Today's worldliest game video: Xbox 360 Controller + Virtual Earth
by Kevin Kelly 
{ Feb 27th 2007 at 12:01AM }
Video: Using Xbox Controller for Live Search Maps
We'll be starting to think about abandoning our mice altogether if things get as simple as this video makes them seem. Using the Xbox 360 Controller and optionally the Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows (good grief that's a mouthful), you can whiz in and out of Virtual Earth just like Hiro Protagonist in 'Snow Crash'.
It's like using the controller and turning the whole planet into one giant version of Flight Simulator. We knew that game would come back in a big way sooner or later. Next stop, Virtual Solar System.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Shmil @ Feb 27th 2007 12:12AM
that's lame you'll never be able to turn the earth ccurately with a controller, true geographers use the kb/m
Shmil @ Feb 27th 2007 12:13AM
*whoops type
*accurately
Zak @ Feb 27th 2007 12:36AM
Is this an ad?
I just find it convenient that he plugs the wireless adapter and Lego Star Wars II and Flight Sim...both of which are currently the feature titles for Games for Windows.
NeverSage @ Feb 27th 2007 12:52AM
It'd be cooler with a wiimote. In fact, I believe that was posted months ago on here
jimjo @ Feb 27th 2007 2:08AM
@1
ROFL IRONZ!!!
vaylen @ Feb 27th 2007 2:40AM
And why is this in any way impressive?
EdZ @ Feb 27th 2007 3:16AM
Virtual solar system? You mean Celestia?
Kris @ Feb 27th 2007 3:49AM
Sweet, cant wait to never use this useless idea.
AL @ Feb 27th 2007 5:03AM
Oh you naysayers. I think it looks cool. Surely only a matter of time before a flight-sim does indeed use virtual earth data. Very interesting.
Autocrawler @ Feb 27th 2007 6:05AM
Kb/M is more convenient, *especially* when navigating maps.
Steven @ Feb 27th 2007 10:38AM
It looks cool to me. Why does everybody have to complain about everything. I'll be glad when this console war settles down.
james @ Feb 27th 2007 10:44AM
They're just those KB/M fanatics who get all uptight everytime someone shows you dont need a kb/m for everything pc related....
Matt @ Feb 27th 2007 1:43PM
The video, if you guys are wondering, is by Brandon LeBlanc ("Sidebar Geek") from the group of blogs at TheHive.
You can find his blog at the hive here:
http://www.hive.net/Member/blogs/the_wow/
Or his more personal one @ http://www.mstechtoday.com
KrazyKoala @ Feb 27th 2007 12:00PM
He is just a little nervous doing it. Wasn't the navigation using the remore a lot smoother during the CES demo? Looks to me like his sensitivity is too low so he's turning really slow.
Shmil @ Feb 27th 2007 12:27PM
jesus christ, is the only way to portray sarcasm on this site by blatantly blurbing out !!!!1oneOMFGBBQ, it was a joke, some of you need to calm down
Frankie @ Feb 27th 2007 12:33PM
Ahh..i almost missed the sarcasm in the article myself! :(
Asteron @ Feb 27th 2007 12:47PM
That looked like he had no control and hw was struggling how fast things moved. He was jumping chaoticly from position to position. Either he doesnt know how to use analog sticks very well or they mapped the control sticks to simple digital inputs (just like holding down an up key).
If it is the latter that is pretty lame. Either way I don't see how this is impressive, there has been a USB driver for the XBox 1 controller for 4 years.
Tracert @ Feb 27th 2007 1:52PM
Jeez, you people are negative. "Not impressed", give me a break. It's not supposed to be that impressive. It's just a fun little piece of code built into Live maps. Lighten up a bit, yeah?
It's a neat trick, using joystick input for a web app, and I hope that this is a trend that continues.
Asteron @ Feb 27th 2007 2:27PM
@Tracert
Im glad you agree its not impressive. Why then should it be on the front page?
Fierce360 @ Feb 27th 2007 11:00PM
there is more than one page to joystiq?