Monday, April 14, 2008

Motus hopes to grab Wii-like magic with remote

By Efrain Viscarolasaga

In 2001, MIT alum Satayan Mahajan used a toy "lightsaber" to build a prototype of a motion-control device for video games and presented it to a handful of game publishers. The response, he said, was laughter and mockery.

Seven years later, Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s Wii has changed the way gamers interact with games, and Mahajan sees his chance to get the last laugh.

His Boston-based company, Motus Corp., has resurrected his original motion-control gaming remote idea, and by the end of the year it hopes to have a market-ready controller compatible with pre-existing games and consoles such as Sony Corp.'s Playstation 3, Microsoft Corp.'s X-Box 360 and even PCs.

The micro-electromechanical (MEMS) technology behind the device has been well-tested by Motus in other applications. After Motus failed to impress the gaming industry in 2001, the company targeted other niches to pay the bills. The company's "iClub," which helps golfers monitor their swing, has been available for two years. The company has also been moving the motion sensors into physical therapy and medical areas, according to Mahajan, though he would not provide revenue numbers for the company.

The device, called the "Darwin," is expected to retail in the $80 to $100 range and is based on the handle of a samurai sword. Unlike the Wii, which reacts to the flick of a wrist and movement of the controller relative to an infrared receiver close to the screen, the Darwin reacts to its own relative position, using a gyroscope and accelerometers. Instead of just moving a hand to swing a virtual golf club, for example, Darwin users can use their arms and body.

Mahajan hopes the maturity of the technology will help the 42-person company penetrate the large consumer-electronics market, giving it a leg up on makers of game consoles. "It takes a long time for companies like Sony to develop this kind of technology," he said.

But while Darwin may be able to impress gaming execs, there are challenges for a relatively small company in such a large industry, according to Marlene Bourne, president and principal analyst of Bourne Research LLC in Arizona. Reaching price points to become attractive to large firms like Sony or Microsoft is crucial, she said, and many small companies have problems with the small margins such demands incur.

"All the small companies have been very excited about getting into the consumer market, but I have cautioned them because when you get into that market, it becomes difficult to compete (purely on technology)," Bourne said.

According to Mahajan, the Darwin can operate any game designed to allow for motion control, and the company has posted three examples on its website: Lego Star Wars II, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2008 and Harry Potter V: The Order of the Phoenix. Mahajan would not say whether or not those demos were developed in conjunction with their respective publishers. He did say Motus has been in talks with a number of game publishers and console-makers about possible partnerships, but declined to name names.

The company has also hedged its bets. As the golf and medical device segments continue to grow, Mahajan plans to split the company into three divisions -- Motus Games, Motus Medical and iClub, focused on sports and simulation, possibly by the end of the year.