Rumor: Microsoft has Wii-mote copycat coming

by Terrence Stasse { Apr 7th 2008 at 8:00PM }

MTV News recently posted an interesting piece of gossip concerning Microsoft's possible answer to Wii-mote. According to an anonymous developer, Microsoft has had this project in the wings since summer 2007 and hopes to have it out before the end of the year. Believe it or not it's rumored that of all companies, Rare has been working on it. Rare is a games software company, so why they'd be tasked with making hardware is beyond us, but it would answer some lingering questions ...

Rare's The Fast and The Furriest for XBLA is going to use the Vision Cam, and the "X-mote" is rumored to use the Vision Cam. Rare is also hard at work on another 360 project that is as-of-yet unrevealed, and is supposed to hit before the year is out. Combined with the fact that Microsoft is already rumored to be working a motion-sensing controller, and the fact that they don't seem too concerned with with the second half of 2008 make us think that this could be plausible.

But does plausible mean desirable? Read on ...

[Via N4G]

According to the anonymous developer the entire project is in the toilet because Rare has continuously failed to produce when deadlines come around. Combined with the rumor that what they did make wasn't very useful, and led to a lot of generic work, and well, if this comes out, it doesn't'sound like it could challenge the Wii in any way shape or form. Well, that's not entirely true, the dev does say that the remote does everything the Wii's can do and includes a mic.

The actual story on MTVnews is a pretty good read, and is really rather amusing at times: '"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."

Tags: controller, microsoft, rare, remote, wii

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Adam B @ Apr 7th 2008 8:12PM

I would highly consider buying a PS3 if Xbox decided to go down this path for the next Xbox console. The Xbox already has a perfect controller, adding this would just ruin the gaming experience and worsen Xbox's reputation.

GregA @ Apr 7th 2008 8:19PM

They could skip motion and just add an IR camera to the game pad, and accomplish the same thing and still have a functional game pad, unlike the wii mote and nunchuck combo. Then all the sudden the game pad has that mouse input that is so appealing, and doesn't have the motion detection that IMO is worse than useless.

Robert @ Apr 7th 2008 8:31PM

the 360 controller is the best controller ive ever used its nearly perfect if it wernt for that damn dpad its shocking. whats the new DS3 like? i havent used that yet

WTangoFoxtrot @ Apr 8th 2008 1:47AM

but just imagine how much fun it would be to chainsaw through an opponent in gears 2 with that controller ! melee attacks in halo 3 or even driving a warthog or throwing a plasma grenade..........

drools......

Trekster_Gamer @ Apr 7th 2008 8:13PM

I think this would be great, of course all of the Nintendo fanboys would start there crying, saying how MS stole the idea. I would like to have some games with control like the Wii combined with the power of the 360.

JakubK666 (Ninja Defence Force) @ Apr 7th 2008 9:06PM

Yeah but Sony stole it first...

I'd love to see a lawsuit where Sony sues MS for something they stole off Nintendo.

Raheem @ Apr 7th 2008 8:14PM

Credit on the image. I saw this over at Engadget and they're still using the MS Paint version.

iisryan @ Apr 7th 2008 8:27PM

Final design:

iisryan @ Apr 7th 2008 8:28PM

Damned formatting. Click the link yourself:

http://fc04.deviantart.com/fs18/f/2007/158/0/0/36iimote_by_iisryan.jpg

Terrence Stasse @ Apr 7th 2008 8:33PM

Your picture is different than the one in the post, which was found here:

http://kotaku.com/376987/microsoft-to-rip-off-wii-remote-by-end-of-year-says-source

hence the "image credit: kotaku"

iisryan @ Apr 7th 2008 8:36PM

I know, I was just posting a better PhotoShopping that I did a while back. Same idea, different artist.

Barron @ Apr 7th 2008 8:29PM

So fake...I'm surprised the people at X3F believe this and the picture.

Terrence Stasse @ Apr 7th 2008 8:31PM

It IS under Rumors.

Whether it's true or not it's interesting.

LesbianHam @ Apr 7th 2008 9:51PM

Obvious troll is obvious.

Cal @ Apr 7th 2008 8:29PM

This gives 'Wii60' a whole new meaning...

webster1990 @ Apr 7th 2008 8:33PM

erm....why?
the vision camera is yet to get a decent use, whats the point in this. The wiimote works for little party games, but with anything decent i just long for a normal controller, like in super smash bros and zelda. Imagine the fun when microsoft cashes in on some form of halo motion controller game....hold on a sec, that sounds AWESOME. but it probably wont be. Although if it were like time crisis, and kept on the rails and possibly went through halo 1-3 and made the story make sense it would be good
but they might aswell make that an arcade game. with a life size BR as the lightgun.

