Microsoft drops PC gaming peripherals
WinInfo | at | by Mike
Fans of Microsoft's SideWinder joysticks and gamepads will be saddened to hear that the software giant is halting development of these PC-based products to focus on the Xbox and peripherals for that system. While I appreciate Microsoft's support for the Xbox, sort of, part of me feels compelled to mention that the PC gamer market is approximately 100 times as large as that for the Xbox, so I'm a little curious why the company would make such a bone-headed move. It seems to me that what the company should have done is port all of its Xbox controllers to the PC, so that people could get used to them and then feel more at home with Microsoft's gaming console. Microsoft says it is dropping the products because they aren't selling as well, but that has more to do with the low-quality of its recent hardware releases than anything else. Back when Microsoft actually cared about the products, the company released innovative joysticks with force feedback features and a game pad you moved in 3D space to guide on-screen characters. Today's Sidewinder peripherals are cheap plastic junk by comparison. Where's the competitive Microsoft we've come to know and love?