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Reader Comments (78)

Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:15PM MNeko said

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Wow, I've seen some pretty blatant and desperate rip-offs from Microsoft in the past, but this takes the cake! I wonder if they'll call it the Microsoft Schwii...
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:18PM Cheezeman3000 said

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Schwii? How does that make any sense?
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:27PM Jomolungma said

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Ok, I'm not a MSFT fanboy or anything, but this whole "rip-off" fetish that gamers have is ridiculous... everything is a rip-off of everything, unless it was patented, in which case it's a more creative rip-off of something. Every major console before this generation used a joypad that you held in both hands that had triggers and buttons and sticks... is there some magic reason every console in this generation can't have waving wands, if they wanted? if nintendo wrote a loose patent, or is willing to license the tech, that's their problem... maybe more consoles in the wild with this kind of control scheme will spur developers into writing new and innovative games that actually take advantage of it... it's how the state of the art is advanced folks, so let whomever rip rip rip away.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:29PM MNeko said

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You know, Wii Schwii. Which pretty much describes Microsoft's dismissive attitude toward motion sensitive controllers when the Wii was first released.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:43PM Huey2k2 said

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Despite the fact that this is just a RUMOUR right now, I am going to bite your flame bait and reply.

Nintendo did not invent motion sensing as a form of input, they just use it. So even if MS is making some form of motion sensing control they aren't "ripping off" Nintendo, they are "ripping off" whoever came up with the damned idea of motion sensing in the first place.

And don't go labeling me as some kind of Nintendo hater, because I *gasp* own a Wii, DS and pretty much every Nintendo system that has ever graced this earth.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:43PM kinshadow said

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Technically, MS did a motion controller (for the PC)well before Nintendo thought of the idea. N was just the first gaming console to incorporate it.

So, who ripped off whom?
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:50PM SheppyReturns said

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Yep, MS was the first to bring a motion sensing controller to market (U-Force was infrared... and didn't work). Sony was the first to patent a tilting style input (filed in 1998, award in 1999).

Besides, without ripoffs, the market will never progress. It will never evolve. And we'd be stuck with controllers trying to be radically unique from the comptetition and if you want evidence of how this sucks, wrap your hands around a Jaguar controller sometime.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:58PM Crono141 said

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The one thing nintendo does deserve credit on the wiimote on is 2 independent modules with motion sensing in each, essentially making the wii controller a 16 axis controller.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 6:43PM (Unverified) said

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Microsoft would not be ripping off the 'idea' of motion sensing controls but they would be MOST certainly jumping on a casual, "wave this piece of shit around and call it a game" bandwagon that everyone is so into right now. Sure the sales are there now, but after 20 minutes with any of these games your tired of them because they're super shallow. Nintendo is they only developer who gets past that and I don't think Microsoft can do it.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 7:26PM (Unverified) said

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Ok, who here DIDN'T see this coming?

Nintendo innovates, paves the way for the home console industry, everyone follows or goes bottom up.

The difference is, when Nintendo gets surpassed, they just RE-innovate, and everyone ends up following or goes bottom up.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 8:06PM Catprog said

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@Sir Fidlious Wong

Power glove was 1989 (not Nintendo though)
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 9:07PM bm111 said

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Hahaha oh come the fuck ON.

Anyone who seriously thinks this is NOT a direct response to the Wii's success is, frankly, a blind idiot.


That said, I don't think it's real.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 9:19PM (Unverified) said

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@Co

Oh get off of your Nintendo soap box ... I will tell you as much as they innovated in controls they sure missed the HDD & online boat ... No company is perfect including Nintendo ... Besides, haven't you heard the line great artist steal
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 11:13PM SheppyReturns said

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Power Glove was infrared, and like U Force, broken.
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Posted: Apr 8th 2008 11:43AM MagusDF said

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Ripping off might not quite be the right term. Its more od a jumping on the bandwagon. Yes they had a controller but it died out quite a ways back and the only real reason for doing it is because of the wiis popularity.

That being said, hope they spend more money on it and make it better. It isnt a rip of if its better than the original ;)
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:19PM Tez said

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Rare is having problems hitting a deadline? NO WAI!
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:45PM falcomadol said

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Quite.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:20PM (Unverified) said

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"MTV News has a secret source who sent in the above "sketch" and some info on what they claim is a veritable Wiimote clone, courtesy of your friends and ours at Microsoft."

If I remember correctly thats the controller for "Scene It".

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/s/sceneitlightscameraaction/

Busted
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:21PM vidguy said

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Look at the whole picture = unbusted
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:25PM (Unverified) said

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Ouch..
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:21PM vidguy said

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Ah, but what about the constant "we don't need no stinking motion controller" from all of the MS reps?
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:26PM (Unverified) said

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Kind of like the "We don't need rumble, it's last gen" from Sony.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 7:17PM Mr Khan said

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Because the people saying that are only lackeys in the big picture, and when the higher-ups say they need it, all of a sudden its all "Oh yeah, Rumble/Blu-Ray/An actual goddamn online interface/etc is actually important"
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 9:15PM Elorian said

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Maybe they finally realized that last gen controls are limiting their console. The idea to introduce their own mote is very good, but the execution, width of application and software support are still mysteries.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:21PM R V said

