...I just wanted to talk about it again. I don't think it's been discussed here anyway, as it's older than Giant Bomb. I think so at least, but whatever. Anyway, why hasn't any developer taken advantage of this concept's potential? It can't be an issue of the accessory requirements considering the glasses Johnny uses here are very cheap, and we've seen companies release games with far more absurd devices, like Solid EYE, guitars, drums, dance mats, balance boards, webcams, and more. What's the problem? I wish Johnny would try to pitch this to developers himself since they clearly didn't get the memo the first time. Didn't Boom Blox have a hidden mode that used this? Why not incorporate it in your other games, EA? Even indie devs on the PC could do wonders with it. Hello? Are you listening? I'd pay money! Hello? Joking aside, have fun if you haven't seen this:

More of Johnny's Wii remote antics here.

Thats amazing......It would be really interesting to use with a shooter.   definitely looks more fun than the wii board.

If you don't love Johnny, who can you love? I thought he had a job now, plus some public speaking, good luck Johnny.

EA should add the feature in that Dead Space rail shooter to make it a little more exciting. Just bundle in those cheap glasses Johnny uses in the video and require the ownership of 2 remotes to enable the option (only in single player mode) and you're all set.

This is the very reason why I'll treat the Wii like I did the GameCube.

Wait a few years, pick it up for dirt cheap once the fad is over and enjoy the very few good games on the console (by comparison to how many games there actually are for the Wii, at least).

Uh, wrong thread?

Nope. I'm just meaning until they do make full use of the hardware like to the potential Johnny has in his  vids, it just doesn't actually seem worth it to me yet.

Are you sure? You really, honestly wanted to respond to that video with a "Wii is a fad" comment? Okay, then I'll proceed with my initial thoughts.

What's with trolls going in every unrelated topic to discuss how much they think the Wii is a fad, or how they don't intend to buy it until it actually dies, or whatever. Yes, it's a fad that's lasted for years and it will just roll over and die next month, just like the DS nay sayers claimed (and some are still in denial). In fact, all the companies that finally turned their head to realise its market potential and decided to put many of their notable franchises as well as their creative IP development efforts on it, will just change mind and cancel all of it, that makes perfect sense!

The GC never had this kind of hype despite its great titles, which is why growth soon grinded to a halt. The situation with the Wii is actually the complete opposite as companies were at first reluctant to support it with anything more than mini game compilations, yet after seeing its ongoing success and growth they have changed mind. The constantly growing (as opposed to dwindling like with the GC) third party support is but one proof. A year ago you'd never think CAPCOM would make Monster Hunter 3 a Wii title, or that Square would offer Dragon Quest X to it, or that Namco would make the next Tales sequel after Vesperia for the Wii. Yet this, and a whole lot more is happening, and with this type of heavy hitters the Wii won't simply roll over and die. Monster Hunter alone was enough to revive the PSP in Japan, and the Wii is far from the need of a revival in any region, so these high caliber games will simply ensure its continued success, just like similar caliber titles have ensured the DS' success. And before you go all "MH, meh, DQ, dull, Tales, blah" or something along those lines, these are mere examples of high caliber franchises from the respective companies. A multitude of other developers follow that example, I'm simply not going to make yet another list of upcoming games which you'll most likely just mock anyway.

And an addition: Full use of the hardware? What does that have to do with your talk of how it's a fad that will die with only a few good games under its belt? Johnny Lee's genious is hardly only using standard Wii equipment. As you can see, it requires two devices that have sensor bar functions, as well as two remotes. Imagine the self proclaimed and ignorant hardcore gamer's outcry when realising they have to "look even dumber" while playing Wii games, not only "flailing arms" around but also using nerdy eyewear. It's very possible it will never be used by a game developer for implementation reasons. Just because I (and likely many others) find it extremely cool, doesn't mean they will use it. Many people find the various 3D glasses implementations very cool also, yet they're hardly used by any game developer (yet), so by your logic that means the 360 and PS3 developers, two years after release, and even the PC developers, also don't make full use of their hardware capabilities any more than Wii developers do, just because they don't adopt every concept they come across. That is simply absurd. Hell, someone as smart as Johnny here can probably make just as cool applications using the Eye Toy, this is hardly something to talk Nintendo and the Wii down for.