GregA @ Apr 7th 2008 8:42PM

Screw the party games. Forget the motion control. With an IR camera they can give us a pointer interface. A simple patch to games, and all the sudden all of the FPS games (thats all it does you know!) are even better. Sell a million of the controls at $60 a pop at Target, and Sonys got nuthin... Well they still have Blu-ray, but I still don't care about that.

Kruegmeister @ Apr 7th 2008 8:39PM

Wouldn't be a bad Idea if it was an Optional Controller bundled with games similar to Wii Sports.

I don't think Microsoft would be crazy enough to make this the "Main" Controller.

Of course since I already own a Wii, I would not be interested in this for my 360. The Wii is for the Quirky games, and the 360 and PS3 are for everything else.

Deck @ Apr 7th 2008 8:53PM

Bleh. I'm not a Wii fan so this is why I probably am turned off by this. I don't think it really does much at all, except perhaps eventually leave gamers in the dark who DOESN'T have it which I totally don't want to happen. (Some games just being required to have such a remote instead of a traditional one).

Brings me back to the thought that Microsoft just needs to give up on the casual market. Its not their strong point, its not where most of their market is. There is no way they are going to take away some of the Wii casual market, so I think they just need to stop. Really.

Yes, I am a XBOXFANBOY.

JakubK666 (Ninja Defence Force) @ Apr 7th 2008 9:01PM

Wouldn't mind if it will only be a gimmick/add-on and won't get in the way of proper gaming experience.

Microsoft Sports FTW! Deal with RRODERS at Customer Service!

Adam @ Apr 7th 2008 9:10PM

Microsoft needs to stop focusing on crap like this and forget about the rpg crap as well.Stop trying to satisfy japan a country that could give a rats ass because there so biased.The 360 in my opinion is everything a console should be nothing less nothing more.It reminds me of the dreamcast which was another perfect console.Unfortunatly the world buys into bullshit hence the dreamcasts demise and why ps2 sold so well even over the original xbox.

Were in a world now where people dont buy products becuase there superior but becuase of brand name.Look at apple ipod i would take a zune or sony mp3 player quality wise over an ipod anyday.Yet the world wants to be cool so they buy ipods.

Its like the paris hilton perfume my girl wants.I told her if she wore it i would treat her like shit because it smelled like gutter skank.I then asked her do you want to smell like gutter skank?

For some reason the world thinks the ps3 has it all over the 360 yet its not even logical thinking.How can something be better when it lacks in all areas the other brings it.

In game xmb from day one
Better online
Downloadable content movies music etc
better exclusives in past present even in 08
Better versions of multiplatform a year later.

I just dont understand how a game like mgs4 can be considered better than a game like fable2 or gow2.

Sure there diffrent games but let me ask you this.Would you rather play oblivion or one of the older metal gears or gow or one of the older metal gears?

There hyping the world into bullshit even g5 lacks compared to forza two can you have a racing sim with no car damage?When i am racing and some asshole online crashes because he sucks he should face the consequences.GT5 is a weak racing sim and its full of utter fail its a back step in racing to be honest.

But the world will lie to itself like they did the with dc vs ps2.

Phizzy @ Apr 7th 2008 10:29PM

Hey don't stop now, you could insult gamecube too! And PSX! That wasn't as good as N64, was it?

Anticrawl @ Apr 8th 2008 9:01AM

Someone needs to abort this kid.

Scott @ Apr 8th 2008 9:10AM

I had to stop reading the super post because you used the wrong "they're" in the second sentence. Typos are ok in a quick shot, but if you are going to go all diatribe on us, get your damn grammar right.

adam @ Apr 8th 2008 9:39AM

I was ranting yes and people calling me a fanboy?

Hello its xbox360fanboy welcome

I must say where was i wrong in that post?Even if there were a few typos you cant be that retarded that you cant read it.If thats the case i wonder what kind of education people today are getting.I hate when people bitch they cant read something because of typos.It just shows how incapable they are with grammer and reading all together.

I stand by my rant i will not support a company that throws a console onto the market and expects you to wait for its full functionality.To me there worse then microsoft.Sure theres rrod but i can get it fixed for free in 2 weeks and i dont have to wait 2 years for important features like in game custom tracks in game buddy list and decent games libraries as well as shitty online service.

