The Wiimote has a built in microphone, it's just not used.

Wow, with that name I was totally thrown off of which company they were gonna copy, and then BAM! there's the pic.

Well they sure got me with...WHHAAAAAAAAA????

Nintendo gets a cut, right?

I'm betting this will be cool! oh wait! no it won't! cause no one is going to develop games for this control scheme on the 360, since the market is already there on the wii.

And, apparently Microsoft hasn't done any usability on that design (if that's their design), because your thumb/palm would be pressing the X and B buttons while you try using the D-pad.

I kid, I kid.

Microsoft actually does pretty well with peripheral hardware so there should be something cool there.

I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt on this one.

@strider_mt2k: You forgot that they couldn't come up with a clever code name either. "Newton" hmmm that sounds familiar. Something in the hand held arena, like an apple.

@LoganSix: Artists rendering. If Jesus is an artist. let me rephrase: Photoshopist's rendering.

@Darrone: I wouldn't mind ported Wii games on the 360. Saves me from buying a Wii and don't have to sacrifice my gizmo-buying budget. :)

@Darrone: it'll most likely be a hybrid of the Wiimote and Sixaxis technologies... so the games will still play with the standard controller but include things like tilt and pointing, etc. Given the success--or lack thereof--many ps3 games have had with this, I'm with ya, but I doubt MS is going to go the same family-friendly route as Nintendo. They tried that with Viva Piñata and failed. Still, past performance isn't indicative of future success...

This is AWESOME! would all the games work with this?

I'll stick with my Wii, thank you very much.

@Darrone: Based off of the MTV sketch. So, pretty photochop or not, it's still a sucky layout for the controller.

Jesus's mock-up is better than the one they have over at Kotaku. Sorry, Kotaku.

@MisterSleep: My issue is simply that its a lot more difficult than it looks to design games for these controls. Look at red steel. The game is just plain aweful. But when someone said "hey, you can control a katana with a wii mote!" everyone in the room got excited. I just don't think developers are going to create Metroid/Galaxy quality control schemes when the market is tiny. And using these controls in a game that simply adds "tilt" and "motion" when it isn't necessary is going to fail.

I don't like the ABXY configuration on the top....it seems that would be hard to use with just one hand?

Nintendo's design, Apple's project name... Microsoft is just phoning it in now, huh?

@Darrone:
Hopefully future 360 FPS games will support the Xiimote. If you've played Metroid Prime 3 or Medal of Honor Heroes 2 on the Wii, you know that the Wiimote-based aiming is far, far superior to the 360's current analog-stick scheme (and even trumps the PC's mouse & keyboard).

@ripfire4:
Of course, there are precious few worthwhile 3rd party Wii games (Zack & Wiki, Resident Evil 4, No More Heroes). Nintendo's not about to port its own games (Zelda, Paper Mario, Battalion Wars, Fire Emblem, Mario Galaxy, Mario Kart, Metroid Prime, Smash Bros.) over to Microsoft's system.

@LoganSix: You've got messed up hands, man.

Does it have handwriting recognition? How about a to-do list or calendar?

And the screen is to small.

And that screen is awefull small.

@Hiphopopotamus: Can't wait for Microsoft's xPhone.

Stupid double posting noob.

@emag:

I disagree. I think the Wii control system is abyssmal for FPS's. I'm a hardcore FPS player. It's really the only kind of game I play. I always say, no gun = no fun. The Wii aiming is nice in a Duck Hunt arcade type shooting game, but there is far more to a good FPS than just the aiming. That's where the Wii control system falls far short. You just can't beat the dual analog stick system for controlling movement and point of view simultaneously.

I'm going to go against the grain on this one, call bullshit, and state that I believe this is not photoshopped.

A version of Bioshock using a wiimote like device might just make me come in my pants. Might.

@robinandtami: And I disagree with you. Having completed Metroid Prime 3 and then going and playing Mass Effect I sorely missed wiimote aiming.

@robinandtami: Actually... the movement and shooting in the FPS minigames of Link's Training (the Wii crossbow game) is some of the funnest FPS gaming I have done... a legitimate full length FPS designed for the crossbow would be pretty nice.

@Darrone: no no, I agree. I don't think they actually will go with the same 1:1 or even "waggle" route. That mockup is misleading. I think MS and 360 developers will still continue to use the regular controller as the default control scheme and simply add optional features that utilize this, such as aiming grenades (like in Uncharted) or controlling planes (Warhawk). They'll never make a game that relies solely on motion controls, as that would alienate a huge percentage of their core base. And I don't think it'll succeed, either... having the motion controls on the PS3 is nice, but I highly doubt it was a major selling point for anyone. And so far there haven't been any games for which the Sixaxis is the right way to control... so until someone comes up with a game that controls with the standard scheme but has some super amazing motion controls added, this is just going to be a fun accessory that may make it into the Xbox 720 or whatever, like the rumble pak for the N64.

