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Xbox 360 motion-sensor reveal rumored for E3

Source: See below.What we heard: Last week, ye olde rumor mill churned out a report that Sony would reveal the motion-sensing controller that it patented last year at next month's Electronic Entertainment Expo.Now, it's Microsoft's turn.The speculation stems back to February, when reports out of...

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Source: See below.

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What we heard: Last week, ye olde rumor mill churned out a report that Sony would reveal the motion-sensing controller that it patented last year at next month's Electronic Entertainment Expo.

Now, it's Microsoft's turn.

The speculation stems back to February, when reports out of Israel and Silicon Valley indicated that the software giant had purchased the startup 3DV Systems to acquire its Z-Cam motion-sensing technology.

The Web site for 3DV describes its technology thusly: "For the first time ever, you can use your body freely to control games, no wearables required, no limitations attached. Move your hand, leg, head, or finger in any direction and setting, moving quickly or making fine, minor movement--all these gestures are easily detected and understood by the system, creating a unique, personalized, and immersive gaming experience. This experience is complemented by the ability to combine your own 3D image inside the game scene, in real time."

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The Microsoft motion-sensing front remained largely quiet until last Friday, when popular tech blog Engadget posted a photo of a motion-sensing camera peripheral hooked up to an Xbox 360. The controller's capabilities sounded virtually identical to that of the Z-Cam, with "full body and hand gesture control of games [and] characters" including the ability to "kick, punch, duck, dive, [and] jump." The add-on will also apparently recognize "hand gestures like pinching, grabbing, and scrolling" and will also feature live video conferencing, among other features.

Then, amid the Cinco de Mayo revels on Tuesday, top-tier tech site Ars Technica and the British newspaper The Guardian both posted articles saying that they had already demoed the 3DV Z-Cam--at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show more than one year ago. The latter even has video of it in action (at time count 1:17), which indeed shows Minority Report-like functionality, with correspondent Bobbie Johnson navigating a series of menus with a few hand motions.

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The CEO of 3DV Systems, Zvi Klier, explained to the Guardian that "while a regular camera sees color per pixel, this [Z-Cam] camera sees distance per pixel, and because we see exactly what's happening in front of the camera, we can understand human gestures very easily."

Both the Guardian and Ars Technica go on to describe the Z-Cam's features as being exactly the same of those outlined by Engadget. And with the technology so far advanced, both postulate that the enhanced 360 add-on might be the centerpiece of Microsoft's E3 press conference on the morning of Monday, June 1.

The official story: "Microsoft does not comment on rumors or speculation."--Microsoft spokesperson.

Bogus or not bogus?: Not bogus that Microsoft is working hard to catch up in the motion-sensing control race. But will the 360 add-on be ready by E3? It certainly looks close...

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com

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halosniper52

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Plz MS don't get into all this dumb motion stuff just stay like u are all this motion BS is so dumb.

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Donthizz_86

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microsoft makes me sick, i mean dont they pay people to come up with new ideas.

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p00phead

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can we just stick with gamepads

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deactivated-5f0932068c331

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Xbox 720 - Wii edition :p Atleast Microsoft saw the writing on the wall with the standard crappy controller

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flazzle

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If people thought Wii made you 'wave your arms around like a tool', this will take it to the NEXT level! hah!

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svaubel

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Bah. This console gen is turning into everyone copying everyone else.

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SiD_N64

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lame...

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warhawk-smakaho

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WHY!!!!? I don't want to pay for more useless accessories like this motion sensing crap...

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racerch89

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ya the Wii sucks and ya the motion controls are ok not the best becuase A.) Wii rushed it a little and B.) they wanted to make more money so they took out a key component aka Wii Motion Plus to sell later.. haha like they need more money.. 360 and PS3 is trying to make it better and trying different aproaches on the motion control systems.. plus Wii cant support high-end games like PS3 and 360 can.

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leoleez

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lol futile attempts. Shoulda thought of this sooner. I understand the PS3... not the XBOX 360, I can't imagine what or how they would hook that thing up, any1?

