Spector: Motion Control Risks "Throwing Away Our Entire History"

[NeutralDrow]

I don't really see it as a problem, but I do agree with the guy. The Wii has done motion control pretty well...in those games that have treated it like a genuine system rather than a fad (the list of non-Nintendo developers following this path is as yet disappointingly small). It's probably right to be worried that Sony and Microsoft might treat the system as the latter.

 

[fletch_talon]

I can safely say that I don't even consider Wii Sports a "game". Therefore, playing Wii Sports with your parents is hardly "gaming together".

Care to explain what makes a game then?
Cuz right now this particular statement seems pretty damn ignorant since the only thing separating Wii Sports from other sports games is its control method.

 

[Lazarus Long]

Motion control is like salt. All by itself, it tends to be unpleasant, but some people like it. A bit of it goes great in mashed potatoes or on steak. And it has no business at all on cake. I leave it to you to determine what is steak and what is cake.

 

[DrDeath3191]

Motion control is not necessarily throwing away 30 years of gaming tradition. It is simply the next evolutionary step in our glorious hobby.

 

[The Random One]

No, motion controllers are indeed the future. There are games that demand complexity, and they need to be played on a keyboard and mouse. And there are games that don't, and they used to be played with a controller. But now the controller has become too complex to work as a simple entry point for someone not used with gaming. Compare a 360 or PS3 controller with, say, a SNES controller. A SNES controller is not too far from a garage door opener, in the same way that the Wii controller is not too far from a remote control.

I agree that developers are jumping into it blindly, but them's the works. When 3D first became feasible, many excellent franchises took the leap when they shouldn't, replacing charming painted 2D visuals with rudimentary, glitched 3D polygon fests, losing what they had. To this day the platformer and adventure genres haven't recovered. But I wouldn't say taking games to 3D was a bad move.

Likewise, maybe some good genres will die because they don't fit with motion controllers and everyone will want to sock them in, but overall it's a step towards making games less of a hobby and more of an actual medium.

 

[maddawg IAJI]

Honestly? I agree with Spector. I grew up on the last 3 generations of consoles and I've grown fond of the way we play games now. I don't really want that to change and I can understand if they decide to make a few games motion controlled. I just don't want to see EVERY game made into a motion controlled game.

 

[rembrandtqeinstein]

For an example of how motion controls should work see Metroid Prime 3. All the motion controls add to the immersion. And aiming with a Wiimote is infinitely better than aiming with a thumbstick. It really is the only way to play a shooting game on the console.

 

[General Vagueness]

Are you kidding me? Time invested in controllers? Every console has a different controller and most every game uses them differently, not to mention that it's not on par with say, learning a language or how to ride a bike. Any way you slice it though changing that is not "getting rid of gaming's history", the classics will never die, the facts, opinions, and feelings of everything about it are on record, and I'm convinced someone will be playing an NES in 2100 (even if they have to use 10 cans of compressed air to do it). I guess I shouldn't be surprised he too forgets that many Wii games can be played while sitting and not all of them require moving your whole arm (oh no, I have to use my shoulder!) but just wrist movement. All of this seems to ignore PC gaming too, which is... really weird.

 

[dagens24]

I think we should listen to this guy, I mean, if The Council vouches for him then I say he probably knows what he's talking about.

 

[Therumancer]

Ahh, Doctor Spector.. I remember saving him from mind control in the Savage Empire and then teaming up with him on a trip to Mars. Good times, jolly good times... A hero could hardly ask for a better Sidekick.

-

At any rate, my problem with motion control is that it seems to be needlessly annoying for most games to flail around to control them. The current controller set up is great for being able to kick back in an EZ chair, relax, and play some games. Of course in my case I'm not only fat and out of shape, but also take a lot of medication and have issues with fatigue and dizziness... so needless to say the idea is less attractive to me than many others.

When I am playing an RPG for example, I do not really think the experience would be improved by waving a controller like a magical wand, or trying to swordfight. That's what all the numbers are supposed to be for. When it comes to fighting games (oddly my second favorite genere), I don't think turning them all into Wii Boxing/Punchout clones would be a benefit, I like the current system of combos, buffering, etc... even if I'm hardly what you'd call awesome at it.

Truthfully though I would get some lulz out of the idea of some of these ranged attack spammers having to stand up and make the proper fireball motions and yell "Haduken!" into a mic every time they performed a ranged attack. It WOULD finally discourage fireball spamming I think.

 

[Lonan]

Says the member of of the 60% of the American population which is overweight.

 

[General Vagueness]

When I am playing an RPG for example, I do not really think the experience would be improved by waving a controller like a magical wand, or trying to swordfight. That's what all the numbers are supposed to be for.

and that's why I don't really play RPGs, if they put me and my actual skill in charge of things like that I'd be more interested

Says the member of of the 60% of the American population which is overweight.