Now, does anyone want to get back on topic?

Whoa, hold on a second there. As much as I can see the points you're making, you have strongly misinterpreted what I said. Where I happen to come from, a "fad" simply means a fashion or trend which doesn't necessarily last for a long or extended period of time. That is not meant to be a derogatory term; no gaming console or game lasts for any length of time in the mainstream to be considered anything but a fad; Halo 3 is a fad. Grand Theft Auto is a fad. Hey, remember back when everyone had a PS2? That was a fad. None of these things are timeless and will lose their appeal over time, that's not a criticism, that is just how technology and video game consoles work. 

The reason why I said I would wait until this "fad" phase is over is because while it is fashionable to the mainstream, the price will be heavily marked up and chances are, in my opinion, you will be thrown admittedly dull games which make use of the gimmicky controls - prime example of is the DS; how many Sudoku games does one need? It seems like I have to shovel through a lot of lesser games before I find my way to something with more substance than a newspaper puzzle section, such as Fire Emblem - and please note that I love the DS, it is by far the best handheld in years but that does not stop there being an abundance of low-quality games for the machine. Also note that the term gimmick simply means a novelty feature; the Wiimote is still a novelty, whereby there's been nothing like it before hand, at least not used as a primary control method -- I absolutely love the thing and again, I'm not trying to be condescending about the console.

Where I think the consoles hardware will be put to the test is towards the end of the lifespan of it where there will be an element of pressure to make the most out of the hardware - hence, my reluctance to act on a purchase right now. Hell, look at the end of the PS2's life - Shadow of the Colossus pushed that thing to the limit and stands still as one of my fave games.  Your point of this post was "Anyway, why hasn't any developer taken advantage of this concept's potential?" -- I merely agreed with you, saying that this is one of the things that is holding the Wii back from a purchase for me, as I expressed in the second post; sure, I was blunt with my first post (mainly due to the fact it was about 7am I posted it, before Uni) and upon reading back then yeah it seemed a little out of hand but I doubt the elaboration on the second required a verbal hurl of calling me a troll and bitching about my taste in games -- for the record, Monster Hunter, Dragon Quest and Tales (especially the latter series) are games which I regard highly.

As much as I respect what you have said, you have grossly misinterpreted the post. That's not insinuating you have an inability to read comprehensively, its likely just a cultural or dialect-based misinterpretation and I'd like to hope you'll realise that.

Now, does anyone want to get back on topic?"

I would think Wii has enough accessories without the need for another. but thats just my opinion.

@ Lashe: My response was the initial reaction to your first post, which does sound very harsh with the way you worded things, I simply only wrote it after you confirmed it's what you wanted to write, without saying you didn't mean it in a bad way. If your last explanation is honest then great, I'm glad you're not yet another troll and I'm sorry for any hard feelings caused. I'm sure you understand.

@ oldschool: I wasn't talking about Nintendo specifically, I was just saying there are so many peripherals out there for all systems, so another one wouldn't be a problem because more excessive accessorites have been made successful. Some sort of simplistic headgear/eyewear with a couple of infared lights on it is a non issue, just a piece of cheap plastic in comparison, that could retail for $5 or something. That is why I mentioned peripherals from all sorts of different companies and for all sorts of different systems (Wii, PSP, PS2, PS3, and hell, every system out there had some at least). So, yeah, I agree with you in that, and every time people say there's too many accessories on the Wii I make it a point that it's not too dissimilar to past systems at all.

Anyway, Nintendo (or any company for that matter) doesn't need to pay for any extra technology to utilise this, everything is built into the Wii peripherals already. All a game would need to incorporate it is an extra device with sensor bar capabilities, like the glasses Johnny fashioned out of standard issue safety goggles by replacing the LEDs with infared lights. I suppose his little stand for the remote would also be useful depending on one's Wii setup, but that stuff really can't have any meaningful cost.

