Hmm, not exactly.

The Wiimote, even with WM+, doesn't read translations in space directly with its motion sensors, as the gyroscopes detect rotations. The accelerometers and gyros can be combined to read accelerations, and from those you can compute translations, but you'll need recalibration using the IR pointing because the accelerometers are quite rough in resolution.

It works well enough on certain distances and times between the calibration, but if you were to have a game with gestures based on fine translations in space of the controller, you might have troubles.

On the other hand the position of a Sony wand is read from the fixed camera, so in theory it would be capable of this kind of motion tracking.

The WM+ can also track fine movements, but you would have to be pointing at the screen fairly often. This can be controlled by making it a natural part of the controls. They did this in Wii Sports Resort with the sword fighting game. You can even read about how they did calibration on the fly in Iwata Asks.

Sure, but where your body can move and how it moves all exists in a 3d space. The means of detection of those motions may be different, camera vs accelerometers, but they both are tracking 3D movement. With WM+, it already is tracking these movements in 1:1 time, as with Wii Fencing for example. So yes, the means are different, but the end result is very much the same. Since it is not possible to improve on 1:1 detection, the point stands.

As I said, it's fine if you can include recalibration via IR pointing in the interface mechanics.

Still, finely tracking the translations of an arbitrarily oriented controller is an example of something that you can do with an external camera better than with the Wiimote and WM+, and thus an example for the poster to whom I replied of not all so-called 1:1 systems being exactly equivalent.

@Raze

Sure, but where your body can move and how it moves all exists in a 3d space. The means of detection of those motions may be different, camera vs accelerometers, but they both are tracking 3D movement. With WM+, it already is tracking these movements in 1:1 time, as with Wii Fencing for example. So yes, the means are different, but the end result is very much the same. Since it is not possible to improve on 1:1 detection, the point stands.

Yes and no. Technical details aside, the gist was that because of the way the motion tracking happens there are some things that you can't do with the Wiimote. If you were to keep your Wiimote almost vertical, pointing at the ceiling, or horizontal but parallel to the IR bar and then move around the room for -say- a minute, the software would most probably lose track of your placement, even with WM+. Thus you'd lose 1:1.

A solution with an external camera like Sony's will keep tracking your position as long as you are in the field of view of the camera.

Plus, even with IR recalibration, I have the suspect that the low resolution of the accelerometers could show if you wanted to -say- use the controller for something as precise as a marker to write on an invisible board in mid-air, which was one of Sony's tech demos.

Another consideration is that the Wii has software out there. So we know how well -- and not well -- the system can be made to work. And there has been three years of trial-and-error.

How well the PS3 works has yet to be determined. My guess is that it probably functions well -- though not maybe as well as the top shelf, most recent Wii games.

Mike from Morgantown

To give you an idea of how this has already been proven otherwise (vertical position of controller), Cooking Mama and Lost In Blue have sessions of "stirring" movements, in which the system works fine. The IR is a lot less finicky than one would expect. The majority of the movements are sent to the Wii via Bluetooth, which doesn't care about location, as long as you're within 30 feet of the receiving side of the signal. Since the IR bar pans out over a significant space quickly, up to distances of 15 feet (as Ive tested), the combination of these systems covers the spectrum of motion that the body can produce, especially with the addition of WM+. It really is a clever technology.

As for the marker board, I could concur that it would be difficult on the Wii, but then again, writing on anything that isnt a real writing surface is difficult. Those fake pens used to sign for debit purchases suck So for me it'd be just as difficult with the Arc.

I'd say it's mostly in the software, so we'll know for sure when more varied WM+ games show up, or when we can get our hands on Sony Arc games.

As for the bolded, I am not familiar with those pens, but I doubt the issue leading to the suckage is really the tech there :)

From what I've seen of Arc and what I've played of WM+, I think WM+ will be better. I don't think the precision and accuracy of either is noticeably better, but I do think that the shape of the WM combined with all of the buttons, pad and analog stick attachment make for a better control setup than what I've seen from the Arc.

The Arc.... sigh...

Arc is going to be significantly more accurate based on what sony is touting.. TRUE 1:1, I mean you guys saw that sword demo? It was perfect accuracy, the wii even with motion plus cannot do that.

Will it be as accurate as sony says it is, I doubt it, but im sure it will be more accurate than wii motion plus.