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punkdsk8erdude

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oh and REA24409....i think the reason no one is comparing this to the wii is because this is completely different. yes, the fact that it is a game console that is sensing motions in some way is similar, but then if you are being that general can't you be so bold as to say the wii and the xbox 360 are the same thing anyway, because they both play videogames? no one in their right minds would say that. i dislike fanboys, and im not one, i love wii 360 and ps3, but i think the reason people including myself give sony crap about theirs is b/c its so similar to the way it's sensing motion...motion sensing controls that are even in a similar shape to the wii remote. this is in a whole different ball park. no controls, nothing. no sensor bar, but a camera. detecting even movement on your body. so no, i dont think it's right to compare this to the wii at all.

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zanizzle

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Dumb

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punkdsk8erdude

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ugh. if i wanted to move my entire body while playing video games id go to my gym or something. give me a break. the wii is one thing, even the ps3 thing is one thing, but this is just ridiculous. sure it could be very interesting...and the one thing that's cool is that it is one step closer to a holodeck (star trek!) lol but to be honest i dont want this at all. i dont even care what it can do. i play video games at night, when im relaxing, before i go to sleep when theres nothing else to do. i dont want to be running, jumping, and waving my arms around to play fable 3.

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Psilyocybin

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Screw this 360 just give me keyboard and mouse support if I wanted to run in call of duty and get out of breath after 30 mins of running in place and ducking and jumping and fake knife slices through the air then I'd just freaking join the military.

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fffan9391

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Why? Just...why?

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ps3rocks11

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Lol if I want to play freakin' basketball and crap, I'd get out of the house and play it outside to get fresh air.I'm not going to run around my room trying to dribble a virtual ball.Wii, on the other hand, is different, since it is still videogame oriented.(Still has analog sticks, does not require you to be an idiot and run around the room.)Though this might be ideal to losers who can't lift a real ball.

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12345678ew

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thats stupid.... besides the ps3 is making a controller that is like wiimote only it's accurate down to less than a pixel since it's based on UV light specs that a camera watches move to see it's position.

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dogpigfish

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Sorry everyone, no intellectual words today. This looks plain stupid.

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oliver655321

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Weak ps2 did this...it failed Why dont they just make a mouse and keyboard so games like COd can be badazzzz

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g3toutj00

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gee lets use a camera to play basketball. now how do i make my player run?? do i run around my room? do a little fake dribbling.? just what i wanna do run around my room to play video games. if i wanted to act it out i would just go and actually play basketball. i will stick with the gold standard sitting on my butt and mashing buttons.

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GodofBigMacs

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Are you serious...?

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Midgetmen

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lame

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Recontrooper

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Something I definitely will be looking for at E3.

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sco14

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This would be amazong for NBA Live or 2k9 cant wait to see this

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REA24409

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I'm surprised no one is complaining that they are copying the Wii by using motion, that's what everyone did for the new PS3 motion sensor thing. But since it is the Xbox it shouldn't matter right...

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Avatar image for *Lightchaos-206931739271909150
*Lightchaos-206931739271909150

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we will have to wait for E3.

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halojp23

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ok it could be cool or not we will see

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Brad2theBone237

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These gimmicks always sound interesting in theory, but I kind of want to just play a game without having to make dumb hand movements that have little to do with the action onscreen. If Microsoft can improve upon Nintendo's failure to hold the attention of those wanting to play a serious game, I'm all for it; I don't see that happening though.

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thatSTERLINkid

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oook, it looks as if nothings in the guys hand in picture 2 as he's shooting... what the heck is this?

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Vulpis

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Sooo...basically it's Sony's EyeToy with MS's 'unique' brand of marketing hype claiming it as an original idea?

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CrazyWerewolf

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It seems like this motion control crap is putting a damper on real video games. If there comes a day when there is no more God of War, Halo, GTA, Final Fantasy, MGS, etc. and it all becomes golf and bowling motion control sims, I will actually stop playing video games. The Wii exists to entertain adults at parties and little kids, not real gamers. I have a PS3, and I hate the Sixaxis controls. It's irritating, and it's not fun. The last thing I want, and the last thing real gamers want is more of this crap.

