I know, I know, it all seems a little sexual. I assure you, however, it isn’t. In fact, what I’m ACTUALY talking about is the new Wii peripherals. The Wiimote “Vintage Mod.”

The mod is definitely one of the best I’ve seen. Not for use, or even technical rewiring. Simply because of how it looks. Take a look at this:

The remote is a wooden effect, which helps give that authentic, Vintage look. It’s not exactly an amazing idea, or a productive experiment - But i would certainly be proud to “shake my wood” in front of my friends. I would even let them have a go for a while.

GreenPeace, our favourite hands-on environmental safety organisation have recently been checking up on our 3 major console creators. A recent report known as ‘Playing Dirty’ was issued after the autopsy of the Nintendo Wii Remote, PS3 Sixaxis Controller and Xbox 360 controller found many hazardous chemicals used in the circuit boards. Including aspolyvinyl chloride (PVC), phthalates, beryllium and bromine indicative of brominated flame retardants (BFRs.) all 3 controllers tested very high indeed for levels of Bromine. GreenPeace Says:

“Brominated flame retardants do not break down easily and build up in the environment. Long-term exposure can lead to impaired learning and memory functions. They can also interfere with thyroid and oestrogen hormone systems and exposure in the womb has been linked to behavioural problems.”

Phthalate, DHEP, which is probably the most concerning chemical involved when it comes to the male side of things, is known to interfere and damage the sexual development in mammals - especially males. High levels of this substance are found in the Xbox 360 and PS3 controllers. To be fair, if guys are spending long enough on their consoles to be effected, the chances are - they won’t be doing much reproduction anyway.

Download the ‘Playing Dirty’ report.

On the 14th of May, 2008, it was announced that the war appears to be over between our 7th generation gaming consoles. Although a bloody battle with many people left wondering what will happen next, we finally hit a marker which declares a winner.

Don Mattrick, senior vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business in the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft, announces:

“This year will be the largest in the history of the video game industry, with Xbox 360 leading the charge in the U.S. and abroad. History has shown us that the first company to reach 10 million in console sales wins the generation battle. We are uniquely positioned to set a new benchmark for the industry.”

Quite a shock, everybody seemed to have it in there head that the 360 would lose miserably when put up against the PS3 and Nintendo Wii, but be honest. It’s been a long, drawn out battle between the 3 competitors, but with Xbox 360 bringing out such games as Call of Duty 4 and GTA IV, it’s no wonder sales of the console rose to new levels. Sure, these games are available on the PS3, but the PS3 costs so much more than the 360.

“Reaching an installed base of 10 million consoles in the U.S. is a significant achievement and an essential milestone on the road to market leadership,” said Billy Pidgeon, research manager at IDC. “Perhaps more important is the Xbox 360 worldwide online base - 12 million Xbox LIVE gamers is the largest community in the connected console games sector, which represents the greatest growth opportunity in the console market and where Microsoft has been the leader for two generations.”

Xbox 360 is also the leader when it comes to best-selling games. With the launch of “Grand Theft Auto IV” in April, Xbox is now the home of an amazing 16 platinum titles, which have sold through over 1 million units. Titles such as:
Halo 3
Madden NFL 07
Madden NFL 08
Gears of War
Guitar Hero II
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Call of Duty® 2
Call of Duty 3
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Gave the 360 two times more platinum-selling titles than the Nintendo Wii, and a massive 8:1 lead over the PlayStation 3.

It’s not just the buyers who are announcing the 360 the winner, it’s also to critics. Professional critics ‘Metacritics’ have given an outstanding 91 titles a review score of 80 or above. This is a major piece of information when you realise that only 22 Wii titles have received a score of 80 or above, and 50 PS3 titles too.

Although i am a complete XBox fan, i am also a strong believer in Nintendo having the better game play. Think about it, they created the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) in 1983 which was the most successful console of its time, they created the first handheld gaming system (The Gameboy), and now, they have created the first look into virtual reality. The Nintendo Wii is a revolutionary console, which gives us a sneak peak at what’s to come in the world of gaming. The Wii concept is simple, you move the remote, the console picks up on this and acts on it - And yet, nobody appreciates it.

Although it doesn’t have the power, or HDMI capability the XBox 360 and PS3 have, the Wii still has something about it that just makes it amazing. The feeling of actually being in the game for starters. The remote is based around motion sensing, and the receiver (Place below display) picks up your motion. Your actions control the actions of the in game character, so whether it’s Wii Sports, Metroid or Zelda, you always feel more involved.

The design itself is something i keep debating over myself. Part of me really likes the design, i love the shape, the gloss effect, even to the fine details like the disk drive and the buttons. But on the other hand, place the Wii in between 2 stereo speakers and then tell me what it looks like. It looks like a disk dri ve you would plug into your computer to burn a CD, and trust me, it is as small as one. This could be seen as a great feature, as it can blend in with modern appliances in the home, meaning it doesn’t generate so much attention.

