I’m not really sure what my opinion on this is. Microsoft have previously said that they’re aware of Nintendo’s huge success with Wii, and that they probably need to rethink their strategy and bring some more fun to the Xbox 360.
So, what we get is.. Newton! SeattlePi has confirmed the previously rumored Wii remote clone for the Xbox 360 is in the making at Microsoft, and that it may be out this as soon as this year (the author even promises to give his Wii to charity if it doesn’t). Though, Newton is still only a codename for the product and the image above is of course not the actual product. (Thank god, my left and right hand would fight so much over space that it would become awkward.)
I definitely see a pattern here. We just got news that Microsoft might be introducing avatars to Xbox LIVE, which share a close resemblance to the Mii’s of Nintendo, and now they go the whole nine yards. Furthermore, Sony might be coming up with a breakaway controller as well. Are Microsoft and Sony making the right moves?
What I like about consoles is the diversity. I think you should be able to define what type of gamer you are, and based on that buy the console(s) that suits you. It’s wrong if it doesn’t matter which one you pick. It’s hard enough already to choose between Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 and it doesn’t get any easier if they both go on a Wii mimic-rampage. Don’t get me wrong, competition is a good thing, and if a company is forced to make changes to remain in the game, it’s fine. But changes don’t necessarily mean plagiarism.
I hope that if Newton is real, it will be applied to a minority of games. I think Microsoft would benefit from keeping it away from AAA titles and instead use it for a new target group, like families and kids (and that’s probably the case).
I guess my opinion is to an extent affected by the picture above and Microsoft will most likely use the motion sensor differently than the Wii remote does. The topic still remains though, is it good or bad that the consoles (especially Xbox 360 and PS3) tend to erase the differences between them? I really hope that Sony’s break away controller and the Newton give us something we don’t expect. In which case, we have Nintendo to thank for the newborn creativity.
