Originally Posted by IGN
March 24, 2009 - In September of last year we got an early look at the Gametrak Freedom, a brand-new motion controller being developed for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 by Performance Designed Products (PDP). In the six months that have passed, however, there have been very few updates on the product, but now at Game Developers Conference 2009, PDP is ready to talk Gametrak Freedom.
The GameTrak Freedom, or simply Freedom, will be on display for then next four days at GDC, but the developers at PDP were kind enough to give us a sneak peak at what the have in store for attendees.
Beginning with aesthetics, the Freedom is a prime example of how six months in the development cycle can change a product drastically, and the Freedom we see today is a complete departure from the sleek, black nunchuck-like design we saw in September, instead the product now sports the white-on-gray aesthetic of the Xbox 360. As it turns out, instead of releasing simultaneously on both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the Freedom will launch initially on the Xbox 360 this fall with a PS3 variation potentially following next year. Along with the new color scheme, PDP simplified the Freedom's design to incorporate more of a straighter, slightly more elongated shape with a flat control interface. At first glance, the Freedom could be confused for a standard television remote, although the trigger on the bottom is a dead giveaway. The button configuration includes the Xbox 360's X, Y, B, and A buttons, along with a d-pad, dashboard button, and start and back buttons.
In addition to unveiling the Freedom's new design, PDP also further detailed the controller's advanced motion technology. Like other motion controller solutions, the Freedom uses a series of accelerometers to determine the pitch, roll, and yaw of the device in relation to in-game physics. What sets the Freedom apart from other motion controllers, however, is its use of ultrasonic 3D positioning. The Freedom system includes two sensor bars placed or mounted to the sides of a display, which communicate with an ultrasonic emitter built into the Freedom controller. The ultrasonic pulses emitted by the controller and identified by the sensors, along with the data fed by the accelerometers enable the system to calculate the distance, orientation, and speed of the device with extreme precision. Each Freedom remote (up to four can be used simultaneously on one system) emits three pulses to accurately triangulate distance, and a fourth pulse is emitted for accuracy.
PDP is taking an interesting approach with the Freedom in terms of software integration. Rather than waiting on developers to adapt titles for the product (although PDP says that third-party software is already in the works) they've produced their own launch title, Squeeballs through their acquisition of UK-based developers In2Games. Now when you think in-house software development you probably think unpolished microgames, but Squeeballs is actually surprisingly detailed and diverse, with a 11 different mini-game types, with a total of 150 challenges. Each of the mini-games showcases a different aspect of the Freedom's advanced motion sensing technology. One mini-game in particular, Shock, highlights the Freedom's precise motion detection. In it, you must guide a ring along a highly-electrified wire without allowing the ring to make contact. The wire becomes more and more complex as you progress through stages, requiring extensive physical movement on the behalf of the user, which is ultimately what makes the Freedom unique. Unlike a Wiimote, where you can trick the infrared sensor into detecting full movement by flicking your wrists, the Freedom's ultrasonic detection system requires full physical movement from the user, and we mean that in a good way. In order to really apply force to an in-game object, users must take full swings with a proportional level of force.
As it stands specific details regarding pricing and availability for the GameTrak Freedom have not been announced, but the product is expected to be hitting retailers in Q4 of this year.
