It's not sexy, but I'd actually rather have it subtle than color matched or something. I might spring for the green one, just because it's so slick looking, but I wouldn't want a green bar in front of my TV and a green console. And if they tried to gussy it up at all, I'm sure it would end up just looking garish.

My god, it's a sensor bar.

I'll say this for Nintendo -- their industrial design is rock-solid and stands up to abuse. (Ahem, Sony...) So I don't mind a clunky appearance; you can put this in an inconspicuous spot. I'm still more concerned about the graphics hardware and, most importantly, whether developers will intelligently use the controller so the games are playable.

The other interesting thing about the sensor bar: it demonstrates that Wii's controller isn't just a simple tilt sensor. Nintendo is triangulating between different sensors. Do that well and design the game well around it and it should be great. (Do it badly, of course, and you'll wind up with games that are not only gimmicky but possibly hard to play for no good reason!)

What does this do?

I thought the wiimote had a gyroscope in it, which is why it can do all its fancy stuff.

also...will this bar needed to be pointing at you...like if you on the left side of the room in a chair...can you play the wii?
It seems like you need to be directly in front of it, and facing directly towards it...which would be very un-cool.

Murc, the Wiimote *does* have motion sensors inside it to detect tilt and acceleration. The sensor bar goes at the top or bottom of your TV screen and lets the Wii triangulate the exact position of the Wiimote, which allows for more spiffy stuff you can do with it (precise aiming in FPS games, for instance).

My TV and most american's TVs are large CTR affairs in a plastic box painted silver as though anyone would mistake silver plastic for fancy metal. Typically the TV is the least asthetically pleasing item in the room (ask a woman). If there is going to be a thin black strip resting on top of it, this will not change much, it will be merely a small pimple on a big pig. Besides, if you cared SOOO much about appearrances you wouldn't be standing in front of that TV in your underwear swooshing a plastic stick around pretenting you were an elf named Link.

There have been pics of the sensor bar for a while now.. Now what is unsexy is that stupid composite cable they have pictured. And let's not forget the dumb power brick no one will complain about (but probably bashed the 360 for having).

It doesn't really bother me. The actual console looks awesome and thats all that really matters in terms of aesthetics. Besides, the sensor bar allows you to use a remote as a cursor on your TV screen! Who cares how it looks as long as it works?

I think Giz missed the point of the Kotaku post. I think they meant "un-sexy" as in "not promotion material" and therefore doesn't have fancy lighting and junk. Also, looks like these photos were taken in someone's basement with fluorescent lighting.

The equipment looks fine to me.

yeah, the funny thing is that it's not really that hard to get quality lighting if you just have some solid colored foam-core, 500w halogen lights, and some sheets of a4 taped together to soften the light. someone needs to put the leakers through some photographic basic training. sheesh.

You were expecting something else? The Xavix sytem's sensors are a bit bar... which brings up the question, why hasn't anyone mentioned Xavix in all of this Wii talk? http://www.xavix.com/

Yes it has to be ontop or underneath your TV. But it's no bigger than an unshaved pencil, I don't see the big deal - It easily fits on a 14" LCD, I won't notice it on my 56" DLP.

All we have to do is change her outfit - something a little more whorish, and there ya go! Insta-sexy.

I wonder, how long before somebody starts making (and selling) accesory gloves/stickers/skins/supports/cases for that sensor bar? ....did you hear that Pelican?

I wonder, how long before somebody starts selling skins/gloves/stickers/cases/bases for that sensor bar?... did you hear that Pelican?

Ooops, sorry about that double posting...
Anyway, I just checked and found Walmart.com is taking preorders for 28 Wii titles, ranging from $29.82 to $49.82.... Ladies and gentlemen, start your wallets...

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product_listing.gsp?cat=541...

oh, ok...I think I understand what it does.

? - SO it doesn't have to be facing directly towards to then does it?
If theres 2 people playing...and there on opposite ends of the couch, this bar cant point at two people at the same time.

this console is kinda confusing

once upon a time they switched from ultrasonic remote controls to infrared remote controls. I'll be you people said the same things.

"now i have to be sitting right in front of the TV for it to work. this will suck"

now, where can you use your infrared remote? i'll bet you your wiimote will work in the same places.

Wait, the Wii was sexy? Now I'm all for 'new ways of thinking', but are you telling me NAMBLA is gonna' buy these by the truckload?

Unflattering photo's can ruin anyone

my Wii will always be sexy...

Who cares how it looks, I am just pleased that they have a decent amount of cable. I have a projector set up at home, with my consoles in the back of the room, and I was worried I wasn't going to be able to reach the front of the screen.