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A video of a prototype for an Xbox 360 motion-sensing pad has been discovered on the official site of hardware developer Motus.
However, it is not made clear whether Motus is planning to release the peripheral as a third-party product, or if Microsoft has done a deal with the company to make it an official Xbox accessory.
Motus Games, based in Massachusetts US, codenames the product ‘Darwin’ and explains: ‘Darwin uses a number of sensors that allow it to know where it is… It is self-contained, meaning what you hold is all you need, no IR strips or other devices for a reference point.’
It also provides a visual description of each element of the controller, showing that it breaks in half, ‘allowing for three modes of play: combined, two free hands or two player’.
The company’s product description – which focuses on Darwin’s ‘Six Degrees of Freedom’ – takes a number of swipes at Nintendo’s Wii Remote.
On another page, the company juxtaposes Darwin and Nintendo’s Wii Remote in a game-by-game comparison – which also includes the only video footage of the 360 controller.
It is widely rumoured that Microsoft is to unveil a motion-sensing pad at its E3 keynote conference next Monday (July 14th).
Having seen the Motus website and video, a Microsoft UK spokesperson told MCV:
We do not comment on rumour or speculation”