Now, in fairness, i have only played Wii sports on this console, as i have not yet had the chance to purchase one myself - not because of finance problems, i simply just can’t get hold of one. The sales Nintendo projected were exceeded remarkably, and as a result of this, they are struggling to build enough for it’s demand. Retailers are also struggling because as soon as they have a few in stock, they’re gone, people are snapping them up straight away, and i don’t blame them. Having only played Wii sports, however, i was already convinced that the Wii was the console no house should be without, like all Nintendo gaming systems, it’s a family console, and it’s probably more fun to play than anything i’ve experienced before. That’s coming from a ‘Die-hard’ XBox fan, and i’m saying it because i just can’t argue against it. The use of the Wii remote really gives the game that edge you need to really get involved and enjoy it to it’s true potential - as well as getting a little bit of an exercise at the same time. It’s simply brilliant.

The controller is just a remote, designed to fit just one hand perfectly. It has a trigger for the index finger, and buttons on top for the thumb. The comfort is not quite as good as i’d hope, but considering this is the first console of it’s kind, i can’t complain. The remote also has a power switch at the top left, meaning you can turn the Wii on from where you are sat, which is great for the average lazy man. Making the remote that little bit more special, you can also purchase new skins for it, ranging from colours, to patterns and even shapes.

The accessories available on the Wii are also a great factor of the machine. With a variation of accessories from a tennis racket, to a gun which all attach to your controller to make the game that little bit more exciting. The most common accessory for the Wii controller is the Wii Nunchuck, which plugs straight into the remote, and is contoured to fit perfectly to the players other hand, meaning you can play games using both hands, such as boxing - where you can use both hands to swing and help you complete the game that little bit easier.

I must warn you though, if you are lucky enough to get a Nintendo Wii this Christmas, that’s no reason to be excited, games, controllers and accessories are selling out everywhere. Not to worry though, i’m sure once the Christmas rush and the January sales are in the past, the Wii will be back on the shelves for the public to purchase.

Although way behind on power and graphics, i think it’s safe to admit that Nintendo, somehow, have created a greater gaming experience - as well as giving us our first look into the future of gaming. To top it all off, if it were easier to get hold of, the Wii would be the cheapest 7th generation console available.

Possibly the wierdest controller on the market, the Wii remote is far more advance, it has motion sensitivity built into it, and uses it for every game available on the Wii. I suppose a great factor of the Wii remote being so admired is the fact that it was so unexpected. Let’s face it, nintendo have never really been top of the line when it came to controllers…

This is the original NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) controller from 1985. The NES was the biggest console of it’s time and gave Nintendo the reputation they have today. This controller really does look like it was carved from stone. with only 2 action buttons and a directional pad.

However, look at the shape of the Wii Remote, the positions of the buttons, tilt it on it’s side, what does it remind you of? To me it looks quite a lot like Nintendo have gone back in time, brought back the NES controller and made it point at the screen instead. It’s not a bad thing, i’m only pointing out what it looks like, the remote itself is far more comfortable and useful than the NES controller.

The remote is actually nothing like the original controllers, in fact, it is actually what they call it, a remote. It has all the necessaries - Directional pad, start, select, A and B. It also has a trigger for the index finger, and can plug into an extra piece known as the Nunchuck for 2 handed gaming. And for the common lazy man, the remote also has a power switch for the console, meaning you don’t have to get up and turn it on yourself. The Wii Remote also has a ‘Home’ button, which can take you straight back to your Wii start menu, from whereever you are in the game, whether it be to change difficulty, save your game, or just go online to see what the Wii network has to offer. 

The remote has a strap at the bottom end to wrap around the wrist, which is for the best, we don’t want it flying out of your hand and into your window. It has a little adapter next to it to plug in all of your favourite accesories, if you can get hold of them of course. You can plug the remote into a steering wheel, a tennis racket, and even a guitar!

Also available for the Wii Remote are cover sleeves, made of silicon. Available in different colours, they provide a bit more colour to your gaming lifestyle, as well as adding comfort and safety to the equation. The silicon is moulded to fit the Wii Remote tight, and cover all the sensitive areas to make sure that if the strap fails, the Remote remains in good working condition. Not a bad idea, at least they’re considering every angle.

The capabilities of the Wii Remote are astonishing, the ability to move a character in game by moving yourself has really advanced the world of gaming by giving us our first look into virtual reality. Whether you’re a hard core gamer, or play your console once a week - you must appreciate the hard work and genius involved in this creation. And what shocks me the most, is that neither Sony nor Microsoft thought of it first!