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VenDaler

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remember the days of second player pausing the game on you? just think.. you thought that was bad. haha, actually playing single player with your friend actually sounds fun... But seriously, using your hand in thin air to pick menu selections sounds like it could be cool....

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teknicz

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It seems we're all headed back to the days of the Virtual Boy all over again. I'm so excited I could throw up.

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wiifan001

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Now it'll either be false, or it'll be just some peripheral a few years behind the eye-toy. I don't really see a Wii copycat here. Either way, It's still just a rumor, and as us veterans should know, rumors spread real fast just before E3.

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crunchb3rry

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Motion sensing sucks. It's killing Nintendo from the inside out. Even Japanese consumers are tired of that crap. We don't need two consoles with nothing but on-rails shooters and juvenile sports games.

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supermike6

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I was really hoping the 360 could be the only gimmick-free system out there, and just provide a normal sit-down gaming experience. Apparently that's not what they were going for, and now we'll have no system to just play NORMAL GAMES.

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Killer6b9

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lol @ VenomRitual

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JDWolfie

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Is this any different from the Vision Camera, you know, the one that had one game for it?

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juanseguin07

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Xbox is just now getting around to motion sensor...They sound really behind the game. I'm not a fan of motion sensors but c'mon your competitors have had motion sensing technology for awhile and your finally getting around to it?

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Da_Chief_319

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If this turns out to be true, I really hope it will be optional. I can't stand motion controls.

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VenomRitual

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oh god. if this is the future of gaming keep me out. dumb motion control and even dumber 3d glasses.

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Jericho66

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Microsoft do not need this nonsense, motion sensing games are nothing more than a novelty to the serious gaming experience, I am interested to see a motion sensing supported game with 360 or PS3 graphics, but I can think of so many multi-platform games on wii that did not work. Should be ok if they're not going to shovel out second-rate garbage games ala - "your in the movies"

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LaraCroft15

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that would be so ridiculous if they both announce it at E3 not knowing about each other's plans. I vote for 360 though and also wouldnt like using this system for All the games. Strategies, hidden object, sim, some logic or arcade games would have been more easy and fun to control. I dont see a reason for them still not releasing a 360 mouse or even a motion sensor pen pointer device though.

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Zombie07

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..... If I wanted motion sensitive controls I would buy a Wii.... Microsoft what more do you want? You have most of the games that Sony used to have.... You dont need this motion sensitive crap!!

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jasonpa

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You know whats so funny, this is nothing like the Eyetoy. It is nothing like that at all. It's a motion sensing device that allows a person to PLAY A GAME solely based on his movements being mimmicked in real time in a game. NOTHING LIKE THE EYETOY RETARDS! You know that outfit athletes wear to do motion capturing work for sports games, this is the same thing except the technology is reversed, instead of using the movements and recording them to be used as part of the CGI or AI in a game, instead it's used to allow you to make the movements yourself to control a character in a game. Like the WII remote, except you hold nothing, you just swing your arms. Imagine playing NBA LIVE 11 moving your hand in a shooting motion to take a shot, or swiping your arm at the air to steal, or rasing your hand high to block a shot or rebound. That's amazing, not the EYETOY! A peripheral that acts as a controller, but it's a camera that captures your movements to control a character in a game. ANY GAME I'm sure that's compabitable!

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LoserMike

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Hmm.. well... Nintendo proved that accessories could be huge hardware sellers. Maybe that's what Sony and Microsoft are trying to do. Though the gamers that have a PS3/360 are the type who don't really care about Motion control. The only way I could see this working for 360/PS3 is if they bundle this with their systems

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hatieshorrer

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I have a feeling this will be prone to glitching.

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mr111111

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lol dont care

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Nonstop-Madness

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Sony has there own motion sensor device in the works also.

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