Poll: Are motion controls killing gaming?

[Darth Pope]

I find this offensive. So, because the Wii has motion-control, it's somehow not fun and only for retarded apes?

Frankly, I see some major holes in your argument. Games are not for you alone. Wherever the money is, the industry will go. And that's GOOD.

I'd argue more, but I'm sick of typing the same shit. So I'll TL;DR

No. Motion-Control is not the death of gaming, and anyone who thinks so needs to get off their "Imz t3h HARDC0R3 GAM3R LAWLZ" platform.

In order to effectivley go where the money is a game developer must cater to the wants and needs of it's dominant demographic. Casual gamers like half assed games where every thing is easy and without depth so they don't have to try and wrap there heads around it. Therefore this will become what we see the most of on store shelves.

Third party devs are pumping out bullshit 'casual' (and I use the term lightly) titles, not Nintendo. Most Nintendo games that are branded as 'casual' (once again, lightly) have some glimmer of merit to them. Therefore, it's not motion controls OR Nintendo that's 'killing' gaming, as everyone seems to believe. It's the lazy, half-assing developers.

Casual gamers do NOT like half-assed games. If they did, then Super Carnival Fun-Time GO!! would be selling. They like games that have two major traits.

A) Accessibility. The game cannot be so inextricably complex that one has to do more than glance at a tutorial or game manual, otherwise they're uninterested.

B) A specific difficulty. The game must have a very specific difficulty curve. It has to be easy enough to jump in and enjoy, but not so easy as to lose the aspect of challenge.

The first trait is easy to obtain. The second is more often ignored in favor of quantity, at least by third parties. Third party developers put third or fourth string teams on their so-called 'casual' games, whereas Nintendo had one of its major teams working on Wii Sports; a game universally recognized as being FUN. This is where Nintendo strays from its third-party, in that it sees 'casual' gaming as more than a fad, or gimmick. They see it as a legitimate business opportunity, and take advantage of it as such.

Touche my friend...

 

[Flying-Emu]

Touche my friend...

Thank you.

Nice jousting words with ya, pal.

 

[Darth Pope]

Touche my friend...

Thank you.

Nice jousting words with ya, pal.

However Emu, you must remember that casual gamers are just that, casual. They're interest is finite. Without the dogged persistence of core gamers and the lasting value of their preferred games this wave of change will not last.

 

[ActionDan]

Good idea, Just don't like them.

 

[Deacon Cole]

Personally i think they are killing gaming, every major company has motion controllers now and they are going to pay much less attention to thier main audience, you know the ones who don't like flailing their arms around in front of thier TV like retarded apes and play games to have fun.

No, I'm pretty sure gamers are killing gaming, the self-centered cunts.

 

[Flying-Emu]

Touche my friend...

Thank you.

Nice jousting words with ya, pal.

However Emu, you must remember that casual gamers are just that, casual. They're interest is finite. Without the dogged persistence of core gamers and the lasting value of their preferred games this wave of change will not last.

But you cannot deny that there has been a large influx of newcomers to our fertile fields since the dawn of the Wii. I find it to be far too much of a coincidence for that to have occurred just because. Granted, a lot of these newcomers are casual gamers and will remain as such. BUT, with gaming's 'core' audience growing to maturity and beginning to lack time for gaming, the new blood is A) Necessary and B) incredibly valuable.

Since Nintendo is bringing that new blood in, first with Wii Sports and Super Carnival Fun Time GO!!, and then hooking them with their more popular, more powerful franchises like Zelda and Mario, they're building vital customer loyalty. That loyalty will carry over as these "New kids on the block" mature throughout their gaming careers. Ten years from now, there's going to be absolutely insane numbers of die-hard Nintendo fans, especially relative to Sony and Microsoft's.

Nintendo, with the Wii, is essentially harking back to the beginnings of gaming; begin with the simple (Pong, Tetris, etc) and gradually raise the bar (Metal Slug, Raiden, etc). They're working their way from the bottom up, which is absolute genius. Risky, no doubt, but the business is risky.

Imagine the payout if their plan succeeds.

 

[Devildoc]

Personally i think they are killing gaming, every major company has motion controllers now and they are going to pay much less attention to thier main audience, you know the ones who don't like flailing their arms around in front of thier TV like retarded apes and play games to have fun.

Because motion controls aren't fun, right?

Also I love the exaggerated "flailing arms around in front of their TV like retarded apes" stereotype.

It's another way to increase interactivity.. as long as it stays an option and games include modes to use classic controllers, it's fine.

 

[Devildoc]

What games (besides possibly sports games) are made better by incorporating motion controls? Most of the best games on the Wii (SMG, TP, MP3, etc.) use motion control seldomly (usually wiggling your wrist every now and again), but aside from that, I can't think of any games that are genuinely better for requiring motion controls.

Metroid Prime 3 uses the pointer function of the Wiimote to a T.. it used the nunchuck motion controls for grappling (which was kinda cool, flicking your wrist and yanking off panels or swinging), and remote motion controls for levers and stuff (which could be annoying at times because of the sensitivity of the remote, made pushing into the screen not always read right).. but the pointer function makes for a really nice shooting control, really. Twilight Princess utilizes the pointer function too. It also regularly used the nunchuck and wii remote motion controls (sword spin attacks by shaking nunchuck, shield attacks by thrusting nunchuck forward (which I liked), and swinging the sword by swinging the wii-remote (didn't matter which direction, if you wanted to be lazy you could just have it sit in your lap and just flick your wrist a little to swing your sword)..

I feel the motion controls added to that.. SMG.. well there the motion controls were pretty transient.

I do agree with one thing said a few times though.. the nunchuck sensitivity is pretty bad.. they need to make motion plus nunchucks.

