Alright, take this one with a huge grain of salt, but MTV News is reporting that Microsoft is secretly developing a Wiimote-like motion controller for the Xbox 360. The source says that the new unit has been under development since August, and that a new unified interface is being developed by Rare, which has missed a few deadlines. The idea is to match and exceed the capabilities of the Wiimote, so the controller reportedly features four face buttons, an analog stick, a microphone, and possibly integration with the Xbox Live Vision Camera. However, it doesn't seem like things are going all that smoothly -- the source says the project is a "colossal clusterf***," and that Microsoft is scrambling to figure out how to get the thing out by the end of the year. Interesting -- but several other major 360 developers wouldn't confirm anything, so until we hear something for real, interesting is about as far as it goes.
posted Apr 7th 2008 5:15PM
Wiimote Wipoff!
With the extreme popularity of games like COD4, Gears of War, etc. why does no one make a really sweet, duck-hunt-like rifle? Oh wait, I know ... because the sheeple would be upset because it looks like - oh noes - an GUN!
why would microsoft make this?!?! this is 100% copying wii. why would they want to be like wii? x-box is supposed to be beyond kiddish. like, aug...this is going to ruin the x-box's rep.
Wasn't Microsoft the ones that made fun of Nintendo for the Wiimote for months and months? Wow, go figure. This is just sad. I have an X360 and Wii. I already never play either console, and the X360 just sucks, even with this. If anything, this will make me hate the console even more for copying Nintendo.
P.S. The design looks to be 3rd party, not MS brand... but still.
Late April fools joke?
While technically it is a rip-off, Microsoft doing this is exactly what Nintendo wanted. If this is true, then Nintendo has created it's revolution and established itself as an important leader in innovation. No one will be able to Laugh at Nintendo for gimmicky gameplay anymore.
Score for Nintendo, and as long as they have Miyamoto they will never be in the negatives.
Microsoft: The Freedom to Innovate (TM)
I love the fact that unlike the WiiMote, the Xmote has a Microphone so other XBOX players will hear it slip from your hands and the crash it makes when it jams it's self into your tv screen. Then everyone will truly know what kind of noob you really are.
more buttons makes it better. No support from microsoft once you take it home though.
Patents...
Whats to patent about a controller with motion sensor anymore?
If anyone would have such a patent, it would be Microsoft.. anyone remembers the Sidewinder Freestyle Pro? It's from freakin 1998... Not on the same level as the Wii mote is, but they had it none the less plus it was like, you know, 10 years ago..
You got to be kidding me..
This is a horrible, horrible idea.
"ok... it's a Jump to Conclusions mat!"
"that's the worst idea I've ever heard, Tom"
"yes, yes. it is horrible."
Really read this for a moment... really, REALLY read this...
*Microsoft working on 360 Wiimote-killer?*
Now that you've thought it over, you can call it a horrible idea without "jumping to conclusions." Because it is a horrible idea (and I bet will never happen).
"Microsoft States They Refuse To Design New Hardware With AutoCad; Uses Proprietary MSPaint Instead"
Lol! I predict Highest Ranked! :D
This is the second post that you have become an oxymoron!
"In Other News, Lowest Rank Refuses to Change Name"
@Esat Dedezade:
I got sick of being a regular moron.
I wonder what this would be used for? Wii like 360 games? That would be pretty sweet actually, motion sensing + hd graphics + live.
What I would like to see is this integrated with halo. It would be interesting to see how it would work.
What a horrifying experience.
If they designed a Wiimote-esque controller for FPS games like Halo, and had the nunchuk-like dingle-berry attached to it, then how do you pick up your beer for a quick sip while waiting to respawn?
The answer is simply: no.
Have you played any shooters on the wii? as far as I'm concerned they really suck. Why? because all you ever get is headshots, it makes it easy as pie. Sucks the challenge and fun out of the shooter.
Why not add one? I have been wondering that for months.
Seems simple to incorporate and this would essentially allow the 360 to 1up the Wii since you could get the same controls with greatly improved graphics.
Little reason to buy Wii since both systems are priced close to one another.
...They would have to get the games that make the Wii such an awesomely fun social party game....
On the one hand, it would probably be possible to add a sensor bar and new "360 ROD" controller.
On the other hand, you would then have two totally different control schemes for developers to support. The likely result would be that few games would support the 360 ROD, except for games written expressly to use it.
