The PS "Wand" Controller

[NoName]

First Nintendo came out with their revolutionary controller. Then it was unearthed that Microsoft had something almost exactly the same in development. Now apparently it's been found that Sony has a patent request for a similar wand device. Here's the article (http://www.newscientist.com/channel/info-tech/dn7890) from News Scientist that has a short blurb on the patent and a link to (http://tinyurl.com/dyekq)the actual document.
Sony’s new idea is to plug a webcam into the console, and give the gamer a handheld wand similar to a pocket flashlight. The wand has a battery, a few mouse-like buttons and several different coloured LEDs that can be switched on and off in various combinations.
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4172/1366/320/makeyourbloodboil.jpg

Similar to Nintendo's revolution anyway, but being light dependent I don't think it would work nearly as well.

[Abednigo]

Yeah, I bet MS had almost the exact same thing in development. :rolleyes:

[Dirty Harry]

this is a continuation of the ps2 eyecam of what ever the fuck its called.

[CapnBob]

Yeah, I bet MS had almost the exact same thing in development. :rolleyes:

Well, they might NOW. All it takes is a little alteration to semantics to fudge the date at which they started developing it.

[carneconcarne]

Similar to Nintendo's revolution anyway, but being light dependent I don't think it would work nearly as well.

What do you think Nintendo's controller relies upon? It's all light, you just can't see it.

[NoName]

Yeah, I bet MS had almost the exact same thing in development. :rolleyes:
This was brought up after Nintendo revealed their revolution so it's not really "news", but here's a link (http://research.microsoft.com/~awilson/wand/default.htm) to a Microsoft research page working on a technology very similiar to the revolution controller. It just goes so far as to give information on it's internal workings.

[Opty]

It just looks like instead of using fancy non-visible spectrums of light like Nintendo did, Sony's gone with using the visible spectrum combined with the EyeToy to get a similar result. And by similar I mean "probably not at all similar" as Sony's device would only allow 2D movement and transmit the button presses by changing colors to represent said button press, which means other colored lights in the room would possibly interact with said system much like how aiming the Zapper at a lightbulb made it register a hit every time.

[Kamalot]

What do you think Nintendo's controller relies upon? It's all light, you just can't see it.

Actually, I believe most of the Revolution's controller uses gyroscopes to determine orientation and transmits thata data to the console via RF signals, much like a WaveBird transmits analog stick movement via RF signals. Distance from the screen is tetermined by triangulation of the distance between the controller and the 2 transmitters located on either side of the screen. This system wouldn't use any light, IR or otherwise.

[thiby]

ha ha.. monkey see monkey do.

[XxSATANxX]

Well the first thing I thought after seeing the "revolution" was big deal. If it proves out to be a good idea everyone will add it to their system. Patent issues here are easily gotten around via peoper review of claims and engineering. This will not be like the dual shock case where clearly the maker infringed. I like the concept hoipe it proves out in actual game play.

[SnappyCrunch]

...transmits thata data to the console via RF signals...
...This system wouldn't use any light, IR or otherwise.

You're contradicting yourself there. RF waves are light, just at a much higher freqency than visible light or infrared.

[Harlan Hoyt]

RF waves are light, just at a much higher freqency than visible light or infrared.

In the sense that it's all part of the electromagnetic spectrum, yeah, I suppose, but it seems to me like you're cutting things a bit fine here. By your logic, radios, xrays, cell phone networks and a whole lot of other things are all "light." But I think we can agree that the WaveBird (which uses RF as well) is a tad more sophisticated and responsive than your Zapper or traditional "light gun."

[Kamalot]

You're contradicting yourself there. RF waves are light, just at a much higher freqency than visible light or infrared.

Light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength that is visible to the eye, or in a more general sense, any electromagnetic radiation in the range from infrared to ultraviolet. ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light

Sorry.
Radio waves are not light.
(they must be heavy!)

[themulf]

Sony has been working on toys that hook up to the console for a while. Not to mention eye toy. I remember seeing an article soon after the release of the PS2 of some guys using a fake mace or some crap hooked up to the ps2. Other then it being wireless, its not 100% orginal nor are they the first. THOU thats not to say sony will copy what they have done for the revolution, since its such an awsome implementation.

[MasterEvilAce]

So... does this mean there's still no reason to buy a Revolution aside from Mario and Zelda?

[Liquidize105]

No. Supposedly there's more to revolution than the controllers.

Anyway these imitations suck. Does MS really expect people to be holding dils in their hands?

[Natestah]

The Sony guys demonstrated the wand thing at a GDC (1999 I think). The stage they were on had so many different colored lights that the demonstration failed. Must have been embarrasing for that guy.

[nonchalance]

These would have been in development well before Revolution, as has been pointed out. It's just that Rev's implementation makes these two look decidedly crappy.

We'll see versions of the controller from Sony and MS soon enough, though.

[mister_slim]

There have been similar interfaces in arcade games for years. Most of them are more narrow in application though. It's all about generalized functionality and also the quality of implementation.

[Lynxara]

Anyway these imitations suck. Does MS really expect people to be holding dils in their hands?

Nintendo apparently does. ;)