Nintendo patents inflatable accessory

By Ellie Gibson Published 11 August, 2009

For use as horse / camel / dolphin / unicorn.

Having cornered the markets for controllers you waggle about and stand on, Nintendo has patented a new device you operate while sitting down.

Siliconera found the evidence in the European patent database. As these images show the Wii Horseback Riding Saddle consists of a seat with a Wii remote-sized pocket. Tuck in your controller and its accelerometers will register movement on the seat, while the nunchuk is used as a set of reins or "a raised hand for balance as in Bronco riding, a lasso, a sword or other weapon".

According to the patent the seat would be inflatable and constructed similarly to "conventional inflatable exercise balls". "An advantage of an inflatable design is that it is compact to ship and store," do you see.

So what would it be used for? A virtual horsey, suggests the patent. Or how would you like to ride "bulls, camels, elephants, burros, dolphins, whales", not to mention "dragons, griffons, unicorns" and "giant eagles"?

The fun doesn't stop there - the seat could also be used to simulate "hang gliders or other aircraft, a magic carpet, a motorcycle, a jet-ski, land or sea exploration vehicles". What no Colonial Viper?

Nintendo has not commented on whether the Wii Horseback Riding Saddle will actually make it into the shops. Neigh.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (69) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • mowgli #1 3 years ago

    Two years ago this would have been an April Fools joke. Now it is just really really fucking tragic.

  • matrim83 #2 3 years ago

    Why not? It will sell.

    A lot. :(

  • Slipstream #3 3 years ago

    What is this!? I don't even!...*explodes*

  • Ornithophobe #4 3 years ago

    "the seat would be inflatable"

    "Tuck in your controller"

    I see.

    "would you like to ride 'bulls, camels, elephants, burros, dolphins, whales' "

    Arghh.

  • DDevil #5 3 years ago

    Hahahahahaha.

    How about no?

  • Gnort #6 3 years ago

    Wii Burro. Coming 2010.

  • Golgo #7 3 years ago

    Fig 1.A is classic.

  • bad09 #8 3 years ago

    I'm with Mowgli. However, the kids will love it, it will sell loads. MS and Sony will chase the success.

    Meanwhile bad09 contiunes his journey back to PC and retro.

  • thenastypasty #9 3 years ago

    Dear God I hope this is a joke.

  • andywilkie35 #10 3 years ago

    Jesus fucking christ

  • funkyd #11 3 years ago

    I need to get my mind out of the gutter. Seriously.

  • Camorrista #12 3 years ago

    Do you see.

    DO YOU SEE.

  • KDR_11k #13 3 years ago

    But if someone sticks such a thing on an arcade machine nobody raises an eyebrow...

  • KillerMonkey #14 3 years ago

    How long till the Japanese come up with a sex simulator?

    I say two days.

  • Golgo #15 3 years ago

    My son will love this and will be bouncing all over the lounge, as I sit there crumpled and weeping gently into my hands...
    Edited by Golgo at 11/08/09 @ 09:08

  • X201 #16 3 years ago

    I don't care how good or bad it is.
    Just promise us that Ellie will be doing the review.

  • consignia #17 3 years ago

    Now, Nintendo, you are just being silly.

  • peak_performance #18 3 years ago

    Zelda.

  • AphoticCosmos #19 3 years ago

    LET THE PALMING OF THE FACE COMMENCE!

    /palm

  • DaM #20 3 years ago

    Bunch of misery guts the lot of you, I'm there on my inflatable unicorn - think of the possibilities!

  • mingster #21 3 years ago

    This was NOT how i expected virtual reality gaming to turn out.

  • gizmo #22 3 years ago

    Okay. I've always been a little embarrased to be a gamer.

    Now, it's gone beyond that.

  • FireMonkey #23 3 years ago

    I don't see the problem.
    My kids would love this.

    Yeah, it is a little silly, but who really cares. Shouldn't gaming be fun, and if this adds a little fun to the kids then it'd be a valid product.

    Just because it's there doesn't mean you need to buy it.
    Edited by FireMonkey at 11/08/09 @ 09:37

  • mkreku #24 3 years ago

    How odd would it be trying to play a motorcycle game while sitting on an inflatable sheep? It's not like the balloon you're sitting on will adjust to the game you're playing!

  • Ignatius_Cheese #25 3 years ago

    Patent...

  • ForburyLion #26 3 years ago

    Nintendo are well known for their educational software, perhaps this inflatable will ship with a sex education game for kids.

  • Mkwone #27 3 years ago

    With every accessory nintendo think of, they move further and further away from real gaming.

