Question of the Day, August 1, 2010
- Thread starter The Escapist Staff
- Start date
That just seems to me like it would get to be an aggravation. What's so wrong with simple but effective controllers? I like to play games but not get sucked into them like that. If extra hardware has to be a reason to play then I question the game itself, that's one of the problems with the Wii and why I'm glad when I can play *gasp* without motion controls!
Well, other then the initial inevitable fire that contraption would cause, its a good idea on paper.
Lets put our practical caps on:
-For devs to use this feature, they would have to spend time and money. Do you feel like paying $70 for CoD: Brown Thermal Edition?
-If you have ever experienced a Winter where places get cold, this will alienate you from certain games during that time of the year. I dunno about you, after I come inside from shoveling snow, I dont want to play a game that will make my hands colder. This feature would alienate people from playing certain types of games, depending on the weather.
(-on the flip side, I wouldnt mind having a nice handwarming controller after coming back inside)
-Immersion is allowing the story and you to flow seamlessly. Its subjective to our own opinion: I hate when people say motion controls cant be immersive. It might not for you, hater of motion controls, but it can work. The same rules apply for both: bad controls will ruin immersion (The controls killed Tomb Raiders immersion for me). The point Im trying to make is you WONT find immersion in a controller. The controller is just a medium. Good story and controls make a game immersive, not features on your controller. I could get immersed with the N64. Remember THAT controller? GAMES
-Do I think its useless? Its a gimmick, like Rumble. I like Rumble, so this could work. But I ask, why? Why worry about controllers to bring us in, when its about the GAMES?
Lets put our practical caps on:
-For devs to use this feature, they would have to spend time and money. Do you feel like paying $70 for CoD: Brown Thermal Edition?
-If you have ever experienced a Winter where places get cold, this will alienate you from certain games during that time of the year. I dunno about you, after I come inside from shoveling snow, I dont want to play a game that will make my hands colder. This feature would alienate people from playing certain types of games, depending on the weather.
(-on the flip side, I wouldnt mind having a nice handwarming controller after coming back inside)
-Immersion is allowing the story and you to flow seamlessly. Its subjective to our own opinion: I hate when people say motion controls cant be immersive. It might not for you, hater of motion controls, but it can work. The same rules apply for both: bad controls will ruin immersion (The controls killed Tomb Raiders immersion for me). The point Im trying to make is you WONT find immersion in a controller. The controller is just a medium. Good story and controls make a game immersive, not features on your controller. I could get immersed with the N64. Remember THAT controller? GAMES
-Do I think its useless? Its a gimmick, like Rumble. I like Rumble, so this could work. But I ask, why? Why worry about controllers to bring us in, when its about the GAMES?
ignoring the deliberate injury implied by "scalds and freezes", i don't think temperature variation is the way to go for greater immersion. if anything, make the controller slightly cool itself during gameplay so gamers' hands don't get all sweaty (as can happen during long or intense sessions). Just don't use an internal fan/vent system. Mad Catz tried that... suffice it to say, it didn't work.
The technology is interesting and has potential to be really neat if applied correctly. But as a game controller? maybe not so much.
The technology is interesting and has potential to be really neat if applied correctly. But as a game controller? maybe not so much.
I think it would be interesting if implemented properly.
But developers would never implement it properly, they would abuse it like motion control, leaving us games where for some flimsy reason players suddenly have to navigate a maze of freezers or some crap like that.
Also, shame on the daily question maker, "scalds and freezes" are incredibly misleading terms, this controller isn't meant to HURT anyone!
I think correct implementation would look something like this:
1.) Moderate warming when gun overheats
2.) Moderate warming when getting into a car parked in the sun
3.) Moderate cooling when jumping into water
Just subtle additions that the game doesn't change anything based around.
That said, I'm saying all of this under the pretense that the controller will cost as much as a regular controller......which it won't.
But developers would never implement it properly, they would abuse it like motion control, leaving us games where for some flimsy reason players suddenly have to navigate a maze of freezers or some crap like that.
Also, shame on the daily question maker, "scalds and freezes" are incredibly misleading terms, this controller isn't meant to HURT anyone!
I think correct implementation would look something like this:
1.) Moderate warming when gun overheats
2.) Moderate warming when getting into a car parked in the sun
3.) Moderate cooling when jumping into water
Just subtle additions that the game doesn't change anything based around.
That said, I'm saying all of this under the pretense that the controller will cost as much as a regular controller......which it won't.
It sounds like an okay idea in theory but imagine if it was freezing cold and you were playing all wrapped up in a blanket and then your controller gets really cold. Or the opposite that it's a sweltering hot day and you controller is really hot too..
If you were just able to adjust the temperature unrelated to the game you were playing, that would be kinda cool. Not worth paying extra for but I can think of one or two times when I would have appreciated it.
If you were just able to adjust the temperature unrelated to the game you were playing, that would be kinda cool. Not worth paying extra for but I can think of one or two times when I would have appreciated it.
It just doesn't seem like something that could translate into enough games to justify its use. Not every game is Legend of Zelda. The don't all feature an enormous array of environments to make maximum use of the technology. Could you imagine playing Lost Planet with a constantly freezing controller? Or a session of Resident Evil 5 where controller is as hot as the Sahara? Maybe a Metroid game where hitting the lava gives a sudden flash of hot, or a Pokemon game where getting hit with an Ice-Type attack gives your hands a blast of the chills. But not every game would have a meaningful reason to use that kind of a feedback system, and I somehow doubt game developers are going to be willing to go out of there to program some cheap gimmick into their games when the practical uses of it are so small.
/Watchdog (UK Posters)
"Now, this controller may look like fun, but when used improperly it could be a potential deathtrap."
Seriously, how about a game controller that can just deal with being thrown against the walls? No more fecking gimmicks.
"Now, this controller may look like fun, but when used improperly it could be a potential deathtrap."
Seriously, how about a game controller that can just deal with being thrown against the walls? No more fecking gimmicks.
When exactly would that be useful? "your character picked up a a flaming log like an idiot, your hands are hot!" "Your character just grabbed a big ice cube for no reason, your hands are cold!"
How many situations have there even been in games where the hands specifically have gotten hot or cold? Aside from general hot or cold (desert world, ice world) I can't think of any time this has been localized tot he hands.
How many situations have there even been in games where the hands specifically have gotten hot or cold? Aside from general hot or cold (desert world, ice world) I can't think of any time this has been localized tot he hands.
No, not at all. It might be fun the first time (ho look, I'm in the lava level and the controller is hot, ha ha), but it would soon wear off.
