Be Excellent To Each Other

Newly released patent applications from Microsoft have sparked speculation that it is to unveil a Wii remote rival at the E3 expo in Los Angeles.

An application was filed in 2007 for a motion controller, dubbed Magic Wand, that interacts with "a collection of sensors".

Microsoft says it will not "comment on speculation" about a possible launch.

Gavin Ogden, from gaming site c&vg.com, told the BBC that Microsoft needed to "jump on the motion sensor bandwagon".

"We thought they were going to show something off at the E3 Expo in 2007 - some sort of waggle stick - but nothing materialised," he said.

"I have no doubt they are going to try and do something, although it remains to be seen how they do it."

Biometrics

The patent application also describes "biometric sensors" that would examine "fingerprint, hand geometry, hand vein pattern, palm pattern, and grip configuration" along with "facial thermogram, a facial feature, a retinal feature, or an iris feature".

"There was talk, a long time ago, about mapping people's faces on to characters," said Mr Ogden.

"However, there were concerns that people would stick real faces on it - such as Gordon Brown - and then spend all day shooting them. The world wasn't ready for that."

At the beginning of May, Microsoft's boss, Steve Ballmer, gave a speech to the Dallas Regional Chamber and was quoted as saying: "Pay attention to the stuff we're announcing in the next month on Xbox."

So the industry will be waiting to see if Microsoft comes up with any surprises at the Los Angeles expo in June.

Well Gavin Ogden is a twat, then.

I agree with Craster.

I've been generally unimpressed by the controls offered in wii games. Wooly and imprecise.

I agree with Mr Dave, but not Craster.

Never Craster.

Mmm. I'd love a light-gun style thing for the 360, but add me to the list of people that don't like the Wiimote. If they do do this, I hope to go they're smart enough to use two diagonally-opposite sensors on the TV.

Mmm. I don't particularly object to the Wiimote, but I object to the assertion that because Nintendo have come up with a particular product that suits a particular market, Microsoft 'need' to follow suit.

Well we're fucking ready for it now, the one-eyed Scottish twat.

*something about that DOA volleyball game and sad nerds*

Thats how I just read that. Made me confused when Crasters comment was



The Mmm at the start was particularly disturbing.

I've been thoroughly underwhelmed with motion control so far. Maybe if they're all doing it, one of them will actually come up with a decent application for the technology, and some decent hardware. Maybe. Competition isn't a bad thing.

At a cost of £98 each and user's info being stored in a central database, Jacqui Smith is keen to see this implemented .

the wiimote is a nice substitute for a mouse. This can make genres like RTS viable on the xbox. And it can make party games, like trivial pursuit, a lot easier. If Microsoft has the decency of just using it when needed its ace.

Good point Ruy. At the moment the development of the controls has been wearing through the novelty aspect of it all, I feel. It's obviously made for light gun shenanigans in this LCD/plasma TV world. If it means House of the Dead on my Xbox I'm all for it.

Of course, the best thing about the Wiimote is that I can fully lounge around the sofa with my hands seperated to wherever I want. Nice freedom, maaaan.

This is going to end in tears, either for MS or for gamers. If they make it an optional accessory, it will almost certainly flop (who's going to spend $50+ just so they can play Wii Sports rip-offs?). But if they bundle it with the console... it'll be like the sixasis, but a thousand times worse. They'll 'wand up' every franchise on the system.

This stuff can quite frankly fuck off. I don't want to play games if I'm forced wave my arms around like a berk.

Playing that Gottlieb pinball collection is nice and relaxing with the Wii controls. Has the Williams version come out over here yet? I've not seen it in the shops.

SIGH Why do people think that you have to use a Wiimote like a spazz at a disco? Simple movements work better than swinging it around. I had Wii Sports golf nailed with tiny little movements while lying on my side on the setee, much more accurate.

Yeah, I know you can just sit there with the Wiimote in your lap, twitching it slightly for the same result. But that kinda defeats the point of having a motion sensor controller.

indeed. After so many hours playing Twilight Princess, returning to a gamepad felt like having handcuffs on.

This might not be the case with whatever MS are brewing up if it has the equivalent of Motion Plus from the start.