Peter Moore said:

Nintendo has done a tremendous job in capturing, in bringing back fun—if you will—to the gaming platforms. But we’ve got a few tricks up our sleeve as well to be able to do that. It’s not something that we’re going to be shy about, and it’s not something that we’re not painfully aware of that needs to be changed by this holiday. That has been the strategy all along, and we’ll be making some more announcements in the coming month or two. I think you’ll see how serious we are about that.

Click to expand...

Peter Moore said:

It’s actually not games. It’s more experiencial than that. And again, since the day I saw Iwata-san pull the nunchuck controller out from under his podium a few years ago at TGS, I’ve always realized that was the right thing for Nintendo to have to do for what they needed to do to be successful in this next generation. And it was always going to be a challenge for us. So, we have plans. This does not come as a surprise. Our strategy has been laid out for us years in advance, and you’re going to see some of that this next holiday and beyond.

Click to expand...

Based on the above it seem pretty clear that there is a form baton cooking in Redmond. Since it's going to be announced in the "next month or two", it seems that GDC will be the place. After all, you need to get excellent development support.


The new "triple play" in console war

The current round of console war seems to spin around three major competitive domains related to game experience: excellent graphics, compelling online services and innovative controls.

In the first domain, excellent graphcis, it could be argued that Microsoft is so close to par with Sony that Sony won't be able to get an unfair advantage, and no actions are thus required from Microsoft. Thus, graphics domain is a tie with Sony, with Nintendo losing the domain with a massive margin.

The second domain, compelling online services, clearly belongs to Microsoft. The ease of use and robustness of Xbox Live featureset sets Xbox 360 online experience to a whole another league than Sony or Nintendo, whose online services are gimped in some key way. Thus, online domain belongs to Microsoft, with a near tie between Nintendo and Sony, with no actions required from Microsoft.

The third domain, innovative controls, currently is owned by Nintendo and the innovative wiimote. Sony's offering promises also motion control, although all signs and my current experience with Lair points to it being a sub-par solution, yet a solution Sony is now tied with. Still, Microsoft's current offering doesn't include any sort of motion controls that Microsoft could use as a bullet-point or a real advantage. Thus, the innovative controls domain is owned by Nintendo, with Sony being second and Microsoft last without a motion control story. Actions clearly required.


Why introducing a wagglewand absolutely makes sense to Microsoft

Creating an excellent motion-sensing controller, which I'll call the Xbox 360 wagglewand until further information, would put Microsoft in a very strong competitive position in the gaming experience domain:

• Microsoft wins Online domain, par on Graphics domain, par on Controls domain
• Nintendo on par on control domain, loses graphics domain, shared loser of Online domain
• Sony on par on Graphics domain, shared loser of Online domain, loser of Controls domain

This would have a considerable effect in how the whole round of console war plays out - as the two remaining non-experience factors are console price and publisher support, both of which Microsoft can do fairly strongly in.

However, a Xbox 360 wagglewand is not without tough challenges and decisions to make. I'll address the most important of these questions below, and give my predictions of how everything will play out.


The "game SKU" challenge

The fundamental strategic questions for Microsoft are:

• Is it a certification requirement that the game works both on 360 wand and 360 controller?
• If yes, will this limit the innovation potential in game play?
• If no, how to get the existing installed base enjoy designed-for-wand games
• Will the 360 wand work on existing games?
• Can there be games that work on both wand and controller?

My guess is that it will NOT be a requirement that the designed-for-wand games work with standard controller, it would be too big of a compromise for game innovation. Also, my bet is that the wand won't work on existing non-wand games. There is no reason to force that, since everybody has already a regular controller. Also, I see it likely that there can be games that work on both controllers.


The "installed base split" challenge

The installed base of Xbox 360 is somewhere past 10 million units, and will be probably around 15 million once a wand would release. This is a considerable installed base split to be overcome. However, majority of the 30-50 million installed base will still be addressable with an immediate pack-in. That would basically leave publishers with 15-35 million wanded console SKUs sold and 15 million non-wanded SKUs sold. Here, they key strategic questions to consider are:

• Will the wand be packed in with every console with no extra cost?
• How to address the non-wand installed base?