  • FireMonkey #28 3 years ago

    @Mkwone - So what is 'real gaming' then?
    Do you mean the type of gaming that you do? That isn't the only type of gaming you know.
    Edited by FireMonkey at 11/08/09 @ 09:42

  • electrolite #29 3 years ago

    There was a really fun horse-racing arcade game a few years back that I can't remember the name of. That needs to happen.

  • schnide #30 3 years ago

    I haven't looked at the pictures. I won't. I refuse to voluntarily let Nintendo disappoint me anymore.

    From the description it sounds to me like a sybian, which is great because Nintendo really is trying to fuck us anyway.

  • ChaK #31 3 years ago

    can't be true, just can't be guys.


    Or we're all living a nightmare, matrix style !
    Edited by ChaK at 11/08/09 @ 10:22

  • Toothball #32 3 years ago

    I really don't know what to think any more.

  • The-Bodybuilder #33 3 years ago

    /sigh
    More shallow and short-lived gaming that will excite the masses for a few months, before they tuck it away like they did wii fit and its ilk.

  • Skurmedel #34 3 years ago

    Aww thought it was my long longed for sex toy :/

  • Mkwone #35 3 years ago

    @Firemonkey, i mean games that lasts longer than 5 minutes. Wii sports, fit, resort and the like are all very good for the family market, but they're moving further away from their roots and the titles are less video games and more video activities.

  • Banksy #36 3 years ago

    The VR headsets of the 2000s are all appearing at once. Years from now, when Nintendo and Sony and Microsoft no longer exist, we'll look back at this and Natal and PSwand and laugh heartily.

  • des #37 3 years ago

    hahaha

  • TopKatt #38 3 years ago

    "Hey! Game companies! Leave our pads alone!
    All in all it's just a pointless gimmick thats all.
    All in all it's just another pointless gimmick thats all!"
    Edited by TopKatt at 11/08/09 @ 10:47

  • des #39 3 years ago

    hahaha...does it work on water?

    Imagine big TV,swimming pool and grown men playing Zelda while riding that floating thingy...priceless

  • Stompy #40 3 years ago

    Post deleted at 23:13:35 17-04-2012

  • Stompy #41 3 years ago

    Post deleted at 23:13:35 17-04-2012

  • Darren #42 3 years ago

    For a console that was supposed to have a terrific all-purpose controller, the Wii sure does have an awful lot of peripherals... so many that I've lost count of how many there actually are.

    Kids will love this I suppose and I presume that is Nintendo's target audience here?
    Edited by Darren at 11/08/09 @ 11:11

  • Lim-Dul #43 3 years ago

    I have another great idea for a new Wii peripheral. The prototype is a Wiimote affixed to a Fleshlight with duct tape. Quick, I have to file a patent! ;-)
    Edited by Lim-Dul at 11/08/09 @ 11:11

  • RexRunti #44 3 years ago

    Still more sensible than the vitality sensor.

  • JahB #45 3 years ago

    Combined with the awesome power of the Wii Vitality Sensor and Wii Motion Plus this will change the face of gaming forever.

  • aine #46 3 years ago

    Sounds alright to me. Could well be entertaining, depending on how the games pan out. There really are some miserable joyless bastards on this site.

  • FireMonkey #47 3 years ago

    @Mkwone - I agree they are moving away from the roots, but then why shouldn't they when sticking to the roots will actually make them less money.

    I do wish Nintendo would actually start making some good games for us too though rather than forgetting about us.

  • back2funk #48 3 years ago

    I already have something inflatable that has a 'pocket' which should be a snug fit for the Wiimote.... can I just use that instead?

  • RedPanda #49 3 years ago

    Post deleted at 14:31:59 28-01-2012

  • JammyPez #50 3 years ago

    This is clearly the toilet simulator.

    Nintendo WII! LOL!

    Ahem.

  • canIdoyabombsforya #51 3 years ago

    Ok for kids.
    /but real men spend £200 - £1000 on metal and vinyl 'Playseats'

  • StooMonster #52 3 years ago

    Like the Wii Balance Board before it, they'll have to make an extra tough one for UK and US that can handle all the fat kids sitting on it.

  • Daryoon #53 3 years ago

    I'm loving the comments here. Why DO people take video games so seriously?

    This sounds like something you'd get in an arcade. I remember when video games were all about capturing the "arcade experience". Again - why do people take them so seriously these days? You all afraid of looking like a twat in front of your blokey mates when you come back from the pub or something?!

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #54 3 years ago

    Why the hell are they trying to push a heart rate monitor on us, when they're sitting on this SOLID GOLD idea?

