I did a search for "Motion Plus" and it's not there. Not every improvement to a platform has to be done in firmware or system software.
This writer does not understand how Nintendo thinks. Nintendo has certain "must haves" when they design platforms. For handhelds, it's battery life. For consoles, it's ease of development. For both, the hardware has to be breakeven. That's why, even though it could, the Wii does not play DVD discs. (The licensing costs to the DVD Forum would be too high.)
Because of these restrictions, Nintendo has forced themselves into add-ons to upgrade platforms. Rumble came to consoles with the Rumble Pak. 3D came with the FX Chip in StarFox. For the Wii, it's Motion Plus.
Yes, Nintendo's approach to designing its hardware restricts the company for radically altering the box. But Nintendo has always understood that games come first - the N64 controller was designed around Super Mario 64. It's a radically different development paradigm than Sony or Microsoft engage in (and one which this author prefers).
This writer does not understand how Nintendo thinks. Nintendo has certain "must haves" when they design platforms. For handhelds, it's battery life. For consoles, it's ease of development. For both, the hardware has to be breakeven. That's why, even though it could, the Wii does not play DVD discs. (The licensing costs to the DVD Forum would be too high.)
Because of these restrictions, Nintendo has forced themselves into add-ons to upgrade platforms. Rumble came to consoles with the Rumble Pak. 3D came with the FX Chip in StarFox. For the Wii, it's Motion Plus.
Yes, Nintendo's approach to designing its hardware restricts the company for radically altering the box. But Nintendo has always understood that games come first - the N64 controller was designed around Super Mario 64. It's a radically different development paradigm than Sony or Microsoft engage in (and one which this author prefers).