My favorite part is "On the other hand, Rare's having much difficulty meeting their deadlines, which means that target date of end of 2008 could be hard to hit. "

Well knock me over with a feather, Rare having a hard time meeting deadlines. Dinosaur Planet only took them what, 8 years and the lifespan of 2 systems. Kameo was even worse, spanning the N64, and Gamecube before it was finally released on the xbox.

Rest assured Wii fanboys, this project is in sufficiently incapable hands. Worry about the xbox 720.

The Big let-down on these motion sensing remotes is the in-game actions are scripted movements, not fluid reproductions of YOUR movements. So instead of pushing a button to do one of 4 sword slashes, you move the damn thing, and if it's close enough to the programmed "match", it sends a signal basically saying "Button B was Pressed".

If i move my hand ONE INCH to the right, I want that mimicked precisely. If all they're going to do is preprogrammed button-press activating motions, color me unimpressed.

Now i know it works reasonably well for "Duck Hunt" style games, but that's nothing new. The other issue is - WHY IR? WHY DEPEND ON A LINE OF SIGHT FOR A DEVICE THATS BEING WAVED AROUND CONSTANTLY???

My interest in this stuff was wiitired immediately after discovering this scripted-ness in a wii boxing game. I MIGHT AS WELL PUSH BUTTONS IF IT'S NOT GOING TO ACTUALLY MIMIC WHAT I'M DOING!

@LoganSix: The Wiimote doesn't have a microphone. It just has a chip that could be used with a microphone.

[www.wii-volution.com]

@robinandtami: Dual analog for FPS games also happens to be abysmal.

Just make it work like it should, rather than with predfined motions. And a remake / sequel to Die by the Sword. Nothing like chopping off goblin limbs and finishing the creatures off by beating them with their own arms!

I'm sorry, but a mic on the handset, seems pretty ridiculous. While you are waving the thing around, you are supposed to be able to talk to people on it? Not only that are you actually going to be able to use it, when all everyone hears is static from you waving it around trying to sword someone in halo?

@robinandtami: Have you played MP3 (with the advanced control scheme) and MoHH2, or are you just speculating?

@nutbastard: Problem with that is then you're gonna force people to actually do work. The games then go from being fun and ridiculous to skilled and precise.

A lot of Wii-eople might bask in the irony over this one, especially if XBox fanboys, some of which once lambasted the Wii for what it does, start doing a lot of the things that people were generally doing on the Nintendo.

If this Xiimote lacks the plug-in nunchuck with the toggle, I don't see how it can be any more functional than the Wii's, microphone be damned.

Soo...if this thing is going to use a sensor bar like the Wii, where is it going to connect to? Did I miss some secret port on the back of my 360 because it was hard to miss on my Wii.

@nutbastard: Outside or in a non-reflective environment IR would suck, but it does tend to bounce around a bit.
Dude...am I defending IR? I am aren't I?

Look, for some apps it's great. I agree maybe not this one.
Possible, but more problematic than problem-solving.

Nevermind...USB. Damn I gotta pay more attention.

guarantee its gonna be over priced and cheaply made.

@nutbastard: I agree wholeheartedly. After playing for a while, it was fun and exhausting, but seemed to be a pretty big opportunity that was missed entirely, especially with sword fighting.

If XBox development can bring something that does what you were wishing for, then the ball's totally in their court, but I don't imagine that it will matter too much, because the Wii's still much cheaper, and every goddamn kid out there will still want one.

@robinandtami: You are the only self professed "hardcore FPSer" that I've ever heard extol the virtues of dual-analog. Every other "hardcore FPSer" only has one control solution: mouse and keyboard.

It's codename will foreshadow its own death

@LoganSix:
hmm. yeah. also reminds me of some kind of guy who might be important to physics. oh wait, apple invented Gravity. microsoft must be copying apple.

to be honest, i don't really care if MS is copying nintendo... as long as their version is an IMPROVEMENT. the wiimote definitely has room for improvement, especially the motion sensing. things like being able to calibrate to screen size, better tilt/spin sensing, more comfortable "sideways" configuration...

@dry-roasted-peanuts:
as someone who does prefer M and K over a controller, i have to say the current 360 controller is much better than the PS2 I had grown so used to. It's also more convenient for social gaming sessions - it's tough to 'pass' the mouse and keyboard. Plus im pretty sure those assholes on COD4 coming in at like 26 and 8 are using M and K - the obviously superior control scheme - while the rest of us fight honorably with our dual sticks.

@