Ballpark adoption for an aftermarket item like this is usually 10% at best.
It's been pretty obvious that Microsoft is unhappy with the 360. It has exclusive games with an asterisk. If you eliminate the games on PC or PS3, the 360 has a terrible lineup, and if you look to the end of 2008, it's dreadful in comparison. Also, teh 360 is fundamentally unreliable, though they have made things better with a huge heatsink, the 360 will never be 'right' without an expensive redesign. MS fired every shot they had at the PS3, and did a ton of damage, but the PS3 is recovering, building momentum, etc.
For those reasons, it would make a lot of sense to jump the gun again, and release a new XBOX, abandon current xbox owners, again of course, and come up with a reliable, motion controlled, hard drive, hd optical, far superior to PS3 graphically, etc etc system. That's what MS is doing. They always do this. with Office, the Zune, Windows, the old XBOX. MS knows they can outlast the negative ill will they will create.
Sucks to be me, a 360 owner who expects to see his 360 collect as much dust as is on his still fairly new XBOX 1.0 while my PS3 gets plenty of new stuff.
@Jimbo: That could be the worst post ever on Engadget.
"...They would have to get the games that make the Wii such an awesomely fun social party game...."
Scene it! Lights! Camera! Action!
Viva Pinata Party Animals
Rock Band
Guitar Hero 3
TMNT 1989 arcade.
All the games that usually come out at my house, instead of Wii games. And my friends and I Always have a damn good time.... also known as... FUN! Whups, I keep forgetting Nintendo owns that term now.
The new definition. "Lacking quality, but is still defended by the mass nintendo fanboys"
Guitar Hero is already out for the Wii, and Rock Band is coming.
Please, no.. I just want a regular controller, Microsoft.
@Lowest Ranked
I am sure all your posts are going to be "Highest Ranked"...
:D
April Fools was last Tuesday.
If you get your gaming news from MTV, then I think you deserve to get tricked more often than once a year.
Dear Engadget - in the graphic representation of the XBox Wiimote - please change the words 'Analog Controller' to 'RROD'.
Obviously Microsoft mislabeled the thing.
Thank you.
I should have stopped reading as soon as I saw your avatar.
Go play brick attack on your Ipod.
Sorry for pointing out Microsoft hasn't made a 'quality' hardware product...ever.
Wont happen again.
Really? Pretty sure my Zune (both of them, 30 and 80) have outlasted any iPod Classic/Video my friends have owned so far, not to mention many other's.
@Zeus,
Like Windows, right?
Point: Zeus. Ill give you that one for sure. The Zune is surprisingly well built.
*sniff* *sniff*
Did someone say Zune?
"Pretty sure my Zune (both of them, 30 and 80) have outlasted any iPod Classic/Video my friends have owned so far, not to mention many other's."
@ Zeus
Are you *seriously* going to brag about the durability of your Zune 80 that was released a whopping FIVE MONTHS AGO???
And are you *seriously* going to imply that your friends' iPods haven't been surviving to the 5-month mark?
Puh-lease. Hey, at least you've mastered the Microsoft FUD thing.
Some Zune owners are truly desperate for legitimacy.
P.S. My 3rd gen iPod I bought 5 years ago is still running like a champ. It's a tank that will not die. Sorry to interrupt your fantasy with a bit of actual fact...
Argh... Stupid reply comment system, thought it was fixed -_-...
I'm sorry; I have failed you.
They have one my cousin have some kind of Movie quiz game called Scene-it that come with 4 wireless controllers and a IR reciever
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/s/sceneitlightscameraaction/
April Fools?
Remember the good ol' days, when companies used to come up with their own ideas? ::sigh::
Give me your address.
Im going to send you a printout of this report and a grain of salt.
As for me, there is nothing wrong with copying.
Thanks God, all cars have literally the same controls. What it would be if you had to get a driver license for every other /original/ model of car?
Give me your address.
Im going to send you a printout of this report and a grain of salt.
Give me your address.
Im going to send you a printout of this report and a grain of salt.
Oh c'mon, There are Original ideas all the time. Look at how nintendo is doing their own original approach to online gaming. And Sony is doing their own original idea as far as console pricing. Microsoft is totally original as far as hardware quality goes. And the PC, doing it's own thang with anti-piracy measures.
I mean, look how well we're doing without companies taking ideas from others who've done something sucessful.
