WaveBird

The WaveBird Wireless Controller is a radio frequency (RF) based wireless controller manufactured for the Nintendo GameCube video game console.

Development

Nintendo had been attempting to create a reliable wireless controller since the early Famicom era. Its first attempt was for the AVS (Advanced Video System), the precursor to the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) which included two wireless controllers but was never released. The next attempt was an infrared (IR) adapter called the NES Satellite, for the NES. Released in 1989, it used the aforementioned IR to extend the length of up to four wired controllers, which would plug themselves into the base of the unit. The base could then be positioned anywhere within a certain range of the NES without the need for a cable. However, the extension base still needed a direct line of sight with the NES console, a problem also present on third-party wireless IR controllers. Infrared has significant limitations; one being that it is line of sight only; there had to be a clear space between the IR port and the controller. Radio Frequency controllers were not possible in the late 1980s as the early digital RF links were bulky and used too much power to be useful in battery-powered devices.

Only a decade later, advancements in integrated circuits made radio controllers for game consoles commercially viable. The WaveBird, released in 2002, solved previous usability problems of wireless controllers by relying on radio frequency communication instead of infrared, allowing the controller to be used anywhere within twenty feet of the console without a need for a direct line of sight.

Design

The WaveBird GameCube controller is designed and sold by Nintendo.cite web | url=http://uk.gear.ign.com/articles/361/361933p1.html | title=Nintendo WaveBird Review | publisher=IGN | accessdate=2006-08-28] Unlike most wireless controllers, it relies on RF waves (first used in gaming with Atari's CX-42 joystickscite web | url=http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/consoles/2600/2600rc.html | title= The Atari 2600 Remote Controlled Joystick | publisher=Atari Museum| accessdate=2007-01-27] ) rather than the previously more common method of infrared line-of-sight control. The WaveBird requires a receiver to be plugged into the controller port of the GameCube. Made of the same colored plastic, this dongle features a channel-selection wheel and an LED to indicate when a signal is received.

In terms of design, the WaveBird controller is built mostly in the same way as the standard GameCube controller; the components (analog sticks, buttons, and triggers) and layout remain the same, while adding the wireless functionality and an internal battery pack. The WaveBird controller is somewhat larger and heavier than a standard GameCube controller, with the "center hole" between the D-pad and the C-stick replaced by the RF mechanism internally and an on/off switch and orange LED power indicator on the face of the controller. In terms of capabilities, the only feature the WaveBird controller lacks when compared to the standard controller is the rumble feature, whose motors would reduce battery life. Due to the data being transmitted, relayed, then decoded, there is a very slight lag in button response compared to a wired controller.

*The early versions of the controller's radio transceiver runs in the 900 MHz unlicensed band. [ [http://www.planetgamecube.com/previewArt.cfm?artid=3440 Planet GameCube GC Preview: WaveBird Controller] ] Later versions of the controller have a transceiver that operates at 2.4 GHz. [ [http://nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=8096 Mitsubishi to supply 2.4GHz WaveBird chip] ]
*Up to sixteen WaveBird controllers can be used in the same area if each is set to a different channel.cite web | url=http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/wave_english.pdf | publisher=Nintendo | title=Operation of the WaveBird Controller | accessdate=2006-08-28 | format=PDF]
*The range of the WaveBird controller is officially 20 feet, but some users have reported ranges of 60-70 feet.
*The WaveBird controller is available in the United States and Canada in light gray and platinum colors.
*The Platinum-colored WaveBird controller was released in December 2002.
*1,000 Special Edition Gundam WaveBirds (Two-Tone Red with the Neo-Zeon logo in the middle) were available through a contest held by Club Nintendo in Japan to coincide with the (Japan only) GameCube release of . [cite web | url=http://cube.ign.com/articles/567/567495p1.html | publisher=IGN | title=Gundam WaveBird | accessdate=2007-04-14]
*The WaveBird was available for purchase separately as well as in an Kmart-exclusive bundle with Metroid Prime [http://www.amazon.com/GameCube-Wavebird-Wireless-Controller-Exclusive-Official/dp/B000RBA6V0] .
*The WaveBird's name is a reference to Dolphin, [cite web | url=http://uk.gear.ign.com/articles/306/306359p1.html | publisher=IGN | title=Nintendo WaveBird | accessdate=2006-08-28] the GameCube's codename during its development. [cite web | url=http://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/08/24/nintendo_launches_gamecube/ | title=Nintendo launches Gamecube | publisher=The Register | accessdate=2006-08-28]
*Battery requirements for the WaveBird controller are 2 standard AA batteries.
*Since the launch of the Wii, the WaveBird has seen increased popularity as it can be used to play both GameCube and Wii Virtual Console games wirelessly.cite web | url=http://gamepeople.wordpress.com/2007/01/25/like-a-wavebird-from-the-ashes/ | publisher=GamePeople | title=Like a WaveBird from the Ashes| accessdate=2007-01-28 | format=HTML]

Legacy

Wireless controllers are now standard on all seventh generation consoles: Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3.

Like all GameCube controllers, the WaveBird is compatible with the Wii, [cite web | url=http://www.nintendorevolution.ca/08302006/21/nintendo_wii_to_support_gamecube_wavebird | title=Nintendo Wii To Support GameCube Wavebird : No untangling wires on Wii | publisher=NintendoRevolution.ca | author=sickr | accessdate=2006-09-03] for use with GameCube and Virtual Console titles as well as select Wii titles.

Following speculation that Nintendo might re-release the WaveBird due to the popularity of its use on the Wii, a Nintendo representative confirmed that there were no plans to offer WaveBirds in stores again. [ [http://gonintendo.com/?p=32522 Nintendo has no plans to restock Wavebirds] ] Although the representative stated that "Original GameCube Controllers" would be available directly from Nintendo, there is no listing for the Wavebird. [ [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=178318 Nintendo News: No plans to restock Wavebirds - ComputerAndVideoGames.com ] ]

Legal Issues

Anascape Ltd, a Texas-based firm, also filed a lawsuit against Nintendo for patent infringements regarding Nintendo's controllers. [cite web|url=http://www.theinquirer.net/en/inquirer/news/2006/08/03/microsoft-nintendo-sued-over-games-controller|title=Microsoft, Nintendo sued over games controller |author=INQUIRER staff|publisher=The Inquirer|date=2006-08-03|accessdate=2006-12-08] A July 2008 verdict found that a ban would be issued preventing Nintendo from selling several controllers, including the WaveBird, in the United States. Nintendo is free to continue selling the WaveBird pending an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. [ [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aO_ucYxT3eNw Bloomberg.com: News ] ]

References