10 Best Next-Gen Reveals In Gaming History

4. The WiiMote Becomes A Blade

Rarely did the future ever seem right in the hands of the gamers as it did when they placed a small white remote in their right hand, and joystick in their left. It was something that gamers had dreamed about for as long as the medium had existed, virtual reality. For a time the Wii seemed just like the thing to bridge the gap between the real world and the virtual one.

Sure, in reality all it did was have a motion sensor that could detect a shake, basically substituting a button press, but that didn't stop millions of gamers from slashing and following through with the hilt of their virtual blade tightly gripped in their hands. Maybe not tight enough, as enough Wii-motes came loose, careening into TV screens, and forcing Nintendo to reinforce the saftey strap, and even wrap the Wii-mote in a rubber.

The illusion may have faded and the novelty certainly wore off for the Wii, but few consoles captured the collective imaginations of not only the gamers, but the general public who genuinely thought that the future was in their grasp. They may have wished that they weren't so naive, but Nintendo laughed their way to the bank after financially dominating the 7th console generation.

Contributor
Contributor

A former NCAA runner turned writer, and an ardent aficionado of all things academic, aesthetic and athletic.