Kurt Shintaku's Blog

Get ready to sell that Wii that’s been sitting collecting dust next to your entertainment center.  Oh, c’mon… you know it’s true.  You got bored of Wii Tennis a long time ago and the only time you play that thing is when the kids want you to play or when you have friends over for dinner.

Of all places, MTV broke the story about a rumored Xbox 360 response to the "Wiimote": 

MTV:  Xbox 360 is getting a motion sensitive game controller
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1585014/20080408/id_0.jhtml
(I particularly love the WiiLovers/XBoxhaters in the comments section screaming, "Noooo!  It can’t be true!"  Don’t you just love denial?)

Codenamed the "Newton", the device purportedly is based on Gyration’s precision gyroscopic controller patents.  Most of the better details can be found at Bink.nu, so I’m just going to crosslink there and leave it at that, because frankly, I don’t know a damned thing about the controller except for the rumors I’ve heard about it in the halls:

BINK:  Xbox 360 "Newton" Motion Sensing Controller Confirmed
http://bink.nu/news/xbox-360-quot-newton-quot-motion-sensing-controller-confirmed.aspx

Speaking hypothetically of course, one would have to be either believe that the brainiacs in the Xbox group have run the numbers on the financial feasibility of producing this controller.  I mean after all, despite having the highest game attach rate for any next-gen console, and the 2nd highest console marketshare, just under the Wii, most Xbox 360 owners won’t own this controller – at least not initially, hence the market for motion sensitive games will be significantly smaller for game developers than games that don’t leverage the controller.

This in my mind implies one of three things:  (Or more)

1. BIG REVENUE/MARKETSHARE POTENTIAL
   The opportunity for gaming revenue and/or marketshare in the motion sensitive gaming category must be valued higher than the cost of producing the controller.
2. CHEAP, ECONOMICAL MANUFACTURING COSTS
   The controller could be priced at a level that makes it economical for Microsoft to produce and sell below the price threshold of the target market.  Usually this is something like $39.
3. CONTROLLER MASS DISTRIBUTION
   Like the Big Button controller for "SceneIt? LCA", the controller will be distributed with games that are designed for it at a cost that is palatable/reasonable to the target market.