I put my money behind Microsoft announcing that all consoles shipped for holiday season and onwards will include a wand at no extra cost. This is a very powerful message to send out to the industry and developers in order go gain strong support for the new control paradigm.


The "Killer App" challenge

Absolutely critical for such a controller to take off is that it's supported with some really compelling software that absolutely benefits of the controller. Looking at Microsoft's lineup for this Christmas, and their developer base, there are a handful of titles that would immediately benefit of a wand/nunchuck controller - Mass Effect, Alan Wake, Fable 2, Lost Odyssey.

Naturally Halo 3 is a key consideration. Now, for addressing the non-wand SKU installed base, the best shot is to bundle the wand with one or many of these games. Halo 3 could potentially hit around 5 million of the current installed base, so it would be an excellent option to further "wandize" the Xbox 360 installed base. Also, it's conceivable that Halo 3 could work both on the wand and the current controller - case in point: Metroid Prime.

This leaves still the important question of more family-oriented games for the wand, since the original intention of the controller is to expand installed base. Looking at Microsoft's announced roster, there is one game we haven't seen much of, a developer that hasn't got anything lined up for this year and that is known for family oriented games: Rare. It would be very simple to position Banjo-Kazooie as the "Super Mario Galaxy of 360" and throw in a wand into the box. Also, Rare would have the bandwidth to do another simple game for the holiday timeframe for the wand.

Some key questions are:
• Which of the current games would support the wand?
• Which games would be the "wand killer apps" with the wand packed in?

For these questions, my guess is that Microsoft will use their future first-party lineup to really push the wand. Also, it could packed in with Halo 3 for a massive installed base effect. More likely though, I see Banjo-Kazooie emerging as a "Super Mario Galaxy for 360" with the wand packed in.


The "annoying your current installed base" challenge

This will be do doubt brought up as one of the "major showstoppers" for Microsoft going out strong with a wand strategy - that the current installed base feels cheated for not getting the wand with their console. So, the only questions to consider are

• Is the wand strategy a major consumer loyalty risk?
• If so, how to overcome it?

I'd say that this is actually a non-issue, as DualShock and HDMI port additions prove. There will be bitching and whining in forums, but not a major consumer movement. A great game with the wand thrown in for free will heal the wounds of existing 360 users well enough.


My predictions

Summarizing the above, my predictions are

VERY LIKELY > LIKELY > QUITE LIKELY > STRONG POSSIBILITY > POSSIBILITY

1. Microsoft is doing a motion sensing controller, a "new controller" - VERY LIKELY
2. Microsoft will use GDC to announce the "new controller" - LIKELY
3. It is not required that "new controller" can be used on old games, too - VERY LIKELY
4. Standard Game Requirements will allow "new controller only" games - LIKELY
5. Games can be created to work on both controllers - VERY LIKELY
6. "New Controller" will be packed in with all Xbox 360s from Holiday onwards - LIKELY
7. Microsoft's 1st party lineup from Q4/07 onwards will heavily push "new controller" - QUITE LIKELY
8. Some of existing 1st party games retrofitted for "new controller" - STRONG POSSIBILITY
9. Halo 3 will feature both wand and controller controls - POSSIBILITY
10. Banjo-Kazooie will re-emerge as a "Mario Galaxy clone" made for new controller - QUITE LIKELY
11. New controller will be packed in with Banjo-Kazooie - STRONG POSSIBILITY
12. New controller will be packed in with Halo 3 - POSSIBILITY
13. An unannounced simple family game for new controller, maybe by Rare - POSSIBILITY
14. No major backlash from current installed base - QUITE LIKELY

So, how is this related to gun control, global warming, Obama or Manabyte's little grey men?

waggle = sex

So basically we would make jerk off motions to use this new innovative controller. Brilliant! :lol

THB I don't want a new waggle controller for the 360. The current pad is fine except for the D-Pad.

I don't think it will happen, I can't see how it would be good to switch halfway through.

He cant be referring to a controller, because he says that theyve been planning it for years, which of course would be an outright lie.

While this post is well written and analysed, it's in the wrong forum. Could some nice mod shift it over to Gaming?

