Nintendo Patents Point To Wii Potential News

The Wii-remote can already be utilised in the Wii Zapper and the guitar peripheral in Guitar Hero III, and Nintendo isn't done yet as the Big N's North American President Reggie Fils-Aime demonstrated with the Wii Wheel in 2007. But they may not be finished yet, as a recent series of patents submitted to the European Patent Office have revealed, showing sketches for additional applications - some more wacky than others.

Whilst the inclusion of the Wii Zapper and Wii Wheel lend credence to the application, it's fair to say that others don't look quite so practical...the Wii remote in the wheels of a skateboard peripheral???

Others however seem much more intriguing, with one showing a Wii-remote strapped to the side of somebody's head, and another to an arm. Whilst looking meaningless on their own, it doesn't take too much of a leap to imagine a player using multiple remotes for camera control and limb movement - surely not a re-emergence of the rather useless 1990s phenomenon of 'Virtual Reality'?

Besides some quirky designs, the patent application also includes some very detailed drawings of the Wii-remote itself, bridging the gamepad from its almost 'GameCube plus' beginnings through to Wii's cornerstone component. Whilst some sketches are obviously nothing more than interesting concepts, it certainly shows Nintendo's creative side - any takers for a Wii teddy bear?