PS3, Xbox 360 get ready to waggle like a Wii

Mike Bantick
Wednesday, 17 September 2008 09:45

Your IT - Entertainment

A true motion sensing controller is coming to the Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360.  Can the GameTrak Freedom hope to compete with Nintendo’s Wii-mote?

Initially we all felt kind of weird standing in front of the tele flailing our arms around.  But then, as over 30 million Wii owners around the world have realised, the Wii-mote is a great way to intuitively experience video gaming.

In the topmost, bat-swirled towers of fortress Microsoft and the Sony citadel, executives sat.  They monitored what Nintendo had achieved, and then bellowed orders to various minions to replicate the Nintendo success.

But so far not much has emerged from the burning foundries.

Instead a third party has stepped in, Performance Designed Products (PDP) have announced the acquisition of UK and Chine-based In2Games.

In2Games develop motion-controlled gaming peripherals using a proprietary ultrasonic mechinisim.  The GameTrak Freeedom is one such device, using X,Y & Z axis accelerometers coupled with two dedicated sensor bars, the Freedom will provide precise 3D special awareness to the gaming software.

In fact, according to a company spokesperson “GameTrak Freedom features a proprietary and cutting-edge patent-pending ultrasonic technology to provide a true motion capture gaming experience. Unlike other motion sensing gaming systems, Gametrak Freedom accurately tracks the true 3D position and precise movements of up to four players, anywhere within a given environment, giving total control and unrivalled game play opportunities."

How it will stack up with the Wii experience – especially the enhance MotionPlus Wii-mote is yet to be tested, but sometime in 2009 we can expect the GameTrak Freedom to be on sale, with a bundled game Squeeballs.  The GameTrak Freedom will be compatible with both Xbox 360 and PS3.

Quoted on Gamasutra , president and CEO of PDP Chris Richards said “Until now, gaming has been limited to the player interacting with the game although platforms such as the Wii have heightened this experience. Now, with the latest motion sensing technology created by In2Games, the game will interact with the player”

“We are extremely excited to bring this unparalleled technology to first party console manufacturers, as well as third party publishers and developers to further heighten the level of game interaction with the player.”  Richards concluded.