As with any accessory (as I view the X360 waggle controller), it has to come with initial supported games and it has to be supported in the future so that developers have an expectation of the userbase.

For instance, the X360 Camera is not standard and it's an add-on that not a large number of the installed base has bought, so for developers camera support is limited, if not granted. For this to be anywhere near successful, the new controller has to be standard, oh and make it mandatory for new games. It's a lot like Microsoft's online scheme. Now that all titles are online-enabled (at least), Xbox Live's a whole lot better for that regard. Unified schemes FTW and all.

The Black Brad Pitt said:

He cant be referring to a controller, because he says that theyve been planning it for years, which of course would be an outright lie.

Click to expand...

Exactly.

It's clearly a game/arcade/community initiative. He's bolding the wrong part:

And again, since the day I saw Iwata-san pull the nunchuck controller out from under his podium a few years ago at TGS, I’ve always realized that was the right thing for Nintendo to have to do for what they needed to do to be successful in this next generation

Click to expand...

It won't be a wagglewand, but nice post anyway.

uhh wrong forum, mods pls change thx bye

Chittagong said:

uhh wrong forum, mods pls change thx bye

Click to expand...

why change forums? I'm fine with it here, and I think others might be. I think if we're all adults and we're comfortable with each other, maybe it could just stay here for awhile.

Funky Papa said:

So, how is this related to gun control, global warming, Obama or Manabyte's little grey men?

Click to expand...

:lol

Republican Xbots :wag

My god, people in the gaming forum spend that much time writing up posts? Thats like an essay

You people read too much into things. Wait for the announcements

As insanely unlikely as this is, I like my 360 without waggle and my Wii with waggle and would like it to stay that way for now.

Sheesh, when Moore said 'more experiencal', I was thinking more along the lines of pure software (which doesn't have to be a 'game' per se):

a) Something more like Sony's 'Afrika', where by it is essentially a passport or 'experience' to somewhere you'd like to go on holiday. For example, they could have a fully rendered Barcelona(ton), with all museums etc intact, you shove the disc in and you're there. You can drive, see museums, towns etc. The Japanese would love this btw.

b) Something more akin to what Peter Jackson was working on with regards to non-game games. ie, He said he was doing something which would be like a movie, but interactive to a degree.


The only thing in the above that leads to a hint of any wagglewand of any kind is the 'nunchuk' bit. But he said that's what NINTENDO needed to do to be successful. MS don't necessarily need to do that - after all their console is more technology-driven than Wii, so there are other ways of using that power.

I cant see any peripherals ever being able to drive the platform forward. I dont think that will give them "par on controls" at all. How much did you actually think this through? ¬_¬

I wouldn't as easily disregard PS3 online. It's not far of getting the base standards that Live has (disregarding those score points), it will lead content wise and when the PS3 catches up to the X360 sold through number, there will be significantly more people playing online on the Sony console simply because it's free of cost.

Edit: Sony on par in graphics... we'll see this upcoming year. Starting with L.A.I.R. You hear?

kaizoku said:

I cant see any peripherals ever being able to drive the platform forward. I dont think that will give them "par on controls" at all. How much did you actually think this through? ¬_¬

Click to expand...

Well I have to disagree there. Peripherals + matching COMPELLING software = driving platform forward.

Think Guitar Hero + Guitar most recently. Think Singstar + Microphone (huge in Europe). Think Buzz + Buzzers (again MASSIVE in Europe). Think back to the original PSX and how big Dance Mats were. But the biggest - definitely in Europe - was the EyeToy camera - which in my opinion didn't even have any compelling software, but sure as hell sold damn well along with the subsequent software releases for it.

Peripherals matched up with great software definitely drive platforms forward. There's no doubt about that. And MS DEFINITELY need to expand their audience, and their likely lower price drop this Xmas needs some 'thinking out of the box' to match it.

But I will re-iterate, that perpiherals are only one small part of a solution.

Microsoft has no keynote at the GDC, how would they announce this?

If such an accessory is released for the X360, it will never impact on the mass market MS wants to touch.

Simply because special accesory = complexity /= mass market.


And I'm not even talking of how the developers won't really care since the user base is too small.


