J Allard's 'Magic Wand' patent application for Microsoft puts Nintendo, sorcerers on notice

It's been awhile since we've heard from J Allard; the man who assumed responsibility for Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division (think: Zune and Xbox) in mid 2008 in an effort to unify the experience into a centralized package. Now Microsoft's CTO and CXO (that's, Chief eXperience Office) has co-signed a patent application for a "Magic Wand" first filed in November of 2007 and made public just a few days ago. The patent application reads very much like a Wiimote, hand-held controller,

"The architecture can utilize one or more sensor from a collection of sensors to determine an orientation or gesture in connection with the wand, and can further issue an instruction to update a state of an environmental component based upon the orientation."

It's worth remembering that Microsoft has been rumored to be working on such a controller since at least August 2007. Something they've apparently scrapped for a camera-based solution that will allow gamers to control the action with their bodies and hand-gestures without requiring a hand-held controller -- you know, if current rumors are true. How many days until Microsoft's June 1st E3 press conference again?

[Via TechFlash]

[pcorlatan Posted May 18th 2009 3:38AM]

sweeeet

[hckyplyr Posted May 18th 2009 3:39AM]

I put on my robe and wizard hat...

[(Unverified) Posted May 18th 2009 3:40AM]

Bill Gates ripping off another?

[a1by Posted May 18th 2009 3:47AM]

Will PS3 beat them to it?

[FlyersPh9 Posted May 18th 2009 2:57PM]

PS3 has had motion control since day one...ever heard of Sixaxis, dumbass?

[(Unverified) Posted May 18th 2009 4:02AM]

if ur a hot chick you can use my magic wand.... =D

[morissen3k8 Posted May 18th 2009 5:00AM]

but didn't sony get there first with their eyetoy? if sony modifies their eyetoy into a controller microsoft doesn't have a chance except to license it from sony...

[ray k Posted May 18th 2009 5:31AM]

All this talk of wii style 'family entertainment' rubbish for the 360 is disturbing me...

MS are sure to reveal some good games at e3 but i'd be disappointed if they concentrate mainly on this gubbins at their talk. To neglect the massive anticipation on details for their upcoming 'hardcore' catalogue (gears3, odst, dead rising 2, i am alive, alan wake, etc. etc. ad infinitum) in favour of pushing a 'new', 'copy' of another system's USP seems like shooting themselves in the foot... After all, I thought most people who wanted this kind of thing go for a wii60 setup anyway?

[excelsium Posted May 18th 2009 6:42AM]

They want to satisfy both markets so more revenue goes to microsoft and less revenue goes to nintendo, it's inevitable, must increase shareholder value ;)

[ray k Posted May 18th 2009 7:19AM]

Yeah, I understand why they would think about it... I just can't see them being able to take any sort of market share off nintendo for this segment based on the relative user bases of the 360 and wii... Everyone, their mum and their pet seems to equate the wii with the family console, something Nintendo have directly placed themselves as for the last 2 and a half years (much to the chagrin of their hardcore fans).

What I'm getting at is, MS have a large hardcore userbase already, even though their console is now apparently retailing cheaper than the wii, do they really expect to take that much revenue off Nintendo? And why the black out over new release info for the past year(?)... If they are holding it back to try to reposition their console they might just end up upsetting their majority hardcore base rather than gaining significant a significant foothold in the casual market.

Ultimately, only a few people at MS know what they are planning anyway, so naturally this is pure speculation and just a hope that they let out the info we've 'actually' been waiting to hear.

[ray k Posted May 18th 2009 8:20AM]

Also... any danger of Netflix in the UK?! MS could leap a step or 5 ahead of the competition by coercing them into getting involved over here... That'd be one of the few non-game related strategies I'd love them to drop at e3

[(Unverified) Posted May 18th 2009 5:34AM]

i dont understand the figure at all, let it be

[jfalkingham Posted May 18th 2009 6:12AM]

ummm, why does a dude know the intimacy of your wand?

[(Unverified) Posted May 18th 2009 9:10AM]

What, another me-too product from Microsoft? *shock*

Microsoft: The Freedom To Innovate (TM). Or Copy Its Competitors, Whichever Is Easier (R)

[CityZen Posted May 18th 2009 3:36PM]

2007? Wii launched in 2006. Who's copying who?

[(Unverified) Posted May 18th 2009 4:00PM]

Just give me a decent lightsabre duel simulator. Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft ... I don't give a crap.

I'm tired of all the speculation. Just give it to me.

How sad is it that "Jedi Arena" on the 2600 is still THE BEST one out there, since being released in 1983?

[Twinnie Posted May 19th 2009 11:08AM]

I hope they do something decent with it, I want to be able to control a gun all real like rather than just pointing the controller at the screen. I love the idea of being able to control my virtual hand like I control my own, like being able to stick my arm out and twist it and have the in-game hand stick the gun out and shoot around a corner. Interacting with the game using two motion controllers in the same way it's done in Jurassic Park: Trespasser would be awesome, it must be possible nowadays.

@Alzheimers
Doesn't the Wii Sports Resort package have a decent looking sword-fighting thing. They look like lightsabres but it's all done using those gay Mii things.