The GameTrak Freedom, an Xbox 360 motion sensor controller like the WiiMote, has just been detailed for launch at Games Developers Conference 09, along with a new Nintendo DS pen with tactile feedback. Read on if you fancy turning your console into a Wii.
Everyone’s in on this motion sensor lark these days aren’t they? Asus has the Eee Stick, Acer and Apple might be priming their own WiiMotes, Sony’s doing it for the PS3 and mobile companies are prepping their own versions. Now a motion controller from Performance Design Products (PDP) will do the same thing for Xbox 360, and we’ve got word of a release and first game for it.
We saw the GameTrak Freedom, with its accelerometers and innovative ultrasonic 3D positioning, some months back, but it’s since been redesigned, fusing Xbox 360 colour buttons with Wii-like white. PDP says the Xbox 360 version should ship by the end of the year, and will work with a mini game collection called Squeeballs, and it’s possible a PS3 version will drop later to complement the Xbox 360 GameTrak Freedom.
PDP also unveiled a bonkers new turbo stylus for the Nintendo DS, the SmartStylus, which adds sounds, LEDs and motion feedback to your DS gaming, again similar to what the Wiimote will do. PDP is still waiting for Nintendo approval to sell the device for DS, but should it get the green light, we’ll be looking at an Autumn release.
Are motion sensor controllers the way forward for gaming, or is the technology Nintendo pioneered still stuck in tacky gimmick stage? We should get hands-on with the Xbox 360 motion controller later this year, so keep your ear to the ground.
Out TBC | £TBC | PDP (Via Tech Radar)
Motion sensing does seem to impress the stupid.
“Hey look, i’m playing Tennis”, until you point out that it’s not actually very accurate in it’s motion sensing abilities, and as long as you shake it at the right time, your tennis player magically STILL hits the ball.
That usually demonstrates nicely how they were fooled into buying the emporors news clothes…
Yup. I’ve banged on enough about the curse of motion sensors, gullible parents and mini games, but in this instance, I do like where GameTrak is going with 3D sensing, removing the need for the bar on top of your telly.
my wiimote is playing up a bit.
what i mean is that it keeps refusing to work proply.