( No matter if MS puts it in the box -the best solution if they want it to propagate quickly-, the user base would start at 0 this summer and there would be a little more than 10 millions "useless" X360 in the nature )

the 360 does not need motion controls, its that simple.

MMaRsu said:

THB I don't want a new waggle controller for the 360. The current pad is fine except for the D-Pad.

Click to expand...

Agreed.


And honestly, this is the reason I'm a multi-console user. I can only get the best motion sensing games on the wii, I can only get the best looking games on the PS3, and I can only get the best online experience and great looking first party games on XBOX360.


"wagglewand" would either be a half assed product OR a purchase for very FEW selection of games.

I mean, if the Wii is already struggling for the use of that controller. What makes you think the 360 will have stand out ideas that would change the "industry".

It's just to late in the 360's life time to introduce something that.... huge.

I think that they might have some experimental peripheral that they intended for the next next gen but seeing the sucess of the Wii, they decided to put it onto the market earlier.
However, I don't think that it is a waggle wand becasue 1) they say that it was planned since long time ago. 2) seeing the grandiose / almost megalomaniac of MS approach to almost everything, I doubt that it is going to be something as "simple" 3) Nintendo pattent bunker

I think the big problem with a 360 waggle device is that this late in the game, and they did launch early, 360 is pretty much established and trying to attach a waggle device will put in the peripheral territory and we all know how well peripherals do.

I'm not saying there won't be a wiimote style controller for the 360 but if it comes out it will be optional and highly specialized to a few games, perhaps an eye-toy like device for the 360.

In that sense, the OP's analysis that simply having the product will put the 360 to parity with the Wii is being a bit too optimistic. It may create the perception of parity among some people, but it probably won't be really the case as far as the market is concerned.

I understand Nintendo's DSlite/GBA SP redesigns have ushered in a new era of speculation that revolves around hardware tinkering, but people making those predictions often forget that both the SP and the LITE did not fundamentally change the underlying product. Even the rumored Wii SP (with DVD playback and probably other features) won't add HD and other things GAF wants, but will most likely provide the same core experience a little bit better (more internal storage & rechargeable controllers).

The 360 wagglewand does not adhere to the rule above and I view it as being highly unlikely for Microsoft to switch course now. Watch for the 720, the course for the 360 is pretty much locked in (also with reference to my previous points regarding strategic inertia).

IF a waggle control comes out, Halo 3 will NOT use it. Why? Because Bungie wants the online to be as good as possible, and for that to be possible, every user has to use the same controller.

Kafel said:

If such an accessory is released for the X360, it will never impact on the mass market MS wants to touch.

Simply because special accesory = complexity /= mass market.

And I'm not even talking of how the developers won't really care since the user base is too small.

( No matter if MS puts it in the box -the best solution if they want it to propagate quickly-, the user base would start at 0 this summer and there would be a little more than 10 millions "useless" X360 in the nature )

Click to expand...

I would have earlier agreed to the complexity topic of having multiple controllers, but the way the Wiimote / Nunchuck / Classic setup has been adopted shows that with wireless controllers it's less of an issue - as long as it's inbox for casuals.

As for 3rd party publishers and developers - initially wouldn't care as installed base is zero like you say, but if this was part of Microsoft's plan for season 08, and they commit to stick a wand into every console and a few hot selling games, you could be seeing an installed base on the better side of 10 million next year, which definitely would be attractive.

kaizoku said:

I cant see any peripherals ever being able to drive the platform forward. I dont think that will give them "par on controls" at all. How much did you actually think this through? ¬_¬

Click to expand...

I put in a similar amount of thought into it as to the thread where I suggested that Nintendo won't do consoles that compete in technical performance at all with PS3 and Xbox 360 ("No wai!") and the thread where I suggested that from Sony's point of view, a very expensive PS3 will seem most lucrative ("PS3 more than 299, LOL!!")

blimblim said:

Microsoft has no keynote at the GDC, how would they announce this?

Click to expand...

This actually is a key shortcoming in my prediction - didn't actually know that. The second shortcoming is that Microsoft seems to be inherently unable to keep anything under wraps, and having such a strategy under wraps would be hard to them.

pswii60 said:

Well I have to disagree there. Peripherals + matching COMPELLING software = driving platform forward.

