On walls around me hung a Wii bowling ball controller attachment, a Wii pool cue, Wii pom poms, and more.

Who makes this stuff? Two amiable Orthodox Jewish brothers — black pants, white shirts, beards, and an offer to their guest of some kosher pastries — sat across from me, cheerful about what they've built and the amazing gizmos surrounding us.

I was at the second floor offices of CTA Digital, a block from where Brooklyn, New York touches the East River, in a short, aged office building, up an elevator painted with an old yellow floor ad for Domino sugar. I was in the spotless show room where Leo and Sol Markowitz's line of sometimes-ridiculous, sometimes-useful — and apparently hot-selling — attachments for the Wii and other electronics line the walls. (See their offerings online, then imagine that a lot of that is hanging on the walls of one room that's also big enough for a couple of couches and a big-screen TV.)

The brothers Markowitz are some of the guys who saw in the Wii not just a gamer revolution but a chance to make money selling people things to attach to their Wii remote.

And 200,000 units of their Wii bowling ball controller sold worldwide later, they say, they were pleased to be surrounded by the plastic products of that opportunity.

"We smelled it right away," Leo told me, recalling his first sensations of the Wii's imminent success.

The Wii peripheral market is big and, despite other industry slumps, growing. Of the 58.4 million gaming peripherals sold so far this year in the United States, the NPD group reports that 18.4 million of those are for the Wii. That's up a million from the same date last year.

So even though Sol, an avowed Kotaku reader, playfully cut his brother off early in our meeting about Wii add-ons to remind him that "real gamers don't like the Wii," enough people do like these attachments. They like the tennis rackets and the baseball bats, the imitation light sabers and shotguns. Maybe not the pom-poms — a weak seller — but people like buying Wii peripherals and business is no joke at all. It's good.

CTA has more than 30 employees, a warehouse in upstate New York and design and development teams in Asia. Maybe most importantly, Leo noted, "We have five people who think of things to make 24-7."

They think of things like... the bowling ball. "Why wouldn't you buy it?" Leo said to me, when I ask him what the point is. I argued that people had been Wii-bowling with no ball-shaped shell around their controller just fine.

It makes the game fun for plenty of people, Sol said. "It makes it more exciting." He knows that "real gamers" won't care as much.

This bowling ball was a dream project, a year in the making and spurred by research that showed them that Wii Sports bowling is the most popular activity on Nintendo's console.

"We all knew that whoever comes out with bowling, it's going to be huge," Leo recalled.

Those CTA engineers got to work, trying to craft a bowling ball something-or-other that could fit around a Wii Remote. They didn't want people to chuck a bowling ball controller through their TV, so they tried to design a bowling ball shell that wouldn't function if you didn't wear the shell's wrist strap. Couldn't get it to work right, Sol said. They settled on a design that has two wrist straps and  is sealed with a sticker that must be broken in order to first encase a Wii remote in it. You rip that, you assume the risks.

The bowling ball's good, though it's holes are positioned only for right-handed bowlers. An ambidextrous design hadn't worked. But have no fear, fellow southpaws. "We probably will get into the left-handed business," Leo told me.

I met with the Markowitz men and a helpful colleague for over an hour. Leo repeatedly bounded from his seat on a couch across from me to grab secret prototype after secret prototype of CTA gaming add-ons that will make the bowling ball seem pedestrian. They're secret still, but they're wild.

CTA's been in this business for 16 years, Sol explained. They started with cell-phone add-ons, then moved on to iPod attachments. Now they do gaming add-ons too, like PlayStation 3 chat pads, Xbox 360 cooling devices and iPhone steering wheels. The Wii's been the big one for them lately, and gaming's up to a quarter of their business, though they won't say how much money CTA makes. They sell their attachments worldwide, to electronics stores that once ignored them or shunned gaming.

They say that even Bed Bath & Beyond is on board now. The brothers recalled that the retailer — not exactly a gaming powerhouse — consented last Christmas season to trying to sell 30,000 of CTA's Wii add-ons, simple things like controller charge stations, and sold almost all of them. The retailer asked for more — asked for the top sellers, even. So, the brothers told Kotaku, CTA has sold Beth Bath & Beyond Wii Sports kits to sell and even a Wii controller shotgun. No word if it's sold next to shower curtains.

