MTV News recently posted an interesting piece of gossip concerning Microsoft's possible answer to Wii-mote. According to an anonymous developer, Microsoft has had this project in the wings since summer 2007 and hopes to have it out before the end of the year. Believe it or not it's rumored that of all companies, Rare has been working on it. Rare is a games software company, so why they'd be tasked with making hardware is beyond us, but it would answer some lingering questions ...Rare's The Fast and The Furriest for XBLA is going to use the Vision Cam, and the "X-mote" is rumored to use the Vision Cam. Rare is also hard at work on another 360 project that is as-of-yet unrevealed, and is supposed to hit before the year is out. Combined with the fact that Microsoft is already rumored to be working a motion-sensing controller, and the fact that they don't seem too concerned with with the second half of 2008 make us think that this could be plausible.
But does plausible mean desirable? Read on ...
[Via N4G]
According to the anonymous developer the entire project is in the toilet because Rare has continuously failed to produce when deadlines come around. Combined with the rumor that what they did make wasn't very useful, and led to a lot of generic work, and well, if this comes out, it doesn't'sound like it could challenge the Wii in any way shape or form. Well, that's not entirely true, the dev does say that the remote does everything the Wii's can do and includes a mic.
The actual story on MTVnews is a pretty good read, and is really rather amusing at times: '"The whole thing is a colossal clusterf---," the source said. "[Microsoft] marketing just want it so they can match the Wii point for point. The biggest parts of their marketing materials outline how easy it would be for third parties to port their Wii games to the 360."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
4-07-2008 @ 8:12PM
Adam B said...
I would highly consider buying a PS3 if Xbox decided to go down this path for the next Xbox console. The Xbox already has a perfect controller, adding this would just ruin the gaming experience and worsen Xbox's reputation.
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4-07-2008 @ 8:19PM
GregA said...
They could skip motion and just add an IR camera to the game pad, and accomplish the same thing and still have a functional game pad, unlike the wii mote and nunchuck combo. Then all the sudden the game pad has that mouse input that is so appealing, and doesn't have the motion detection that IMO is worse than useless.
4-07-2008 @ 8:31PM
Robert said...
the 360 controller is the best controller ive ever used its nearly perfect if it wernt for that damn dpad its shocking. whats the new DS3 like? i havent used that yet
4-08-2008 @ 1:47AM
WTangoFoxtrot said...
but just imagine how much fun it would be to chainsaw through an opponent in gears 2 with that controller ! melee attacks in halo 3 or even driving a warthog or throwing a plasma grenade..........
drools......
4-07-2008 @ 8:13PM
Trekster_Gamer said...
I think this would be great, of course all of the Nintendo fanboys would start there crying, saying how MS stole the idea. I would like to have some games with control like the Wii combined with the power of the 360.
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4-07-2008 @ 9:06PM
JakubK666 (Ninja Defence Force) said...
Yeah but Sony stole it first...
I'd love to see a lawsuit where Sony sues MS for something they stole off Nintendo.
4-07-2008 @ 8:14PM
Raheem said...
Credit on the image. I saw this over at Engadget and they're still using the MS Paint version.
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4-07-2008 @ 8:27PM
iisryan said...
Final design:
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4-07-2008 @ 8:28PM
iisryan said...
Damned formatting. Click the link yourself:
http://fc04.deviantart.com/fs18/f/2007/158/0/0/36iimote_by_iisryan.jpg
4-07-2008 @ 8:33PM
Terrence Stasse said...
Your picture is different than the one in the post, which was found here:
http://kotaku.com/376987/microsoft-to-rip-off-wii-remote-by-end-of-year-says-source
hence the "image credit: kotaku"
4-07-2008 @ 8:36PM
iisryan said...
I know, I was just posting a better PhotoShopping that I did a while back. Same idea, different artist.
4-07-2008 @ 8:29PM
Barron said...
So fake...I'm surprised the people at X3F believe this and the picture.
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4-07-2008 @ 8:31PM
Terrence Stasse said...
It IS under Rumors.
Whether it's true or not it's interesting.
4-07-2008 @ 9:51PM
LesbianHam said...
Obvious troll is obvious.
4-07-2008 @ 8:29PM
Cal said...
This gives 'Wii60' a whole new meaning...
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4-07-2008 @ 8:33PM
webster1990 said...
erm....why?
the vision camera is yet to get a decent use, whats the point in this. The wiimote works for little party games, but with anything decent i just long for a normal controller, like in super smash bros and zelda. Imagine the fun when microsoft cashes in on some form of halo motion controller game....hold on a sec, that sounds AWESOME. but it probably wont be. Although if it were like time crisis, and kept on the rails and possibly went through halo 1-3 and made the story make sense it would be good
but they might aswell make that an arcade game. with a life size BR as the lightgun.
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4-07-2008 @ 8:42PM
GregA said...
Screw the party games. Forget the motion control. With an IR camera they can give us a pointer interface. A simple patch to games, and all the sudden all of the FPS games (thats all it does you know!) are even better. Sell a million of the controls at $60 a pop at Target, and Sonys got nuthin... Well they still have Blu-ray, but I still don't care about that.
4-07-2008 @ 8:39PM
Kruegmeister said...
Wouldn't be a bad Idea if it was an Optional Controller bundled with games similar to Wii Sports.
I don't think Microsoft would be crazy enough to make this the "Main" Controller.
Of course since I already own a Wii, I would not be interested in this for my 360. The Wii is for the Quirky games, and the 360 and PS3 are for everything else.
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4-07-2008 @ 8:53PM
Deck said...
Bleh. I'm not a Wii fan so this is why I probably am turned off by this. I don't think it really does much at all, except perhaps eventually leave gamers in the dark who DOESN'T have it which I totally don't want to happen. (Some games just being required to have such a remote instead of a traditional one).
Brings me back to the thought that Microsoft just needs to give up on the casual market. Its not their strong point, its not where most of their market is. There is no way they are going to take away some of the Wii casual market, so I think they just need to stop. Really.
Yes, I am a XBOXFANBOY.
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4-07-2008 @ 9:01PM
JakubK666 (Ninja Defence Force) said...
Wouldn't mind if it will only be a gimmick/add-on and won't get in the way of proper gaming experience.
Microsoft Sports FTW! Deal with RRODERS at Customer Service!
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