Hey I was wondering if there is any possibility that Resident Evil 5 will be available on the Wii. I heard about some rumors awhile ago, but have not heard much about it since. Given the success and sales of Resident Evil 4, why wouldn't they bring it to the Wii? Especially with the possibilities with the new controller, it seems like this game would be a perfect fit for the Wii. Let me know if you have heard anything,

Omar

Sugar Land, TX

Probably not Resident Evil 5. Capcom seems eager to use the high-definition bells and whistles of the Xbox 360 and PS3, and the Wii won't be able to follow that thinking. Even if a similar type of game was ported to the Wii and used the controller intuitively, it wouldn't be the same as what it appears they want RE5 to be.

Resident Evil is coming to the Wii, though. This was confirmed by Nintendo on their partial list of future Wii games announced at E3. Since I think there's little chance of it being game number five of the main series, it could very well be a game along the lines of Gun Survivor, or perhaps a brand-new game in the RE universe.

I know this isn't the time for such a question but hopefully it can be answered soon. One thing has slipped our mind with all of these glorious announcements (exept the name...) but what of the battery direction for the Wii Remote? AA, lithium, what's going on with that? And how long will the battery last given the rumble and sound features? I don't think Nintendo's mentioned anything yet, but if you manage to scrounge something up let us know!

The controller will use AA batteries. I couldn't tell exactly how many it'll need, but chances are it's going to run on just two, like the Wave Bird. With all the special features of the controller, there's a good chance that it'll suck up more battery power as its used. Comparing it to the wireless GameCube controller, I'm thinking it will need a fresh set sooner, but considering how long the Wave Bird does run without a change, the battery life on the Wii remote should be sufficient enough for it not to be a major issue. Nintendo knows better than to force standard wireless controllers on consumers and not make them battery friendly.

What is that black sensor bar for .. i thought that the controllers were completely Wi-Fi.

Well, the controllers are wireless. The sensor bar is required for the system to pick up the controller movements. Think of it as the part of the Wave Bird you plug in to the GameCube so the controller will work.

Regarding the Nintendo Wii, I understand it will be able to tell the distance you are from it, but what about the tv size? If you have a small TV you don't have to move as much, if you have a larger TV you will? I'm am lost on how this will affect the Wii.

TV size is almost irrelevant for how the controller is used. How it works is dependent on where the sensor bar is positioned and how much the controller is moved in relation to it. Controller movements are exaggerated when closer to the sensor bar, and conversely they are smoother when further away. The only factor the size of a TV would bring to the table is smaller displays would require you to be closer to the TV, which could cause problems without controller calibration or sensitivity adjustments.

This was made obvious at E3. A lot of people were having difficulty with many games because they were standing too close to the sensor bars (which were mounted to the bottom front of the flat screens used at the show). Nintendo reps instructed them to stand back as far as possible so finer movements could be more easily registered. After that, games handled a lot better.

Hi,

Thanks for all your great E3 coverage!

Can you confirm the outputs on the wii? Can I use my Gamecube component cable? Looks like there's no optical out, so will it have the same setup as the cube original version cube with a digital out for component and the standard cable for audio?

Thanks!

It just so happens I took a picture of the rear of the Wii, just for you! Let's see what Nintendo's got cooking back there.

The two ports on the top are USB. On the bottom, there's the small white sensor bar connection on the left. The large white plug to the right is the audio/video output. The black plug underneath is the power supply. That's it.

The AV connector looks new, so the cables we're currently using will need to get replaced with new Wii cables, for both composite video and component video. (The Cube's component cables would be useless on the Wii anyway, since they don't have audio jacks.) It looks like an optical audio signal is not going to be an option for Wii, which means Dolby Pro Logic II or IIx will be the best the console can output to your fancy stereo system. It makes more sense to have one port for both video and audio anyway, since having two output ports on the back of the GameCube seemed like a waste.

