Rumorang: Microsoft toying with motion-sensitive controller

[TTR Dr Payne]

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/28/ru...ve-controller/

Rumorang: Microsoft toying with motion-sensitive controller

96 Comments by Christopher Grant Dec 28th 2007 7:20PM
Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Peripherals



After an erroneous rumor concerning an Xbox 360 motion-sensing controller prototype made the internet rounds yesterday (turns out it was a known Wiimote prototype), the folks at TeamXbox claim to know a little something something and – after said rumor made waves – felt compelled to share with us a little early. They said, "TeamXbox.com can confirm that Microsoft has been researching alternative input technologies for the last two years" including motion-sensing technology ala the Wiimote or Sixaxis.

They also note that Microsoft is specifically looking to improve the right-analog stick (request to MS: fix the D-pad while you're at it), and TeamXbox will "bring you a real list of next-generation Xbox controller prototypes soon." We skipped the previous rumor but since TeamXbox is putting their neck out on this one, we're inclined to give it a little more weight. We'll know if they're right soon enough.

[paintba||er]

Ugh...I hope this is false.

[TTR Dr Payne]

I fully 100% believe M$ are toying with motion sensor controllers, but i do not believe they are toying with them for the XBOX 360. I think they are toying with them for the next XBOX and or PC's.

[Player911]

Yea I think the technology would be a waste on the 360. The most would happen is we would get a few crappy games that support it and it would die. Doing this would only fuel the Sony Fanboy rants, even their own console suffers from the same thing.

[paintba||er]

Ya, but I hope its not in their next console either. I'm not buying another Wii like console.

[IllBashU]

wii is awsome! i love madden on it... shooters also work great....

btw if they are going to make a motion sensor controller then they should make it fully motion sensor and not like the 6 axes because 6 axes sucks ass...

btw2 whats wrong with the right analog stick?

[paintba||er]

No, shooters on the Wii suck ass. The controls always ruin them, and any hardcore shooter fan will know that an analog stick is much better. Besides, there aren't any good shooters on the Wii besides Metroid, but that is more of an adventure game.

It is a SixAxis, not axes....dumbshit. Plus I'm not sure what you mean by "fully motion sensor". The SixAxis is pretty good for being in a standard gamepad. Its not like they could put a pointing device or something in it, because it would be really awkward and unnatural to point a gamepad around...

I'm guessing that they are referring to replacing the right analog stick with a pointing device, which would completely suck ass.

[TTR Dr Payne]

Microsoft Cooking Up an Enhanced Xbox 360 Controller?
By: César A. Berardini - "Cesar" Share This ArticleDec. 28th, 2007 12:02 am I should not have been talking about this until next year, but a story of a motion sensing add-on for the Xbox 360 controller forced me to interrupt my holiday break. First, let me tell you that the image floating around with supposed prototypes of a motion sensing Xbox 360 controller is FAKE.

The image in question, which you can see below, was taken from a Gizmodo article that showed the many prototypes Gyration and Bridge Design pitched to Nintendo in 2001; prototypes that eventually gave birth to the Wii controller.

TeamXbox.com can confirm that Microsoft has been researching alternative input technologies for the last two years, including vision-based recognition such as the one used on Xbox Live Vision, as well as motion sensing technologies similar to those seen in the Microsoft Freestyle Pro and the PlayStation 3 SIXAXIS.

Particularly, Microsoft has looked at ways to improve the right analog stick input and you’ll hear more about those efforts soon.



In the long run, there’s more than a first-party tilt mod in the works and TeamXbox.com will bring you a real list of next-generation Xbox controller prototypes soon.