I looked it up and it seems EA pulled the hidden Easter Egg headtracking functions before Boom Blox was released, so it's not in the final game. I maintain it would be awesome to include in their Dead Space: Extraction as it should be easy enough to work out without requiring significant gameplay changes, and without affecting users who want nothing to do with it (why anyone wouldn't is beyond me though) so only those who do have a second remote and the patience to make their home made extra sensor bar device would utilise it.

Of course, if a studio comes out with a game fully utilising it, and including the single, cheap, accessory needed in the box, it would be AWESOME.

#1 . It would require the user to wear something, never good for sales.
#2. The user would have to wear something wired to the Wii, which causes additional problems.
#3. To actually control the game you'd have to have an additional wiimote or other controller, unless the game was about dodging objects.
#4. The Wiimote's camera field of view is limited, meaning some people wouldn't be able to position themselves or the Wiimote correctly.
#5. Not everyone has a good place to put a large object like the Wiimote, the sensor bar is built for steady placement.

There's 5 good reasons to not try to do this.

Here's hoping someone takes this on, or modifies on the concept.

#1. A design like Johnny's is hardly a major issue, but they could make it even less intrusive with lighter designs that aren't actual eyewear.
#2. Huh? Did you watch the video? It doesn't have to be wired to the Wii, it's the remote that sends the movement signals, tracking its position relative to the sensor bar, or here, the sensor goggles. The original sensor bar is connected to the Wii simply to power the infared lights.
#3. Have you seen the Wii Play sales? Add all the potential stand alone remote purchases to that, and you have a rather vast potential audience. The Wii is constantly pimped as a party system, there are tons of users with more than one remote, that's for sure.
#4. That issue is the same as in standard gaming if the title has pointer based functions. Most users got around that fine I imagine.
#5. Which is why I said they could also incorporate the remote stand Johnny has fashioned in the video. It's just a piece of plastic, that and the sensor device together shouldn't cost more than $5. They could make it $10 to rip people off, and still have an acceptable price for the full game.

So, there really aren't 5 good reasons, there's barely 1 and that's #1. I'm sure most nerdy types (and most not nerdy too actually) can get over that quickly as long as the game offers a worthy experience. Hell, look at the Wii itself, everyone thought it makes you look silly, yet they sure as hell bought it.

"#1. A design like Johnny's is hardly a major issue, but they could make it even less intrusive with lighter designs that aren't actual eyewear. #2. Huh? Did you watch the video? It doesn't have to be wired to the Wii, it's the remote that sends the movement signals, tracking its position relative to the sensor bar, or here, the sensor goggles. The original sensor bar is connected to the Wii simply to power the infared lights.#3. Have you seen the Wii Play sales? Add all the potential stand alone remote purchases to that, and you have a rather vast potential audience. The Wii is constantly pimped as a party system, there are tons of users with more than one remote, that's for sure.#4. That issue is the same as in standard gaming if the title has pointer based functions. Most users got around that fine I imagine.#5. Which is why I said they could also incorporate the remote stand Johnny has fashioned in the video. It's just a piece of plastic, that and the sensor device together shouldn't cost more than $5. They could make it $10 to rip people off, and still have an acceptable price for the full game.So, there really aren't 5 good reasons, there's barely 1 and that's #1. I'm sure most nerdy types (and most not nerdy too actually) can get over that quickly as long as the game offers a worthy experience. Hell, look at the Wii itself, everyone thought it makes you look silly, yet they sure as hell bought it."

i was way too distracted by his empty house.

I don't see how a couple of pieces of plastic and a pair of infared leds can cost a company $20. But even so, look @ all the ridiculously priced games with accessories like the examples in my first post, some of which completely take off in sales if people simply think the games are worth it.

