Newton motion controller finally confirmed?
by simmo44
© 2008 Chris Simpson:
Latest Motion Controller UPDATE:
Slip over to our Darwin Video Page (click the icon) to check out 3 games using the Darwin 360 Motion Controller ? in 3 games, Tiger Woods 2008, Lego Star Wars & Harry Potter.
Is this the Newton/Darwin Xbox360 Project Motion Controller being announced at this weeks E3-’08 – it certainly seems like it could well be. So for those naysayers out there. So it pays to look first before making rash statements. Personally it’s NOT something I would get, nor would it be of use for any serious games other than the likes of ’some’ sports games as shown in the video with Tiger Woods ‘08. I think it would stink on the Lego’s game as well as other similar game, but hey, that’s just my personal thoughts on the matter.
I don’t believe it’s a bad idea to have the function and the device to appeal to a much broader and varied audience, which MS Xbox-Div definitely are targeting now, but it’s not something many hardcore gamers would be serious about getting.But you be the judge and check the YouTube videos out yourself, click on the Video icon above or here.
“`Shhhh . . . In a recent IGN video clip Ken Lobb (Creative director of Microsoft game studios) showed the world game play footage of the latest Banjo- Kazooie installment. With all this talk about a motion controller coming to the Xbox 360, could it actually be happening? Apparently so!
In the IGN video clip it clearly shows Ken Lobb playing through the hub world of Nuts and Bolts. Whilst playing the game he moves Banjo up close to a crane. He then states that Kazooie has a special wrench that is used on certain items. He continued saying “you basically grab with the wrench, and then you twist the controller around and it will move different things in the game”. So he basically confirmed a motion censored controller right?
I hope that if this statement is correct and that the “Newton” controller is finally confirmed at E3 that Microsoft use it wisely. We’ve seen in several Wii and PS3 games that the standard of motion controls in some games are not up to scratch. i.e. Lair and Motor Storm. If Microsoft decide to utilize this new controller lets hope it doesn’t turn into a laughable gimmick by making games awkward to control and that it actually makes game more enjoyable to play.
the picture above is from an article done by Xbox360World (issue #66 pg 16) magazine covering the Newton recently, showing the prototype beingheld in a users hand. Propably one of two items ? The source confirmed to Xbox360World that the project is well underway with motion controller company Motus regarding their new “Darwin Project“, which you see pictured above.
Click on pick for breakdown view of controller from Motus, and no, it’s not Bogus:
Many thanks to Gamer4Life
This is far more accurate than the photoshopped design seen around the net of late and in one of our earlier articles on the Newton, and you can definitely see the distinctive MS 360 items included in the controller. While the Newton (aka Darwin) is not aimed at hardcore users, it is aimed at several new games headed for the 360, including the much anticipated Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts-N-Bolts which will be shown at the upcoming E3 on July 14th – 17th.
Expect MS to come out swinging, no pun intended, on their opening volley come opening hour on the 14th, as they head the show, and no doubt have some dark horses under wraps for stirring up the hornets rest which is, “The Net”.
© 2008 Chris Simpson:
Filed under: Console gaming, Hardware News, Rumor Mill, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 News | Tagged: Darwin project, Kevin Lobb, Microsoft darwin project, Motus darwin project, Newton, Newtonmotion controller
I doubt that’s a real prototype, I believe Nintendo holds the patent to the cross-shaped D-pad (PlayStation’s D-pad is cross-shaped, but it’s actually four separate buttons, not a single pad).
please let it NOT be true, I hate my Wii….
There’s a distinct difference between a prototype and the finished item. There’s a long way to go before they start producing it, which means the addition of key components, smoothing out design, etc. And it’ll most likely look nothing like what we see here.
Remembering prototypes are NOT meant to be representations of the final product, but simply works in progress to nut-out kinks and pattens rules etc.
So many take what they see as gospel when in fact any prototype bears no resemblance to any finished product, ever. But try telling that to fanboys or nay-sayers, they simply do NOT listen, no matter what you present to to them to back up the information.
Seriously, do your homework…
http://www.motusgames.com/page_controllerdetail.html
Thanks for the link mate, appreciated. Hopefully you did that because we at least had a part pic of the controller, and not all of it.
At the time of publishing, we’re in another time zone and some of us have to sleep, didn’t have time to grab the url, but I will include it in the article now.
So thanks for that . Remember, this is is all volunteer, not PAID like the majors or evensome of the minors . . . . if you’d like to help, just contact us via email.
Me thinks you are reading WAY too much into ” …then you twist the controller around and it will move different things in the game”.
Lots of games have you rotate one of the thumbsticks. It could be as simple as that.
Playing a platformer with a motion controller would be like playing a driving game with a dance mat, honestly.
ha microsoft copys everything
My god.. on actually looking at that controller close up. It looks ugly as!
You have to remember, prototypes are just that, a rough of what it could look like, but there can be upwards of 100 visual ideas in the making of just 1 item. The final 10 xbox 360 prototypes looked very different to the finished one from extremely different to basically identical (the one that got the final nod)
These came from a group of almost 50 – 60 first ideas, this is no different. The company is simply “exploring” ideas and notions that it is using in various applications (read for different companies such as MS, Sony, Nintendo etc) which it will change accordingly as the final process comes to fruition.
And to jrod ALL companies copy every other company, it’s how each one innovates on the last idea. God, do you think MS came up with the Mouse . . Hell no. Apple came up with it (they even offered the apple OS and it’s ideas for FREE to Bill Gates, he turned them down), Bill Gates dismissed it as a toy and no one would ever use it, let alone want to use a GUI , DOS was THE king of the hill and would be for a long time.
Wrong. And now look, almost all PC manufactures follow Apple as a guide in both PC’s and MP3’s and distribution systems like iTunes etc etc. Get over it, companies do this all the time. You do realize that the core of both the Wii, PS3 and Xbox360 run on a PowerPC principle the Apple Mac had been using for several years prior . . ? No, didn’t think so.
well i hope it looks heaps different, but I guess we’ll probably know on Monday
Not sure if you guys noticed but your story was picked up by xbox360fanboy.com. Good read. Congrats.
Thanks for the feedback mate, they picked up a few of our items, and it’s nice to know that they are at least looking at us . . thanks.
Who cares what it looks like, bring it on!
motion SENSOR, not censor.
I really hope it looks nothing like this and as reported by Kotaku its more along the lines of Minority Report and the company behind which is the one hired by MS to create the controller, as opposed to Motus as reported above.
From what I have dug up over the last few days, Darwin is ALSO the Project name the company you speak of is using with MS re the idea. So there’s most likely a high likelihood they are combining forces to use two companies to make the one item.
Nothing out of the ordinary there, as many firms enrole others to broaden their technology in joint ventures. If it was to succeed, both companies would benefit hugely from its success and from MS”s approval.
It is coincidence that BOTH companies that MS Xbox-Div have or are dealing with are using the SAME project code name . .? Don’t think so.
Well given that and the background of Schematics I think it’s pretty safe to assume we’ll see a motion controlled dashboard, quite possibly in 3D, on Monday.