One of the biggest rumors surrounding the Xbox 360 (no not a Metal Gear Sold 4 port) concerning motion controllers is finally becoming a reality. From Performance Designed Products (PDP) comes the Gametrak Freedom, a fully functional 3D motion controller, currently in development for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. While the PlayStation 3 currently has 3D motion controls via the SixAxis controller, the big deal here is, waggle controls have finally made it to the Xbox 360. What separates PDP’s design from the Nintendo’s offering is, the Gametrak Freedom uses two sensor bars while the Wiimote use only one sensor bar. Another difference is, the two sensors must be placed on the sides of the TV screen, and according to PDP, the additional bar increases aiming, accuracy, and precision. From an operational standpoint, the sensor bars support up to four Gametrak controllers for multiplayer games.

The Gametrak Freedom will come bundled with the game Squeeballs, a party game featuring over 150 mini-games and as of right now, third-party software is already in the works for developers. So maybe we’ll get a little motion control action for chainsaw kills in Gears of War 2. We sure hope so! Expect the Gametrak Freedom to hit retailers Fall 2009 at the cost of approximately $70.


From IGN.com

“In addition to unveiling the Freedom's new design, PDP also further detailed the controller's advanced motion technology. Like other motion controller solutions, the Freedom uses a series of accelerometers to determine the pitch, roll, and yaw of the device in relation to in-game physics. What sets the Freedom apart from other motion controllers, however, is its use of ultrasonic 3D positioning. The Freedom system includes two sensor bars placed or mounted to the sides of a display, which communicate with an ultrasonic emitter built into the Freedom controller. The ultrasonic pulses emitted by the controller and identified by the sensors, along with the data fed by the accelerometers enable the system to calculate the distance, orientation, and speed of the device with extreme precision.”

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