Kotaku
The Xbox 360 may be getting its own take on the Wii remote later this year, reports MTV News, with Microsoft said to have been knee deep in "X-remote" development since Summer of 2007. MTV cites an anonymous developer who alleges that a motion-sensitive controller is being developed alongside a Mii-like avatar system with the input of developer Rare, who is said to be late on delivering a "unified interface and look for the controller."
The unnamed source provided MTV with a sketch, which our hasty mock up to the left is based on and explains the copious amount of holes.
If true, it reminds us of that other Rare project said to be in the works, the Xbox Live Arcade title with Vision cam support.
You may remember the rumor regarding Rare's The Fast and the Furriest based on internal docs delivered to Xbox 360 Fanboy. Those plans indicated that Rare was hard at work on a "wand type" interface with motion control and a furry outfit avatar system. Yes, it does sound like the stuff of nightmares.
Speaking of nightmares, MTV's source calls the project "a colossal clusterf***" which should certainly inspire confidence. There's even talk of waggle-formed games for the hardcore.
The best part? Rumored marketing materials that illustrate "how easy it would be for third parties to port their Wii games to the 360." We're not making this up!
Even more details on the exasperating copycatting await you at the original MTV News report. Consider it rumor for now, but given the extensive talk about Microsoft looking to shoehorn in Wii-like features, don't be surprised if such a thing pops up at the company's E3 press conference.
Comments
A little late for April Fool's, guy.
Reggie will not be pleased. But then again neither am I at the sight of that mock up...
Easy way to avoid it? Don't buy it. I won't.
No thanks. Don't want one.
In before all the Nintendo fanboys begin screaming.
And "Rip off" is such a harsh term, as if NO ONE ELSE IN THE INDUSTRY EVERY COPIES ANYONE ELSE.
Amirite?
I wonder how Nintendo will take this blatant copy.
Ah well, its really nothing unusual. All 3 companies take "ideas" from each other. Sony had a go at motion sensing with the Sixaxsis, its time Microsoft had a go i think.
WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We don't need this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@my spoon is too big:
@blackadvent:
What are you guys talking about, that sounds so revolutionary and innovative.
OH. GOD. NO.
@Tons Of Fun: difference being.. this looks just like the wii-mote. I have no problem with using the same technology...at least come up with a different design eh?
Well if Nintendo won't give us decent online and HD graphics, this could be interesting as long as it is only applied to games that would specifically work well w/motion control. This could help me w/my dilemma over which system to get Force Unleashed and Facebreaker for if they can work in the motion controls for those games on 360.
Hmmm looks like Microsoft might take the idea of motion sensors and Mii like Avatars and actual do something with it. The Mii channel is pointless now.
That sketch doesn't inspire any sort of confidence in this "source". I don't see Microsoft introducing something this late in the cycle especially since they have to know that nobody would be too pleased about it's total ripoffiness.
I truly, sincerely hope Microsoft doesn't go down this road. Xbox 360 is an excellent product already, it doesn't need a Wii-mote or anything like it.
@blackadvent: I'm not your guy, buddy
Noooooo. Say it isn't so?
Oh Microsoft, you've done it again!
@L: Lmao. The image above is someones mock up of what it could look like. Its not real, nor is Microsoft making a direct copy. Sigh.
Yeah I don't think the 360 needs this but it will be interesting to see if anyone will develop something to work with it.
Can you smell the desperation in the air?
Oh, and if all this happens, I would love to hear all the 360 owners who up till now dont like the Wiimote
man... this shit's whack. Stop copying each other. People are either going to notice your jockin or think that you're just trying to fit in and look down on you. Just do what you do and stop jockin. Damn. Even the vintage of the original is fading. Do your own thing people and don't hop on the train, cuz when it runs out of steam you'll waste develop money. but then again, it's Microsoft. They have money for games but not so much their hardware or OS.
wow... I finally snapped.
In all seriousness though, that mockup is either a fake or it's a REALLY bad design.
It's about DAMN TIME!
@L:
Big deal? Every first person shooter ever made pretty much looks exactly the same.
It looks like a TV remote with less features.
That will never happen.... They may as well remodel the 360 to look like the Wii and rename it the Xbox 36Tii.
They may rip the technology but it won't look like that.
