As you can see from the packaging, GoLive2 really wanted to emphasize that kids are going to have fun with their Stix product. The boy is obviously having the time of his life, while the girl gets so overwhelmed with emotion on the back of the box she jumps, even though there are no games for the Stix 200 that require it. She's just that damn happy about being on a box cover. It's the little things.

The Nintendo similarities begin right when you open the box. Inside the box is another box, the sort of pleasant light blue you might find inside a Wii package. Opening that box reveals the two Stix 200 units, some batteries, the USB faux charging cradle, and a manual.

Let's look at the Stix compared to the Wii remote, shall we? As you can see, the design aesthetic is essentially the same. The trigger depression is a bit different, but otherwise the shape is pretty similar, if a bit larger than the Wii remote. The real difference is the face of the controller. They call it a touchscreen, but really it's just a touch-sensitive panel with LED lights behind it. Even the strap bears a striking resemblance to the Wii remote strap, going as far as having the fastener at the top sharing the same rectangular shape with the cut-off corner.

Once you have the whole kit out of the package, you connect the USB "dock" to the computer, a driver installs, and you are prompted to download some software from a website, which once again reminds you that you are about to have so much fun you won't know what to do with yourself.

Once the software controller loads you're free to head over to the GoLive2 Stix website, create an account, fire up one of dozens of free online games, and realize you are holding in your hand the most expensive replacement for a set of arrow keys ever.

See, the Stix 200 only features 2D movement. That means up and down, left and right. It is essentially a set of arrow keys with some extra buttons tacked on top. Let me clarify: it is essentially a set of slightly unresponsive, highly inconvenient arrow keys. GoLive2 does make a 3D version of the accessory - the Stix 400 - but seeing as I don't have that one, here we are. As for the games themselves... A truly horrible assortment of shovelware mini-games awaits you on the GoLive2 games page, mainly consisting of clones of already existing web games with the fun sucked out by requiring you to use this silly peripheral. I did manage to enjoy one game on the site for nearly 20 minutes, but that was the excellent flash classic Fancy Pants Adventures, which I could only play after giving up on the Stix controller and using keyboard controls instead.

The Stix 200 is a cheap imitation of the Wii remote that is trying to capitalize on the Nintendo system's popularity by allowing PC gamers to move themselves about the screen with a stick. Perhaps the 3D Stix 400 is a much better product, but after spending time with the cheaper model I'm not sure I would ever even consider giving it a go. I'd say nice try, but frankly it just wasn't.

"Nintendo was already planning to appeal this case to the Federal Circuit court,'' Nintendo spokesman Charlie Scibetta said in an e-mailed statement. ``The recent ruling by the trial court does not impact that decision.''

Note that the ban does not affect the Wii remote or nunchuck controllers - just the standard controllers that include analog sticks.

Nintendo Faces Ban on Some Wii, GameCube Controllers [Bloomberg - Thanks Shannon]

"Anything we put out for sports would enhance the experience. I can tease you a little bit. One of the things we're doing is looking at just playing with the Wii remote in a different way, using a whole new peripheral that's out there, kind of thing. So, basically enabling control for the user in a much different way."

He teased some more: "We are prototyping stuff that really does allow us to play with the Wii remote differently."

So far it seems like the main focus here is the Wii, as no other consoles are mentioned in the story, though with both Microsoft and Sony rumored to be working on motion-controllers I certainly wouldn't rule them out.

I will be extremely disappointed if this doesn't result in a tether ball controller for the Wii.

EA Sports Peripherals May Debut at E3 [Next-Generation]

The controller can be preordered right now for $129.95, with a shipping target of 8-10 weeks. A portion of all proceeds goes towards Children’s Hospital and Veterans Affairs Medical Centers.

New Access Controller Designed by Ben Heck [eDimensional's Product Page]

Of course it might not be the best quality product on the market, but you can't beat the price. The Realistic Racing Wheel can be yours now for only $5.87, plus shipping. Quick! Someone buy one and let us know how it is so we don't all make the same mistake!

Nintendo Wii Realistic Racing Wheel [Success-HK via Wii News - Thanks Wraggy!]

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

""We don't use half the buttons on the 360 controller," admitted Molyneux, "simply because the whole dream I've got is that someone will sit down to play Fable 2 who has never played a game before and they can play with someone who's played games the whole of their lives.

"You hand somebody a game controller and it's like you've handed them a live gun or a hand grenade with the pin taken out"

I believe Harrison is exaggerating, but then again I make it a point never to carry around live hand grenades on my person so who knows? They both make a very good point. Back when games consoles first started there was a joystick and a button, but since then controllers have evolved to the point where you can find a complicated looking map within the first two pages of most game manuals.

Harrison went on to praise two innovators in the realm of control...Nintendo for the Wiimote, which gives non-gamers something more familiar to work with, and Apple's iPhone, which he says appeals to the user's natural instincts.

"I saw this first hand a few weeks ago where a two year old was playing with an iPhone and he knows how to get the pictures up of mum and dad. The two year-old then intuitively thought that all electronic devices worked like that," said Harrison. "He's pressing the TV to change channels."

"He's right and the rest of us are wrong - that should be applied universally. Apple should be applauded for that innovation," he added.

Harrison: Non-gamers see controllers as live guns [GamesIndustry.biz]

Playstation 3 Wireless Controller (Dragon) DuoShock 3 [Success HK via PS3 Revolution]

Am I nuts or is Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops impossible to control? I guess I'm exaggerating a bit, if you had three hands, two on the left side of your body and one on the right, it wouldn't be a problem. Come to think of it I guess you'd need to arms too, and either two shoulders or some sort of bizarre shoulder mod...

Anyway, I'm really enjoying the game, the plot is fairly interesting, the cut-scene art is downright captivating, but WTF didn't someone point out to Kojima that you can't play this game properly with the current control lay-out?

There are several ways to play, all of which just don't work. The way I have it set up, I move Snake and crew around with the thumbstick and control the camera with the four buttons on the right side of the PSP. That's all fine and dandy, but as soon as I want to execute a move, like kick someone onto their head, I have to used the D-pad. The problem is I want to actually move around while trying to kick people in the head, because sometimes the person about to receive the back of Snake's foot to his cranium isn't fully cooperative and actually tries to get out of the way.

So this leaves me playing the game with my left hand on the thumbpad and my right reaching over the screen, using the D-pad. But then I sometimes can't see what's going on because I can't control the camera.

They should have come up with a better control system or, perhaps, included a spare person in the box as a control peripheral. The extra body could take control of the camera, which could then be mapped to the D-pad, while I concentrate on delivering those mighty head-kicks.

Reading through the plentiful, and mostly glowing reviews, it appears that most people have their controls set up this way, minus the extra gamer. I just don't see how they're playing the game, because it's nearly impossible to creep by someone when you don't see them because the damn camera is looking straight ahead.

What ends up happening to me is that I have Snake like have way across what I thought is an empty room when that damn sound, you know the one, goes off and someone shouts hey. I quickly scramble to turn Snake's point of view and realize that for the past minute I'd been craftily sneaking right in front of a guard in slow motion.

Oh Snake, why do they mock you so?

Please, fellow gamers, tell me I've missed some little tickable option or set-up. Tell me that in fact this is an issue easily fixed. Brian Crecente