Leo showed me a smart one: A belt and holster designed to hold a Wii Remote for users of Wii Fit. He rightly pointed out that the game requires players to use the Remote to start their exercising but then forces them to either put it down or needlessly hold it as they work out on the Wii Balance Board. The holster holds the Remote, freeing the user's hands. And it swivels, letting someone point the Remote to navigate menus without having to un-holster it. That seemed to address a Wii Fit user interface issue.

I asked the brothers if they saw themselves as being in the problem-solving business, the fun business or — gesturing to the Wii Music Kit that lets you embed the Wii remote into shells shaped like a violin, a trumpet, a dog paw — the novelty business.

"We see what the problem is [with a game] and figure out what we can make for it," Leo began.

"We are in the fun business," Sol cut in.

Leo laughed. "We're in the business to sell and make money."

CTA's bowling ball controller may make the company stand out, but they are not the only creators of imaginative Wii add-ons. Mad Catz makes controller shells shaped like Ubisoft's Rabbids characters. Nyko director of marketing Chris Arbogast told Kotaku that one of his company's most creative Wii add-ons was going to be their Party Station: "a combination charging station / beverage container / chip bowl." It's not coming out. "Although it generated a lot of buzz and consumer response, it was not cost effective to produce and was tabled."

Arbogast noted that some of the more imaginative controllers, while fun or aesthetically pleasing don't fit his company's strategy. "We decided on particular accessories that allowed us to incorporate new technology or offer features that were not previously available, like button relocation on our Action Pak pistol grip or rumble in our Kama." Their next big product is their new Charge Base IC.

CTA is well aware that some of this wilder stuff doesn't work. The Wii Music kit has been a slow seller, not helped by relatively slow sales of the Wii Music.

The brothers seem undeterred. They say that their new Wii Sports Resort kit, which includes a bow-and-arrow add-on, a Jet-Ski-style handlebar and even a frisbee shell, is selling great.

And don't worry, those of you who might feel you're too cool for these kinds of attachments. Leo and Sol are making some products for you in mind too. Just wait. Brooklyn's keeping busy.

The US$25 price isn't outrageous at all, but surely you can look like a goober for less!

Nyko's DSi Zoom Case is A Little Bit On The Ridiculous Side (but I still want one) [Albotas]

Mark over at Gizmodo has spent some quality time with three devices - the official Wii Remote, along with Nyko & Mad Catz's offerings - and after putting all three through their paces, shares his thoughts.

At the end of the day, the Wii Remote emerges as the device with the best performance. Not surprising. Yet it's worth considering that both competing devices are not only cheaper (Nyko's Wand is $35 while the Mad Catz Wireless Remote is $30), but aren't as shoddy as you'd expect, with only some IR issues on both remotes really holding them back.

Battlemodo: The Wiimote vs. The Cheap Knockoffs [Gizmodo]

Announced at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year, Nyko's Wand is a replacement for the standard Wii remote that uses electronic triggers instead of mechanical ones to transmit data to attached devices. What exactly does that mean? It means your nunchuck can rumble.

The Wired Kama is a wired version of Nyko's wireless nunchuck controller which, unlike the standard Nintendo nunchuck, can vibrate along with the Wand in games that support vibration feedback. It's only a small difference from the shipping standard, but as Sony's original Sixaxis controller for the PlayStation 3 taught us, a little rumble goes a long way.

Along with the Wired Kama, Nyko has also announced the Pistol Grip, a light gun controller for the Wand that forgoes the clunky mechanical parts of the Wii Zapper accessory in favor of electronics that map the trigger and hammer of the gun to the Wand's A and B buttons, which should result in a more solid light-gun experience, for those of you looking for such.

Both the Wired Kama and the Pistol Grip will ship packed in with the Nyko Wand in June of this year, with a suggested retail price of $49.99. Not a bad price to pay for a little innovation.