It's interesting to see the design there, and talk of Vision intergration, because this was just how I hypothesised the Wii remote working when I first heard about it. You use 4 different coloured (wavelength) IR LEDs in the end of the remote, to make the different remotes distinguishable, and then use two digital cameras (which can already see into the IR) to triangulate the positions of the remotes in space. Then you just use the tilt sensors to figure out where the controller is pointing.
As it turns out, Nintendo did things the other way around - a pair of LEDs, one digital camera in each remote, and measuring backwards - apparently to improve accuracy of the pointer function. However there's nothing to stop MS or Sony going for the "backwards" approach.
Incidentally, Sony have a patent on an Eyetoy IR wand controller which uses different-coloured LEDs to both point out areas in space and indicate what buttons are being pressed on the controller. If this is a real MS product, then Sony could well kick Microsoft's arses in the patent courts.
I should correct myself there - the EyeToy thing doesn't use IR LEDs, just normal visible-wavelength ones.
I don't understand why they would use IR to indicate the button presses when the much faster, more reliable wireless radio is available.
IR Leds are usually quite visible with CMOSes found in webcams and such, so I don't see why they couldn't use an IR LED & Live cam to track the remote in reverse.
Not that any of this is going to happen, ever.
Well, for the Wii-style thing, you only need to use IR as an optical indicaiton of location, not as an information transfer system. For the EyeToy thing there was a strong emphasis on making it a cheap, dumb plastic device which doesn't communicate with the home console except through the webcam.
more Microsoft 'innovation'?
In development since August? We won't be seeing this one for a long while.
I really hope they aren't planning to compete directly with the Wii...they're going about it the wrong way.
The Wiimote is a small part of the Wii's success. The Wii is primarly successful not because of its controller, but because of the whole gaming experience they are trying to create, which is a simple, easy to use, system designed for families and friends to play games together (but can be enjoyed solo).
The Wiimote is part of the simplicity. Motion-sensing and an unintimidating design make it easier and more inviting to use. (which this is contradicting by adding buttons)
Then the range of titles are overwhelmingly multiplayer-friendly and family-friendly.
Finally, the marketing. They are marketing it to a very broad audience, and have generated a lot of hype and buzz to get people interested (taking notes from Apple I suppose).
So the 360 is not going to become massively populer from a Wiimote clone...they're going to have to hit the other points to get there. In all honesty they would probably have to market it as a new system, as it's likely many people have already made judgements about the Xbox name.
"developed by Rare, which has missed a few deadlines."
Bwahahaha!
God, in hindsight, Nintendo's selling of Rare looks like the smartest move in videogames history, doesn't it? These guys have been the most colossal screwups in videogames over the last decade or two.
No no, wait. There's 3D Realms. My bad.
Seriously Engadget? You would post something you found on MTV news regarding something this far fetched?
On a related note when is MTV going to change to EBM, Everything But Music?
Probably never, seeing as real music ceased to exist a long while back.
I totally want games like bowling for my 360. Wait. No I don't.
I love the term "colossal clusterf*ck"
MTV news? Really. Stop believing right there.
But are they going to segregate their installed base even more? It's already divided by multiple configurations...
yeah playing a FPS on that will be just like on PSP ha
yay, something else for the 360 that can break. maybe M$ will actually release a product that is polished BEFORE we buy it? that would be cool. my 360 has been in for repair 6 times.
Any type of 'gun' controller would be annoying because no matter what it looks like, you are supposed to pretend like its an assualt rifle, sniper, rocket launcher, chainsaw gun and pistol? Yea right. Those guns were fine for duck hunt but weapons and game play have changed.
Looks like someone drew this in MS Paint.
....and xbox fanboys said that sony's a copy cat....lol.....look whos talking now
If true, why would anyone be surprised with MS coming out with such a product? Isn't Microsoft the very antithesis of all things innovative? Nothing surprising about this at all.
This is such bs i cant even believe it, common, MS is having such problems with the portable stuff, that the thought of them actually being able to come up with a wireless wiimote thing, thats just crossing the line. I mean come on, why cant u think of your own shit MS? make some cool kinda virtual reality or somthing, since there never be the best at wireless like wii, or portable like well nintendo i guess, even though if a portable xbox ever comes out ill be first in line to buy the SOB. Anyhows, contrary to what others might think, i believe that MS is just trying to distract everyone from the Portable problem with rumors of the dam wii slayer or whatever the hell there gonna call this stuff.
A lawsuit is the first calling of this patents future no doubt...
