From Wii.com, an interview with Nintendo R&D's Junji Takamoto:

Iwata: I suppose the obvious question is: if it offers such huge advantages, why didn't you use it in the Wii Remote from the very start?

Takamoto: We actually looked into the idea of including a gyro sensor at the very start of the Wii Remote's development. But the idea was rejected due to issues of both space and cost which attaching a gyro sensor would entail.

Iwata: I see. But gyro sensors are measuring devices that have actually been around for a considerable amount of time, aren't they?

Takamoto: That's right. They were originally called gyroscopes and were used to measure angle and rotation speed in rockets and the navigation systems of ships. But they were very bulky instruments.

Iwata: They're fitted in the noses of airplanes as well, aren't they?

Takamoto: Right. That's the sort of size we're talking about. And let's not forget that they were also extremely expensive.

To which Kotaku's Brian Ashcraft has this to say:

You know what's also expensive? Buying all the peripherals Nintendo releases.

Perfect. [Wii.com via Kotaku]

You become the controller in the classic game, which is deliberately intended to promote cardiovascular health: There's a sensor that tracks heart rate and sends it to the game component, where it, in theory, it could be used "to vary game speed and difficulty." The only sad part about this is that the original game was intended to be Pong, which would've been potentially more of a two-player, and thus more dangerous, thing.

In spite of all this new interaction—and a respectable effort of of building and programming put forth by by the three dudes, Clarkson University juniors Allen, Doug and Matt—the object of the game is still quite simple. As you can hear someone tell the vested Allen in the (unintentionally?) hilarious video on Matt's website, "We fixed it. Now don't die." [The Matt Cave via Hackaday via Ubergizmo]

The Price: $45

The Verdict: It's good. Not only does it come with four rechargeable battery packs for your Wiimote—which dock into contacts in the slots on the base station—there's also a complementary set of four colored wrist straps so you can tell your controllers apart. All four Wiimotes are charged in about four hours, but you do have to remove the rubber safety condom prior to docking. You might not personally use them, but if you're like us, you force your clumsy family members to use them in order to protect your HDTV.

One complaint is that the base station's blue lights are always on, even if a Wiimote isn't docked. That blue neon look is fine for a casemodder's alien skull PC, but it looks out of place in a more subdued living room. It's a small complaint, but might be a dealbreaker for some. Also, the rechargeable battery place in the Wiimote makes contact with the charger via two metal pins that might wear down after a year or two; similar to the way Logitech mice wear down the contacts in their chargers after a while. We've no way of telling if it will, but it's something to watch out for. Our other complaint is that the four lights that indicate battery state default to on when nothing is docked. If you the Wiimote doesn't make proper contact with the charger, that means you may think it's full even when it's not!

If your family plays 4-player Wii games a lot and are always hunting around for batteries, $45 isn't too big an investment for the convenience of just shoving your Wiimote into a dock. If you're not a huge gamer or already have rechargeable AAs, this might not be as worth it to you. [Penguin United]