Nyko's The Wand is a Wii remote alternative that features the company's all new Trans-Port technology. While current attachments to your standard Wii remote use mechanical triggers, and therefor cannot vibrate, The Wand can carry over electrical signals as well, meaning that peripherals attached can enjoy a whole-new level of control. In the gallery below you can see a pistol grip attachment they use as an example of the technology, which uses electrical signals to replicate key action buttons on the remote. Interesting.

Can't say I care for the color-scheme, which they've carried over from the recently released wireless classic controller, but functionally it sounds like a winner. The Wand should be hitting stores this April. Check out the press release below for Nyko's full CES line up! CES 2009: Nyko Technologies Unveils Full CES Product Lineup

The Wand, Charge Station EX and Kama Charge Kit Make Their Debut

LOS ANGELES - Jan. 8, 2009

The premier videogame accessories manufacturer, Nyko Technologies®, today debuted its full lineup of new products at the Consumer Electronics Show 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. In addition to the previously announced Metal Pedal™ and Charge Station™ Quad, the following lineup of brand new videogame accessories for the Nintendo® Wii™ will be on display for an exclusive hands-on demo:

The Wand™

The Nyko Wand is the world’s most advanced alternative to the Wii Remote™ and has been designed from the ground up for superior functionality, comfort, and value. The new controller maintains all of the control functions Wii gamers expect with full motion-sensing capability, pointer functionality, vibration feedback, and a built-in speaker, while offering a variety of new features.

The Wand contains Nyko’s all-new Trans-Port™ technology, which enables control and vibration feedback to be electrically replicated on a compatible attachment accessory, providing for faster and more accurate input response. Current attachments made for the Wii Remote can only access buttons through use of mechanical triggers and provide no vibration feedback. One of the many potential uses of Trans-Port technology is a pistol grip that connects to the Wand and electrically replicates key action buttons, providing controls not currently accessible with attachments for the Wii Remote. In addition, enlarged 1 and 2 buttons make the Wand an exceptional choice for classic gaming control when turned sideways, complete with Nyko’s signature rubberized battery cover to ensure maximum comfort and grip.

The Wand will be available at select retail stores nationwide in April, 2009.

Charge Station™ EX

The Charge Station EX is the latest iteration of North America’s best-selling third party videogame accessory, the Charge Station™ for Wii. Also a 2-port Wii Remote charging and storage solution, the Charge Station EX adds LED battery level indicators to the front of the device and a new sleek look. Now users will be able to determine not only when a controller is charging but also the charge level of the battery based on the LED indicators.

The Charge Station™ EX will be available at stores nationwide in April, 2009 and will retail for an MSRP of $34.99.

Kama Charge Kit™

The Kama Charge Kit is an all-in-one charging solution for the Wii. The device simultaneously stores and charges both the Wii Remote™ and the Kama controllers in one convenient unit. Included with the Kama Charge Kit is a Kama Wireless Controller, a rechargeable battery pack, and a rubberized battery cover for both the Wii Remote and Kama controllers to allow for seamless drop-in charging.

The Kama Charge Kit will be available at stores nationwide in April, 2009.

For those who are attending CES and would like to personally visit with Nyko for a hands-on demo of the new accessories in their hospitality suite, please contact Quinn Wageman at the following email address to schedule an appointment: quinn@triplepointpr.com

For more information on these and other Nyko products, please visit: www.nyko.com.

Back in June, Nintendo filed a lawsuit against Nyko claiming that their Kama wireless controller "wholly appropriates the novel shape, design, overall appearance and even the color and materials used in the Nintendo Nunchuk controller".

Nyko was quick to respond with an imagined shrug and some head-scratching, saying ""We have not knowingly violated anyone's intellectual property and we're still examining this."

Today the two companies say they've worked out a deal (read royalty checks) and that Nyko is redesigning their controller.

“We are pleased to have resolved this dispute,” said Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime. “The Nunchuk and Wii brands are familiar to consumers worldwide, and Nintendo is dedicated to vigorous defense of those brands.”

“Nyko Technologies is proud to be an industry leader in gaming accessories,” said Herschel Naghi, CEO of Nyko, “and we will continue to develop exciting products for the benefit of the gaming community.”

