Nintendo’s E3 conference mostly and rightfully showed off their new system, the Nintendo Wii.  You can find plenty of play-by-play articles online.  The main thing to take away from all of them though, is that the new controller, or “Wiimote” (side note: if you ever come in to my store and use that term, Wiimote, I will have no choice but to jump the counter and punch you in the face.  If you have kids, I might smack them around a bit too.  I’m very short and only weigh a buck twenty-five, so I don’t pack a wallop.  Even so, I will be forced to take action against that stupid, stupid word.) (Side note #2:  I’m joking, dummy.)  is really cool.  Hopefully there will be video online shortly of people actually playing with the device – Nintendo will be offering 27 different playable titles on the floor of E3, all of which use the new controller.  They keynote spoke of people playing tennis with the remote, and a first person shooter called “Red Storm,” of which there is a trailer online.  The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess was also given a solid date – when the Wii is released.  There was no official date or price for the system, only that it would be out before the end of the year, and that Zelda would be released for both the Game Cube and the Wii on the Wii’s release date.  It would be suicide not to release it by Thanksgiving though, so expect it before then.

Also, this new controller will come with a speaker built in.  So for instance, when you pull back your remote to shoot an arrow in The Twilight Princess (and yes, you do move the remote back to pull back your bow), you will hear the twang of the bowstring in your ear.  Early reports of the controller note that it is a bit awkward at first because there really is nothing like it, but is very comfortable once you get over the learning curve.  Finally, the controller shell for the remote has been finalized and there are pictures online.  There are a couple of questionable design choices on the shell according to news sites, but it does look fairly comfortable and finally features dual analog sticks.

Nintendo is claiming that they intend to change the perception of what gaming is and to get more people to play games.  From the impressions of what they’re doing at E3 with their new motion sensitive controller and downloadable back catalogue, they may just make good on that claim.  I really hope they do, stupid name or no.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6149763.html (controller shell)

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6149663.html (Nintendo keynote w/play by play)