Motion Sensing: a History, and a Look at the Future

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We discuss Gates' reaction to the Wii and PS3, Microsoft's failed past attempt at implementing motion sensing, and what the future will bring.

Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates is no stranger to new technology. In a recent interview with MTV News, the topic of console competitor Nintendo came up. When asked what he thought about the unique motion-sensing controller for the Wii, he said, "There's room for innovation here, but moving that controller around—it's something that's not mainstream for most games."

Gates should know. His company released a tilt-sensitive gamepad for Windows back in 1998 called the Sidewinder Freestyle Pro, which allowed gamers to tilt the device to control the on-screen action. According to the PR folks at Microsoft, this revolutionary controller was the first device to marry the response of a digital gamepad with the movement range of a free-floating analog sensor. So what ever happened to the Sidewinder Freestyle Pro?


Microsoft's failed attempt at a motion-sensing controller, back in 1998.


While the device garnered a loyal fan base, many found it alien. Complaints of overly sensitive calibration and lack of game support surfaced, and the game pad quietly faded into obscurity. It can still be purchased from various online retailers, but it's fair to say that motion control has failed to make an impression with the gaming mainstream in the past.

That is, until Sony surprised the audience at this year's E3 convention by unveiling the final version of the PS3 hardware, which featured a rather normal-looking Dual Shock controller with one small new feature - tilt sensitivity. Fan boys cried foul, saying that Sony stole the technology from Nintendo, which had announced its own movement-sensitive Wii-mote nearly a year earlier. Fingers pointed. Tempers flared. People wondered what fate Xbox 360 would suffer since it was the odd console out with a comparatively pedestrian wireless controller. But Gates kept his cool.


Behold, the Wii-mote. It ain't no Sidewinder!


Numerous reports from the show floor came back regarding the Wii and PS3 control pads. Some gamers quickly adjusted to the new devices, while others (including one fellow from PS3 development studio Incognito) had trouble acclimating. Rumors spread throughout the gaming community that Sony merely tacked on the additional functionality to keep pace with Nintendo—a charge that carried some weight since developers hadn't received tilt-sensitive gamepads until two weeks before the show. To make matters worse, during the Warhawk stage demo, the fellow showing off the game couldn't even land his aircraft properly via tilt control.

"It's tough because sometimes you move the controller, and you don't [mean] to fly into the ground. You just want to put the controller down," Gates commented. "People aren't that good at totally standing still. Even pilots actually sit in a chair when they do their flying. So there's a lot to be learned about these controllers." Sour grapes? I think not. Judging from Microsoft's past experience, motion-sensitive gamepads are a novelty…unless you can design distinctive software to exploit them.

The Wii controller has rumble feedback, something that the PS3 controller doesn't possess (likely stemming from its lawsuit with Immersion). Nintendo specifically designed the Wii from the ground up to be a machine that embraces freeform input; every game for the console was designed with this in mind. So it would seem that Nintendo has the foresight to support the functionality and make it an integral part of every game. On the contrary, Sony took its long-established controller—the Dual Shock—and made it Bluetooth wireless and tilt-sensitive. By all appearances, it performs similarly to the Sidewinder Freestyle Pro—a controller that's nearly a decade old. In such light, it's hard not to view the PS3 controller as Sony's "me too" device, especially since none of the announced games were designed around the motion-sensing experience.


Sony's "me too" controller for PS3 now has limited motion sensing, but failed to impress anyone at E3.


For now, it seems Gates is content with the Xbox 360 controller the way it is. With new accessories slated for this fall (a wireless headset communicator for Xbox Live, the Live Vision USB camera, and the wireless force feedback racing wheel) gamers will have no shortage of accessories to choose from this holiday. Microsoft is squarely focused on the online experience with Xbox Live.

With 160 titles scheduled for holiday 2006, the future seems bright for the next-gen platform. Both Sony and Nintendo will have to deal with Xbox 360's 10-million unit head start this holiday, and rumors of a price cut are already flying. Should the public clamor for a tilt-sensitive controller, it's highly possible that a 360 Sidewinder Freestyle Pro could surface to meet demand. We'll just have to wait and see, but for now that seems unlikely.

Opinion by Bossjimbob.
Jun 5, 2006
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