Microsoft’s Bill Gates has given the strongest hint yet that the company plans to introduce a new control system for the Xbox 360 influenced by the success of the Wii, although his somewhat vague comments suggest a very different approach to Nintendo.
As detailed by technology website All Things Digital, Gates was taking part in a live conversation with Apple founder Steve Jobs, when Gates began to discuss the use of 3D online interfaces and the increasing role of the PC as a home media and communications center. He ended his comments by saying, “And as we get natural input, that will cause a change... Software is doing vision and so, you know, imagine a game machine where you’re just going to pick up the bat and swing it or the tennis racket and swing it.”
As the similarities behind his concept and that of the Wii were pointed out, Gates responded: “No, that’s not it. You can’t pick up your tennis racket. And swing it.”
“You can’t sit there with your friends and do those natural things. That’s a 3D positional device. This is video recognition,” he added.
Although the use of the phrase “game machine” implies Xbox 360 technology, no further details were provided by Gates, although others, including Xbox’s Peter Moore, have previously hinted at Microsoft’s interest in producing a motion sensing controller for the Xbox 360. Gates himself has been the most dismissive of Microsoft executives on the subject of the Wii, repeatedly stating his skepticism of the format and its controller and regarding it as a novelty. In May 2006, he even went as far as to state that motion sensing controllers are “something that's not mainstream for most games.”
Link: Forum Discussion
News source: Gamasutra
As detailed by technology website All Things Digital, Gates was taking part in a live conversation with Apple founder Steve Jobs, when Gates began to discuss the use of 3D online interfaces and the increasing role of the PC as a home media and communications center. He ended his comments by saying, “And as we get natural input, that will cause a change... Software is doing vision and so, you know, imagine a game machine where you’re just going to pick up the bat and swing it or the tennis racket and swing it.”
As the similarities behind his concept and that of the Wii were pointed out, Gates responded: “No, that’s not it. You can’t pick up your tennis racket. And swing it.”
“You can’t sit there with your friends and do those natural things. That’s a 3D positional device. This is video recognition,” he added.
Although the use of the phrase “game machine” implies Xbox 360 technology, no further details were provided by Gates, although others, including Xbox’s Peter Moore, have previously hinted at Microsoft’s interest in producing a motion sensing controller for the Xbox 360. Gates himself has been the most dismissive of Microsoft executives on the subject of the Wii, repeatedly stating his skepticism of the format and its controller and regarding it as a novelty. In May 2006, he even went as far as to state that motion sensing controllers are “something that's not mainstream for most games.”
Link: Forum Discussion News source: Gamasutra
I'd say we're maybe 100 years away from a holodeck type technology, it really isn't that far ahead of us if you think about it.
I'd say we're maybe 100 years away from a holodeck type technology, it really isn't that far ahead of us if you think about it.
Contradiction? 100 years is a long time...
So you pick up your own tennis racket or base ball bat and swing it. A camera/input device connected to a console/computer " video recognition" measures the speed/angle etc... So its more realistic. I sure won't be swinging a baseball bat in my living room though anytime soon.
It sounds like he's more on about games for the Surface.
/joke
Go Microsoft you have stood in the shadow for too long time for you to come out and innovate
Same situation with putting HD-DVD drive in the Xbox360.. they could but the backlash of the existing user base (and having to prevent developers using the HD-DVD for games) gives MS a very bad black eye.
The one thing I think MS doesn't get is look at the "type" of games the Wii is pumping out vs Xbox 360. Cooking Mama, Wii Sports, Zelda, etc vs Halo 2/3, Gears of War, EA "TYPE" Sport 200x ... they appeal to two different audiences with some cross over.
Commenting has either been disabled on this article or you are not logged in. Click here to login or register, its free!
Note: Anonymous commenting is disabled in order to keep the quality of responses to a high standard.