The Wing features gobs of buttons and up to 10-feet of wireless connectivity via a dongle you plug into the botton of your Wii Remote. The Wing also lets you use rechargeable AAA batteries which can be charged through the Wing's mini USB port.

“The Wing is a great example of what we at Nyko aim to do: improve the gamer’s experience with a quality made product”, said Chris Arbogast, Director of Marketing at Nyko Technologies. “There have been very few options for classic gaming control designed specifically for the Wii until now, and the Wing provides a comfortable and affordable wireless alternative that fans of Virtual Console games will enjoy using.”

The controller sells for $30.

But if I hadn’t gotten booted, maybe I would’ve been able to make this...

Look like this:

That right there is a papercraft version of the new Wing controller for the Wii, made by Nyko. Normally, I wouldn’t blog about third-party controllers – but I was lured to this press event by the residual guilt I feel at being cast out of arts and crafts all those years ago, and by the promise of hands-on with Mega Man 9.

Well, Nyko delivered. I got my time with Mega Man 9, although it was the same build Capcom demoed at E3 (where they were caught on live feed by IGN, epically failing at their own game, apparently). And I also got to try out their new controller – which syncs with your Wii mote to take the place of that itsy-bitsy Classic Controller.

I wasn’t too impressed with Mega Man 9 – but that’s just because I hate dying over and over again until I learn something. As evidenced by getting kicked out of arts and crafts, I hate learning.

But I do dig the retro graphics and I’m really looking forward to the evil robot chick. It’s about time Mega Man had some gender equality in the villain lineup. According to Capcom PR dude Tim Ng, there were going to be two female robot villains – but the second girl was scrapped because the developers didn’t want fans to feel like the series was changing too much. (Oooh, scary! Two grils!)

Something that needed to change, though, was that Classic Controller. It’s just too damned retro. We didn’t like the SNES controllers all that much to begin with (which is why they evolved into N64 controllers), so why shove a throwback down our throats when we want to play retro games?

The Wing is out this October and look for Mega Man 9 this month.

The thing when I demoed Wii Sport Resort I noticed that the controller was longer now and asked Nintendo if the charger would still work. Ask Nyko was their reply, so I did.

Unfortunately, it won't work, at least not while the Wii Motion Plus device is attached. The Nyko guys told me they were already looking at ways to solve the problem. They added that they believe the Wii Motion Plus attachment doesn't contain batteries, meaning it likely draws power from the Remote, which would likely reduce the battery life for the controller.

Bad news all around.

Somehow I don't think that's their natural hair color.

This little gadget plugs snugly into one of your PS3's USB ports, looking for all the world like it was meant to be there. The hub not only adds three more USB ports, bringing the total to either 4 or 6 depending on which system you own, but it also adds a card reader slot that handles both SD cards and Sony's own memory sticks.

Very nicely done, Nyko. A peripheral that people actually need that doesn't screw with the form factor of the system. The Nyko Media Hub should be in stores next month with an MSRP of $19.95.

NYKO Media Hub Announced for the PlayStation 3™
Details Surface on Upcoming Three Port USB Hub with Multi-Card Reader

LOS ANGELES - July 2, 2008

Nyko Technologies®, the premier gaming peripherals manufacturer, today revealed details for its upcoming Media Hub for the PlayStation 3™. The Media Hub easily attaches to the console, adding three additional USB ports and a media card reader slot that supports SD cards and Memory Sticks. Compatible with all PS3 models, the Media Hub matches the color and contour of the system to expand its media capabilities while maintaining a clean form factor.

The all-new Media Hub from Nyko attaches to any available USB port and enables the connection of three additional USB devices including flash drives, PSP, MP3 players and additional controllers. Its unique design requires no tools or internal modifications, draws its power directly from the PS3, and easily installs in just seconds.

“We found that many of our customers who had purchased the popular 40 GB version of the PS3, which has less USB ports and no media card reader, were looking for an affordable solution to expand with these features,” said Chris Arbogast, Director of Marketing at Nyko Technologies. “With the Media Hub, an additional three USB ports and a media card reader are now possible for all PS3 models, allowing consumers to enjoy the full capabilities of their multimedia system no matter which model they choose.”

