Squishy Wii Remote: The New Face of Wii?

It appears that the complimentary Wii Remote Jacket Nintendo announced this week is more than just a safety precaution--it's the new face of the Wii Remote. As pointed out by Wired's ever-vigilant Chris Kohler, Nintendo has begun replacing pictures of a bare Wii Remote on its websites with images of a prophylactic-equipped controller. Both Wii.com and Nintendo's Japanese site feature the revised peripheral, as do portions of Nintendo's American site. It is likely that all of Nintendo's marketing materials from here on out will illustrate the Wii Remote's safer, squishier rendition. Along with the updated imagery, Kohler notes that developers are supposedly receiving new Wii safety warning screens, which prominently feature the Wii Remote Jacket in all of its grip-tastic goodness. With Nintendo spending nearly $18 million to distribute free Wii Remote Jackets to gamers worldwide, it is not surprising to see use of the new accessory encouraged. The company's been playing it safe ever since it was indicted in a lawsuit for epileptic seizures caused by its games, which resulted in the safety warning screens that appear as its games and systems boot.