I'd be with you if he hadn't mentioned dizziness and fatigue (I'm assuming there's a medical reason besides getting fat on his own)

 

[Therumancer]

When I am playing an RPG for example, I do not really think the experience would be improved by waving a controller like a magical wand, or trying to swordfight. That's what all the numbers are supposed to be for.

and that's why I don't really play RPGs, if they put me and my actual skill in charge of things like that I'd be more interested


--

... and that is fine, and a very mainstream attitude. That is why they make various kinds of games. There are already plenty of action based games using swords and magic that do exactly that kind of thing for those with your attitude.

RPGS however are a differant genere, and would not really benefit from motion controls. On the other hand I suppose a motion controlled "God Of War" that made you swing the weapons or whatever would be fine for action fans.

I will however point out that your attitude might very well change given time. I liked action games a lot more when I was younger. But when you get older things change. You *DO* slow down, and my father who is older than me (and I'm 34) still games and simply can't do that kind of stuff (where I'm merely increasingly bad at it compared to what I used to be capable of, when I was a teenager my fingers were a LOT quicker).

Of course people slow down at differant rates, I'm sure there are 30+ year olds who agree with you. I personally don't care for the current state of today's so-called RPGs, but I also feel that demand will increase simply as today's twitchers who grew up with games lose the abillity to twitch, but still want to play games as more of a mental exercise.

I see RPGs and Strategy games as being close to each other, and bleding the two works with some frequency. I see the "Action RPG" format some people are aiming for as being a contridictory pipe dream fueled by the theoretical amount of money a game that could cater to both the mainstream and a large, stable, and long running niche market and be worshipped by both could bring in.

 

[teknoarcanist]

For my part...I cannot see the controller as offering artistic benefit.

Sure, FOR NOW it is most definitely the more refined and nuanced of the two--it is far more comfortable to play a tactical shooter or a very fast-paced RPG with a controller.

But using a controller is a learned skill, which, while it comes as a native language to we gamers, absolutely hinders 'The Others' from getting in on the fun. I remember sitting down to play Gears with my uncle--a guy who loves dumb sci-fi, Bruce Willis movies, etc etc; ie, this was right up his alley. He couldn't handle moving with one stick and looking with another, let alone shooting, covering, etc.

Now we can say my uncle's just an idiot (he's not) or we can acknowledge that there's a barrier between he and this piece of fiction/entertainment.

So the question:
Is this barrier entirely necessary?

The answer: Yes, for some titles, unfortunately it is. For now. But give it time: I have faith in the ability of developers to develop and flesh out the patterns of motion control as they have hand-held control.

Keep in mind: hand-held has a 30-year head-start.

 

[FURY_007]

Deus Ex, every time you mention it, someone reinstalls it.

...

Proceeds to reinstall Deus Ex.

Well shit, you got me good *reinstalling right now*

 

[Lonan]

When I am playing an RPG for example, I do not really think the experience would be improved by waving a controller like a magical wand, or trying to swordfight. That's what all the numbers are supposed to be for.

and that's why I don't really play RPGs, if they put me and my actual skill in charge of things like that I'd be more interested

Says the member of of the 60% of the American population which is overweight.

I'd be with you if he hadn't mentioned dizziness and fatigue (I'm assuming there's a medical reason besides getting fat on his own)

I don't think there is. Most fat people eat too much sugar and carbohydrates and fat. That's the medical reason. And fat people tend to be dizzy.

The youthful and energetic can't forced to bend to the will of the old and fat.

 

[Lonan]

Truthfully though I would get some lulz out of the idea of some of these ranged attack spammers having to stand up and make the proper fireball motions and yell "Haduken!" into a mic every time they performed a ranged attack. It WOULD finally discourage fireball spamming I think.

Exactly, that the great thing about broad movement motion control (not just a Wii wrist flick) is that button mashing is eliminated, and that people can have fun with people all around the world without leading a sedentary lifestyle.

 

[CheckD3]

I've been afraid of this for a while, the motion control phase, especially since I've been here and become more critical of things. And since I've just been let down by Killzone 2 extremely hard, I think I'll rant about motion controls.

First off, the Wii WAS a good idea, despite what people think. It was a new way to try and bring gaming into the light as something that anyone can do. Sure, we had to deal with a bunch of crappy spin off titles of the mainstream titles and there were problems with it overall, but I have to put it with the Alone in the Dark game that Yahtzee mentions as "almost good" thing. It's not perfect, nothing is, but at least it was something different and new in a repetitive entertainment industry.

The biggest problem with Sony and MS rushing to make their own toys is that it's going to remove the foundation that has made gaming what it is today. I've said countless numbers of times that I think Nintendo is going to take the power and depth of Sony and MS and make a super system like if the PS3 and 360 got knocked up, and Nintendo will also hopefully seek out new 3rd parties to bring to life their next monster. Hopefully they do, because when I play video games, I can't stand up forever, I like to lie back and relax. I can't be flailing my arms around to play a game, I'd work out if I wanted exercise. I play video games to sit back, relax, and move sticks and hit buttons to make a flashing screen play out what I can.

Motion controls need to be put to bed soon, that or the companies take turns, each getting their motion control toy out one at a time. All I know is, if games for the regular controller don't keep up a steady flow, I WILL be pissed off...I've grown up with buttons and the classic controller formula and motion control is the flood that looks to destroy it all...