Think Guitar Hero + Guitar most recently. Think Singstar + Microphone (huge in Europe). Think Buzz + Buzzers (again MASSIVE in Europe). Think back to the original PSX and how big Dance Mats were. But the biggest - definitely in Europe - was the EyeToy camera - which in my opinion didn't even have any compelling software, but sure as hell sold damn well along with the subsequent software releases for it.

Peripherals matched up with great software definitely drive platforms forward. There's no doubt about that. And MS DEFINITELY need to expand their audience, and their likely lower price drop this Xmas needs some 'thinking out of the box' to match it.

But I will re-iterate, that perpiherals are only one small part of a solution.

Click to expand...

Note I didnt say that peripherals cannot generate success or profit, but if you want something to drive your console the way the wiimote drives the wii or the touchscreen drives the DS - it cannot be something released seperately.

you can say the eyetoy was a success, but have you played the games? as a gamer, I can't stand it, you may have gullible parents in their droves buying it for their 3 yr olds or being led to buying bundles, but profit and sales isnt what we're looking at is it?

its all a far cry from the accessibility of the wiimote. a packed in peripheral may offer a good experience such as guitar hero, but its not going to differentiate or drive the console forward onto new horizons like the wiimote simply because its not included in the box and wont be supported because of it.

Chittagong said:

I would have earlier agreed to the complexity topic of having multiple controllers, but the way the Wiimote / Nunchuck / Classic setup has been adopted shows that with wireless controllers it's less of an issue - as long as it's inbox for casuals.

As for 3rd party publishers and developers - initially wouldn't care as installed base is zero like you say, but if this was part of Microsoft's plan for season 08, and they commit to stick a wand into every console and a few hot selling games, you could be seeing an installed base on the better side of 10 million next year, which definitely would be attractive.



I put in a similar amount of thought into it as to the thread where I suggested that Nintendo won't do consoles that compete in technical performance at all with PS3 and Xbox 360 ("No wai!") and the thread where I suggested that from Sony's point of view, a very expensive PS3 will seem most lucrative ("PS3 more than 299, LOL!!")




This actually is a key shortcoming in my prediction - didn't actually know that. The second shortcoming is that Microsoft seems to be inherently unable to keep anything under wraps, and having such a strategy under wraps would be hard to them.

Click to expand...

Things like a wand packed in with a game for existing consumers - do you really see that taking off? at best it will be a sixaxis competitor, it cannot be a pointer due to lack of sensors. or do you expect a sensor to be packed in too? how will that be powered?

besides simply throwing a wiimote onto 360 wont suddenly make it the ideal product. a lot of 360 owners cant stand the idea of the wii. and a lot of families find accessibility in the simple interface of the wii, the price, the games and the style.

at best you will see an eyetoy type movement, but nothing in comparison to the wii as some party machine or new type of gameplay.

Another thing to consider is that it seems Microsoft fundamentally sucks in bringing accessories to the market - see the complete non-event that was the Xbox 360 Camera and the low traction of Xbox 360 Controller for Windows. The Xbox 360 HD-DVD wasn't stellar, either. These accessories weren't a part of a key strategy thread, but odd trajectories with low commitment.

This could change if Microsoft committed their main strategy path to introducing such a device - aligning HW SKU, 1st Party Publishing, Marketing and Go-To-Market behind it. It hasn't happened before - but could it happen now?

I can see m$ coming with an innovative or an <<innovative>> control scheme in the future,
especially if the wii thing does not fade away.

It will not be standard. Instead it will be seen as a party game controller and will be relagated to the side much like the light gun was of consoles past.

Too much wishful thinking in OP.

Zaptruder said:

Too much wishful thinking in OP.

Click to expand...

Might be true - definitely would love to have one myself. But that said, I don't see it really helping Microsoft in making Xbox 360 an overwhelming winner (or winner at all). Nintendo's positionining and brand is much crisper, as is Sony's, for all its faults. Brand will be a key factor, and Xbox brand just doesn't seem to have "it".

