When we broke the first details about Microsoft’s currently-in-development motion controller (and showed a sketch), we knew it would signal other reporters to start digging, too.
Jacob Metcalf, the same writer who revealed Bungie Studios would be going independent, contacted MTV Multiplayer about his own findings on Microsoft’s controller.
Multiplayer does not usually report on the findings of other reporters, but the similarities to our own report — including specific, unknowable details we chose to withhold from the original filing for various reasons — confirm our belief that Metcalf has encountered the same prototype revealed on MTV News.
In addition to confirming bits of our report, Metacalf examined the technology patents from a company called Gyration. Gyration’s motion patents power Nintendo’s Wiimote and, allegedly, Microsoft’s, upcoming controller, too.
“Legally Microsoft is not ripping off Nintendo but rather licensing the technology from the same place that Nintendo got it,” explains Metacalf. “For an example the ‘Guitar Hero‘ and ‘Rock Band‘ controllers both use the same patent that is owned by Konami that they developed for Guitar Freaks.”
Metcalf’s unnamed sources discussed our proposed late 2008 release timetable for the controller and Rare’s connections with the project.
Skepticism, naturally, was high after we filed our story on Microsoft’s motion controller.
But no one believed Metcalf could possibly have been right about Bungie, either.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
While I’m sure the Wii’s success story has positioned Microsoft to act faster than the typical “knock-off” attempts that were bound to happen, its not like things like these are uncommon.
Whats extraordinary is the timing - we’re still in the same life-time cycle of the Xbox 360 Vs. Wii’s console wars. Interesting to see if this leaked rumor will really see the light of day this fall.
April 9th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
In my consideration as a hard core gamer the waggle controls in the Wii is bla. I question how the consumer is going to handle this huge flip in Microsofts game plan to sevice the hard core.
April 9th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Also I wonder where Jake gets his inforamtion. The guy seems to be very resourcefull.
April 9th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
The plot thickens!
April 9th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
And the reason I don’t own a wii is because of the stupid f—ing controller.
And M$T can roll this out, and I won’t buy it.
There’s a reason video game controllers have remained virtually unchanged. There is NO NEED for innovation in that department.
April 9th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
i agree with the hardcore gamer. i like my controller stable … I enjoy playing Super mario smash brawl alot b/c u dont have to deal with the motion sensor… if all my games switch to this motion sensor stuff i will resort to pc
April 10th, 2008 at 2:53 am
lol @ microsoft. Okay, let me spill it out and explain it better: no matter how hard you try, Microsoft; no matter how many controllers you copy, you can never beat the Wii. That’s just a fact. And I don’t have a Wii so it’s not about fanboyism.
Nintendo have been able to utilise the wii controller with their games very, very well because that’s how they typically work. They’ve always been the innovative console-making company of the three, coming up with new ways and styles to play games (they started the rumble feature in video game console controllers).
Microsoft has never been innovative in games … not in a million years. The only reason the 360 lasted this long is because,
(1) No competitor console was around to challenge it when it first came out
(2) The over-hyped, messed-up-graphically game, Halo 3, hadn’t been released, and
(3) Development costs for games is so huge these days that exclusivity to one console is a problem (except the game is developed in-house by the company making the console).
I suggest Microsoft focus on what they have and stop trying to get what they can’t have. Their controller as it is sucks. The only thing it’s good for is Halo. It’s like when they sat down to make the controller, they only thought about Halo 3 and nothing more. It’s useless for sports games and every other game (besides first-person shooters).
April 10th, 2008 at 11:29 am
This is nothing more than a futile attempt by Microsoft to try and get more money. They realize now that the Wii, which they thought wouldn’t be big, actually has beaten them not because of graphics or a wide array of games, but because of the user experience. And we all know that the user experience is one of the main things that makes a game great. The level of interactivity the Wii has definitely made it king.
April 10th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
I think it’s a good idea to offer it as yet another option. Game makers can port their own Wii designed games to the 360 if they want, to add to their audience. Sony’s system has no feedback and is what it is, By colaborating with the same company Nintendo used, MSFT can sharpen up the feel, and hopefully make the “Wii-like”gameplay optional. As for stealing, Sony stole the whole playstation original out of Nintendos hands when they approached Sony for assistance in making a disc based game drive for the Super NES. Taking someone idea and design.
Thats stealing.
April 10th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
It’s not that we are used to MS tactics for “reproducing” something cool and add it to its own artillery.
But in love and war (of consoles now) everything goes…
Silla!
April 11th, 2008 at 6:29 pm
All the companies, Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft have to balance the hardcore and the causal players. We all know where Nintendo lies and then you have both Sony and Microsoft pushing the hardcore market yet also giving causal players something as well. I don’t think everyone is getting this. Microsoft said that some of their games will incorporate the camera that attaches to the 360 and yet this never took off and it wasn’t REQUIRED to play a game. If M$ does market this device they are not going to make the gamers have to by this controller to play but more as if you have the controller you can use it. Also there will be a few games dedicated directly with the controller but man oh man this is big news for the causal players that don’t even know this story is taking place.
April 16th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
akin i dont know where you got your information from but it seems very fanboyish, the xbox 360 controller itself is not that much different then the sony ps3 controller in the button layout, yes their controller is good for fps games but it is also great for sports and casual games as well. Personally i like the xbox controller more then my wii mote and nunchuk. As for microsoft not being innovative they were the first console to put a built in hard drive thus saying goodbye to tons of memory cards for your games, on top of that how about gamerscore and achievements? This was an idea sony used when they launched their console. But i will have to agree with you on the wii subject as nintendo has always been a top notch developer for their own systems, most if not all of the memorable games from your gaming history are probably nintendo games, but thats just the thing nintendo has no real hardcore attitude towards gamers, they supply family friendly games that arent ment to expand your thinking or inject thought into your gaming session. I have never played a nintendo game that has made a political statement or anything of the matter on mankind as a civilisation. I will say that i love my ps2, psp, wii and 360 as they are all solid systems and i love it when there is competitiveness between gaming companies because it only pushes everyone to make better games. On that not i am very very happy that microsoft has possibly decided to experiment with technology outside their current lineup, although i will not likely purchase this controller, i will enjoy the experiment as it happens.
April 21st, 2008 at 8:45 pm
My xbox will not update the new up date what is my problem????