So after a fast check around the forums, I didn't really see any threads like this (if I missed it, sorry), but I just wanted to offer my thoughts on the motion sensing tech that the big three brought to E3 this year (yeah, I know its over, I just got to watch the 3 press conferences on my DVR, I've been student teaching, so I've had no life.)
At any rate, if you didn't watch, or are living a cave and smell like old meat or whatever, the big three each brought their own motion sensing tech to show off at E3. And, I have to admit, I was impressed... but only with one of them. Having all three consoles, I try as hard as I can to avoid the fan-boy-ism that E3 tends to engender (hence this very specific topic post), so I want to offer my thoughts, and welcome an view points concurring or conflicting with them. So, that was long winded, but here are my ratings of each company's offering, starting at the bottom.
Nintendo - Wii MotionPlus
It seems unfair of me to put Nintendo on the bottom of my list as having the lamest offering of the show, especially since they brought the tech that is nearest to store shelves, but really, what they showed was a fix to the sometimes fickle Wiimote that we have to pay for. Sure, it comes with a new game, which might even rival Nintendo's most played game, Wii Sports, and it appears to come with a new action jacket to accommodate the add on, but... I mean... when all is said and done, its just a rather inelegant fix to what is supposed to be a universal motion sensing device. I admit, tiger woods looks like it'll work better, but, Wii Golf won't be affected, so, gyroscope or no, it rather reeks of weak sauce, and feels to me as if Nintendo is treating the gaming community as a pack of mindless walking wallets that'll spread their leather flaps anytime they offer something for their little unassuming white box.
Sony - Playstation Motion Controller
While I kind of liked the dual handed controller configuration that Sony showed in their demo, I can't help but think to myself ?that looks like a Wiimote painted back with a glowing golf ball glued on the end. It just doesn't seem like it is that original. Part of this is that my opinion was colored by Microsoft's big unveil, which I'll get to in a second, but I just felt as though this was a nice try, and has some cool implications, but we won't see them for a long time. Of the three demos, this one was the least developed, it was interesting, but you could tell that it had the least amount of time put into it, at least in my opinion. I can see great potential, especially considering the pills the PS3 has to power this tech, but it really is way too soon to call it a serious competitor.
Microsoft ? Project Natal
Here is where I feel I've had to be overly harsh on one company simply to avoid fan-boy-ism. I feely admit that I love my Xbox 360, have had it the longest of the three systems, and was, for far too long, a one console gamer who shunned the other two. Finally, I was able to let go of my one system ways, and embrace all three as best I could, but my heart still beats neon green sometimes in spite of my own best efforts(when not beating Cubbie blue that is...). This was just what happened when I first saw Project Natal. I was very excited because here was some real competition for that silly little white box from Japan, and something that could totally trump that giant black monster of the same nationality ( I didn't know about Sony's motion sensing tech at the time). More importantly, one of the key points of this was doing something new. Oh, sure, the eyetoy did motion sensing, sort of, but there were too few games that used it, and, in all fairness, I don't think the technology was available yet to have it be as accurate as it needed to be. This was something else. The facial recognition was impressive, as was the verbal interactions, but what sold me enough to go get the wife, rewind the video, and make her watch the demo was the breakout dodgeball section. Her first reaction was ?when does that come out? I'd play that for exercise!? (I should explain that my wife's entire gaming career has consisted of the sims and viva pinata).
She saw what I saw, the instant attraction of not holding a controller to make your character do things. Immersion is the name of the game these days, with graphics rapidly approaching what real life looks like being able to ?be? whatever character you are playing is huge. Not to mention the fact that this would, if it works, blow great big bloody holes in Nintendo's ?non-gamer? market. My mind flashed to the samurai swords I inherited from her father (via a brother in law with a toddler who asked if I wanted them, when someone asks if you want samurai swords, there really is only one response you can give...). I thought of how cool it would be to scan those into a game and use them to kill zombies, or a Nerf gun I have that I could waste locust with if this came online for gears 3. Then I saw Milo. I've read other reviews of Natal (IGN did a nice pair of write ups on the tech and on Milo). Admittedly, I don't need digital friends, but that was pretty darn cool.
Looking at Natal, the potential for it is huge, but I do have my reservations. Sony never said anything about it, but Nintendo already has developers signed on for their set up, plus many of them are already working in that direction. The tools to work with Natal went out to MS developers last Monday, so when we'll see this is anyone's guess, but if they can't get developers on board, this could go the way of the Power Glove. Also, while I've heard that what we saw on stage is what people saw in private demos, I haven't had my hands on (or off as it were) on the thing, (much as I'd like to), so that leaves a question of how good it really is.
