Asus officially announces Eee Stick game controller
updated 08:50 pm EDT, Wed August 6, 2008
Asus Eee Stick official
Asus has officially announced the Eee Stick, a Wii-like wireless motion-sensing game controller. First shown at Computex in June, the controller package bears a strong resemblance to Nintendo's ubiquitous Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers, but is designed for use with PCs. Using the advertising tagline "Get into the swing of Gaming," Asus is no doubt hoping gamers will choose one of their low-cost PC's instead of a Nintendo console. The Eee stick will be "bundled exclusively" with some Eee PC models including the Eee Box, along with a collection of games designed to use the controller's motion-sensing technology.
Asus says the package comes with an Activation Stick, a Navigation Stick and a 2.4 GHz RF dongle. The sticks reportedly "consume very little power" providing up to three days of use, even though they are vibration-capable. Each stick runs on two standard AA batteries. The company touts a long broadcasting range of about 32 feet, and says the controllers remain connected even if when not pointed directly at the dongle.
The Eee Stick's motion sensors offer three different operating modes. The 3D Motion mode, designed for sports and action games, "responds to and reproduces movement along all axes as well as wrist rotations." The Pointing mode is, as you might expect, intended for shooting-style games and allows users to aim the controller at a target. The final mode, Tilt, reproduces the forward, backward and side motions used in racing and fight games.
Asus says the Eee stick "theoretically can be used with all PCs," but is recommended for games that are designed for it. The device is compatible with with other gaming accessories such as gamepads and keypads, the company said.