 

[Devildoc]

I said no but because it will NEVER catch on. Like yahtzee said ppl dont want to come home after a long days work and jump around in front of the tv

Which is why Project Natal takes it too far.. there's a world of difference from being able to sit down but occasionally pointing a remote at a screen to aim, or doing a few motion controls with your hands (which can be fun and doesn't take all that much energy) to having to 1:1 do kung fu moves in front of your TV to play your fighting game.. I don't know Kung Fu.. so I guess I can't play any fighting games with project natal huh.

 

[z121231211]

No.

They aren't affecting gaming much at all. Many developers are still making Non-motion controller required games.

 

[Erana]

This but with motion controls instead of intellectual decline.

 

[Crimsane]

I agree with those who say it's a hindrance, in that attention and resources could be better spent elsewhere to make actual improvements to the gaming experience.

 

[Devildoc]

I agree with those who say it's a hindrance, in that attention and resources could be better spent elsewhere to make actual improvements to the gaming experience.

But it IS an actual improvement to the gaming experience, it's actually the first significant one since analog sticks were put on controllers. What else are they going to focus on, improved graphics? That doesn't enhance the experience of playing all that much. I think the best thing about motion controls is that they said "hey, look, here's a way to improve your gaming experiences instead of just making consoles with more processing power and prettier graphics... improved interactivity".

Maybe some developers abuse the technology and don't use it right, that happens.. but sometimes it is used correctly and it does improve the play experience of the game. I don't think I could ever play Resident Evil 4 again on GC or PS2, because the Wii version spoiled me, it was how the game was meant to be. In fact I can't stomach going to play through RE5 because I know I'll be preoccupied with how much better the game would be with Wii controls. I might be able to go through the PC version, but I'm not about to play a game with shitty analog stick based aiming for shooting controls when I know it can be done better. I also can't wait for the metroid prime trilogy for the exact same reason.. Metroid Prime 3 controls spoiled me and now I want them for Metroid Prime 1 and 2.. and Other M.

If you get past the whole "omg wagglan is casual" thing, you'll see the control setup is actually very good for shooters, the analog stick in your left hand for movement, and pointer function in your right hand to point and shoot. It's actually kinda nice not having to have your hands 3 inches away from each other too.

 

[Darth Pope]

Touche my friend...

Thank you.

Nice jousting words with ya, pal.

However Emu, you must remember that casual gamers are just that, casual. They're interest is finite. Without the dogged persistence of core gamers and the lasting value of their preferred games this wave of change will not last.

But you cannot deny that there has been a large influx of newcomers to our fertile fields since the dawn of the Wii. I find it to be far too much of a coincidence for that to have occurred just because. Granted, a lot of these newcomers are casual gamers and will remain as such. BUT, with gaming's 'core' audience growing to maturity and beginning to lack time for gaming, the new blood is A) Necessary and B) incredibly valuable.

Since Nintendo is bringing that new blood in, first with Wii Sports and Super Carnival Fun Time GO!!, and then hooking them with their more popular, more powerful franchises like Zelda and Mario, they're building vital customer loyalty. That loyalty will carry over as these "New kids on the block" mature throughout their gaming careers. Ten years from now, there's going to be absolutely insane numbers of die-hard Nintendo fans, especially relative to Sony and Microsoft's.

Nintendo, with the Wii, is essentially harking back to the beginnings of gaming; begin with the simple (Pong, Tetris, etc) and gradually raise the bar (Metal Slug, Raiden, etc). They're working their way from the bottom up, which is absolute genius. Risky, no doubt, but the business is risky.

Imagine the payout if their plan succeeds.

And if this prediction comes true then that is the day I will by a Nintendo Console again.

 

[Darth Pope]

I agree with those who say it's a hindrance, in that attention and resources could be better spent elsewhere to make actual improvements to the gaming experience.

But it IS an actual improvement to the gaming experience, it's actually the first significant one since analog sticks were put on controllers. What else are they going to focus on, improved graphics? That doesn't enhance the experience of playing all that much. I think the best thing about motion controls is that they said "hey, look, here's a way to improve your gaming experiences instead of just making consoles with more processing power and prettier graphics... improved interactivity".

Maybe some developers abuse the technology and don't use it right, that happens.. but sometimes it is used correctly and it does improve the play experience of the game. I don't think I could ever play Resident Evil 4 again on GC or PS2, because the Wii version spoiled me, it was how the game was meant to be. In fact I can't stomach going to play through RE5 because I know I'll be preoccupied with how much better the game would be with Wii controls. I might be able to go through the PC version, but I'm not about to play a game with shitty analog stick based aiming for shooting controls when I know it can be done better. I also can't wait for the metroid prime trilogy for the exact same reason.. Metroid Prime 3 controls spoiled me and now I want them for Metroid Prime 1 and 2.. and Other M.

If you get past the whole "omg wagglan is casual" thing, you'll see the control setup is actually very good for shooters, the analog stick in your left hand for movement, and pointer function in your right hand to point and shoot. It's actually kinda nice not having to have your hands 3 inches away from each other too.

Now if we can get good shooters other than Prime 3 then Wii will be set.

 

[Phlaren1]

No, motion controls are fine. It adds a new style of games to gaming. I personally like it because I don't always have to hold on to one of those damn color coded controllers all the damn time, I get variety. Plus, there are games that don't use motion controls and use those damn fisher price controllers. To be clear I don't have a problem with anything that has to do with how you move your hands to kill things. Motion controls are fixing gaming more then breaking it because it gives variety to the game as well as individuality to the Wii.

 

[Boxmeister]

I'd say motion controls are the going to be the seg-way(sp?) into simulated video games. They're not destroying the franchise, they're just making more opportunities of control design. As long as they keep the standard controller for those who want what will soon be seen as the "classic controls", I'm good.