Mad Genius Controllers have a new idea for motion control

Mad Genius thinks it can do better than Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo, and has invented its own form of motion-sensing controller. For bonus points, it works with almost any game that wasn’t even designed for motion control in the first place.

Motion control over the years has ranged from being a gimmick, to completely immersive and back to a gimmick again, just like 3D. Many people prefer just relaxing with traditional control methods.

However, some gamers do feel like getting up and getting into the game and that’s part of the reason why we have the Playstation Move, Nintendo’s Wii and WiiU, and the Xbox Kinect.

The tech works by using a standard Xbox 360 or PS3 controller design and slicing it in half. The dual-nature of the controller allows for more versatility. Its more sensitive and accurate than Xbox Kinect which is designed to work well with limbs and is about on par with the Move’s sensitivity. The software is, however, completely separate from the system and can be applied to any controller design.

In theory, it also works for any game made, ever. It matches your movements to actual movements you can do in the game. Jumping in real life makes your character jump. Strafing around awkwardly in your living room will make your character strafe awkwardly as well. Splitting the controller in half will allow you to use aiming functions in the game, like in Skyrim when you switch to your bow and arrow.

The brains behind the Mad Genius Controller

The tech does have its limitations. It won’t work for racing games or RTS titles and there will probably be some issues with side-scrollers. It won’t benefit crippled players or players without a hand, leg, or a few vital fingers. It also appears to work on its own 3D capturing system – if you watch the video you’ll notice that Mad Genius can show where the player is in the room in a 3D frame.

On the Youtube comments they mention that it doesn’t work with any existing motion control capture systems, so it most likely uses some form of echolocation to measure the size of the room. The prototype processor is huge, but Mad Genius reckons it can be shrunk to a much smaller design.

It does look very cool and the fact that its an option for any single-person game really makes it a worth while consideration, assuming it’s not priced sky-high and only available in first-world countries. The Kickstarter hasn’t launched yet, but with the amount of attention this thing’s getting today it could very well be a thing before the end of the year.