Wii Controller secrets leaked

Games and Movies news site, IGN, has acquired official Wii developer documentation that sheds some light on the mysteries of the Wii controller.

- The Wii-mote will be powered by two AA alkaline batteries. If the pointer is used for precision aim, the batteries are said to last up to 30 hours, while if only the accelerometer functionality is used, the battery life will be closer to 60 hours.
- Communication between the Wii-mote and the Wii sensor bar is managed by Bluetooth technology
- The controller features 6KB of “non-volatile” memory, though the purpose of this is unclear. It could be put to any number of uses, such as saving configuration settings for the controller, or it might be related to the internal speaker.
- To identify which Wii controller is assigned to the console, both the Wii and the Wii-mote have a SYNCHRO button, which assigns each controller a wireless ID number. Players first press the console’s SYNCHRO button, located on the machine’s front flap, and then press the controller’s SYNCHRO button, hidden inside the battery compartment. The document suggests that holding down the 1 and 2 buttons will serve the same purpose
- All Wii controller buttons are digital.
- The sensor bar that translates the Wii-mote’s movements to the console must be placed “above or below” your television.
- The four LEDs found on the Wii-mote have a dual purpose. Firstly, it will indicate which player the controller belongs to during multiplayers. This is straightforward enough, with Player 1’s Wii-mote have the far left LED lit up, Player 2’s the second light along, and so forth.
- Secondly, the four lights will serve as a battery meter. All four will blink upon booting up the console if the batteries have between 75% and 100% power. Likewise , three lights will indicate 50% to 75%, two show 25% to 50% and one illustrates less than quarter power.
- There will be a built-in rumble motor that can be turned on or off, though it doesn’t offer different levels of rumble.
- The document warns that light sources such as fluorescent and halogen lamps, plastic, mirrors and more could potentially interfere with the Wii’s pointer, but this can be countered by pointing at the sensor bar.

Developers will be receiving this document and Wii controllers in early September. The full article can be read at http://wii.ign.com/articles/718/718946p1.html