Microsoft coping the Wii, The end or a new beginning of the xbox360?

[bardicverse]

Well, MS has always had success from copying other people, just look at Windows. =)

I don't think that the MS-Wiimote will help their sales, as the casual audience is already familiar with the Wii brand. What I think it might do is be damage control. MS knows that several solid developers are making FPS games for the Wii. If they attract the FPS crowd to the Wii, it will be taking away from the MS fanbase. So, I think that the device is more to give current XB gamers the option of playing in a "Wii-esque" fashion.

The unfortunate side is that the design of the Wiimote is patented, so anything closely resembling that will be killed before it hits the shelves. It will be interesting to see how MS comes up with something that goes around that patent.

Personally, I think that MS just needs to step up its adventure rpg library, more single person games, to get that RPG starved PS2 fanbase aboard. This group of people still haven't found a current-gen system to go to, as no one has truly embraced RPGs in large quantities.

Unfortunately, all of gaming society will see the XB360 wiimote as a blatant rip off of the Wii, and MS will lose serious "street cred" among developers and critics alike. Combine that with the fact that most casual gamers dont come to gaming sites, they won't find out about it via buzz until 2009 if it comes out this year.