Rumors have been swirling that Microsoft will be launching their very own in house motion controller come E3. Third party companies are already all up on it so why wouldn't Microsoft get in on it themselves or at least design games for it? Signs are pointing to the rumors coming true as Microsoft has put up a job listing that sounds like its for someone who wants to work with motion controls.
The listing states, "Are you interested in shipping innovative games that will change the way people play? If so, we want you to join our team to work on an amazing next-generation project, built from the ground up, in Microsoft Game Studios. We are building a NEW GAME STUDIO from the ground up that will revolutionize both WHAT you play and HOW you play. You have the chance to get in on the ground floor and work with professionals responsible for some of the industry's greatest innovations to date. (Emphasis in the original.)"
Let's run down the key points: built from the ground up, revolutionize how you play, innovate ideas. Sounds exactly like the PR line for the Wii and its motion controls don't it? Of course motion controls are totally original, just ask Bill Gates.
Matthew Razak is Destructoid's Associate editor and co-founder of film site
Flixist. He began as community member "cowzilla" and was since sequestered to write brainy features material. He lives in Los Angeles with his beautiful wife.
Likes
Games! Movies! Hats!
Meet the rest of the team
| BBcode help |
| [b]Bold text[/b] |
Bold text |
| [i]Italic text[/i] |
Italic text |
| [url]http://www.dtoid.com/[/url] |
http://www.dtoid.com |
| [url=http://www.dtoid.com/]Web link[/url] |
Web link |
|
| [img]http://www.example.com/robot.jpg[/img] |
 |
Post a comment! You can also post a photo below:
Comment with Facebook
Click connect and comment instantly!
|
Comment with Dtoid
New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds
|
25 comments | showing # 1 to 25
|
Comment with Facebook
Click connect and comment instantly!
|
Comment with Dtoid
New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds
|
Comments policy
Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?
Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!
Contest:
11:00 AM on 05.31.2009
| 
Does anyone know of one brand of 360 controller that does not have a glitched, unplayable d-pad? I was hoping at some point they would fix it. Back in middle school when Madcatz was at it's "prime" I had shitty $2 controllers as backups, and they had the same exact design (unplayable).
Also, the whole "let's steal the Miis and make them avatars" and now "let's steal the Wii-mote, smooth the edges and call it motion" is pissing me off. Personally, I think Nintendo should have a legitimate lawsuit on their hands.
Its like light gun games, there sometimes only so much you can do with eventually.
Did you know the Microsoft Sidewinder was one of the first motion sensing controllers available? Back in 1998. The MICROSOFT Sidewinder. Yeah.
And avatars of been used in games for so long, it's impossible to claim one company as the inventor. Nintendo has no lawsuit on their hands anywhere.
Using people-like avatars in a console dashboard is extremely suspect, considering Nintendo was the first to do it, and it was so recent.
I enjoy the casually appealing non-Nintendo things Microsoft does, like game shows (1 vs 100) for real prizes, and the amazing online service (Live) with various deals of the week and free games, but more and more they're just emulating Nintendo for the sake of cash. And that's fine, a company obviously needs to make money: I just think it's suspect to blatantly rip off all of Nintendo's successful schemes. Just because Microsoft had a motion sensing controller doesn't mean they did it right: Nintendo did, so they deserve some credit.
If Microsoft were truly the pillars of innovation (which in almost every regard they are not), we'd see Sony and possibly Nintendo imitating the Sidewinder.
Dude, I agree that no lawsuit should be in order, afterall, I truly believe that it will increase competition and, in the end, improve gaming experiences for everyone. Besides, all that lawyer money could be better spent in R&D.
But, man, it's not WHAT they're doing, but HOW they're doing it. The avatars are surprisingly Mii-like(they probably would've gone a more realistic, Home-like design if there were never Miis around) and now, this controller is ridicously similar to the Wii Remote. Should the motion controller really be like that, I would be extremely disappointed by Microsoft and perplexed by their total absence of originality. The grip, the style, the D-pad layout, even the X from X-Box and the two side buttons match the Home and +, - buttons from the Wii.
And the sidewinder could have been a nice, valid argument, should it not have failed terribly. Besides, it is, you know, a classic-shaped controller. If we were talking about Nintendo having released a GameCube controller with motion sensing capabilities insted of the remote thing, this might have been different. As it stands, I see Microsoft's actions as a desperate effort to capitalize on a rival idea not by improving it, as the market demands, but by copying it as far as to design choices.
Trying to ape the waggle shit? Not cool, looks weak to bite your competitor that hard, and frankly I've yet to see a waggle-tastic game I would want to shake a stick at. The whole wii-mote thing is garbage in my opinion, every review for a Wii game I've watched or read repeats the same idea "The waggle controls are mushy and don't track well enough to play, you'll want to use the classic controller instead" or "the waggle is tacked on, and a repetitive interuption in gameplay".
Not interested.
Why is Sony/Microsoft going down this route?
Neither Sony or Microsoft will get that Wii Casual Market it's not gonna happen so why are they bothering to try.
Nothing looks any different it's basically a Wii Remote only with Xbox buttons.
How original. Not.
Also, that remote looks like ass.
The 360's biggest problem is that they have the same clueless developers working on their console's software.
I agree that there is no lawsuit. However, while you state that Microsoft has motion sensing in the sidewinder in 1998, need I remind you that Nintendo released the Powerglove in 1989.
if MS designed the 360 pad to be comfortable to hold in two hands, then surely half a 360 pad works best for one hand?
if you're going to copy someone, only take the good ideas FFS.