    ... although it does look a little like a sybian ( Wikipedia link not entirely safe for work)
    Edited by MENTAL1ST at 11/08/09 @ 14:01

  • Canyarion #55 3 years ago

    I hope it's fake.

    I ride horse in real life... and this has nothing to do with how you control a horse.

    I'd love motion controls in a Zelda game. But it would have to work with the nunchuck only. Angle it to the left and right to steer. Pull it back to slow down or stop. Give it a shake to go faster (not very realistic, but the best option).

  • smelly #56 3 years ago

    First impressions are "sounds mental, nintendo are crazy - but no doubt it'd be fun.. wonder if it has anything to do with the pulse sensor thingy?

    Quote : "With every accessory nintendo think of, they move further and further away from real gaming. "

    And there was me thinking that "gaming" was supposed to be .. you know.. fun?!?

    Heaven forbid peope have fun while playing games.. "Real gaming" means just playing to follow some convoluted boring story i s'pose

  • LudusSolers #57 3 years ago

    /facepalms

    At least the trance vibrator was more discreet...

  • smelly #58 3 years ago

    >I ride horse in real life... and this has nothing to do with how you control a horse.


    I play real guitar, and guitar hero is NOTHING like it.. doesnt stop it being fun though... SEEE?


    >"I don't know what you're all complaining about. There's nothing wrong with a grown man bouncing about on an inflatable toy i tells you. "


    And there's nothing wrong with grown men having fun playing with toys (Which ALL games machine are by their very definition). When you play your "ever so grownup" fps games.. it's not really that far and away from running around with a stick shouting "dakka dakka dakka" with your mates.

  • smelly #59 3 years ago

    Ah.. didnt realise there were images.

    Looks to me like an early patent for what turned out to be the balance board.

    They said early designs had the wiimote built in.

  • smelly #60 3 years ago

    "Well, toys aren't necessarily games. Games have rules. Toys are just things. It depends on the implementation, as with everything. "

    Yeah.. but we had rules when i was running around with a stick as a kid. If I pointed stick at you and said "dakka dakka dakka - you're dead" then that kid laid down. Last kid "alive" won... That's all multiplayer fps games are really. Many people will hate me for saying that, but its true - But that's NOT a bad thing. After all gaming SHOULD be fun. That's the whole poitn surely?


    "And I bet this is a Nintenponies thing. Move along. "

    My money is still on this being an early balance board patent. Look at it! It's something you sit on which recognises where you're putting your weight. Change that into a "standing" device and you have the balance board (Which also works with you sat on it)




  • Alterego-X #61 3 years ago

    "Well, toys aren't necessarily games. Games have rules. Toys are just things. It depends on the implementation, as with everything. "


    Toys are the hardware, and the set of rules are the "game".
    Ball=toy
    soccer=game

    waterguns=toys
    cops & robbers=game

    Monopoly=toy
    Playing Monopoly=playing a game
    consoles&peripherals=toys
    software=games
    Edited by Alterego-X at 11/08/09 @ 17:04

  • Sharzam #62 3 years ago

    "Two years ago this would have been an April Fools joke. Now it is just really really fucking tragic. "

    Yeah scary isnt it. you just cant make this stuff up, i love how the vitality sensor was basically laughed at and nitendos responce was people didnt get the touch, waggle etc so trust us we know what we do. then they come up with inflatables.

  • cawley1 #63 3 years ago

    I know everyone on here seems to be about 20 these days, but back in the late 80's, I remember there was an inflateable motorbike released in Japan, maybe for a PC Engine racing game (could also have been Hang On), the pics were in C+VG, or Mean Machines.
    So it has been done before, and there was little fuss about it then...

  • BartonFink #64 3 years ago

    Wow just wow, they really have finally lost the plot

    Nontendolol

  • electrolite #65 3 years ago

    @beemoh. Cheers, that's it

  • IronCladChicken #66 3 years ago

    I've still got a Surfchamp surfboard for the speccy hidden away in the attic...

  • aine #67 3 years ago

    @cawley1 - yeah, it was for the Famicom IIRC, can't for the life of me remember what it was called.

  • BabyJesus #68 3 years ago

    Console makers are patent crazy this gen...

  • grussbarbar #69 3 years ago

    I really don't see what all the fuss is about. This should be a step up from the Balance Board for it's intended purposes and everything that increases realism (somewhat) is good. And yes, this is a lot like you would find in arcades and it would be fun there too.

    Besides, if not for adults, you can count on this thing at least providing kids with fun and there's nothing wrong with that. Or are we all so selfish and egocentric that we like Nintendo to provide fun for us only and hate on them for bringing more fun to kids?