The problem with taking a hit on peripheral prices is that the peripherals are typically the MOST profitable piece of hardware for any console platform.

The Wii in particular is a huge revenue generator for Wii remotes and nunchuks because the dynamics of the system are optimized when it comes to having multiple players in the same room playing on one console.

Nintendo is not going to drastically cut the price of their peripherals (any more than MS has) as a fan service to its customers.

If people want the additional functionality, they're going to have to pay for it.

If Nintendo wants to be consumer friendly, they could package a remote, nunchuk and motion plus clip on at a reduced price, but I really couldn't see them charging anything less $10 under the price of buying each component separately.

If they did it for $60, then yes, Nintendo officially wants everyone to upgrade and is focusing on making the transition as consumer friendly as possible.

@ your post above the lastest. don't forget a second motion sensor: The nunchuck.

I just hope they are inexpensive and don't drain the battery too much...

The reason it doesn't feel like this is doing anything the Wiimote couldn't do is that it isn't doing anything the Wiimote couldn't do. WMP is just a placebo for people who try to rationalize their refusal to practice by imagining that the Wiimote is somehow "inaccurate."

That's why Nintendo should upgrade both the Nunchuk and the standard remote to integrate Motion Plus.

If they want the feature to be universal and/or utilized by most developers, this would help greatly.

If it stays strictly optional, then it means selling games to a segmented user base; rarely ever a good thing.

Didn't you watch the videos on the first page?

Well the shape of the conroller was also a pretty big issue. It's fine for tilting and shaking. But specfic motion jerks (waggle as some call it =P) are fairly annoying with a two-handed controller. Even the simple jerks needed to use the Mantis and Sorrow Dolls in MGS4 just feel unatural to me. And even when I shake the controller to wear off KO's in MGO I usually end gripping it in one hand untill my guy is up since it's just easier that way. Basically it wasn't designed for motion controls (since the design is nearly a decade old) so it's often impractial for it to use them.

But yes, the IR camera has served as pretty solid crutch to offset the Wii Remote's short commings. Matt at IGN always loves to use the phrase "pixel perfect accuracy" anytime he mentions the cursor in a game review he likes.

Also Happy is probably right about games being designed with "Motion Plus Enchanced" brandings. Lots of later PS1 games worked like that when the Dual Shock was first introduced. They'd support rumble and sticks, but would still work with just a regular controller. Metal Gear Solid did a great job with that.

I'd also expect a lot of sequels to pop-up touting this improvement next holiday season. Fully except Carnival Games 2.

As I said above, this add-on doesn't necessarily have to be developed for exclusively and developers could choose to treat it as an optional accessory until enough people have it ...

The question here is intent.

Is this the direction Nintendo wants to take for the platform as a whole?

Naturally, most games aren't going to make use of 1:1 controls seeing as how most don't even have a handle on providing decent motion controls with the standard remote that actually make controls more intuitive or improved. More often than not, motion control functions are tacked on simply because they're available.

If Nintendo is keeping an eye on the future, then they should account for integrating this into the standard Wii experience immediately, rather than take a "wait and see" approach to gauge how many people are interested in the additional functions.

Convince consumers and current owners that they "must have" this rather than "it's there if anyone wants it."

Basic marketing.

If Nintendo doesn't push Motion Plus as the new standard, then it is just an optional peripheral that most will simply end up buying for Wii Sports Resort, rather than because they harbor any illusions that this is Wii 2.0 that will make a wide number of future titles much better than with the standard remote.