Microsoft Ripping Off The Wiimote?

MTV's Multiplayer Blog is reporting that Microsoft is working on a Wiimote clone.

The controller itself isn't much different in functionality or design from Nintendo's Wii remote, but comes with four face buttons, an analog stick and microphone. There are also plans for the controller to interact with the Xbox Live Vision Camera, the source said.

Microsoft's controller isn't just a response to "Wii Sports"; it's slightly more ambitious. "They want the usual assortment of 'Halo'/ 'Gears'/ 'Forza'/ whatever, just in waggle form," our source told us. Such idea-generation has not gone smoothly. "The whole thing is a colossal cluster****," 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."

In addition to designing the interface for the controller, Rare has also fleshed out Microsoft's take on Nintendo's Mii avatar concept, the source said. Microsoft's Miis are designed to be associated with any game that incorporates the controller and create a standard "look" for the games. The avatars aren't tied to a controller when in use, as Xbox Live profiles currently are.MTV

:lol: The hell? Frankly, seeing teh Wii beat the crap out of the 360 in a monthly basis, the only real question would be...what took them so long to come up with a lame-ass clone like this one? Unfortunately, the appeal of Nintendo's system lies in more complex factors than just a remote with waggle.

This stuff is so obvious it's cringe-inducing, it's as if Microsoft wanted to say "Hey! Look at me! I have the best of both worlds!" At first glance I thought it was the Scene It? Controller.

k

:lol: The hell? Frankly, seeing teh Wii beat the crap out of the 360 in a monthly basis, the only real question would be...what took them so long to come up with a lame-ass clone like this one? Unfortunately, the appeal of Nintendo's system lies in more complex factors than just a remote with waggle.

This stuff is so obvious it's cringe-inducing, it's as if Microsoft wanted to say "Hey! Look at me! I have the best of both worlds!" At first glance I thought it was the Scene It? Controller.

SteelAttack

The controller was the deciding factor with the wii. It is a lame system without the controller.
Toilet_Water

It is important, I'm just saying there's much more involved this system's level of success than just the Wiimote. Microsoft is going this route because they want some of that success, without realizing their system is still too damn expensive to reach that mass market appeal.

[QUOTE="juradai"]I got a chuckle out of first hearing this. If it's true then I am curious to see where they plan on going with this. If it's not, oh well.damariofan

It's real, but the photos are fake. But serously, why is all the heat going to microsoft? sony also did it.

The Wiimote is a gimicky piece of trash. I want to play video games with a controller not a remote control! Well, I want to play regular games and not minigame collections too.
monkeytoes61

Please tell me that's a photoshop mock-up!

If this turns out real than this is the most blatant form of ripping off I've ever seen!

I guess Microsoft thinks Scene-It, Fusion Fenzy, and Viva Pinata Party will outsell Big Brain Academy, Wii-Play, and Mario Party! :roll:

Either I've seen Epic Phail to the max, or a pile of steamy Photoshop BS.

[QUOTE="monkeytoes61"]The Wiimote is a gimicky piece of trash. I want to play video games with a controller not a remote control! Well, I want to play regular games and not minigame collections too.
dvader654

There is a place for people like you, go there and never come here again.

Yup. We can have this discussion without trolling Nintendo, or MS for that matter.

Please tell me that's a photoshop mock-up!ASK_Story

Its easy to tell with the guide button as well as the Face buttons don't have the same glare as the rest of the 360mote lol not true Microsoft has some dignity

[QUOTE="ASK_Story"]

Please tell me that's a photoshop mock-up!cnchcnch

Its easy to tell with the guide button as well as the Face buttons don't have the same glare as the rest of the 360mote lol not true Microsoft has some dignity

[QUOTE="dvader654"]

[QUOTE="monkeytoes61"]The Wiimote is a gimicky piece of trash. I want to play video games with a controller not a remote control! Well, I want to play regular games and not minigame collections too.
rragnaar

There is a place for people like you, go there and never come here again.

Yup. We can have this discussion without trolling Nintendo, or MS for that matter.

I know, I'd much rather beat up Sony with Playstation Live....er i mean Home :P

:lol: Awesome.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Therefore, if this is true, than it says a lot about what Microsoft really thinks of the Wiimote.

That being said, even throwing aside marketing, I see a key problem, adaptation. In other words, why should developers take advantage of this controller when only a small fraction of the 360 owners have one? So unless Microsoft can tackle adaptation and give developers incentive to develop games for the controller, it may be the industries next, GameCube to Game Boy Advance Link Cable.

Microsoft can however, do a few things to push adaptation. The first would be to bundle the controller in every new Xbox 360 alongside the standard controller.

The second would be to put out a, "killer app," with the controller bundled with it. Doesn't even need to be THAT great of a game, WiiPlay has pretty much proven this.

Finally, Microsoft can keep production costs down. If they sell the wand controllers for $30 dollars a piece, the same price at the Wiimote, than they'll look cheap in comparison to Microsoft's $50 dollar standard controllers.

All this being said though, I'm somewhat dubious.

We're into the third year of the Xbox 360's lifespan by now, in another three to four years Microsoft will be announcing the successor to the console. So I think I may be a little late in the game for Microsoft to radically shift its focus like this.

My suggestion to Microsoft, would be to continue refining the controller, make it as responsive and accurate as they possibly can. Then when they're done with that, start looking into other features they can add to it as well.

If they do that long enough, than they can simply use that design for the 360's successor, and have themselves an uber-controller that's really hard to beat.SupremeJinni

I think you've covered everything I was thinking. I don't see anything really "wrong" with MS trying to dive into what Nintendo has helped surface, which is the more "casual" crowd. If they don't half ass it then they might actually make something out of it.

