -- Thaweesak Koanantakool (21 April 2008)

Nintendo Wii Game Innovation -- Thaweesak Koanantakool (21 April 2008) 3

Spielberg and Miyamoto


Steven Spielberg is making a return to video games. Newsweek reports that the legendary director has teamed with Mario designer Shigeru Miyamoto to create a new action-puzzle simulator for the Nintendo Wii. Code-named PQRS, the new game ―neatly blends the creativity of the building-blocks game Jenga with the charm of a Saturday-morning cartoon. It runs on top of a physics program that lets you manipulate blocks with the Wii remote as if it were an extension of your hand.‖ You had me at ―Spielberg‖ and ―Wii‖.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19649887/site/newsweek/?from=rss


Elderly residents at the Sunrise Retirement Home in Birmingham (age 80-100) play Nintendo Wii

in the lounge.

Nintendo Wii Game Technology -- Thaweesak Koanantakool (21 April 2008) 6

By Dave Wischnowsky, Tribune staff reporter Published February 16, 2007, http://tinyurl.com/2a6nt2

At the Sedgebrook retirement community in Lincolnshire, where the average age is 77, something unexpected has been transpiring since Christmas. The residents, most of whom have never picked up a video game controller in their life, suddenly can’t put the things down.―I’ve never been into video games,‖ said 72-year-old Flora Dierbach last week as her husband took a twirl with the Nintendo Wii’s bowling game. ―But this is addictive.‖…With an easy-to-use wireless controller that translates a player’s motions onto the screen, Nintendo believes it has found the answer with the Wii…. ―This is pretty realistic. You can even put English on the ball,‖ Hahn said after connecting on a strike with the Wii. ―I used to play Pac-Man a little bit, but with this you’re actually moving around and doing something.

http://tinyurl.com/2a6nt2

Wii on Big Screen


Nintendo announced an interesting partnership with Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) where they are going to bring Wiis on their cruise ships.

The Wii has currently been on NCL's newest ship the Norwegian Pearl and other NCL America ships.

By the end of the month the rest of the NCL ships will have Wiis along with Wii Play, Wario Ware: Smooth Moves, Excite Truck and Wii Sports.

Wii on Big Screen


This is a pretty clever idea since the Wii can replicate a bowling alley, shooting gallery and be a social party system with only a little room.

Wiis are going to be set up in the atrium and played on a neat-o mega sized video screen. See how massive the screen is past the break.

9Nintendo Wii Game Innovationy -- Thaweesak Koanantakool (21 April 2008)

10Nintendo Wii Game Innovation -- Thaweesak Koanantakool (21 April 2008)

Technologies in the Wii Game

Console

• CPU (IBM Power PC chip)

• GPU (ATI ―Hollywood‖)

• Storage 512MB internal flash memory, SD card, Game Cube, Memory card

• Wireless LAN (WiFi)

• WiiConnect24

• Bluetooth, for four remotes

• USB 2.0 (2 ports)

• Sensor Bar (Infrared LEDs)

• Wii Optical-drive (12/8 cm)

• Interface for all Nintendo previous games and controllers

Wii Remote

• 3-axis accelerometer

• IR camera

• Bluetooth (HID standard)

• Vibrator

• Audio

• Nunchuck connection

• Strap

• Wii Remote Jacket

OS Features

• Remote ID on EEPROM

• Mii (Avatar of players)

• News from the Internet

• Email

• Shopping


Wii Remote (Wiimote)

Wii Remote with attached strap Manufacturer Nintendo Type Video game controller Generation Seventh generation era First available November 19, 2006 System storage 16 KiB EEPROM chip (16.3 KB) Connectivity Bluetooth SRP JP¥3,800, US$39.99, €39, £30

Source: Wikipedia 12Nintendo Wii Game Innovation -- Thaweesak Koanantakool (21 April 2008)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Wii_Remote_Image.jpg

Evolution of Wii Remote

2001 Project began for Nintendo GameCube, coinciding with development of Wii Console

2001 Nintendo licensed motion-sensing patents from Gyration, Inc. – One-handed Gyropod concept

2002 Gyration brought in a separate design by Bridge Design

2004 Wii Remote ―Wand shape‖, ―nanchuck Attachment‖

2005 Ready for mass production

BridgeDesign Gyro Mouse –works in the air


One-hand concept: “GyroPod”

• Gyration is a company that holds most of the best motion-sensing patents.

• Nintendo licensed a number of those patents from Gyration in 2001, and brought the company on board that year to develop a one-handed controller.

• Nintendo even became an investor in Gyration, which is now owned by Thomson.


One-hand concept: “GyroPod”


Wave – Point – Rumble – Listen


Evolution of Wii Remote Game controllers haven't changed radically for more than two

decades. How has that affected the industry?

