What do you think of my WiiGun?

[SlyGuy]

Ok, so this is sort of what I have invisioned for a WiiGun. It's a one-handed gun that should do everything the WiiRemote / Nunchuck combo can do. They could even add a gyrometer / accelerometer in the handle if they find it necessary. They should also make the analog stick have a "on-press" button like the PS3's 'L3' and 'R3' analog sticks.

 

[hanman]

that's not bad...i think i prefer the bullpup style nintendo is currently showing off.

 

[science]

Have you seen the official Nintendo one yet?

 

[.TakaM]

I dont get why they made it use the nun-chuck, it should just be one solid piece that the remote clicks into

 

[skullstatue]

Ok, so this is sort of what I have invisioned for a WiiGun. It's a one-handed gun that should do everything the WiiRemote / Nunchuck combo can do. They could even add a gyrometer / accelerometer in the handle if they find it necessary. They should also make the analog stick have a "on-press" button like the PS3's 'L3' and 'R3' analog sticks.

That's from the last E3, isn't it? They've really refined it since then...

 

[SlyGuy]

Have you seen the official Nintendo one yet?

Yes, I've seen that one. I actually didn't like it because it doesn't offer anything that the Wii Remote + Nunchuck combination can't do. It's just a shell like those plastic Wii Sports addons that make your remote look like a tennis racket, etc. Okay, well it's a BIT better than that since you have a trigger for the B button, but essentially it is the same style of gameplay as the Wii Remote + Nunchuck, only that they are tethered together. In fact, I'd say it's even worse than the Wii Remote + Nunchuck combination because you can't play games like Resident Evil 4 where you have to hold down the A button to enter aim mode. It also looks awkward to reach any of the Wii Remote buttons (except B) because you'd have to let go of either the trigger or the nunchuck portion to, say, use the arrow keys to change weapons. With my design you'd never have to move your back hand (which accesses the most important controls) and most of the time you could play with one hand!

 

[SlyGuy]

That's from the last E3, isn't it? They've really refined it since then...

Well, the original design is from E3 2006. My additions obviously were not part of Nintendo's original design.

 

[Hooya]

I think the reason they didn't make something like the first design or something that actually replaced the nunchuck is that this way you don't absolutely need it to play some games.

For instance, say I buy Umbrella Chronicles, which is designed to work with the Wii Zapper, but I only have one Zapper (or none, since the zapper comes with some yet to be named nintendo cheapy product) and want to have my friend join. by making it use the nunchuck and remote my friend can join even though I don't have another zapper.

Even though it could potentially benefit them financially to require people to buy multiple zapper attachments, I think they feared the backlash of "I already had to spend $180 on three extra remotes and three extra nunchucks and now they're making me spend even more just to play another game?!" The zapper, just like the wheel is a relatively unnecessary novelty item that won't be required for pretty much anything.

The Balance Board is so far the only accessory that they've introduced that is required to play something that can't be substituted with what came with the console in the first place (nunchuck & remote).

 

[.TakaM]

the zapper shell should = the nun-chuck in terms of ability
it should be exactly the same, except it's shaped like a gun that you clip the remote into

that way you can go either way

 

[Hooya]

the zapper shell should = the nun-chuck in terms of ability
it should be exactly the same, except it's shaped like a gun that you clip the remote into

that way you can go either way

They probably thought exactly the same thing. So they cut their product costs dramatically by just having the end user use the nunchuck they already had and placing it in a plastic shell.

The nunchuck sells for $20 by itself. Nintendo had two (three) options:
1. Nintendo sells their crappy short game for $10 like they did with WiiPlay, but include a zapper shell for $10, totaling $20. Consumer gets the product and a new game and is happy, plus Nintendo profits more because the shell was cheap to produce and probably so was the game.
2. They sell a real hardware nunchuck shaped differently for $20 and include no game. Production/profit costs are the same, consumer is not as happy (no new game).
2a. Nintendo sells a real hardware nunchuck shaped differently for $20 and includes a $10 game, totaling $30 to the consumer. Consumer is least satisfied because they already have a nunchuck and don't want the game so they could spend $20 on a new nunchuck for the same funtionality, plus Nintendo doesn't profit as much as scenario 1.

Especially for the consumer that has already bought three controllers and three nunchucks, he's absolutely not going to spend the money to double the equipment he already has. At least with the shell they feel like they're spending $20 on the game and getting the shell thingy for free, and maybe Nintendo sells the shell by itself for $10 or $15 for people who already bought the pack that includes the game and don't need extra copies, but do want extra zapper shells.

So I totally see why they did it the way they did it.

 

[.TakaM]

this is a tough one for me, I would never buy a gun shell, so it's hard for me to say which I think would be best..

