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Wii-mote can digitise human speech

by Mike Bantick

Saturday, 02 June 2007

An interesting analysis of the Nintindo Wii's unique controller has revealed a secret that may hint at future applications, VOIP any body?

CNNMoney.com has a wonderfully upbeat story about the rise and domination of the Nintendo Wii game console. The story charts the vision laid out by Nintendo videogame designer Shigeru Miyamoto, a vision that has produce valuable fruit for the Kyoto based company.

The article does mention some of the pitfalls the unique Wii faced in bringing a new slant to the multi-billion dollar industry, including diagrams indicating some of the injuries and collateral damage occurring through use of the Wii-mote in games such as Wii Sports.

Interestingly there is also a side link to a technical analysis of the Wii-mote controller that gives the Wii much of its attractive character.

In the side page, a viewer can click on a cut-away view of the remote showing the various electronic devices that give the controller its motion detection, rumble, bluetooth, memory and sound abilities.

One description is extremely interesting however. The Audio Translator manufactured and designed in the Philippines and Japan by Rohm. The description reads; Converts analog data such as human speech into a digital data stream. This feature is unused now but will probably be employed in future games.

Aha!, Is it possible that the rumours of a Wii-phone were not so outlandish? There still needs to be some sort of microphone, but there soon will be, with games such as Wii Boogie to include a USB Headset as part of package.

How long before the Wii Friend Codes become defunct as we use the Wi-Fi enabled Wii to voice communicate with other Wii owners? Could Nintendo take this further to a full-blown Voice Over IP application?

Probably all we need is time, as we play more and more Wii games, get over the sillyness of how we look standing in front of the Wii waving our arms about, to give us confidence to talk into the Wii-mote.

Come on Nintendo, surprise us again.

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