A new controller might just be too little too late in this generation but it might have its place in the next.

I dont like that they stuck a stick on it, basically they made sure that it can only be used in mini games. Hell I wouldn't mind it if they did the nunchuck thing too, that way I can play FPS with the remote which I believe is way better than controller. Also I would buy RE5 on the 360 in a heart beat if it could use a remote. But no seperation of stick and buttons so the idea is ruined already.dvader654

You know, when the Wii was first released I had high hopes for this kind of thing being one of its staples. Apparently not. Although my other hope, more adventure games, does seem to be coming on slowly. If Microsoft putting out a similar controller could help realize the other kinds of possibilities a motion sensing control scheme could have, I'd be all for it. If they just want to flood the market with another few iterations of WiiPlay, no thanks.

A simplistic controller is only half the equation, the other half is casual games, and MS hasn't really shown any skill in making such games (Nintendo had been offering casual games like Pokemon Snap and Mario Party years and years before the Wii hit). So if I were Nintendo I wouldn't be losing any sleep.

[QUOTE="dvader654"]

[QUOTE="monkeytoes61"]The Wiimote is a gimicky piece of trash. I want to play video games with a controller not a remote control! Well, I want to play regular games and not minigame collections too.
gunswordfist

There is a place for people like you, go there and never come here again.

[QUOTE="dvader654"]

[QUOTE="monkeytoes61"]The Wiimote is a gimicky piece of trash. I want to play video games with a controller not a remote control! Well, I want to play regular games and not minigame collections too.
gunswordfist

There is a place for people like you, go there and never come here again.

That's in the eye of the beholder, and this isn't the forum for that type of console bashing. System Wars exists to keep that kind of fierce console bashing in one forum, and away from others, including this one.

[QUOTE="gunswordfist"][QUOTE="dvader654"]

[QUOTE="monkeytoes61"]The Wiimote is a gimicky piece of trash. I want to play video games with a controller not a remote control! Well, I want to play regular games and not minigame collections too.
rragnaar

There is a place for people like you, go there and never come here again.

yeah! :o We all know it requires three!

[QUOTE="rragnaar"][QUOTE="gunswordfist"][QUOTE="dvader654"]

[QUOTE="monkeytoes61"]The Wiimote is a gimicky piece of trash. I want to play video games with a controller not a remote control! Well, I want to play regular games and not minigame collections too.
juradai

There is a place for people like you, go there and never come here again.

yeah! :o We all know it requires three!

[QUOTE="gunswordfist"][QUOTE="dvader654"]

[QUOTE="monkeytoes61"]The Wiimote is a gimicky piece of trash. I want to play video games with a controller not a remote control! Well, I want to play regular games and not minigame collections too.
dvader654

There is a place for people like you, go there and never come here again.

You can go with him. (BTW I mean system wars in case you were thinking of something else...)

[QUOTE="dvader654"]

[QUOTE="monkeytoes61"]The Wiimote is a gimicky piece of trash. I want to play video games with a controller not a remote control! Well, I want to play regular games and not minigame collections too.
rragnaar

There is a place for people like you, go there and never come here again.

Yup. We can have this discussion without trolling Nintendo, or MS for that matter.

NOt sure about that, if this is true then they deserve all the trolls they get.

[QUOTE="Toilet_Water"]The controller was the deciding factor with the wii. It is a lame system without the controller.
SteelAttack

It is important, I'm just saying there's much more involved this system's level of success than just the Wiimote. Microsoft is going this route because they want some of that success, without realizing their system is still too damn expensive to reach that mass market appeal.

[QUOTE="rragnaar"][QUOTE="dvader654"]

[QUOTE="monkeytoes61"]The Wiimote is a gimicky piece of trash. I want to play video games with a controller not a remote control! Well, I want to play regular games and not minigame collections too.
HiResDes

There is a place for people like you, go there and never come here again.

Yup. We can have this discussion without trolling Nintendo, or MS for that matter.

NOt sure about that, if this is true then they deserve all the trolls they get.

:lol:... You could be right.

[QUOTE="SteelAttack"]

:lol: The hell? Frankly, seeing teh Wii beat the crap out of the 360 in a monthly basis, the only real question would be...what took them so long to come up with a lame-ass clone like this one? Unfortunately, the appeal of Nintendo's system lies in more complex factors than just a remote with waggle.

This stuff is so obvious it's cringe-inducing, it's as if Microsoft wanted to say "Hey! Look at me! I have the best of both worlds!" At first glance I thought it was the Scene It? Controller.

Toilet_Water

[QUOTE="Toilet_Water"]The controller was the deciding factor with the wii. It is a lame system without the controller.
SteelAttack

It is important, I'm just saying there's much more involved this system's level of success than just the Wiimote. Microsoft is going this route because they want some of that success, without realizing their system is still too damn expensive to reach that mass market appeal.

The success of the wii = wii sports. Seriously. The majority of nongamers that buy the system, buy it for that.

Are blatant things like this even legal?

Hell, the article says the thing will be "point-by-point", shouldn't there be a point by point lawsuit then? Sounds like blatant plagiarism.

Are blatant things like this even legal?

Hell, the article says the thing will be "point-by-point", shouldn't there be a point by point lawsuit then? Sounds like blatant plagiarism.

kriptonzz

That is a good point. My dad is an advertisement lawyer, I'll show him this and ask.

It was only a matter of time. Still, why not? If they can back it up with some decent games, I can see it working.

Next step, bundling this with the Xbox 360 Arcade and calling it the REAL Wii60.