Miyamoto:The classic controller was something we had become fond of and gamers had become comfortable with. It had many important elements. But it also had come to dictate a lot of what went into games—the way graphics were made, the way battles were fought in role-playing games, the arc of in-game stories. They were all being made to fit one standard. Creativity was being stifled, and the range of games was narrowing.

There are examples of controllers that were made for specific games such as Konami's Dance Revolution. And for a long time, we thought that changing the interface would broaden game design and loosen creative constraints on programmers. We were also agreeing that we would start from the drawing board with something entirely unlike anything we had made before.

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2006/tc20061116_750580.htmNintendo Wii Game Innovation -- Thaweesak Koanantakool (21 April 2008) 17

Evolution of Wii Remote What were the biggest technical challenges in the controller

redesign?

Ashida:The controller's wireless technology. It took two years.

Miyamoto:Getting the infrared pointer to work took more than a year. It worked just fine in the ideal environment. But bright lights and sunlight interfered with its accuracy. And we had to test it in rooms of all sizes. The final version wasn't finished until this summer.

We also had reservations about adding a sensor bar to boost the pointer's precision, since we wanted to make the setup as simple as possible. Combining the different technologies to mimic 3D space recognition took time.

By the end of 2005, it was ready for mass production. But we were making adjustments up to the last minute.

Source: http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2006/tc20061116_750580.htm


Inside the Wii remote


• Sparkfun Electronics (file)

• Three-Axis Accelerometer IC Data Sheet (file)

• Popular Science Website on Wii Remoteaccelerometer MEMS

• TechRepublic album [Quiz] (file)

• Technical information of Wii remotehttp://www.wiili.org/index.php/Wiimote

• see inside Wiimote http://gear.ign.com/

AXDL330By Analog Device

http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/present.php?p=Wii-Internals

SparkFun-Inside the Wii Remote.htm

http://www.sparkfun.com/datasheets/Components/ADXL330_0.pdf

ADXL330 Data Sheet.pdf

http://www.time4.com/time4/microsites/popsci/howitworks/nintendo_wii.html



http://techrepublic.com.com/2346-22_11-58323.html

WiiRemote Photo Techrepublic\001.jpg

http://www.wiili.org/index.php/Wiimote

http://gear.ign.com/

Sensor Bar –two infrared LEDs for Wiimote


Wiimote IR Camera

How the IR camera works for position control


Wii Nunchuck

• Wii Nunchuk also features 3-axis acceleration sensor. This was a product by STMicroelectronics of Italy and France.


The Wii Console


Nintendo Entertainment System

Super Nintendo

Nintendo 64 System

Nintendo GameCube

Evolution of Wii Console (1)How did you approach the redesign of the controller?

Miyamoto:We started work on the Wii around the time the GameCube went on sale in 2001. [Internally, the Wii had the codename "Revolution."] We started with the idea that we wanted to come up with a unique game interface. The consensus was that power isn't everything for a console. Too many powerful consoles can't coexist. It's like having only ferocious dinosaurs. They might fight and hasten their own extinction.

Ultimately, it came down to whether power should be a key element of the console or not. We didn't think it was possible to build a powerful machine for less than 50,000 yen ($450). Not only would it use a lot of electricity, it would need a fan, which meant it would be noisy. Moms would rise up against it. Plus, it would take too long to boot up, like a PC, which isn't an ideal toy.



Evolution of Wii Console (2)Can you recount the scene at one of those early meetings?

Miyamoto:It was 2003. We got game designers and engineers together to discuss the future of video games. We talked about what specs and features a console should have. But we knew we would get nowhere if we didn't get moms' approval. So we thought about what might convince moms to buy this for their kids. When that happened, we talked about basic concepts and goals, not about the technical specifications of the console. This was the Wii's first major step.

We decided on the basic technology for the console in late 2004, early 2005. By then, we had come up with the remote controller's wand shape and the nunchuk analog controller attachment. We also decided on the motion sensor, infrared pointer, and the layout of buttons.

We tested all kinds of technologies for the controller. We made working prototypes and tested them on games to see how they might be used.



Evolution of Wii Console (3)Was making a console that would cost $250 or less the goal from the start? Miyamoto:

Originally, I wanted a machine that would cost $100. My idea was to spend nothing on the console technology so all the money could be spent on improving the interface and software. If we hadn't used NAND flash memory [to store data such as games and photos] and other pricey parts, we might have succeeded.

To answer your questions, yes, we set out to design a console that would sell for less than 25,000 yen ($211). It was a tall hurdle. But unless you start off with a target, you can't control costs and you'll inevitably lose money. Also, we thought a low-cost console would make moms happy.



Evolution of Wii Console (4)So moms were a key target audience for this console?

