http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/1998/may98/devicepr.mspx
SideWinder Freestyle Pro Tightens Link Between Gamers and On-Screen Motion
SideWinder Freestyle Pro is a radical new free-motion PC game controller that uses sophisticated solid-state motion-sensing technology to deliver immersive, intuitive, proportional (sometimes referred to as analog) PC game control in supported games. Gamers control onscreen action along the X-axis by tipping the device left or right, and along the Y-axis by tipping the unit forward or backward. SideWinder Freestyle Pro is the first game controller to provide universal control, simultaneously delivering the proportional (analog) flexibility of a joystick and the digital precision of a game pad. The SideWinder Freestyle Pro gives gamers freedom of movement in a wide variety of joystick- and game pad-compatible game genres, such as arcade-style flying and driving.
In its motion-sensing mode, the SideWinder Freestyle Pro is a great match for many arcade-style drive-and-shoot and fly-and-shoot titles in which gamers maneuver vehicles within a 3-D landscape while aiming head, body or weapons.
http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Sidewinder-Freestyle-Game-A17-00001/dp/B00004Z729
From the manufacturer
Ready for something revolutionary? How about a game controller that enables you to control the game activity by simply tilting it in the direction you want to move. Nothing controls movement within today's 3-D action games better than the fluid motion of the SideWinder Freestyle Pro. Sit, stand, weave, and bob your way to victory - the SideWinder Freestyle Pro translates your body English into game movements for the ultimate immersive experience.
Product Description
Someday, you'll be able to have your every body motion detected by camera and transferred to a character or vehicle in a game, for total intuitive control. Until then, though, there's Microsoft's Freestyle Pro, an advanced gamepad with motion-sensing technology.Use the Freestyle Pro in joystick mode with motion-sensing on, and it responds to your hand and body movement, allowing for precision and freedom of movement simply by tilting the controller in different directions. Or switch off motion-sensing, and use the Freestyle Pro as a gamepad for greater speed and harder play. And if you're just that good, use both modes simultaneously for ultimate precision and freedom in your gaming experience! The Sidewinder Freestyle Pro is highly customizable, allowing you to fine-tune its sensitivity along each axis of movement and program game actions to hot-buttons. You can even save customized settings to game profiles, so you don't have to re-program the gamepad when you switch games. The Sidewinder Freestyle Pro uses either a standard gameport or a USB port, so it's sure to be compatible with the system you have now and the ones you'll have in the future. Microsoft Motocross Madness is included in the package, a perfect way to get started freestyling with your new gamepad.
Sounds like what the six-axis controller does (Sony copies Microsoft agian). And holy shit at the Nostradamus prediction in the product description.
