July 31, 2008 AiLive, the company who helped Nintendo build the MotionPlus add-on for the Wii remote, has released a video showing off their LiveMove 2 toolset for Wii developers who wish to implement MotionPlus functionality in their games. Even if you don't play video games, you will want to see what this thing can do.
The MotionPlus essentially turns the Wii remote into what many of us were expecting it to be from the start - offering fast, accurate, 1:1 tracking of the position and orientation of the controller. All of a sudden, those lightsaber battles everyone was dreaming about are achievable.
LiveMove 2 is an advanced set of tools that helps game developers take advantage of the MotionPlus, and AiLive are claiming it will shave at least six months off the development time of a MotionPlus-enabled title.
Developers can now easily record the motions they want to use in their game within minutes and without any coding or scripting - and LiveMove's Snap-to-fit technology can recognize when a user has attempted, but not perfectly executed, one of the defined motions. This means the in-game action will be animated fluidly and professionally whether it's the finessed motions of a seasoned pro or the flails of a newbie at the controls
The MotionPlus will be bundled with Nintendo's Wii Sports Resort, which will cost US$49. Nintendo has not yet announced the price of the accessory on its own, but we can only hope that it's less than US$15 - as purchasing three additional Wiimote/Nunchucks already pushes the cost of the Wii above that of the "expensive" PlayStation 3.
For more information on AiLive or LiveMove 2, visit AiLive's website.