Nyko’s Media Hub for PS3 is expected to hit store shelves by August 2008 for the suggested retail price of $19.99. Please visit www.nyko.com for more information.

Nintendo Sues Nyko Over Copies of Wii Nunchuk Remote [Bloomberg]

Zero PS3 [Nyko via Gaming Blog]

Nyko expects to ship the thing in February, carrying with it a $19.99 price tag. Press release, if you want it, after this.

Nyko Announces Cord-Free Wireless Adapter For Wii Nunchuk

New Adapter Offers Wireless Convenience for Wii Nunchuk Owners

LOS ANGELES - January 29, 2008 - Nyko Technologies ®, a premier peripherals manufacturer, today announced that they will release the Cord-Free wireless adapter for the Wii Nunchuk this February.

While the highly anticipated award winning Wireless Nunchuck for Wii is a brand-new standalone product, the Cord-Free wireless adapter for Wii Nunchuk differentiates from its sibling by converting your standard wired Nunchuk into a wireless peripheral. The adapter adds a convenient self-standing sleeve for the wired Nunchuk and a wireless signal dongle to the bottom of your Wii Remote. A small dongle provides lag-free wireless connection between your Wii Remote and Nunchuk and adds up to 15 feet of wireless range. The self-standing Nunchuk sleeve features a convenient compact cord management system keeping the existing Nunchuk cord organized and out of site. The Cord-Free wireless adapter for the Wii Nunchuk runs on two AAA batteries (included) and provides up to 60 hours of continuous gameplay.

"Nyko is dedicated to providing outstanding wireless solutions for Wii gamers," said Chris Arbogast, Marketing Director at Nyko Technologies. "We want to provide multiple options for those looking to untangle their Wii experience."

Nyko's Cord-Free wireless adapter for the Wii Nunchuk will be available at retailers nationwide for a suggested retail price of $19.99.

About Nyko Technologies, Inc.

Nyko Technologies ® develops, manufactures and markets innovative peripherals to enhance the digital lifestyle. The company's mission is to deliver products that solve problems and improve user experience for work and play. Nyko specializes in interactive entertainment, computing, consumer electronics, portable audio, as well as online and wireless technologies. The company has distribution through major U.S. and Canadian retailers, along with distributors worldwide. Founded in 1995, Nyko is headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif. Please go to www.nyko.com or call 1-888-444-6956 for more information.

I have no idea how it feels, but Nyko's Perfect Shot for the Wii remote certainly looks kick ass. My only issue is that I tend to forget about controllers that I have tucked away in elaborate cases, like the one still sitting dormant in my Guitar Hero controller.

Cnet has posted their the nominees for their annual best of CES Awards. The awards include a gaming category which lists, this time around, a wireless nunchuck from Nyko, Gateway's FX gaming desktops and that mammoth Alienware curved monitor everyone is going gaga over.

Hit the jump for the run down of the three gaming nominees and the link to see Cnet's full write up on the products and the entire Best of CES nominee list.

Nyko Wireless Nunchuck
The Nintendo Wii uses a wireless remote to begin with, but that remote still manages to use a cord half the time. Most Wii games use both the Wii Remote and the Wii Nunchuck, an analog stick peripheral that plugs into the base of the remote via a long cable. Nyko first cut the Wii cord with the Wireless Sensor Bar and is taking away yet another tether with the Wireless Nunchuck. The Nyko Wireless Nunchuck connects to the Wiimote via a little wireless dongle that clicks into the controller's accessory jack.

Gateway FX7020
Gateway bowed two new gaming desktops at the show today, the high-end FX540, and the more modest FX7020. The former is an update to Gateway's year-old customizable, semi-high-end Intel-based PCs. The FX7020 packages a quad-core AMD Phenom chip in to a relatively affordable $1,099 package. Gateway's FX7020 represents the type of PC we expect to see a lot of in 2008: the $1,000 to $1,500 gamer that finally has the graphics horsepower to handle the newest 3D PC games.