Actually, I just checked and Amazon sell safety glasses with lights on them for as low as $4.99(it should NOT look like this if produced, hah!) depending on the model. These are fully featured, with batteries, and rotatable lights. I don't think manufacturing them with infared lights instead of leds would shoot them up to $20. Add another $5 for the piece of plastic that is the stand. Both cases are the end user cost of course, not for the manufacturer.

Your point #3, I've thought of the same as well, it would certainly counteract the nunchuck's limited motion capabilities. Boxing games would certainly work out better than Wii Boxing did. I think there's a dance/rhythm WiiWare game that did this so far but I don't know if it was good or if it sold well. Of course, then you don't have a great way of controlling your in game character so it has limited applications for today's popular game types, but I can see it providing great experiences for certain types of games. You could even combine it with the balance board but then you further restrict the potential audience. Perhaps not.

Your point #4, perhaps. You're not moving your head around THAT much, you still are looking toward the screen, otherwise you won't see the game you're playing, lol. I think it's a minor issue but I suppose for certain cases where the Wii is in one's very small or very crowded room, it will be an issue.

Your point #5, the stand would simply allow for the angling of the remote so you could put it on top of the TV and have it angled slightly down. It's the opposite of Johnny's setup as he has it angled looking upward. The leds on the eyewear could perhaps be rotated also to accomodate that (like in the model I linked to earlier). Game settings would ask you to center yourself for calibration so that it can then work out the range of movement based on that. It could also ask you to move to certain directions to better determine how the sensing behaves when you move and calibrate the motion accordingly.

A device like Johnny's eyewear is not quite the same as bulky goggles with displays in them which completely shut you off the surrounding environment, and are likely quite a bit heavier and make you look even sillier, so I don't think it's comparable. In fact, with the simple functions these have to do, they could be designed to look "cool" like a pair of cycling glasses (obviously not dark though), to make appearance almost a non issue. Heck, the lights could just be clipped on them, and you could take them off and attach them on your own pair of glasses if you wear any, or on your headphones or something.

I should add that a game utilising this could do so OPTIONALLY. Anyone who is repulsed by the concept of wearing it, could play it in standard mode, and perhaps a version without the added goggles and stand cost could also be offered. After all, the game itself has to be worthy first. This aleviates some of your #3 point as a game utilising two remotes likely can't be enjoyed with just 1+ nunchuck if it's implemented to the very core of the game. And of course completely aleviate the point #4 among others. In this case, If the game is something like in FPV (not necessarily a FPS) or a lightgun shooter, with a few tweaks it could be very playable with or without head tracking, and can be marketed to people interested in both just the specific genre in itself, as well as people interested in the immersion head tracking offers. They could see how the different versions fared to judge if the concept was a success.

Which is why EA's Dead Space: Exctraction is such a perfect candidate. If only they were looking into this... Sigh.

I'm not saying any of this would be a success of the Wii Fit caliber, but games can be succesful if they simply target a particular niche and just do it well.

You are correct, it's old.

Thanks, I wasn't sure, contrary to what the thread title states.

PS: Lol @ Amazon stats being affected by Johnny's video. Bring up another safety goggles model, get the option to purchase with a Wii remote. Wow! If people bought it enough for Amazon to list it like this without even a game existing then that says a lot...

Is it a cool concept?  Yep, it sure is.  But, headtracking would be much more usable on my PC than on my Wii.  Sitting at a desk about 2 feet from the monitor allows me to change my view pretty easily.  The same amount of perspective change for my TV would require walking around and squating.

It might be kind of cool for on-rails shooters as you could peek around cover to be able to shoot baddies.  But, I can't imagine it being very useable for any other genres.

Tom Clancy's Endwar 2 - No controller commands. Just your head and your voice. Haha

"Is it a cool concept?  Yep, it sure is.  But, headtracking would be much more usable on my PC than on my Wii.  Sitting at a desk about 2 feet from the monitor allows me to change my view pretty easily.  The same amount of perspective change for my TV would require walking around and squating.It might be kind of cool for on-rails shooters as you could peek around cover to be able to shoot baddies.  But, I can't imagine it being very useable for any other genres."