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Redmond, WA - In a bid to out-do competing force-feedback technologies
such as Sony's vibrating PlayStation controllers, Microsoft today
announced all controllers for the Xbox console will feature the newly-developed "ActiveDeath" technology. "ActiveDeath" actually
kills the player when their on-screen character dies through a lethal
injection carefully hidden inside the large green circle on the controller
surface.
 "There's
been a lot of investigation on how to involve the player in the game
on a physical level," said Microsoft Research Director Greg
Thorton, "We've seen vibrating controllers, controllers that
administer a small electric shock, and so on. We thought, 'why
not take this to the next level and go all the way?'"
Zachary Chan, a college student and avid gamer, was excited by the
news. "This is gonna be awesome," he wrote in an e-mail
interview. "I know that me and my friends are all going
to be getting one. Game over, man! Game over!"
Many question how Microsoft can profit from a product that kills
its users, but through a unique licensing scheme Microsoft receives
the entirety of the player's estate upon death. "We may
not get much repeat business," said Mr. Thorton, "but we'll
make up for it in loot we're bequeathed."
The technology seemed to be a hit at this year's E3 as well. Industry
executives lined up for a chance to try Unreal: Championship with
the ActiveDeath system enabled.
"It adds a huge dimension of emotional urgency to the game
that wasn't there before," said one pale-faced programmer, before
he keeled over and died.
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