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That would be sweet. I would like to try playing halo, cod 4 with it.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:22PM Fosssil said

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If such a controller is in development, I just don't see it successfully competing with the Wii. No fanboyism here (I own both systems), but I think Nintendo has so much name recognition with the Wii brand that people will just see this as a cheap Microsoft knockoff.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:26PM vidguy said

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I completely agree, but for a different reason: it will be an add-on peripheral. Even if they start packaging it with new consoles, a large percentage of the 360 consumer base will never have such a controller. That's where Nintendo went right by making the remote the default controller for a new system.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:27PM xThePunisherx said

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....which it is. I hope they end up losing money on this. Pathetic.....
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:45PM BIGGEN said

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noooooo what's pathetic is that you hope they lose money on it. why do you care? seriously. don't own a 360 i guess? cause if you did, it would make no sense why you would want to see this fail. which makes you lose credibility because you are an obvious troll.

personally, i hope that it's something cool. that has GOOD games, and not shit (except for the few first party titles). i hold on to my wii and ps3 hoping for something that makes me happy i bought them (besides blu ray of course). it seems to me that MS is the really the only one who has given a shit about games on their game console.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 10:39PM (Unverified) said

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"people will just see this as a cheap Microsoft knockoff"

Sadly, cheap knockoffs is what Microsoft excels in. And, in fact, is the best they can do.

Sadder still, people continue to pump money into their coffers by buying their unoriginal crap.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:24PM Giantenemycrab said

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If the future of gaming is Wiimote-like controllers, then I won't be there.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:27PM (Unverified) said

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So your saying that if in the next gen of consoles Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony all release wiimote like controllers with their consoles you will quit gaming all at once? I highly doubt that.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:28PM Crono141 said

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Too bad, because there isn't a game on the 360 that couldn't benefit from I direct screen pointer.

Leave the waggle at the door, sure. But the pointer is where its at.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:32PM vidguy said

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Yeah, I would literally lock myself in a room for a few days and threaten anyone who would keep me from a Resident Evil 5 on the 360 with pointer shooting, ala RE4:WE.

Motion sucks in most applications but it can be extremely useful when done right. The pointer though makes the system work.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:40PM kinshadow said

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PC Gaming bekons you to the dark side...
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:41PM zero2dash said

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I'll join that party in whatever old school non-Wiimote games we play.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 6:09PM mr nimblewick said

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I know, you want a straight leap from gamepad-centered gaming to holodeck-style gaming. Well, that's simply not going to happen. Perhaps you want camera-tracking intead?

Or maybe you want to using the same "perfect" 360 controller for the rest of your life. Because THAT will never old.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 6:51PM (Unverified) said

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here, here!! Screw waggle!
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:25PM Lone Starr said

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I think this might be one of those "we've got it in case but probably won't produce it" ideas. At least, I don't think it will be implemented widely.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:49PM Burritoclock said

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^This

Also this seems even stupider since it says it would be used for an XBLA game. What sense would it make to release a special controller for a downloaded game...??
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:29PM samfish said

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There you go again, Sony! Ripping off Nintendo as usua- wait, what? MICROSOFT?!

Shit, I just lost a lot of bets.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:52PM kinshadow said

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FYI, The article also mentions MS adding Miis to your Gamertag.

I wonder how they will compare to Home? Will we see a rip-off triangle this generation?
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:53PM (Unverified) said

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AWESOME
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 5:55PM iFester said

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I think I read somewhere Microsoft was bringing back the Sidewinder gamepad as I believe that had motion tracking. Perphaps this sketch is it's next iteration.

For all those Nintendites hammering on Microsoft, (yes, I used an early Mario pun) remember: "if you can't BEAT `em, join them."
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 6:00PM SoulBlade said

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If you can't beat it, copy it. Yea MS!

At least this will shutup the idiots who keep saying waggle and gimmick. It might be successful, but MS has to do a lot of work to make casuals think the 360 is right for them... almost like Nintendo has to do a lot of work to make teeny boppers and "cool" kids think the system isn't for the kiddies.

The whole thing makes me laugh though - it's awesome.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 6:03PM mr nimblewick said

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Well, of course they are. Sony is doing it too. You don't break sales records without the competition sitting up and taking notice.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 6:12PM horngreen said

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YO MS? If I wanted a Wii I'd buy one. As it is it's nothing but first party Mario crap and shovelware. I'm afraid MS and Sony will both release next gen consoles based on motion sensing. I guess I'll be done gaming then. Oh and banking on RARE for anything is useless. MS just needs to cut their losses on that crap developer. I don't think you can have Gears of War and kid friendly games on the same console MS so stop trying.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 6:14PM (Unverified) said

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I find it funny that nobody has mentioned that this could actually work out well for Nintendo. If third parties have two platforms to make motion and pointer based games for two platforms they will make them for both. The 360 version will be higher res, but the Wii library would likely see an infusion of hardcore games as a result.

On an unrelated note I agree with most people in this thread that believe the pointer is the bigger innovation Pro Evo on Wii FTW.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 6:51PM Starcade said

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The sketch kinda looks like an upside down Zune.
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Posted: Apr 7th 2008 7:23PM kinshadow said

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So, they are ripping off Sony's PSP control?
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