I like the idea that the big three are trying to innovate, especially after last years E3, and this push for motion sensing technology (or chase after what Nintendo got nearly perfect on the first try)is interesting to see. So, what are your thoughts? Hit the poll, and leave a post if you would
At any rate, if you didn't watch, or are living a cave and smell like old meat or whatever, the big three each brought their own motion sensing tech to show off at E3. And, I have to admit, I was impressed... but only with one of them. Having all three consoles, I try as hard as I can to avoid the fan-boy-ism that E3 tends to engender (hence this very specific topic post), so I want to offer my thoughts, and welcome an view points concurring or conflicting with them. So, that was long winded, but here are my ratings of each company's offering, starting at the bottom.
Nintendo - Wii MotionPlus
It seems unfair of me to put Nintendo on the bottom of my list as having the lamest offering of the show, especially since they brought the tech that is nearest to store shelves, but really, what they showed was a fix to the sometimes fickle Wiimote that we have to pay for. Sure, it comes with a new game, which might even rival Nintendo's most played game, Wii Sports, and it appears to come with a new action jacket to accommodate the add on, but... I mean... when all is said and done, its just a rather inelegant fix to what is supposed to be a universal motion sensing device. I admit, tiger woods looks like it'll work better, but, Wii Golf won't be affected, so, gyroscope or no, it rather reeks of weak sauce, and feels to me as if Nintendo is treating the gaming community as a pack of mindless walking wallets that'll spread their leather flaps anytime they offer something for their little unassuming white box.
Sony - Playstation Motion Controller
While I kind of liked the dual handed controller configuration that Sony showed in their demo, I can't help but think to myself ?that looks like a Wiimote painted back with a glowing golf ball glued on the end. It just doesn't seem like it is that original. Part of this is that my opinion was colored by Microsoft's big unveil, which I'll get to in a second, but I just felt as though this was a nice try, and has some cool implications, but we won't see them for a long time. Of the three demos, this one was the least developed, it was interesting, but you could tell that it had the least amount of time put into it, at least in my opinion. I can see great potential, especially considering the pills the PS3 has to power this tech, but it really is way too soon to call it a serious competitor.
Microsoft ? Project Natal
Here is where I feel I've had to be overly harsh on one company simply to avoid fan-boy-ism. I feely admit that I love my Xbox 360, have had it the longest of the three systems, and was, for far too long, a one console gamer who shunned the other two. Finally, I was able to let go of my one system ways, and embrace all three as best I could, but my heart still beats neon green sometimes in spite of my own best efforts(when not beating Cubbie blue that is...). This was just what happened when I first saw Project Natal. I was very excited because here was some real competition for that silly little white box from Japan, and something that could totally trump that giant black monster of the same nationality ( I didn't know about Sony's motion sensing tech at the time). More importantly, one of the key points of this was doing something new. Oh, sure, the eyetoy did motion sensing, sort of, but there were too few games that used it, and, in all fairness, I don't think the technology was available yet to have it be as accurate as it needed to be. This was something else. The facial recognition was impressive, as was the verbal interactions, but what sold me enough to go get the wife, rewind the video, and make her watch the demo was the breakout dodgeball section. Her first reaction was ?when does that come out? I'd play that for exercise!? (I should explain that my wife's entire gaming career has consisted of the sims and viva pinata).
She saw what I saw, the instant attraction of not holding a controller to make your character do things. Immersion is the name of the game these days, with graphics rapidly approaching what real life looks like being able to ?be? whatever character you are playing is huge. Not to mention the fact that this would, if it works, blow great big bloody holes in Nintendo's ?non-gamer? market. My mind flashed to the samurai swords I inherited from her father (via a brother in law with a toddler who asked if I wanted them, when someone asks if you want samurai swords, there really is only one response you can give...). I thought of how cool it would be to scan those into a game and use them to kill zombies, or a Nerf gun I have that I could waste locust with if this came online for gears 3. Then I saw Milo. I've read other reviews of Natal (IGN did a nice pair of write ups on the tech and on Milo). Admittedly, I don't need digital friends, but that was pretty darn cool.
Looking at Natal, the potential for it is huge, but I do have my reservations. Sony never said anything about it, but Nintendo already has developers signed on for their set up, plus many of them are already working in that direction. The tools to work with Natal went out to MS developers last Monday, so when we'll see this is anyone's guess, but if they can't get developers on board, this could go the way of the Power Glove. Also, while I've heard that what we saw on stage is what people saw in private demos, I haven't had my hands on (or off as it were) on the thing, (much as I'd like to), so that leaves a question of how good it really is.
I like the idea that the big three are trying to innovate, especially after last years E3, and this push for motion sensing technology (or chase after what Nintendo got nearly perfect on the first try)is interesting to see. So, what are your thoughts? Hit the poll, and leave a post if you would