Wii's controller is more advanced. It senses tilt (all axis), movement and accelleration from within, while the sensor bar keeps track of the exact position in 3D space. Wii will know the exact position of the controller (relative to the sensor bar) while booting up, even if it' s sitting on your couch.
From what I have read, the Wii remote is almost exactly like a Sixaxis (god that's hard to type) with the addition of a "light gun" like sensor that works with the sensor bar.
The sensor bar has three LEDs in it that give the remote some clues as to where it is in relation to the bar, if set up correctly this means the remote "knows" where the TV is and can be used for accurate pointing.
I'd be careful of saying it knows where it is when it's on your couch. From what I have read, the remote will need to be pointing at the sensor bar to get that positional info. It's not a wireless mesh that the remote senses, it's just a few LEDs.
From what I have read, the Wii remote is almost exactly like a Sixaxis (god that's hard to type) with the addition of a "light gun" like sensor that works with the sensor bar.
The sensor bar has three LEDs in it that give the remote some clues as to where it is in relation to the bar, if set up correctly this means the remote "knows" where the TV is and can be used for accurate pointing.
I'd be careful of saying it knows where it is when it's on your couch. From what I have read, the remote will need to be pointing at the sensor bar to get that positional info. It's not a wireless mesh that the remote senses, it's just a few LEDs.
All previews of Metroid Prime 3 say otherwise. The remote isn't used as a pointer in MP3, yet there is an "invisible" 3D box that keeps track of the position of the (main) controller. IGN stated this as early as E3, that once you move outside of this 3D box, control is lost. You also don't have to point it AT the TV since you can shoot up or down, and point away left or right from the bar as long as you stay inside "the box".
Which doesn't mean Wii CAN'T be used as a pointer (demonstrated by the Wii Play shooting minigame), where it actually IS used as a pointer. Why would Wii even need a sensor bar if only for this "lightgun" style? The technology has been available since duckhunt, and sure to be cheaper -and possibly more accurate- WITHOUT the bar.
Why would Wii even need a sensor bar if only for this "lightgun" style? The technology has been available since duckhunt, and sure to be cheaper -and possibly more accurate- WITHOUT the bar.
Because traditional light gun technology relies on the scanning beam of a CRT to determine the position the gun is pointing. The Wii uses the sensor bar as a backup to the motion sensors for more accuracy. It also means you can use it with plasma, LCD and projector displays, which are becoming more and more popular.
Perhaps I mislead by my use of the term "light gun", I didn't mean to. I just meant the Wii remote used an optical sensor tuned in to the frequencies emitted by the sensor bar LEDs, as opposed to an RF solution.
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From what I have read, the Wii remote is almost exactly like a Sixaxis (god that's hard to type) with the addition of a "light gun" like sensor that works with the sensor bar.
The sensor bar has three LEDs in it that give the remote some clues as to where it is in relation to the bar, if set up correctly this means the remote "knows" where the TV is and can be used for accurate pointing.
I'd be careful of saying it knows where it is when it's on your couch. From what I have read, the remote will need to be pointing at the sensor bar to get that positional info. It's not a wireless mesh that the remote senses, it's just a few LEDs.