Hey guys, great job covering E3! Just wondering what your opinion was on Nintendo's decision to stick with the same online structure on the Wii that is used on the DS? Personally I am quite disappointed - Wii doesn't need all the bells and whistles of XBOX Live, but I think it will leave many people disappointed, especially the return of friend codes. They've been holding out on online play for a long time, which is fine - but I certainly would have expected more. With "Wii" supposedly encompassing all gamers, I find it odd that on the WiFi connection people will be known as numbers rather than names. It just seems like having the Wii's WiFi connection act as a social network as well (a la XBox Live) would fit very well into their theory behind Wii. Your thoughts?

And another bonus question: Think the Nunchuk attachment will come packed-in with extra controllers (as a majority of games appear to be using it)?

Thanks a lot guys!

Jason M.

Woah, hold on there, buddy. I don't recall Nintendo saying anything about their online plans for Wii, other than the WiiConnect24 name and a few hints of what was to come. To assume that Nintendo will copy the DS online model over to Wii as-is would be getting ahead of things.

The initial setup for DS online makes sense from a casual gamer's point of view. Friend codes are a way to ensure that the person you were playing against online was someone you know. That's important from a safety and security point of view, which is one of Nintendo's main priorities for anything to do with online. Of course, since the hardcore population has been spoiled by Xbox Live, people that know their way around online gaming see DS online lacking in many areas. Nintendo knows this, and are looking to improve the service on the handheld side of things.

For Wii, Nintendo will almost definitely have a new setup for online gaming on the console. They'll need to have some kind of setup for the Virtual Console service, for starters. Friend codes might be out, too (see the related link in the above news story). WiiConnect24 is one of those things Nintendo didn't tell us about that a lot of people assumed that they were going to. For now, we're still going to need to wait to get those questions answered.

Another bonus answer: It will be. The majority of Wii games use it, so it makes sense that it'll come with the system. What else they're going to pack in with it is the real question.

I'm just curious if nintendo has made any announcements or anything in regards to any preorder incentives for Twilight Princess? I've had it on preorder with gamestop since last E3 (or whenever it was announced last year) and I don't want to cancel my preorder for the gamecube version and start a new one for the Wii if I'm going to lose my long term commitment thing (if any). I'm just curious if there was any word on any of this or anything.

- -Scott

None yet. I would hope Nintendo understands that we've been waiting a long time for this game and does offer some sort of neat bonus for preordering or purchasing the title in the first batch. They'd better not have different incentives for the two versions of the game, either.

The disc will probably be gold, though. That's all Zelda fans really want in the end.

I just got done reading Evan's impressions of Twilight Princess on the Wii and I hate to say it, but I was worried about something like this happening. It's looking more and more like the Cube version will be a safer bet. My question is when do you all think Nintendo will reveal whether or not the Wii version will be compatible with just a standard Cube controller, and what are your thoughts on the issue?

Thanks,

Jonathan

I played Zelda a couple of times with the Wii controller, and in my opinion, it's neither better or worse than using a GameCube controller. Just new and different. I could definitely see myself enjoying shooting arrows very quickly and accurately with the Wii controller, just like I could see myself hitting those same shots with the GC controller. Of course, people like Evan thing otherwise, and that's fine.

I don't doubt at all that the Wii version will be compatible with GameCube controllers. The likely reason there are two SKUs is so GameCube owners can play it without needing to purchase a Wii right away, and not to force an alternate control setup on people who want the better-looking Wii version. Twilight Princess did start out on the GameCube after all, with the traditional controller configuration. It should be in the Wii version...if Nintendo knows what's good for them.

You know, I'm kind of dissapointed in the FPS'es wii saw at E3.

You'd think the wiimote would be perfect for the genre, but it just seem very clumsy. Though there was some light in the tunnel, like some people found the "expert" setting in MP3, which made the whole thing more playable. It basically made the pointing-zone smaller, and upped the over all sensitivity.