Though I do hope they do it quick as I am a hamfisted buffoon when it comes to FPS with Joypad.
Just make a damn FPS controller!!!!!!
+ if they do this + price point + packed in hard drive = win
WTF at rare and microsoft for this shit...
@blackadvent: He's not your guy, fwen.
Lets send the intern undercover to check this out...and file a video.
Wait, you guys do realize that picture is just a mock-up right?
Sigh, logic is too late....
@valouris:
He's not your buddy, friend!
I'm more concerned about this "Furry outfit avatar system".
I just know they're going to do it like the Sixaxis and forget to copy the IR-tracking pointer mode, making it a wonky gimmick.
Ok, I don't know. But I can't see this going well if it's true. I have a feeling that some of the more important parts are patented already.
"The Fast and the Furriest" WHAT THE- argh... can't keep it civil so I'll stop now. It's like if two of the worst things you can think of were fused into one perfect nightmare.
I think this would be VERY smart move on Microsoft's part. Think about how much more they will sell if they do this right! So many casual gamers would be brought to the Xbox 360 b/c not only can they easily play any games they want (I'm talking about people who aren't necessarily "gamers", like my mother), but it might get them more interested in learning how to use the other controller and start playing other games that do not involve a point and click method. What a great introductory tool this could be for anyone intimidated by the hardcore-ness of gamers. So it will be good for everyone, really....well, scratch that, it won't be too good for Nintendo, if Microsoft does this right.
How can they do it right? I wrote about my opinion in my blog. [gmunster.wordpress.com]
So I won't make this entry too long. Haha.
As a proud newly Wii60 owner, i would love to see some sort of Wiimote for the 360, specially for shooters, its so much easier to point with the wiimote than trying to aim with a fucking pad.
I'm guessing this is one of those roundabout information flows -- I bet the new "source" really got the information from the old Rare source and updated the info. So, I'm on the side of this being BS.
"Xbox 360 Version Of Wii Remote Has Been In Development Since Summer, Source Exclusively Tells MTV News [MTV]"
You know, I just can't take MTV News seriously.
@slomo788: He's not your fewn, buddy. (oh and I beat you to it, look 14 posts above yours :D )
I'm a pretty solid 360 guy who has no interest in the Wii. Fun to play at a party with friends but don't want one myself. And I don't see the problem here with one caveat: as long as they still make the types of games they are making now, then cool. If the Wii-ish games are additional and not the core game, then awesome. Why not? To me MS (and Sony) would be stupid not to jump on this.
And don't think for a moment that Sony isn't developing a Wii-like controller as well. Sony has always taken the best ideas of others and tried to rebrand them.
@Tons Of Fun: So what? The X-remote will have an X shape?
@Valouris:
He's not your buddy, friend!
I notice how nobody else notices that the analog stick is on the motion controller.
So how do you operate camera control and aiming as well as moving at the same time with this thing?
There is a damn good reason why Nintendo put the analog stick on a second controller.
Why would you not want something like this? Wii-like games with decent graphics and abilities? Nice.
Hmm a Rare collectothon only this time with body parts for your avatar?
I can just imagine Banjo standing there going "uhuh, we only need another 385 bones to make the skeleton!"
One or two games with this thing isn't going to make it worthwhile, apart from the patent issues if they use the same system as Nintendo's you do have to wonder how expensive the basic setup for it would be.
"how easy it would be for third parties to port their Wii games to the 360."
Great, so developers can port their PS2 to Wii ports to the 360, too?
Yeah, I went there.
As long as they don't force it into games i don't give two shits about this.
THere is nothing wrong with doing this. The problem lives in Nintendo. Is the Wii just about the controller? Can it compete when other have motion control also? I like SIXAXIS control when implemented well.Now Xbox will have "X-motion" control.
Yeah, a game using the vision camera, one of about 20 eyetoy ripoffs out there right now... Still amazed at the fact people are so desperate to rip-off a commercial failure (eyetoy)
Why? Because they know it was simply the wrong time for it... They eyetoy style gameplay will be popular someday, when better webcams are available for the same price... Just like motion controls have been around for a lot longer than the Wii, but the Wii entered it at the right time.
Oh, and rare is a company deserving of no praise... Whatsoever... Ever again...
Damnit where that come from!?
@AllOfUsAreLost: He's not your friend, guy!!