Super Cereal: Microsoft to make Wii-mote knockoff
Okay, try to follow me on this one: Microsoft, makers of such things as the Xbox 360 and Windows, has tapped Rare Studios, former second-party studio to Nintendo, to develop a knockoff of Nintendo’s Wii-remote for the Xbox 360. Now, let’s not mince words or be painfully oblique about the whole thing: when I say that this is a “knockoff,” this doesn’t come from some hardened fanboy sector lodged deep within my brain. No, when I say “knockoff” I mean it to the fullest extent of meaning the word can convey. Behold theft in artist’s rendering form:
Amazingly, if MTV’s sources are to be believed, the folks at Microsoft don’t see it any differently either. Apparently, Microsoft is only creating this device so they can market the 360 point-for-point against the Wii. They’re even going to make their own version of Miis that will be forced into every game supporting the new rip-off controller. Microsoft’s controller will feature a few additions to the old vanilla Wii-remote, like a microphone, additional face buttons, an analog stick, and an LED light. The LED light will most likely be used in conjunction with the Xbox Vision Camera to simulate the IR pointer features of the Wii-remote.
Despite years-old rumors of Microsoft developing its own “Wand” controller and the scientific fact that every rumor about Microsoft eventually comes true, this news should be taken with the largest grain of salt available. The news just seems too preposterous and too complete of a copycat to be true. I mean, the MTV story even claims that Rare has been having trouble delivering the project on time, an assertion too perfect of a commentary on the company, so laser-precise of a criticism, that its inclusion in the story serves to show that everything is just completely and utterly flawless in its conception. It’s like that movie the Truman Show, just about videogames.
However, it should be said that MTV’s Multiplayer Blog is run by some upstanding game journalists, so keep this story in your periphery. If everything pans out, we should be hearing more about the device and its games before year’s end.
MTV News Story
MTV Multiplayer Image
- Rob O’Reilly
