Gates Hints At New Xbox Control System

[Spartan_X]

Gates Hints At New Xbox Control System

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 Source: for most games.?

Source: Gamasutra

[FreqFace]

"imagine a game machine where you're just going to pick up the bat and swing it or the tennis racket and swing it.

It just sounds like he's describing the Wii.

Edited June 4, 2007 by NegaC

[troist]

wow, that'd be impressive... although you can't exactly pick up your assault rifle and run around the living room with it like a tennis racquet.

also, a tennis racket would need a big amount amount of space which most people probably don't have...

[addc182]

sounds cool

if a little similar to the wii :p

[TruckWEB]

"imagine a game machine where you?re just going to pick up the bat and swing it or the tennis racket and swing it.?

When you can't beat them..... copy them:); :)

[Samboini]

The videogames industry always copy of each other; by that I mean predominantly Nintendo, although the Wii motion sensing controller is their worst gimmick yet. I truly loathe it until it is far improved.

[TruckWEB]

The videogames industry always copy of each other; by that I mean predominantly Nintendo, although the Wii motion sensing controller is their worst gimmick yet. I truly loathe it until it is far improved.

How can it be "the worst"?? Everyone is enjoying it, mostly positive review everywhere!!

Do you mean that all the Wii where sold to fanboy who won't really tell how bad it is?

[Samboini]

Well lets say swinging my arm around a room looking and feeling like a ###### isn't my best idea of fun. Further, in things like the sports it is also effective up to certain speeds, above that and it jumps/skips etc meaning that your extra effort is pointless regardless of your technique.

[00000]

Let's hope its better than the last "new control scheme" they came out with, Totem Ball's camera control :x

[Xerus]

Well lets say swinging my arm around a room looking and feeling like a ###### isn't my best idea of fun. Further, in things like the sports it is also effective up to certain speeds, above that and it jumps/skips etc meaning that your extra effort is pointless regardless of your technique.

Oh... so you're afraid of what people think of you if you're not sitting on your couch pressing buttons? ;D

[Samboini]

Oh... so you're afraid of what people think of you if you're not sitting on your couch pressing buttons? ;D

You got it in one you genius. I have no problem if every other person in the world likes it but I wouldn't buy one.

[kinetix63 Veteran]

"This is video recognition,? he added.

Sounds like an evolved version of the "EyeToy" games that were available for the PS2 if you ask me. Still, a cool concept.

[ahhell]

"Although the use of the phrase ?game machine? implies Xbox 360 technology"

Jump to conclusions much?

[Morphie]

I'm not exactly super excited about being able to swing my tennis racket around in my living room. Having a controller simulate this action is the only way that would work in a living room setting. Many homes already have to shape their "play area" around the use of WiiMotes, it is madness to assume that anyone but extremely rich people playing on theatre screens with lots of space would be able to make use of such tech. That and, this isn't going to be a "patch" to the 360, it would be part of the next iteration of that console at best, or more likely the one after that. Don't hold your breath, that's all I can say.

[magik]

It just sounds like he's describing the Wii.

When you can't beat them..... copy them! :)

You guys are missing the point. What he is describing here has nothing to do with the Wii, or even motion sensing. He's talking about Video Recognition, something that is currently only supported in a very primitive scale (see: PS2 EyeToy, X360 TotemBall, etc). I'm not sure if we'll see Bill's vision this generation or the next, but when we do, I think it'll be impressive and a lot of fun. :)

[Cryingcure]

Well lets say swinging my arm around a room looking and feeling like a ###### isn't my best idea of fun. Further, in things like the sports it is also effective up to certain speeds, above that and it jumps/skips etc meaning that your extra effort is pointless regardless of your technique.

Stop caring about what others think of how you look. Don't say that's not what you meant by:

"Well lets say swinging my arm around a room looking and feeling like a ###### isn't my best idea of fun"

That's exactly what you implied. BTW they do make regular controllers for the Wii ;) . You're basing an opinion on a console just by its controllers and the fact you don't like moving around move :rolleyes:

Sounds like an evolved version of the "EyeToy" games that were available for the PS2 if you ask me. Still, a cool concept.

Games that used cameras that detected your movement were available on PC's LONG before the PS2 had the EyeToy. So don't even try saying it's Microsoft copying Sony. Sony didn't come up with that idea like everyone seems to think. It was around for a while before Sony used it on the PS2.

[Nightz]

i studied video recognition while i was in school...pretty awesome subject and i'd like to see it come to life.

"imagine a game machine where you?re just going to pick up the bat and swing it or the tennis racket and swing it.?

that would be nice. but most likely these will be overpriced microsoft branded bats and tennis rack:shifty:fty:

[Ayepecks]

The article takes quite a jump in conclusion... Bill Gates has always been thinking towards the long-term future. This does not indicate a new controller for the 360.

[FreqFace]

Hmm.. video recognition is severly limited by what you can actually do with it, as it can only detect movement on a 2D plane. I don't see how it's going to be any better than the EyeToy but better quality video.

Unless of course you had cameras positioned all around you, which would be stupid and impractical.

[majortom1981]

YEs but I thought Sony already shwoed this with their new EYEToy on the PS3. This is something that microsoft is playing catchup on since they originally stated they thought it was a gimic. Now that Sony has done it with the eye toy and nitnendo with the wii they had to come out with something.

Also if Nitnendo added the use of a camera to the functions of the wii remote then I think that could be extremely accurate.

[magik]

YEs but I thought Sony already shwoed this with their new EYEToy on the PS3. This is something that microsoft is playing catchup on since they originally stated they thought it was a gimic. Now that Sony has done it with the eye toy and nitnendo with the wii they had to come out with something.

Also if Nitnendo added the use of a camera to the functions of the wii remote then I think that could be extremely accurate.

You're taking the interpretation that the article has taken, which, I'm sorry to say, is incorrect.

[sgtLENIN]

I really dont see what this has to do with the xbox 360.. for me it sounded like just a general comment about gaming in general

[KiwiSwe]

I hope its some kind of multitouch board, a smaller one like plate size where you can use it as a 360 controller/remote controller and sync it with your computer and view images of your 360 and your PC and as a media player, use it as a virtual keyboard etc etc.

That would be cooler and more inovative than some video recognition thingy.

[spenser.d]

Am I the only person quite content with using a normal controller. I do not want to be swinging things around and such when I'm playing a videogame. If I want to swing a tennis racket around to play tennis, I'll go to a tennis court and do it.

-Spenser

[b10h4z4rd]

Kinda sounds like those cheap tv games they have.