Who said that the Revolution wouldn't be televised? Forget about televised. You might as well say telegraphed. Nintendo's Wii controller has had people wondering when (not if) the other shoe was going to drop ever since it captured the imagination of the buying public over 3 years ago in videogaming conventions across the world. When would Microsoft and Sony respond to the new standard maker? Sony offered the Sixaxis early on but this was not enough to shake the Wiimote's popularity. Meanwhile, Microsoft seemed content using the evolution of the 25 year old standard began by the Nintendo Entertainment System not visibly worried about the impact the Wiimote was having in the marketplace. But as the Wii's popularity exceeded the XBox 360's own in the 360's best-performing region, the U.S.A., the speculation became pronounced that Microsoft was preparing a counter for Nintendo's record-selling home console.
But a new rumor says to forget about your Newtons. You prepared for a full-bodied motioning experience? Read it some more...
The Source family offers up another one of their kin to tell scoop-seeking webloggers at Engadget.com about Microsoft's supposed plan to introduce a motion-sensing device that steals the glory away from the Wiimote. But this mechanism won't use a rod-shaped controller in your hand, no no. This sensor bar picks up your bluetooth, your bluelips, blueneck, bluearms, bluehands, bluechest, bluewaist, blueback, bluebutt, bluelegs, and bluefeet.
What are you talking about, John? I mean it picks up your very own body movement as well as sound. To be more specific, the sensor bar has two sensor areas on it along with a mic and camera which is supposed to convey the movement. The source has "no idea" how all of this works but thankfully the insider has left info on the possible capabilities:
* Full body and hand gesture control of games/characters.
* Picks up small hand gestures like pinching, grabbing, and scrolling.
* You can punch, kick, dive, jump, and things like that with your body in genres such as fighting games.
* Sensor bar detects only the person playing but not the people watching on the couch.
* Video conferencing and games with video will be available.
* Trivia game over the internet with live images of each person playing. When a question pops up, they can clap to buzz in.
* You can move objects on the screen and the other person can see what you're doing in real time.
This could either be another clever Photoshop hoax or some super secret truly revealed. News about Nintendo's major competitors creating their own motion-control implementations to combat the Wii has become more intense as the little market champ has extended its success. E3 2009 is said to promise to see Sony offer a much more direct answer than the Sixaxis with a new motion control interface. Sooner or later, the other shoe is going to have to drop, as the cliché goes. The new standard is here.
Thanks to Inspector Engadget.
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