Miyamoto:Our goal was to come up with a machine that moms would want—easy to use, quick to start up, not a huge energy drain, and quiet while it was running.

Rather than just picking new technology, we thought seriously about what a game console should be. [CEO Satoru] Iwata wanted a console that would play every Nintendo game ever made.

Moms would hate it if they had to have several consoles lying around.

Ashida:We didn't want wires all over the place, which might anger moms because of the mess.



Evolution of Wii Console (5)Did you ever worry about the Wii's inability to match the realistic

graphics and high-speed processing power of rivals' machines?

Miyamoto:

We had to compromise on graphics and give up on a powerful chip. Many of our employees initially wanted high-definition graphics. But they agreed with us that graphics wouldn't matter if the games weren't fun to play. That said, the Wii is much faster than the GameCube.

As new chip technology becomes available, we'll consider less power-hungry varieties that don't cost too much. And once high-definition TVs take off, we'll consider the merits of better graphics and more power.



Game console market in USA, 2007


http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2008/01/31/video-game-consoles-2007-wii-ps3-and-the-death-of-microsofts-xbox-360/

March 2008 Sales in USAHardware March 2008

1) Wii - 721,000 2) Nintendo DS - 698,000 3) PSP - 297,000 4) Xbox 360 - 262,000 5) PlayStation 3 257,000 6) PlayStation 2 216,000

Software March 20081) WII SUPER SMASH BROS: BRAWL - 2.7 million 2) 360 *TOM CLANCY'S RAINBOW SIX: VEGAS 2 - 752.3K 3) 360 ARMY OF TWO - 606.1K 4) WII WII PLAY W/ REMOTE - 409.8K 5) PSP GOD OF WAR: CHAINS OF OLYMPUS - 340.5K 6) PSP CRISIS CORE: FINAL FANTASY VII - 301.6K 7) WII GUITAR HERO III: LEGENDS OF ROCK - 264.1K 8) 360 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL - 237.1K 9) 360 *CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE - 237K 10) PS3 ARMY OF TWO - 224.9K

Source: NeoGAF


http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=279520

Inside Nintendo Wii Console

• Popular Science Inside Wii Console

• TechRepublic web photo album (file)


IBM Broadway

ATI Hollywood

WiFi Module

http://www.time4.com/time4/microsites/popsci/howitworks/nintendo_wii_image1.html

http://content.techrepublic.com.com/2346-10877_11-38683.html

WiiConsole Photo Techrepublic\101-All parts.jpg

Problems with the Wii game controller


Nintendo’s email to users


Wii Remote Research Opportunities

• Research Projects using Wii Remoteby Johnny Chung Lee, HCII – Carnegie Mellon University

• Finger tracking

• Head tracking

• Multipoint electronic whiteboard


http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/

Nintendo’s Patents


Google Patent Search results: View

Operating device with analog joystick

US Pat. 5984785 - Filed Jan 9, 1997 - Nintendo Co., Ltd.

... Kenichiro Ashida; Shigeru Miyamoto; Yasunari Nishida, all ol Kyoto, ...

PilotWings, It's a Festival of Flight, Top Secret Password Nintendo Player's ...

Cartridge for game machine

US Pat. D377488 - Filed May 2, 1995 - Nintendo of America, Inc.

United States Patent Ashida [54] CARTRIDGE FOR GAME MACHINE [75] Inventor:

Kenichiro Ashida, Kyoto, Japan [73] Assignee: Nintendo of America, Inc., Redmond, ...

Function expansion device and operating device using the function expansion ...

US Pat. 6241611 - Filed Jul 1, 1999 - Nintendo Co., Ltd.

... Kenichiro Ashida; Shigeru Miyamoto; Yasunari Nishida, all ol Kyoto (JP) ...

OTHER PUBLICATIONS Super Mario 64 Player's Guide, Nintendo of America, 1996. ...

Controller for a game machine

US Pat. 5207426 - Filed Aug 6, 1991 - Nintendo Co. Ltd.

[54] CONTROLLER FOR A GAME MACHINE [75] Inventors: Yoshihiro Inoue, Kyoto;

Kenichiro Ashida, Amagasaki, both of Japan [73] Assignee: Nintendo Co. ...

Game cartridge


United States Patent Ashida ... GAME CARTRIDGE [75] Inventor: Kenichiro Ashida,

Kyoto, Japan [73] Assignee: Nintendo of America, Inc., Redmond, Wash. ...

Controller for game machine


United States Patent Ashida [54] CONTROLLER FOR GAME MACHINE [75] Inventor:

Kenichiro Ashida, Kyoto, Japan [73] Assignee: Nintendo of America, Inc., ...