I think I would prefer having a solid shell with the nun-chuck part built in, that way the buttons can be laid out better, and there are no wires I need to wrap around and tuck away

 

[Sick Wario]

anybody else see a similarity between the 'new zapper' and the old SEGA menacer?

 

[SlyGuy]

I think the reason they didn't make something like the first design or something that actually replaced the nunchuck is that this way you don't absolutely need it to play some games.

Well my WiiGun would not be something you "absolutely need" to play a game. The only thing it offers that the Wii Remote + Nunchuck combination does not is the ability to play with one hand. There are no new buttons and no new functions. Essentially, it's a Wii Remote with a shell that has a built-in nunchuck with some buttons moved around for easier one-handed access.

 

[SlyGuy]

the zapper shell should = the nun-chuck in terms of ability
it should be exactly the same, except it's shaped like a gun that you clip the remote into

that way you can go either way

Actually Nintendo's zapper REMOVES some functionality from the Wii Remote + Nunchuck combination. It would be very difficult to play a game like Red Steel (where you use the nunchuck to throw grenades) or Resident Evil 4, where you need to hold down A to enter shooting mode and be using the analog stick to look around at the same time and be using the B button to actually fire. These are much more difficult/impossible to do when the Wii Remote and the Nunchuck are tethered together.

The question is, what are you getting in return for this loss of functionality?

* Your controller looks more like a gun
* You get a trigger-shaped B button

What does my prototype offer in return for the loss of functionality?

* Your controller looks more like a gun
* You get a trigger-shaped B button
* You have the option of primarily one handed play
* You have better access to the main buttons
* Your controller doesn't take as long to assemble since no Nunchuck is attached

The disadvantage of mine? It would probably cost about 1.5x the price of a Nunchuck. However, I would be willing to pay the extra $10 to get something that actually offers a significant improvement for 1st person shooters. I really hope a 3rd party will be willing to invest in an idea like this!

 

[spas]

At the end of the day its a plastic frame!

Reggie spoke about how it will revolutionize gameplay in the press converence but its a piece of plastic which changes the place of the gun.

 

[FAST6191]

@spas I agree but occasionally a bit of plastic does change things: my £5 keyboard I got from ASDA one night and the £90 "games" one are really not that different in terms of circuitry yet I assure you the £5 one is nasty to type on.

Nothing tends to get solved by complaining so it looks like I am going to get some/resurrect my plastics equipment + tungsten and see what I can come up with. Any got rough specs on an MP7?
edit: found some: http://www.hkpro.com/pdw.htm

 

[TLSpartan]

The official Nintendo one looks preety awesome. It'd be hard to beat the Nintendo one.

 

[Vater Unser]

IMO developers should start adding a Wiimote calibration setup to their games, so you can use the Wiimote with lightgun accuracy...pointing with a cursor is not comparable to a real lightgun at all...it's more like playing with a mouse, since you don't directly aim at the point of the screen you want to shoot at, but instead move the cursor until it's at the right position...
but even then it'd be hard to aim with the Wii Zapper, because it doesn't have those slim aiming thingies on top most lightguns (and handguns) have...

IMO, the Wii Zapper won't change shooting games at all

 

[SlyGuy]

Bump for more votes

 

[deathfisaro]

Am I the only one who prefer MOUSE over ALL OTHER available controls for shooters?
Mouse offers dead accuracy (it's not like if I want to aim head or chest, it's more like if I want to aim eyes or eyebrows.)
Never was a fan of FPS on consoles (Also hate shooters on DS that has main top screen, WTF?) due to poor controls (like semi auto aim or gigantic crosshair, or simply completely unbearable controls, etc)
I found it stupid for consoles to support USB mouse for web browsing but not FPS (I haven't checked every single FPS out there for all 3 consoles, so fill me in if some games do support mouse -and have decent gameplay plus of course multiplayer-). I'd have handed out copies of Resistance to my friends if it did.

I'd feel kinda pissed if some game always come with the piece of plastic. I'll even skip that game completely if I am not fond of Wii Zapper after I try it when it comes out.
At this point I'm very "meh" about this, Zapper somewhat requires my arms/hands to be in certain position for a long time, fatigue expected. And the fact that it's shaped like a SMG makes it weird to play games that use pistols... or rifles (not as much though), shotgun, bazooka, turrets, whatever else you can fire.
The pistols at arcades can be held police style, sideways, flipped over, whatever to suit your style Zapper can't.

It'd be really cool if they could link the trigger and a rear pulsing vibrator (wait that doesn't sound right but you understand what I mean hopefully) so that you can not only see recoil graphics, but actually feel the recoil from the controller.