But here's my idea, why not make the border between pointing area and the turning area gradient. That way, aiming and turning wouldn't be so two distictly different actions, but more rolled up into one. Or you could just skip the aim-area all-together, mimicking how FPS'es work on the PC.

/reallyjoel

The impressions people got from first-person shooters on Wii at E3 were inconsistent. A number of factors could have made the experience different from one person to the next, such as how close they were to the sensor bar, or what the sensitivity level was set at in Prime 3. For me, I had to play Red Steel a second time to confirm if the controls were really as wonky as they were the first time, and I can happily report that they weren't. The hardware shown at E3 was still very much in development, as were the games. With more time, Nintendo will get the hardware finalized and the kinks worked out, and developers can nail down those control setups and tweak sensitivity to match their gameplay.

As for making the Wii control like a PC FPS with a fixed cursor? Since your hand is always moving while holding the remote, the screen would constantly be moving. That could very easily get someone motion sick. It would be a nice option to have, and I hope that some games do include it, but it shouldn't be the standard based on what I've seen what the Wii controller can do.

Five bucks says the DS will act as a controller for the Wii in like, %50 or more of the games. At least the more traditionally designed games, that don't use so much flailing and swinging. RTS? hells yeah. Even multiplayer with one Wii. booyeah.

Also, when will Nintendo announce its online service being iPlay by Apple? I've been betting my friends (It appears I've grown a bit of a problem) since Apple announced they were going Intel that they're going to make a run at gaming to eclipse Microsoft. With the way Nintendo has been speaking so favorably of Apple, its been making my radar sound the "imminent strike" alarm. Full red with that shit. And all loud, too.

Don't be alarmed tho (ooh, segue!), I don't know anything you don't know, but putting all the pieces together, I can see something could very easily be adding up to one sum here. Err. yah. I think thats accurate math.

I don't think the DS will be used as a Wii controller. I think I mentioned this in a previous mailbag, but using the handheld in a way that the GC and GBA hooked up would defeat the purpose of the Wii. The console is all about the controller and the games that use it. The DS will probably interact with the system in some way, but not for games in any major role.

Apple and Nintendo don't have anything going on. Apple switching over to Intel chips will help them to take some of the PC gaming market away from the Windows OS (Microsoft), which is currently the only platform that's really an option for computer games. Apple wants the Mac to be a viable gaming platform so more people will get their computers and ultimately buy their computer software. The services Nintendo eventually offer might be similar to Apple's setup in some ways (Satoru Iwata did say they want to become the iTunes of videogames), but the two companies are not dealing with each other in any way.

G'day all,

After reading about all the upcoming games on the Wii in your E3 coverage (which was excellent, by the way), I can hardly wait for the Wii to hit storeshelves! I was wondering if their is any chance of Nintendo or third party companies releaseing different controllers for specific games. Imagine playing Madden using a football instead of the remote! Surely some one could design such a contoller, just cast a football shape and wack an accelerometer in it - simple! haha.The possibilities are endless! For example, two gloves you could wear for a boxing game, a small tennis raquet, a mini baseball bat etc...I'm sure if such controllers got released, people would be lining up by the thousands to buy them! Anyway, i'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter!

Cheers,

Matty O

Special or optional controllers could be a neat thing publishers could include with games as preorder bonuses or in limited editions of games. However, the risk that you run by offering dozens of different controllers is that people will start to become confused as to which configuration you need to play certain games. Is the special controller required to play the game? Will a controller from one game work with another? Issues like that are one Nintendo will need to iron out with publishers if they are going to go that route. I don't see it happening because Nintendo is going to have enough of a problem sorting out games that use one controller, two controllers, the controller and the nunchaku, the zapper attachment, etc.

