E3: Nintendo unveils two new controllers for Wii
Zapper and Wheel to come bundled with games
At Nintendo's E3 conference this morning, Reggie Fils-Aime unveiled two new controllers for the Wii which he declared will revolutionise gameplay,
First up was the Wii Zapper, described as "the first offspring of the Wii remote and the nunchuk". It's a frame into which those two peripherals slot, and which can then be held and aimed like a gun.
"The Wii Zapper holds the same potential to change the dynamics for FPS as the Wii remote changed the nature of sports games," Fils-Aime said. He revealed that the Zapper will be compatible with Resident Evil: the Umbrella Chronicles plus SEGA title Ghost Squad and the new Medal of Honor. It will be priced at USD 19.99.
Speaking later, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said the Zapper, "erases the kind of complexity that has always created high barriers for even casual players to overcome".
"Now, FPS games don't need to be ruled out any more for the expanded audience," he added.
The second controller to be unveiled was the new Wii Wheel, a steering wheel peripheral which will launch alongside Mario Kart Wii in the first quarter of next year. Fils-Aime did not offer any suggestions as to price, but did confirm it will come bundled with Mario Kart.
"The purpose of the Wii Zapper and the control system of Metroid Prime 3 and the introduction of Wii Ware and the online option - all this makes games feel fresh again, no matter how long you've been playing," he concluded.