Is this $20 worth of fun?

If you live in North America, you'll be pleased to know that Wii MotionPlus and Wii Sports Resort have finally been given release dates. Dates? Plural? Correct.

Wii MotionPlus has been dated for June 8, 2009 and will carry a MSRP of $19.99, and just a little over a month later on July 26, 2009, you'll be able to purchase a Wii Sports Resort bundle which includes the MotionPlus accessory for $49.99. Odds are that you will want more than one of these bad boys anyway, so it's nice to see that Nintendo is releasing MotionPlus separately as well.

Wii Sports Resort takes the inclusive, fun and intuitive controls of the original Wii Sports to the next level, introducing a whole new set of entertaining and physically immersive activities. With the deep control enhancements of Wii MotionPlus, veteran Wii users and newcomers alike can enjoy unprecedented gaming precision as they cruise on a water scooter, duel with swords, throw a Frisbee® and much more.

One might be curious as to why Wii MotionPlus is being released a month before the Wii Sports Resort bundle, but that answer is simple. On June 16, a little over a week after MotionPlus's release, EA will be releasing two games that take full advantage of MotionPlus - Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2010, and Grand Slam Tennis.

"Wii MotionPlus represents a new evolution in video game control. The variety of fun games in Wii Sports Resort show off its incredible precision," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "Developers around the world are busy working on new ways to incorporate Wii MotionPlus controls into inventive experiences for consumers."

[source press.nintendo.com]