Wii60

[strongbad]

If everything goes according to plan, Microsoft's response to Nintendo's Wii will appear before the end of the year, a developer who has been briefed on the project told MTV News. The Xbox 360 manufacturer has been working on its own version of the motion-controlled Wii remote since last summer, the developer said.

Since Nintendo's Wii became a global sensation and Sony launched a PS3 controller that is also motion-sensitive, rumors have reverberated through the gaming industry that Microsoft would create a motion-controller of its own.

While nothing has been officially announced, MTV News' source was able to provide us with details on one such 360 controller in the making: a controller designed to do all the Wii remote does, and more. Our source chose to remain anonymous in the interest of not compromising business relationships, but MTV News has confirmed Microsoft's active interest in developing a motion-sensitive controller with other industry sources.

The project has been in active development at Microsoft since last August, the source said. Rare, the Microsoft-owned studio behind Xbox 360's launch first-person shooter "Perfect Dark Zero" and the upcoming installment of the "Banjo-Kazooie" franchise, has been tasked with creating a unified interface and look for the controller. Rare has had trouble hitting its deadlines, according to the source.

When MTV News contacted Microsoft for confirmation, a spokesperson said that "Microsoft does not comment on rumors and speculation."

Our development source sketched out a reproduction of the last prototype he'd seen, although the final product — if it is indeed released — may vary from this design. A key difference between the Wii remote and the prototype is the lack of a companion controller to be placed in the other hand, like Wii's Nunchuck.

The controller itself isn't much different in functionality or design from Nintendo's Wii remote, but comes with four face buttons, an analog stick and microphone. There are also plans for the controller to interact with the Xbox Live Vision Camera, the source said.

Microsoft's controller isn't just a response to "Wii Sports"; it's slightly more ambitious. "They want the usual assortment of 'Halo'/ 'Gears'/ 'Forza'/ whatever, just in waggle form," our source told us. Such idea-generation has not gone smoothly. "The whole thing is a colossal clusterf---," the source said. "[Microsoft] marketing just want it so they can match the Wii point for point. The biggest parts of their marketing materials outline how easy it would be for third parties to port their Wii games to the 360."

In addition to designing the interface for the controller, Rare has also fleshed out Microsoft's take on Nintendo's Mii avatar concept, the source said. Microsoft's Miis are designed to be associated with any game that incorporates the controller and create a standard "look" for the games. The avatars aren't tied to a controller when in use, as Xbox Live profiles currently are.

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1584945/20080404/id_0.jhtml


http://kotaku.com/assets/resources/2008/04/xmote.jpg

WHY MICROSOFT WHYYYYYY

[KonohaShinobi]

That mock up looks too awkward to be used.

[Kalahari Inkantation]

worst april fools joke ever

[strongbad]

worst april fools joke ever

is it?

[Bushy]

is it?

Yes

Microsoft is fine as it is, and that is an obvious shoop.

[strongbad]

It's possible

[Cookie]

I would buy it. 

[Bushy]

It's possible

No.

[greg400]

Wow, it looks like they really put a lot of thought into making the design different from the wii remote...

[Wrench]

fucking assholes

steal the regular controller from the PS2 and now stealing that from the Wii

[Geno]

Nope this is real. 

[strongbad]

Nope this is real. 

see i told you

[KonohaShinobi]

see i told you

Lol, like he is a credible source.

[strongbad]

You just wait

[ncba93ivyase]

Nintendo is the only company still in the console market that makes any half decent games, and if they're gobbled up by Microsoft, gaming would be dead forever.

Thankfully, Nintendo isn't that stupid.