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[Rumor]Microsoft guarda al Wii Remote

Console tribe news - [Rumor]Microsoft guarda al Wii Remote

di: Giovanni Manca

Secondo MTV, Microsoft sarebbe al lavoro su un nuovo controller per XBOX 360 “ispirato” al riuscitissimo Wii Remote che sta facendo la fortuna della console Nintendo. La notizia arriverebbe da uno sviluppatore impegnato nel progetto: le funzionalità e il design saranno molto simili al proddotto concorrente ma avrà in più uno stick analogico, un microfono e una particolare interattività con Xbox Live Vision Camera.

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 clusterf—,” 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.

The avatars are more detailed than what Nintendo has allowed (i.e. they have limbs), the source said, but pushing the avatars into every controller title means they “dictate the entire look and feel of every game they’re in, so they have to be generic as all hell.”

Rare’s difficulty in hitting development milestones has produced problems, however. “Microsoft is trying to decide how to get something out by the end of the year,” said MTV News’ source.

While MTV News’ source presented full details of the project, several developers, speaking on background, could only confirm rumors that a planned motion-controlled Xbox 360 controller is in the works. If the project is more than a prototype initiative, it’s been kept quiet from some major developers.