Microsoft Mum on Motion Control Rumors

In line with policy, Microsoft has declined to comment on rumors of a motion-sensing Xbox 360 controller add-on.

Microsoft has contracted an outside firm that will be producing a first-party motion-control peripheral by the end of next year, according to a news post this week at XboxFamily.com.

The young website said that motion control experts at Saratoga, Calif.-based Gyration are currently working on a prototype for a motion-sensing add-on for existing Xbox 360 controllers. XboxFamily.com did not name the source of the information.

A Microsoft rep offered Next-Gen the expected response, “Microsoft does not comment on rumors or speculation. And I have nothing further to share.”

Gyration is the same company that pitched motion-sensing controller prototypes to Nintendo back in 2001. Nintendo didn’t go with Gyration’s design, but Gyration does hold multiple motion-sensing and remote control patents.

As far as motion-sensing capabilities are concerned, the Xbox 360 is the odd man out. The Sixaxis and Wii Remote offer the feature to varying effect. Microsoft’s Bill Gates has in the past downplayed the PlayStation 3 and Wii’s motion controllers.

"There's room for innovation here, but moving that controller around — it's something that's not mainstream for most games," he told MTV News back in May 2006. “…There's a lot to be learned about these controllers."

News-Source: Next-Gen