Its like saying a fully loaded mustang with leather interior and cd player is inferior to a stock mustang with cloth interior and a am/fm radio

Wheres teh logic?

hydralisk456 @ Apr 8th 2008 11:03AM

You know, usually when you write a sentence you put a space after the period, it makes it a bit easier to read.

LV426 @ Apr 8th 2008 6:39PM

What would make the cloth seated car superior? I dont know, but I dont like my car staying at the mechanic needlessly because the engine mushroom clouded.

Adam @ Apr 8th 2008 8:00PM

Again mushroom clouded a rrod issue lmao its all ps3 fanboys got these days

The leather seats are the in game buddy list the cd player is the rumble and custom music playlists.Its features ps3 owners currently or will not ever have.

SadisticHam @ Apr 7th 2008 9:11PM

I'd be fine if they did what the PS3 did and threw it in with the standard 360 controler.

But a 360 remote? Err no.

Sean Kelley @ Apr 7th 2008 9:50PM

People you're forgeting how a business guy thinks...

"Gee Nintendo has sold a lot of Wiis, If we have a simpler controller option that mimics the Wii we could lure some of the Wii purchasers (who would never have a bought a game console to begin with) to also consider buying an xbox once the Wii remorse set in."
"You mean I can play uno while seeing Uncles Andy's balls? SOLD!"

N S @ Apr 7th 2008 10:13PM

@Adam

Your comment doesn't make any sense. It's just full of ranting fan-boy garbage.

ZeroCorpse @ Apr 7th 2008 11:10PM

If I wanted to wave my hands around like an idiot to play a game, I'd get a Wii.

I don't, so I didn't.

eclipse27 @ Apr 8th 2008 12:02AM

What a bitch move.......its even more horrible than the Wiimote

Seriously, the gaming world will be much better off without the input of Microsoft

Sony & Nintendo were doing just fine without the XBox before and hopefully somebody will smarten up and pull the plug on Games Division for good (damn near seven years and cant make a consistent profit.....only if it involves Halo)

Trekster_Gamer @ Apr 8th 2008 12:07AM

I am not a fan of the Underpowered Wii, I love my 360 but I played some of the sports games on a friends Wii, the games as with almost all Wii games looked dated and mediocre at best but was fun. I would pay to have that type of control with true 360 next gen quality graphics. I in no way want this as my primary controller but it could have some fun uses in some games.

burgerbat @ Apr 8th 2008 2:34AM

The dumb-assery is rampant on X3f today I see...

duramas @ Apr 8th 2008 3:21AM

INC LEGO HALO WITH MOTION AND CAMERA SENSING!

Len Q @ Apr 8th 2008 7:29AM

Why not add a LCD screen as well... think of the possibilities with that included!

Boff @ Apr 8th 2008 7:53AM

I wouldn't use that 'x-mote' controller to scratch my balls with.

Majikthise @ Apr 8th 2008 8:13AM

There is a damn expansion port on the xbox joypad, why not just clip on a motion sensor?

If they are going to do this, they should have added it to the 'big button' controllers they brought out last year!

baby sea tuna @ Apr 8th 2008 8:24AM

April fools?

Shogan @ Apr 8th 2008 9:08AM

I don't understand why people are upset about this. The WiiMote has a lot of console gaming potential that Nintendo isn't using. Adventure games and RTS games could benefit greatly from a Wiimote-like interface.

stinger503 @ Apr 8th 2008 9:31AM

I'd like to see this. Any advantage the Wii has would be lost, they would lose their exclusives (except Nintendo ones) to the console that sells more games and 360 could edge into the Wii's market while still having the standard gamepad we know and love. Best of both worlds.

AC @ Apr 8th 2008 1:35PM

this really confirms now what we had suspected all along is that the nintendo wii got it right this generation as shown by the sales. that remote as described is blatantly copying the wiimote point for point. i'm sure it also has a pointer function which was the best innovation. i mean even a speaker in the remote was taken. come on now. wow, just wow. this rumor is probably fake but who knows. i wonder if the ps2 will come out with its own version of the wiimote. its been long rumored.

buckyboy28 @ Apr 8th 2008 2:41PM

I must admit, I came over from Wii Fanboy to see what the reaction was over here, and I have to agree with what many of you guys are saying over here about Microsoft leaving the casual market to Nintendo. Microsoft should be more focused on its nearest competitor in the PS3, and let Nintendo keep doing what it is doing.
I know that the remote is in its development stage, but if they want to avoid a lawsuit, they should at least make the similarities less blatant.