Information storage cartridge for electronic game machine

US Pat. D458643 - Filed Feb 2, 2001 - Nintendo Co., Ltd.

us D458,643 s Ashida (45) Date of Patent: ** Jun. ... (75) Inventor: Kenichiro

Ashida, Kyoto (JP) (73) Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd. (JP) (**) Term: 14 Years ...

Game machine


United States Patent Ashida [54] GAME MACHINE [75] Inventor: Kenichiro Ashida,

Kyoto, Japan [73] Assignee: Nintendo of America, Inc., Redmond, Wash. ...

Operating device for an image processing apparatus

US Pat. 6461242 - Filed Apr 9, 2001 - Nintendo Co., Ltd.

... Kenichiro Ashida; Shigeru Miyamoto; Yasunari Nishida, all ol Kyoto (JP) ...

Nintendo Power, vol. 46, PilotWings article (1993). Nintendo Power, vol. ...

Connector plug

US Pat. D381628 - Filed Oct 2, 1995 - Nintendo Co., Ltd.

United States Patent Ashida [54] CONNECTOR PLUG [75] Inventor: Kenichiro Ashida,

Kyoto, Japan [73] Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd., Kyoto, Japan [**] Term: 14 ...

Stay up to date on these results using the patents RSS feed on Kenichiro ashida nintendo.

http://www.google.com/patents?q=Kenichiro+ashida+nintendo&btnG=Search+Patents

http://www.google.com/patents?id=Y0MXAAAAEBAJ&dq=Kenichiro+ashida+nintendo&as_psrg=1

http://www.google.com/patents?id=7rIkAAAAEBAJ&dq=Kenichiro+ashida+nintendo&as_psrg=1

http://www.google.com/patents?id=le8HAAAAEBAJ&dq=Kenichiro+ashida+nintendo&as_psrg=1

http://www.google.com/patents?id=uowoAAAAEBAJ&dq=Kenichiro+ashida+nintendo&as_psrg=1

http://www.google.com/patents?id=rlMqAAAAEBAJ&dq=Kenichiro+ashida+nintendo&as_psrg=1

http://www.google.com/patents?id=zVMqAAAAEBAJ&dq=Kenichiro+ashida+nintendo&as_psrg=1

http://www.google.com/patents?id=dgEMAAAAEBAJ&dq=Kenichiro+ashida+nintendo&as_psrg=1

http://www.google.com/patents?id=xOIlAAAAEBAJ&dq=Kenichiro+ashida+nintendo&as_psrg=1

http://www.google.com/patents?id=Ay0KAAAAEBAJ&dq=Kenichiro+ashida+nintendo&as_psrg=1

http://www.google.com/patents?id=puomAAAAEBAJ&dq=Kenichiro+ashida+nintendo&as_psrg=1

http://www.google.com/patents?q=Kenichiro+ashida+nintendo&as_psrg=1&scoring=1&output=rss

http://www.google.com/patents?q=Kenichiro+ashida+nintendo&as_psrg=1&scoring=1&output=rss

Game-related Patents


Game-related Patents (filed in April 2007)


Orientation-operated cursor control device


Device and method for cursor motion control calibration and object (Jun 7, 2000)


Optical pointing device (Dec 6, 1988)


Hand-held trackball computer pointing device


Standards


Wii Remote Research Opportunities

• Research Projects using Wii Remoteby Johnny Chung Lee, HCII – Carnegie Mellon University

• Finger tracking

• Head tracking

• Multipoint electronic whiteboard

• See video collection of JohnnyLee’s research

• Source code and tutorial• http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/projects/wii/

• http://blogs.msdn.com/coding4fun/archive/2007/03/14/1879033.aspx

• WiiLi Wiki

• WiiBrew Wiki

• Making USB C# Friendly

• P/Invoke Wiki

• Applications Using This Library


http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/projects/wii/

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/projects/wii/

http://blogs.msdn.com/coding4fun/archive/2007/03/14/1879033.aspx

http://www.wiili.org/index.php/Wiimote

http://www.wiibrew.org/index.php?title=Wiimote

http://www.vsj.co.uk/articles/display.asp?id=600

http://www.pinvoke.net/

http://www.brianpeek.com/blogs/pages/net-based-wiimote-applications.aspx

Future game control?


Concluding Remarks

• Innovation is “business” and “market oriented”• Technology is the “solution to the innovative ideas”• Research management, IP Policy, Contracts• System reliability Nintendo’s lessons from its Wiimote problems

• Low cost, no High Definition video, cannot play DVD movies, no BluRay HD – but it is a winner

• Wii Remote is so innovative and open that many people can do other innovative research using Wii Remote.

• Enjoy the game….


Enjoy the game..Don’t wear the same outfits



Thank you for your attention…join http://www.wiimoteproject.com/

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