Chittagong said:

I would have earlier agreed to the complexity topic of having multiple controllers, but the way the Wiimote / Nunchuck / Classic setup has been adopted shows that with wireless controllers it's less of an issue - as long as it's inbox for casuals.

As for 3rd party publishers and developers - initially wouldn't care as installed base is zero like you say, but if this was part of Microsoft's plan for season 08, and they commit to stick a wand into every console and a few hot selling games, you could be seeing an installed base on the better side of 10 million next year, which definitely would be attractive.



I put in a similar amount of thought into it as to the thread where I suggested that Nintendo won't do consoles that compete in technical performance at all with PS3 and Xbox 360 ("No wai!") and the thread where I suggested that from Sony's point of view, a very expensive PS3 will seem most lucrative ("PS3 more than 299, LOL!!")




This actually is a key shortcoming in my prediction - didn't actually know that. The second shortcoming is that Microsoft seems to be inherently unable to keep anything under wraps, and having such a strategy under wraps would be hard to them.

Click to expand...

You suggested that Nintendo wont compete in technical performance after the DS was released. I also suggested the same after seing the DS. It was clear from the begining that they would go this way. Only hardcore gamers didnt get since they were thinking only in their own terms.

MS has a strategic direction that so far contradicts everything that you have said. You dont change your strategic direction so easily. As it was said before Moore stated that it was the best thing to do for Nintendo. MS has their own way to approach casual gamers.

MS is a software company and their online system is awesome. They will try to capitalize on those two strenghts. Thats their strategic direction and thats how they will keep trying to seduce the casual market , making software like Viva Piñata.

Too much wishful thinking in OP.

Click to expand...

I totally agree

The 360 does not need any wagglewand, nor would I want one incorporated into the controller/games... plus I think he was thinking about something else...

MS already was messing with motion sensing controllers years ago and dropped it... even before the first Xbox came out, so I don't see why they'd want to throw it in now just because Nintendo is doing it now too...

You know their products don't work till the version 3 right?
In Xbox 720 you'll see what you want to see.

Skilotonn said:

MS already was messing with motion sensing controllers years ago and dropped it... even before the first Xbox came out, so I don't see why they'd want to throw it in now just because Nintendo is doing it now too...

Click to expand...

Because Nintendo have proved it can work?

Starchasing said:

MS has a strategic direction that so far contradicts everything that you have said. You dont change your strategic direction so easily. As it was said before Moore stated that it was the best thing to do for Nintendo. MS has their own way to approach casual gamers.

MS is a software company and their online system is awesome. They will try to capitalize on those two strenghts. Thats their strategic direction and thats how they will keep trying to seduce the casual market , making software like Viva Piñata.

Click to expand...

I don't know, it's pretty clear that the Xbox Live Arcades, Kameos and Viva Pinatas of the world aren't giving Microsoft the mainstream traction they aspire for.

There's two ways to look at this - either it's a fundamental change in Microsoft's strategy, or, how I view it - a logical continuation of Microsofts "let's match every bullet point strategy". In my view, Microsoft has been matching and one-upping the competitive offering bullet points whenever they can (HD-DVD, Camera, Backwards compatibility, performace, launch date, GTA4), and apart from Xbox Live haven't really pushed the industry forwards. A new controller mathcing Nintendo's spec would be a follow-up for such a "match and oneup" strategy. For what it's worth, Zune is following a similar "match and oneup" strategy, too.

I think its going to be that plug in keyboard for mmo thing.
I think thats why the reference is to the nun-chuck and not the wii-mote.

Additionaly, what makes sense for Microsoft is online. Not so for Nintendo.
I imagine its going to be a big push for some MMO's with mini-keyboard support.

I hope not.

Wii already wins the "waggle" war in the mind.

Neither Sony nor Microsoft can change that now.

Parity in the box does not equal parity in the mind.

Please, Microsoft, don't bother. I don't think your audience wants waggle, and I don't think you'll gain entrance to any new audiences by adding it.

edit: See post below for proof. :lol

If they're going to do anything waggle wise, they'd better wait until next generation. I'd personally be a little angry if they did it now, as it'd be pretty obvious they're trying to copy the Wii. Doing so in my eyes, would make Microsoft seem "weak."

