Last week we announced news of Microsoft (in conjunction with Rare) working to create a motion controller for the Xbox 360, with very similar functions to the Wii-mote. Their reasons for doing this seemed quite obvious, backing on to reports of dwindling Xbox 360 sales coming from sales reports all around the world.

Just today, news has surfaced of another source giving information on this same idea, and in doing so reveals more information on the project.

Supposedly codenamed “Newton”, the controller will be an almost exact clone of the Wii-mote. The source claims:

Nintendo is not the first company to make something like the Wiimote. The concept for the Wiimote has been called a 3d Mouse or a “Flying Mouse”. There is a company called Gyration that makes wireless controllers and is an early innovator in these kind of controllers.

After detailing more specifics on the supposed controller, they also go on to say that:

Nintendo is an investor in Gyration but they don’t own it. In 2001 Nintendo licensed patents from Gyration and used it to develop the Wii. They are US application patents 5898421 and 5440326 which are about a device tracking human motion and translating it into linear movement of computer graphic images.

So Nintendo does not wholly own all the patents involved in the Wiimote.

Definitely food for thought, however nothing is confirmed as yet. The source does claim soon to come leaks of the ‘Newton’ prototype, but for that we’ll just have to wait and see.

More news on the subject as it happens. Stay tuned.