Alienware's Curved Display
Alienware put on what it termed a "technology statement" in Vegas tonight with the aptly named "curved display." That's its unofficial name. It also has no price yet, and no release date more specific than "second half of 2008." What we can tell you is that after the brief minute or so we spent with this monitor, we think high-end PC gamers are going to be excited for it. The specifics are that it's a rear-projection DLP screen that can run at a resolution of 2,880x900 pixels (wider than a 30-inch LCD, but not quite as tall).

Best of CES [Cnet]

I stopped by Nyko's CES suite this morning to try it out and walked away impressed, very much looking forward to the controller's March release date. Despite generally avoiding third-party accessories, Nyko's Frontman looks to do a serviceable job of addressing some of the issues inherent with Rock Band's default guitar controller. Fret buttons are more Guitar Hero-like, as is the strum switch which clicks instead of squishes like the official Rock Band ax.

For sixty bucks American, it might be the best option for those who have grown tired of waiting for an official solution or those who simply wish to whittle down their toy guitar collection. Unfortunately, though, for those who are wondering, the Frontman does not make any of the Guitar Hero games for the PlayStation 2 playable on the PlayStation 3.

Amazon [via cheapassgamer]

But the best part is, of course, the chip holder. Nyko told us that they were going to re-evaluate the design and increase the size (making it deeper and wider) to accommodate more chips. The amount in there is enough for one person, but as a party tray it's fairly under-stocked. But the idea is great.

There are LCD scoreboards (so you can keep track of which one of the four of you is winning), Wiimote holders, a drawer for Nunchucks, a fan (like the bowling alley) for sweaty gamers, four freezable soda cup holders (with built-in gels to maintain coldness), and a chip and dip holder for, obviously, chips and dip. We didn't eat any of their chips, because it was presumably sitting out all day getting poked at by sweaty journalists.

The soda holders were nice and solid, and has the gels on the inside so it keeps your soda cold for a while longer outside the fridge. The tray holds two Nunchucks, which is usually enough for most four-player games. The LCD scoreboard wrks by manually adding or subtracting a point depending on whoever won a game (works for every game, obviously). The fan's definitely a great touch for everyone who's throwing the Wiimote thanks to sweaty palm syndrome.

The current version's still just a prototype, but they plan to release a final version in the next couple months.

In addition to having the fantastic Wii Party Station, Nyko also had a bunch of other accessories for all three consoles. First, a wireless Xbox 360 Guitar Hero guitar, which is still in the prototype stage and may not even make it to market. Their wireless guitar may hit a whole three months sooner than the official Guitar Hero III wireless guitar, but there are a couple caveats. One, you need a wired controller to hook the whole thing up.

Instead of using the default Microsoft wireless controller scheme, which Microsoft's still being stingy about, Nyko's gone and made their own wireless scheme. It requires an adapter box (included), and a wired controller (it can be a regular controller or even a wired Guitar Hero guitar) to be plugged in while in use. The good news is that all the functions, including whammy and tilt star power actually works.

Nyko's still not sure on the price or whether they want to bring it to market at all, since the official controller will be wireless and won't have the limitation of requiring a wired controller.

Other accessories are the PlayStation 3 controller Nyko controller [photo], which has 6-directional motion sensing, and even a removable battery pack for external charging. It also charges via miniUSB, like the original SIXAXIS.

Then there's the Nyko Cooler for the Wii [photo], that attaches to the back of your Wii in order to add another fan for cooling. It's a passthrough design, like the Xbox 360's intercooler, which means it's going to be sucking some power away from the Wii. We saw how well this worked with the Xbox 360 (it bricked some), so this may or may not be a good idea. Hard to say now.

A more useful product, we think, is their classic controller attachment grip [photo]. This hooks to the classic controller and gives you a nice DualShock/SIXAXIS-like grip on each hand. It also has a place to attach your Wiimote on the back, and a cord wrapper so you can get that out of the way.

For the PS3, there's the IR remote and adapter [photo], which we talked about before, that allows you to either use this remote or universal remotes—most of which are IR and not Bluetooth—to control your Blu-ray and DVD movie playback.

Lastly, there are the Nintendo DS travel cases [photo], which comes with the case, car power adapter, two styluses, and what looks like a belt clip.