Prototype Xbox One Controller Emitted Smells

Steven Bogos

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Jan 17, 2013
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Prototype Xbox One Controller Emitted Smells


Microsoft, just like Sony [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/128895-PS4-Controller-Could-Have-Had-an-Xbox-360-Style-Layout], built dozens of Xbox One controller prototypes.

Earlier in the year, we heard that some of the early look into Xbox One controller prototypes [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/128895-PS4-Controller-Could-Have-Had-an-Xbox-360-Style-Layout] reveals some even crazier ideas, such as controllers with touch screens, projectors, displays, and even one that emitted smells.

"We built small slugs of different types of smells that could actually come out of a controller," said Zulfi Alam, Xbox's general manager for accessories. "Like, as you walked through a jungle, you'd smell the flora." The key word here is built, meaning that in some Microsoft warehouse somewhere there is an Xbox One prototype controller that can fart at you.

The Venture Beat feature reveals that the controller almost didn't change at all. "When we started this program, I went and said, 'Hey, we need to think about redesigning the Xbox 360 controller.' The reaction was vociferously negative. 'Are you guys crazy? This is the best-in-class controller. People love this,'" said Alam.

But despite the Xbox 360 controller being "best-in-class" and the controller of choice for genres such as FPS, Microsoft, like any other company, still looked to its competitors for inspiration. Microsoft built test controllers that has some features that its competitors are using now, such as a touchpad (PS4), camera (Wii U), and speakers (both). But "each one of these ideas fell down," said Alam.

"You've got a great TV with a better speaker than we could ever put in this controller, and it made more sense to [not make players look down at a display], keeping the user's attention on the TV. We really want them to be immersed in the experience that's happening in front of them."

In the end, what we got was simply a more-refined version of the 360 controller, with Alam and his team simply taking the best features and improving them, adding new features only when they seemed intuitive.

Source: Venture Beat [http://venturebeat.com/2013/11/18/the-xbox-one-controller-projectors-smells-and-other-stuff-that-didnt-make-it-in-part-1-exclusive/]

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TKretts3

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Jul 20, 2010
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Great, now we have to wait all the way until the next generation for Smell-o-Vision. :(
 

FinalDream

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Apr 6, 2010
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Smells like an excuse for MS to sell us expensive non-refillable cartridges. Glad they opted not to go with it!
 

Thaluikhain

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TKretts3 said:
Great, now we have to wait all the way until the next generation for Smell-o-Vision. :(
Eh, that's actually been tried a few times.

And abandoned, cause it's a really stupid idea.
 

TKretts3

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Jul 20, 2010
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thaluikhain said:
TKretts3 said:
Great, now we have to wait all the way until the next generation for Smell-o-Vision. :(
Eh, that's actually been tried a few times.

And abandoned, cause it's a really stupid idea.
HERESY! SHUN THE NON-BELIEVER! BURN HIM AT THE STAKE!
... ... ... I get REALLY passionate about smell-o-vision.
 

Bug MuIdoon

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Mar 28, 2013
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Personally I'd like one. Rotten flesh and iron rich blood would probably not be for everyone, but I'd quite like the added immersion.
I think it's a bad idea with a controller though, as is "Smell-o-vision", just due to the vast amount of smells one would need for a single game/film, and to make them not smell exactly the same as the last. Some sort of stand alone machine would be much more suitable. Heck, I think I'll make it my life's work to make one!
 

Arawn

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Dec 18, 2003
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I really want to call BS on a smell generating controller. If not utter crap, I'd like to call it the stupidest idea for a controller ever. It could take it's place right there next to the Nintendo Powerglove. It would need some kind of refillable cartridge for the scents of course. Much like replacing non-rechargeable batteries every other time. My car's air freshener says it lasts for 30 days it barely makes it 20ish.(High temps cause it to dry out fast) Does anyone really think that odor producing controller will last longer? I can only guess the number of scents they could possibly pack into such a device; 4-6 maybe?(and that's being nice)The devs would of course be forced to utilize said feature in their games. Poor bastards. Yeah, just a horrible idea. The fact it got past the planning stage is understandable in light of those DRM polices. That aside I don't think they'd change their controller much. There are many brands that seem to copy the Xbox controller as it is. So chances are high they'd only make minor tweaks. People like change, but there are limits. PS4 altered theirs more than Xbox One since many had issues with the set-up from the previous dual shock. While it worked for the old system the new one could use the change. As for Xbox I feel it could get abit slimmer.
 

Arnoxthe1

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Dec 25, 2010
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I knew it. IMAO, the 360 controller is almost the pinnacle of controller design and apparently, I wasn't alone in thinking that. The right amount of buttons and sticks with really great ergonomic design. I'm really glad they didn't radically change or add anything to be honest.
 

CriticalMiss

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Jan 18, 2013
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it made more sense to [not make players look down at a display], keeping the user's attention on the TV
And yet they made that smartglass nonsense a big part of their console pitch.
 

marurder

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Jul 26, 2009
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Revealing this information this close to launch is either meant to lower or raise expectations for the XBOX. But I am not sure which...
 

SecondPrize

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This makes me super happy because if they had time to do this then they had time to build a wired controller with a usb plug which can replace the 360 controller I use with my PC. Right guys? Right?
 

Neurotic Void Melody

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Steven Bogos said:
Prototype Xbox One Controller Emitted Smells

"You've got a great TV with a better speaker than we could ever put in this controller

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How the f*** does he know what TV i got???
 

RJ 17

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Nov 27, 2011
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Glad they didn't go with it. I mean how many games have some sort of token sewer level? As neat as some of the other scenarios might be, I'd rather not be smelling rotten ass all the time.
 

Midniqht

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Jul 10, 2009
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Glad they decided to not go with the smells, as well as touch screen. I honestly don't like the touch screens in controllers like the WiiU's or PS4's. Don't want to have to look down at the controller at all. I just want to play.
 

DanielBrown

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Dec 3, 2010
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FinalDream said:
Smells like an excuse for MS to sell us expensive non-refillable cartridges. Glad they opted not to go with it!
My thoughts exactly.
I'm got enough bullshit from my old printer requiring cyan to print stuff in black. I'm sure black is a little bit nicer with some cyan in it, but ffs, print anyway!
 

Tigurus

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Apr 14, 2009
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That idea would be really great with all the games containing sewer levels, which is mostly 80% of all games somehow.

"Did you ever shower?!"
"I am just playing Battlefield 4 on xbox!"
 

lacktheknack

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Jan 19, 2009
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TKretts3 said:
Great, now we have to wait all the way until the next generation for Smell-o-Vision. :(
Why on earth would you want Smell-O-Vision (which was originally a joke, if I remember correctly) in a medium as violent, nasty and brutal as current gaming?