The House of Gates might be on its way to following in the footsteps of its competitors as far as motion-sensing is concerned – the company is reportedly in the middle of negotiations to buy 3DV Systems, an Israeli company that specializes in the making of motion-sensor technology.
According to financial news site TheMarker (via Reuters,) the Redmond-based software giant is looking to acquire 3DV for the price tag of $35 million USD, almost twice the amount of private capital the company has raised on its own time.
A quick look at 3DV’s website reveals that the company is no stranger to the idea of being involved in the gaming industry:
The key to making a real difference in the gaming experience lies in the control. Sony acknowledged that, and launched EyeToy. Microsoft followed with their own camera, Vision. Nintendo took it a step further, introducing Wii. But the revolution is still around the corner.
3DV goes on to claim that its new imaging and motion-sensing tech, originally used in “advanced defense systems,” will allow gamers to freely use their body to control videogames, “no wearables required, no limitations attached.”
The idea that Microsoft would go on to join its competitors with motion-sensing technology similar to that employed by the Sixaxis and Wii is certainly not a new one – in fact, it really just makes sense to not want to be left out in the rain here. I’d bet money that if this does pan out, the implementation would be something closer to Sony’s Sixaxis – used to enhance control in games, to do very specific things, rather than having the console entirely based around the motion-sensor a la the Wii.
Then again, the videos on 3DV’s gallery page do look awfully Wii-esque… maybe this would be more of an Eyetoy thing?
(Via CVG)
