Nightrise
December 29th, 2010, 07:27 AM
The times of Video Games are changing, the introduction of motion control on every console are being considered the next evolution of gaming. I myself am ready to embrace these changes whole-heartedly, however, is this the direction gaming should be taking?
Let me say this about motion controls, motion controlled games were an idea which did not really take off until 4 years ago when we heralded the coming of the Wii. It held the promise of being able to wield weapons as if you were actually holding one and also the second promise of a console actually keeping you fit as you play.
The Wii realised these dreams in games such as The Force Unleashed and Wii Sports. However in the use of a Wii remote as a use of weapon such as a light sabre there were problems, the control of such weapons were finicky and often required very specific movements of the arm. This therefore always seemed to end up with me swinging my wrists while sitting down with the controller; this made me feel like the motion sensitivity was rather redundant and that the use of a controller as light sabre was still a long way away.
1482
The same problem plagued Wii Sports where using the controller as a tennis racquet consisted of me widely waving my arms. This made me feel like the idea the Wii could make you fitter was wrong, with practice one can probably use as a fitness tool but then what is wrong with actually going out and doing the sport such as bowling or golfing.
These problems still exist 4 years after I got my Wii as I put my inability to master the controls down to the fact that I must have been doing it wrongly. Now in 2010 the promise of Kienct and Playstaion Move are stating to have solved the problems that haunted the Wii.
Let me start with the PlayStation Move, now I have not played with it and if anyone here has feel free too comment and voice your opinion. From the reviews I have seen and the videos of it I can say that the PSmove has an incredible tracking ability, it has the level of intricacy required for accurate hand movements such as the ability have a pointer on screen turn in 360 degrees by tracking the light ball in 3D. As shown below in the picture below.
1488
However an evident problem I witnessed in each video is that the player has no need to move, just like the Wii the player has no need to move their body. While only a minor thing I find that it may remove some of the immersive elements of game play. Ultimately the move looks like a next generation Wii controller, except that it is better in every field than the Wii and actually requires the player to stand and actually make specific movements rather than swinging randomly.
1489
Finally there is Kinect which in my personal opinion wins. It’s utilisation of the dual cameras and infrared camera; too track in a 3D environment in my time with Kinect is very accurate. I still feel the potential Kinect has is untapped thus far in the games that have been released, for instance it has the visual ability to indentify individual fingers but the games do not reflect this. Below is a demonstration of how Kienct see’s the world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QrnwoO1-8A
However Kinect possess many features that the others do not, such as motion recognition and voice recognition capable of discerning specific people. The microphone is also a wonderful addition meaning even if my controller is on the other side of the room I can still look up what I need to. My final opinion on Kinect is that it is the way forward, not the destination for motion controls. I feel that the removal of the controller as whole leads to a more immersive and all together fun experience.
1490
My final words on motion controls are that I would say that they are in there childhood. They are just coming into there own as a form of gaming, so I therefore proceed cautiously and not expecting too much from them at the moment and I believe it will be several more years before they become truly refined and useful able to perform to the intricacy that is too come.
Let me say this about motion controls, motion controlled games were an idea which did not really take off until 4 years ago when we heralded the coming of the Wii. It held the promise of being able to wield weapons as if you were actually holding one and also the second promise of a console actually keeping you fit as you play.
The Wii realised these dreams in games such as The Force Unleashed and Wii Sports. However in the use of a Wii remote as a use of weapon such as a light sabre there were problems, the control of such weapons were finicky and often required very specific movements of the arm. This therefore always seemed to end up with me swinging my wrists while sitting down with the controller; this made me feel like the motion sensitivity was rather redundant and that the use of a controller as light sabre was still a long way away.
1482
The same problem plagued Wii Sports where using the controller as a tennis racquet consisted of me widely waving my arms. This made me feel like the idea the Wii could make you fitter was wrong, with practice one can probably use as a fitness tool but then what is wrong with actually going out and doing the sport such as bowling or golfing.
These problems still exist 4 years after I got my Wii as I put my inability to master the controls down to the fact that I must have been doing it wrongly. Now in 2010 the promise of Kienct and Playstaion Move are stating to have solved the problems that haunted the Wii.
Let me start with the PlayStation Move, now I have not played with it and if anyone here has feel free too comment and voice your opinion. From the reviews I have seen and the videos of it I can say that the PSmove has an incredible tracking ability, it has the level of intricacy required for accurate hand movements such as the ability have a pointer on screen turn in 360 degrees by tracking the light ball in 3D. As shown below in the picture below.
1488
However an evident problem I witnessed in each video is that the player has no need to move, just like the Wii the player has no need to move their body. While only a minor thing I find that it may remove some of the immersive elements of game play. Ultimately the move looks like a next generation Wii controller, except that it is better in every field than the Wii and actually requires the player to stand and actually make specific movements rather than swinging randomly.
1489
Finally there is Kinect which in my personal opinion wins. It’s utilisation of the dual cameras and infrared camera; too track in a 3D environment in my time with Kinect is very accurate. I still feel the potential Kinect has is untapped thus far in the games that have been released, for instance it has the visual ability to indentify individual fingers but the games do not reflect this. Below is a demonstration of how Kienct see’s the world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QrnwoO1-8A
However Kinect possess many features that the others do not, such as motion recognition and voice recognition capable of discerning specific people. The microphone is also a wonderful addition meaning even if my controller is on the other side of the room I can still look up what I need to. My final opinion on Kinect is that it is the way forward, not the destination for motion controls. I feel that the removal of the controller as whole leads to a more immersive and all together fun experience.
1490
My final words on motion controls are that I would say that they are in there childhood. They are just coming into there own as a form of gaming, so I therefore proceed cautiously and not expecting too much from them at the moment and I believe it will be several more years before they become truly refined and useful able to perform to the intricacy that is too come.