The Wii MotionPlus was announced by Nintendo in a press release on July 14, 2008, and revealed the next day at a press conference at the E3 Media & Business Summit. It was released in June 2009. A Wii MotionPlus is also bundled as standard with the sports game collection Wii Sports Resort, and is also available in limited edition versions of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (in Europe and North America) and Grand Slam Tennis (in Europe). Red Steel 2 will also be bundled with a Wii MotionPlus upon release. Other games with Wii MotionPlus functionality include Virtua Tennis 2009, Kidz Sports - Crazy Mini Golf, Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked, NHL 2K10, Academy of Champions, Gladiator A.D., The Grinder, Span Smasher.

Development

The Wii MotionPlus was developed by Nintendo in collaboration with game development tool company AiLive. The sensor used is an InvenSense IDG-600; designed in accordance to Nintendo's specification; with a high dynamic range, high mechanical shock tolerance, high temperature and humidity resistance, and small physical size.

The Wii MotionPlus was conceived soon after the completion of the initial Wii Remote design, to address developer demand for more capable motion sensing, but was only announced after the sensors could be purchased in sufficient volume at a reasonable price.

During a developer roundtable discussion at E3 2008, Wii Sports Resort producer Katsuya Eguchi discussed the potential influence of the Wii MotionPlus on the Wii's existing market, stating that Nintendo was looking at whether the MotionPlus capability will be built into the Wii Remote in the future, or kept "as an attachment we only use for certain software."

Reception

Developers at Electronic Arts have noted that the fidelity of the device can be too sensitive, although technology reviewers have likened the improved accuracy to the leap from the fidelity of VHS to that of Blu-ray.

Game reviewers 'Official Nintendo Magazine' have called the device '100% accurate' and that movements are 'captured extremely accurately'.

In North America, approximately 374,000 Wii MotionPlus units were sold in June 2009 (including nearly 205,000 units sold as part of a bundle with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10), according to the NPD Group.

In Japan, the Wii MotionPlus sold approximately 650,000 units in its opening week (including units sold as part of a bundle with Wii Sports Resort), with about 296,000 sold as standalone units.