Now that Retro Studios is finishing up the final chapter of Metroid Prime on Wii it got me to thinking what should be their next game? After thinking for a while I could only think of one Nintendo franchise I would like to see them get their hands on and that is Kid Icarus starring Pit of course ! The reason I came up with this is due to the original Metroid and original Kid Icarus being the same type of game in level design and password setup etc in which you had to explore both scrolling back and fourth and up and down, and since the big guy at nintendo keeps hinting about its apppearance I wanted your opinion, after Retro did an amazing job with the new editions of Metroid I figured imagine huge worlds, just in Pit's environment. And if you guys believe another game should be given to Retro I would love to hear your opinions! So what do you think ?

Anthony

An excellent question, and good speculation on your part. With Pit being a character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Nintendo is going to eventually need to release a new Kid Icarus game to justify his inclusion in the game. Not everyone is going to know the character, so a new game to back his appearance is sound logic.

Here's the problem, though. 3D Metroid games won't cease to be after Metroid Prime 3 comes out and the Prime trilogy ends. Retro is pretty good at doing proud the franchise, so they'd probably be Nintendo's first choice for a new Metroid. If they want to get another one started after Prime 3 is finished, they won't have time to do a Kid Icarus game.

But hey, we can dream, right? If Retro was called to do a new Icarus title, I'm sure they'd do a great job with it. I'd just like to know how it'd be possible to play a 3D Kid Icarus with that Wii controller, though...

Ok, so we all know Sony stole part of the concept behind Nintendo's new Wiimote. I just wanted to know what your thoughts are on how long you think it will be before they go and copy the rest of it? If the Wii really takes off (which it certainly seems to have the potential to) I can't see Sony doing anything else but trying to pull another me too out of their collective a$$e$. Also, if this does happen, how long before Microsoft follows suit? Both companies have been kissing Nintendo's ass lately with kind words about their new direction in the market. It seems to me they are only doing this because they are planning on stealing the ideas eventually. Anyway, great site. Out.

Brian

By now you've heard the reports of Sony putting the feature into the controller just two weeks before E3, and that the team behind Warhawk had less time than that to get the game working with the technology. Our own David Trammell had a quick write-up on the limitations of the controller, so you might want to check that out if you haven't already.

No matter what Sony (or Microsoft) do to try and emulate the Wii controller, nothing will compare to it due to all the planning, testing and refining Nintendo put into their control system. While Sony obviously wants a little bit of the controller tech Nintendo has, I don't think Microsoft will want to or need to do the same thing on the 360. They have things running pretty well at MS at the moment, and throwing in a non-standard controller or other input device to consumers may be more like a monkey wrench than a good idea.

Will the Wii have those things where you plug in the red, yellow and white wires, cuz not everybody has a high-definition TV.

Chris Read

Of course, and they'll come standard with the console. It's one of those things you just have to include, you know?

Hi PGC. I'm a LONG time reader, first time writer. I have a question for you guys - something to ponder. Do you think Wii could mean (W)ireless (i)nteractive (i)nterface? I brought this up on the Nintendo.com forums, and people seemed to like it. It actually makes sence out of the name, even though I've come to terms with it the way it is now. Some said it's not all in capitols, so it could'nt mean that, but the "i" letters are supposed to represent "People lining up to play", and are more of a symbol than a letter that need be capitolised. What do you think? Could Nintendo actually use this? Was it a hidden intention? Since the remote IS a Wireless Interactive Interface, and that fits the system like a glove, who knows? Thank you!

Nice theory, but the name doesn't stand for anything in the acronymic sense. Nintendo is saying that Wii refers to the all-inclusive audience they hope the system will appeal to, and the two I's symbolize both the controllers and people playing together. I could say that “Nintendo" really stands for “New Innovations Now Through Everyone Never Doing Opium," and while that is probably true about Nintendo, that's not how it really is.

Well, that was a lot of questions, but I'm not done yet! Tune in tomorrow where we'll have even more questions answered about what went down at E3, and what else Nintendo is cooking up for the future. Don't forget that our forums are always open if you've got a question you can't wait to get answered. See you tomorrow!