In2Games' "Fusion" controller spices up next-gen motion sensing

Hoo boy, now it's really on. Sure, motion sensing controllers have existed in some sense or another for a while now, but ever since Nintendo got into the game with their Wiimote, and Sony followed suit with the SIXAXIS, a good bit of interesting tech is starting to surface. Case in point, the new motion-sensing tech from In2Games, codenamed "Fusion," takes things to a whole new level, providing for accurate on-screen representation of your motions, not just an approximate like on the Wii or the PS3. The tech apparently works with "sound waves and other technical wizardry," though those dots on the various controller remind us a bit of a motion capture setup. The benefit of all this is that your motions are tracked just as they happen in real space, and you don't need to have the controller pointed at the sensor for it to work. Of course, as demonstrated by video demonstration of the unit, this also means you'll need a good bit of room to swing your arms, and might make things like same console multiplayer quite difficult. There's also the fact that software support will be relatively minimal, but In2Games is making things as easy as possible, since the sensor connects via USB, and therefore should be interoperable with the next-gen consoles. They should be launching Fusion Q3 '07 for "sub-£30" (around $56 US), so that shouldn't be too hard to swallow either. Along with tennis, baseball, lightsaber, golf and bowling controllers pictured above, the Fusion controller also comes in a version shaped like a traditional next-gen controller, but which can be split apart for performing motion-sensed moves. It's pictured after the break.

[Via Joystiq]

[Kadoo @ Oct 20th 2006 3:21PM]

bowling ball, tennis racket, baseball bat, golf club and ... and Lightsaber?

[TS @ Oct 20th 2006 3:23PM]

damn right lightsaber. Who [i]wouldn't[/i] want that?

[Todd @ Oct 20th 2006 3:35PM]

I cannot wait to see what the Grand Theft Auto development team at Rockstar has in mind for these peripherals!

[Martin @ Oct 20th 2006 3:42PM]

What about gloves,socks and elbow/knee pads, I can see some grand gladiator bouts in the future.

[chris @ Oct 20th 2006 3:46PM]

1. You don't need to point the wii control at the sensor to detect motion. That works with accelerometers and gyroscopes and then sends the information over an RF signal to the console. The only time you need the sensor-bar is to use it as a pointing device.

2. I hope they realize that you won't be able to push the buttons and hold the control at the same time when it's in separate pieces like that.

[C David @ Oct 20th 2006 4:09PM]

Xavix did this a couple of years ago, and their bowling game was tremendously fun... interestingly, the CARTRIDGES did the sensing, as they projected from the top of the machine. Light reflecting off of the bowling ball and back to the system made from some really accurate angles, and no batteries whatsoever.

The tennis and baseball.... not so much.

[X-Multiply @ Oct 20th 2006 4:10PM]

Gimmickorama

OK, the pad is cool, as is the light saber, but the sport pieces? Yes, I'd like to purchase the bowling ball simply to play the most boring sports game around.

Nintendo has it right; one peripheral that mimics all styles.

[Jonathan @ Oct 20th 2006 4:12PM]

Everything there you would hold onto (and keep holding onto) in real life except the bowling ball.

I wonder how many people are going to be throwing that bowling ball through their TV.

[brandon @ Oct 20th 2006 4:15PM]

Eh, I think you could hold it in two pieces and push buttons fine. Take any two controllers and try it, it isn't difficult to hold both while also using the analog sticks and pushing buttons on both at the same time. That's obviously a render, so they could easily rework the design to fit easily and securely in one hand.

What would be cool though, is if the disconnecting of the two halves triggers events. You want to break something, you pull them apart outward. They should also make the connector smaller and put it on rotators so you can rotate the halves. That would make the most sense in puzzle games to me, such as an alternate way to rotate a Tetris piece. I hate Tetris though, so I don't know how excited fans of the game would be about doing that over and over. How about using it on a less used action, such as turning a key.

[Charles @ Oct 20th 2006 5:25PM]

Don't Nintendo have a patent on this technology? Gee, they develop a good idea and here comes everyone banking in on it. If this pass, this may not be good for Nintendo because to me, the Controller was Nintendo's edge. Now we may get back on the stream where developers may only develop games for PS3 and Xbox but overlook Nintendo, even though it was their idea.

[Austin @ Oct 20th 2006 5:34PM]

Nintendo isn't the first to use motion in a controller. And supposedly this works differently. I had a motion driven that played on both my NES and Genesis. It was absolutely horrible but used a gyroscope none the less.

[Hipster Union @ Oct 20th 2006 5:29PM]

I don't think that's "light saber." Methinks it's pool (or snooker [or billiards]). Not that my brother and I didn't break a shitton of pool cues playing at Star Wars.

[XGustaX @ Oct 21st 2006 12:49AM]

Nintendo Did Patent there Controller Looks like someones going to get sued....=)

[XGustaX @ Oct 21st 2006 12:49AM]

Looks like a flop in a box...

[Destro @ Oct 21st 2006 3:55AM]

"Nintendo Did Patent there Controller Looks like someones going to get sued....=)"

Nintendo's controllers use accelorometers and infrared, the Fusion controllers shown here use "sound waves." Nobody is getting sued.

However, Nintendo does hold a patent on the D-pad...

[Kevin @ Oct 21st 2006 10:45PM]

POWER GLOVE!!!

[J. Evans Turner @ Oct 25th 2006 4:02AM]

I expected everyone to cry "VAPOR WARE!" These images are lousy pre-renders and are clearly conceptual. Just look at how severely "wrapped" the 4-way directional pad is, then imagine trying to use it. This company should have waited until developing something more presentable than this computer-rendered cheap-looking lineup.

[Ross @ Oct 25th 2006 7:45AM]

What will be better wii or fusion? personally the wii take my fancy as nearly all the games will be used in motion sensing. i still think fusion will stop a lot of people purchasing nintendos wii

[Snappy! @ Oct 26th 2006 7:05AM]

Why hasn't anyone adapted such a device for PC use? Then we can have Minority Report type of Interface! 8)

Existing PCs can add tablet/stylus support without expensive mods, but can use such a device via USB. 8)