Post E3 Jabber: A Symposium on Motion Controls

[BabyHeadCrab]

Who here is excited by the idea of motion control? Do you savor the idea of a gaming future that involves running, flailing and waggling your way through puzzles and intense shootouts? Do you see them as a precursor to more interesting things like VR? Is Natal going to be the next big thing or is it destined to collect dust on Best Buy shelves as the latest cumbersome, imprecise gimmick?

I guess I've become a bit jaded to the idea. When I sit down for some gaming I specifically don't want to have to flail my arms around or pretend my controller is a sword. To make matters worse a lot of Wii / Eye Toy / DS titles simply tack on motion controls just for the sake of advertising or pushing a peripheral (see: CoD on Wii, Twilight Princess, SSB:Brawl, etc).

Ultimately I think we have a problem of lack of third party interest. The design goal should not be "Hey, how can we turn pressing the "A" button (a standard attack) into a Wii-mote gesture?" it should be more along the lines of "How can we make motion controls feel necessary from the ground up, what can swinging the peripheral around do that simply tapping stationary buttons cannot?"

Will Natal see the developer interest that it needs to prove itself to the core gaming audience? It's incredibly shaky territory market wise.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Darkside55]

Oh you son of a bitch. You son of a bitch. You just insulted the Power Glove.

THIS MAN

INSULTED THE POWER GLOVE

 

[Warped]

what i really want is a Matrix type wireless device that lets me plug into a virtual reality and really feel/smell/see/taste/hear everything my brain would recognize. think of all that you can do

Also this new Netal will probably have rape simulators or more hot coffee mods where people have to thrust the air to bang a chick in VR

 

[BabyHeadCrab]

With Natal it doesn't even have to be a rape simulator, you can simply rape someone in front of it and Milo and Peter Molyneux will run a side commentary.

Srsly though, imagine just leaving one of those programs on as you go about your every day life and having your television comment on the way you look/act every morning.

 

[Acepilotf14]

Booo!

 

[jondy]

lol, srs discussion

I'm incredibly excited about Natal. It'll be a long time before the technology matures and great games are built around it, but just knowing the technology is even possible is fantastic.

 

[Wanted Bob]

Yeah, I am excited that this sort of technology could be practical in due time. I expect it to be expensive at first, making it more of a gimmick for the man who has everything.

I only worry that developers will try to chug out games just to take advantage of the motion technology, and focus less on the quality in other areas of the game.

 

[Sedako]

lol, srs discussion

I'm incredibly excited about Natal. It'll be a long time before the technology matures and great games are built around it, but just knowing the technology is even possible is fantastic.

Your signature does not agree with your post. Natal is a progression of the tech first introduced with the eye toy.

Anyways, while Natal's presentation was the best, I feel that Sony's tech will be more useful for the type of games I'd enjoy. The sword/bow tech demo was really neat. I still would much rather a standard controller anyways. I'm on my feet all day at work, and having to continue moving around to play a game would really put me off to the whole thing.

 

[Darkside55]

I'd pay just for the bow demo. It could be as simple as having an endless horde of enemies come at you that you have to shoot down, and I wouldn't get tired of it for quite awhile.

 

[Viperidae]

Who gives a crap about interaction, I just want to see my limbs flail around like I have Parkinson's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXN7vLPsDSM

Seriously I would pay money for a program that would just retardify your limbs ragdoll-style as you move around.

 

[Warped]

I bet the gov't will be capturing everyone doing the shagnasty with their girlfriends and crap like that. seriously i don't want any more webcams than we got. i don't know bout you guys but i like my privacy that i have.

 

[MultiVaC]

If the Wii has taught me anything, it's that motion controls suck for everything but party games. Sure, there's that MotionPlus add on, but I'm not falling for that shit again. Nintendo is going to have to show something more than an endless parade of gimmicks before I buy anything else from them.

As for Natal, all you need to know is: Peter Molenuex. Why do people still listen to him? He's like one of those "ideas guys" who post their outlandish mod ideas in forums, except people keep throwing millions of dollars at him. It's quite impressive actually, he must be pretty damn convincing to people. He's actually a really smart guy, if you ask me.

 

[VictimOfScience]

Yay! Now every system can have LOADS of shovelware from developers without an ounce of creativity heaped upon their spaces in retail crowding out the worthwhile and thoughtfully developed titles.

Seriously, Sony and MS both fail big time with their "new" tech. Only fools will want to scroll through menus with their hands as opposed to pressing a direction on a d-pad or actually punch and kick in a fighting game to beat their opponents.

As an example of the seriousness of all of this that I fear many of you and the rest of the general public and gaming press are failing to comprehend, the real question that needs to be asked is: Will the Konami code be reduced to a bunch of wild gesticulations of hands and feet and heads and pelvises??? The horror! The horror!!!

 

[Gunner]

If you're gonna do all that crap, turn off the ****ing console and go play in the park.