Woot MS gettin a lawsuit, thats not gona be new or anything, there so god dam rich though it wont do shit. All it will do is piss off MS and we will feel there immortal wrath through the internet. I really wish that MS would please for the sake of themselves and everyone around them, STOP COPYING PEOPLE!! what is so hard about comin out with your owns shit, honestly, cant wait for the new article in this website to be "Nintendo and Sony suing Microsoft for multiple patent blah blah blah".
They already have a new system out there that has bluray, motion sensing and a hard drive. Its called the ps3. Sorry guys in Redmond but I think its time you seriously start thinking about a new system. And soon before you alienate any more customers to the Sony Camp.
The motion sensing in the PS3 is really not the same sort of thing, it's a gimmick at best. It's a regular shamed controller, the most you can really do is shake or push in a direction, maybe steer. With the Wii (and admittedly this thing, maybe) you can lean, zoom a scope, swing a sword, and aim properly. The motion sensing on the PS3 doesn't do this.
this will not work because if you notice the only games that sell well on the wii are made by Nintendo and Microsoft definitely cannot copy those.
Come on, guys, if you like the Wii controller and these kind of games then you want more of them right? And you can only get more of them if you allow competition.
we don't like the wii. we don't like the wii games.
Guys, come on.
... MTV?............................................. NEXT!
this reminds me of a certain playstation knock-off.
http://content.ytmnd.com/content/d/d/1/dd150a3fb3432693a934a4bee301c979.jpg
...
Your fucking kidding me right?
Wii is made for people.
Xbox is made for gamers.
PS 3 is made for gamers.
Wii sucks if your a gamer, rocks if your a person.
Xbox rocks if your a gamer, rocks if your a person.
PS 3 rocks if your a gamer, rocks if your a person.
Conclusion: Wii sucks. If Xbox follows suite it will become less of a system for gamers.
Conclusion: gamers can't spell.
I'm all for MS making a ripoff. I love the Wii's control which is the main reason I bought one early on. The standard console control annoys me (having been a PC gamer from back in the Commodore PET days) which is why I didn't buy a 360 until last Aug.
If MS makes it's controller close to the Wii's (two part one for movement and one for aiming) AND it's implemented on FPS games, I'll jump on it.
Big IF's though.
As to ripping off N, it's already been shown that controllers can legally be duplicated in function, if not looks also. Back in the 90's Gravis duped the early Nin controller. It's progress.
You can't press the buttons and move the stick with one finger. This design is a complete failure.
On the Wiimote, the buttons are *mostly* there to navigate and to do auxilary things (like taunts in Smash Bros). Sure, there are some buttons that are used, but they're the trigger.
Placing the key buttons and the analog stick on the same controller isn't going to work, unless you hold it sideways.
Not to mention that the added height from the analog stick would give you more leverage to create a twisting motion when you move it left or right. If it's rotation sensitive, I'd imagine it being easy to accidentally rotate it. Wii wouldn't be bad, because you don't have that leverage from the height of the D-Pad.
I can see this being a giant flop, just like the HD-DVD addon.
Guys, please, this is getting about as old as the whole downloadable ness crap that they have posted on this website.....Pointless? I agree with Jordan on the whole xbox and sony is for gamers and Wii is for people or whatever, Wii sucks game wise, zelda was pretty good, and ill admit that Super Smash Bros Brawl was freakin amazing...but 2 good games? not worth buyin the system, at all for that matter. i guess the only good thing about Wii is that its cheap and comes with all the crap and wifi stuff. Anywhos, im lookin forward to what thing MS is gonna knock off and ruin next, i know all of u are to
Maybe MS should wait to see if developers actually figure out how to properly design games around the wiimote?
Because unless things change, the Wii still has a good chance of winding up as a gimmick. There are a handful of games that respond to intuitive motion of the wiimote. The rest is arbitrary waggle in place of simple button presses and that is -not- the experience that Wii Sports promised. Ask those non-gamers that bought a Wii more than a few months ago what they're playing. All the ones that I know have been collecting dust. I'm starting to wonder if Nintendo hasn't allowed the supply issue to linger simply to minimize the 'ok, now what?' effect. (the effect visible in the Wii's Japan sales tanking for a good chunk of late last year - until the Wii Fit hit)
That's a verrrry large microphone... Especially compared to the size of the speaker.
And i totally agree about being unable to use the buttons and analog stick