I could see them doing something with Live concerning non-gamers. Hell, they could go the DS route and offer cooking instructors, etc.

There's two ways to look at this - either it's a fundamental change in Microsoft's strategy, or, how I view it - a logical continuation of Microsofts "let's match every bullet point strategy". In my view, Microsoft has been matching and one-upping the competitive offering bullet points whenever they can (HD-DVD, Camera, Backwards compatibility, performace, launch date, GTA4), and apart from Xbox Live haven't really pushed the industry forwards. A new controller mathcing Nintendo's spec would be a follow-up for such a "match and oneup" strategy.

Click to expand...

Whilst there is something to what you say, I would hope that Microsoft are intelligent enough to realise that simply aping the Wiimote isn't going to benefit them whatsoever IMHO.

Nintendo made a concious choice to make the controller the *main* focus of their new system. Whether over time the Wii is proven to be a great success / gimmicky fad has yet to be seen.

There is a difference to MS providing motion-sensing controllers because both Nintendo and Sony have one and prividing it because they want to entice new/non-gamers to the table.

Personally I don't see it happening, and certainly hope they can show more innovation that simply copying Nintendo.

Even if they wanted to introduce a new controlling device and copy the Wiimotes functions, how would they do so without violating a couple of Nintendo's copyrights?
And even if they could copy it, what exactly would they accomplish? It would be a pain in the a** for developers and would probably be shunned by most (as others have suggested). Plus it wouldn't capture the mindshare of consumers like people may want to believe. I think MS knows pretty much where they stand and what they want to achieve with the XBox brand and I don't think a Wiimote is part of this plan.

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PERIPHERALS PERIPHERALS PERIPHERALS PERIPHERALS!
PERIPHERALS PERIPHERALS PERIPHERALS PERIPHERALS!
DO NOT SELL! WOOOHOOO! I... LOVE... THIS... COMPANY!

My opinion is that it would be very difficult for Sony or Microsoft to break into similar motion sensitive controls. I think they might be able to do it next generation, and I still think that is a big maybe. There is a few reasons I think this is the case -

1. Motion sensing technology that actually works is tough to come by. Granted it has been out there for a while, Nintendo found a way where it works good enough. I would bet that most similar technologies don't work well or have too many flaws

2. Low Cost. Nintendo was able to provide adequate motion detection at a relatively low price. People will not buy $300 controllers for their $600 game console.

3. Default controller. Nintendo's motion sensitive controller is the default controller and not an add on.

4. Patents - The technology cannot be copied exactly. It must be different enough to avoid lawsuits.

In the following generation, maybe Sony or MS will have something that competes with this technology. I still don't know how they will go about it. What Nintendo has done here is quite remarkable.

I don't know, it's pretty clear that the Xbox Live Arcades, Kameos and Viva Pinatas of the world aren't giving Microsoft the mainstream traction they aspire for.

Click to expand...

Well, that may be but as far as I'm concerned those games were never going to attract casuals/non-gamers whilst the 360 is priced at $400, even though Viva Pinata was so well reviewed.

However once the 360 drops to that $199 point, it will be important for it to have a portfolio of games that appeal to a far broader demographic than the original Xbox.

I think Microsoft should be aiming to lay foundations to attract a wider demographic so that when they drop the price more people will bite.

The price of the 360 dictates it's demographic right now more than the games portfolio or controller schemes.

gollumsluvslave said:

Well, that may be but as far as I'm concerned those games were never going to attract casuals/non-gamers whilst the 360 is priced at $400, even though Viva Pinata was so well reviewed.

However once the 360 drops to that $199 point, it will be important for it to have a portfolio of games that appeal to a far broader demographic than the original Xbox.

I think Microsoft should be aiming to lay foundations to attract a wider demographic so that when they drop the price more people will bite.

The price of the 360 dictates it's demographic right now more than the games portfolio or controller schemes.

Click to expand...

Spot on. All Microsoft needs to do is keep doing what they're doing. By the time they reach $199, they'll have the games and the mindshare and marketshare they need to penetrate the mass market that's eluded them up to now.

But they need to stay true to the brand right now, or risk alienating their current users.

Like me.