WaveBird

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WaveBird controller

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

1 Development
2 Design
3 Influence
4 References

[edit] Development

Nintendo had been attempting to create a reliable wireless controller since the early Famicom era. Their first attempt was for the AVS (Advanced Video System), the precursor to the NES which included 2 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. Unfortunately, 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 weren't possible at the time 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 the Summer of 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 20+ feet of the console without a need for a direct line of sight.

[edit] Design

The WaveBird GameCube controller is designed and sold by Nintendo.^[1] It is unique in that it relies on RF waves (first used in gaming with Atari's CX-42 joysticks^[2]) rather than the previously more common method of infrared line-of-sight control.^[1]

Design-wise, 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 than a standard GameCube controller, with the "center hole" between the D-Pad and the C-Stick replaced by the RF mechanism. 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. ^[1]

The controller's radio transceiver runs in the 900 MHz unlicensed band. ^[3]
Up to 16 WaveBird controllers can be used in the same area if each is set to a different channel.^[4]
The range of the WaveBird controller is officially 20 feet,^[4] 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 color choices.
The Platinum-colored WaveBird controller was released in December 2002 to match the Nintendo GameCube of the same color.
The WaveBird's name is a reference to Dolphin,^[5] the GameCube's codename during its development.^[6]
Battery requirements for the WaveBird controller are 2 standard AA batteries.^[4]
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.^[7]

[edit] Influence

The idea of a wireless controller now has become a standard as all three of the current generation consoles, (Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, and Sony's PlayStation 3), utilize this technology (although the Xbox 360 also features wired standard controllers in its cheaper model). The WaveBird also works with the Wii,^[8] by connecting the WaveBird's receiver to the Wii's GameCube controller ports (as it is incompatible with the Bluetooth-based Wii controllers^[9]).