Motion Controls, The Future? Who's Doing It Wrong?

So since the Wii has proved to be massive commercial success thanks to its twist on gameplay mechanics, everyone else in the business is trying to get a piece of the pie. Now who's got the talent and willpower to push it to the next step? Who needs to go back to the drawing board? Who cares enough about the hardcore and casual crowd?

Are motion controls really for everyone? Or just for those that have never enjoyed playing games before? Being nothing more than a novelty for core gamers that have been around for generations.

Wii:

I find it interesting how at least two exclusive Wii games (one being first party), still promote the use of a traditional controller. A console who's entire existence is based on motion control, a ''revolutionary'' step forward in the industry, still falls back on the tried and trusted dual-analogue.

Its like ''Hey guys! come play with a normal controller!'', its entirely counter-productive to its own goals. Instead of making motion controls the best they can be, are they realising that the core consumer and even dev's, find motion control nothing more than a passable novelty?

Move:

Now funnily in contrast to all this, Sony is now starting to promote the use of its new motion controller with highly talked-up ''precision''. The first being Socom 4, saying ''Hey guys! Come play it like this instead!''. A first party traditional Sony franchise, being used as a prime example of its Move capability for hardcore games. Yet still will have its take on the casual market, all this as an optional novelty for its user base.

Natal:

Well its taking the idea and flipping it on its head, you are the controller. Coming as a novelty extra for its user base in Fable 3, and as a weapon in this new war on soccer moms. E3 will provide more to mull over.

So who's doing it right, or wrong?

Motion Control as an optional extra or a new solution?

A console with motion control as standard, can't even bring itself to make the control scheme mandatory, or even always desired. If Sony and Microsoft were deadly serious about this new market then they could easily wait a year or two, launching brand new systems based entirely on these new control methods. But no, they still see how important traditional gaming is with conventional gameplay, its never going away.

Cool new gameplay? Yeah its sure can be sometimes

A revolutionary vision of the future we should all embrace? Get out of town

DISCLAIMER:

I wouldn't have got a Wii on launch day if I didn't like the idea of motion control, I'm also interested in both Move and Natal. I do not think motion will be the only way we play games in the future. Also, if your sensitive to the terms ''hardcore'' and ''casual'', I really don't care.

All of them are doing them wrong, just cuz motion controls are wrong.

All of them are doing them wrong, just cuz motion controls are wrong.

brennan7777

I like them all, but there's just one thing I can't put my finger on. I think it's how the controllers are designed to be honest. I mean when you hold a Wii Remote you use it like a sword, or a pole, or w/e. I can't think of the shape, but I just wish it was better designed to better suit more areas than that.

Natal is what I think is motion controls done right because it doesn't use a controller which therefore bypasses my complaint about the Wii Remote and the Move. If you want to grab something you aren't going to point at it and hit A, but actually put out your hand and grab it which I think really helps with the immersion factor.

No control method is going to be completely ideal for everything. Brawlers and fighters as they are now aren't suited for motion controls (especially the primitive ones we have today), nor a mouse and keyboard for that matter. OTOH my suspicion is that Monster Hunter 3 was designed for the CCpro only because the developer didn't want to risk alienating their existing fanbase.

Anyway, I can practically guarantee you that motion controls will become the norm. While next gen might not make them completely standard, motion controls will at least be far more "entrenched" than today. Microsoft will probably include Natal along with a controller with the next gen Xbox. Nintendo will not go back to a gamepad, period. Sony is the real wildcard. The technology in general will also improve.

As for the controller we know now, I see it eventually joining the ranks of joysticks and arcade pads. It will be the novelty.

Also "conventional gameplay" ≠ control.

No control method is going to be completely ideal for everything. Brawlers and fighters as they are now aren't suited for motion controls (especially the primitive ones we have today), nor a mouse and keyboard for that matter. OTOH my suspicion is that Monster Hunter 3 was designed for the CCpro only because the developer didn't want to risk alienating their existing fanbase.

Anyway, I can practically guarantee you that motion controls will become the norm. While next gen might not make them completely standard, motion controls will at least be far more "entrenched" than today. Microsoft will probably include Natal along with a controller with the next gen Xbox. Nintendo will not go back to a gamepad, period. Sony is the real wildcard. The technology in general will also improve.

As for the controller we know now, I see it eventually joining the ranks of joysticks and arcade pads. It will be the novelty.

ThePlothole

Spot on.

No control method is going to be completely ideal for everything. Brawlers and fighters as they are now aren't suited for motion controls (especially the primitive ones we have today), nor a mouse and keyboard for that matter. OTOH my suspicion is that Monster Hunter 3 was designed for the CCpro only because the developer didn't want to risk alienating their existing fanbase.

Anyway, I can practically guarantee you that motion controls will become the norm. While next gen might not make them completely standard, motion controls will at least be far more "entrenched" than today. Microsoft will probably include Natal along with a controller with the next gen Xbox. Nintendo will not go back to a gamepad, period. Sony is the real wildcard. The technology in general will also improve.

As for the controller we know now, I see it eventually joining the ranks of joysticks and arcade pads. It will be the novelty.

ThePlothole

Unless Nintendo plans to ditch the Virtual Console they will release another Cl.assic Controller next gen, fact. If the next installment of Smash Bro's doesn't support it then there will be a lot of unhappy fans too. This will give third parties an excuse again to support a traditional controller for its versatility and this whole cycle will repeat itself.

If the MH3 dev's didn't want to alienate its fans then that would mean a Wii 2 installment would likely do the same, those fans aren't going away. Can you imagine sim racing fans or dev's of Forza and Gran Turismo, having to settle for motion controlled racing like in Mario Kart Wii?

Dual analogue is here to stay

They are all doing it wrong. Motion controls are supposed to be the *next* step in input control, not a replacement for button pressing.

If anyone's doing it wrong it's Microsoft. If anyone's doing it right, it's Nintendo (though I can't say the same about third party Wii developers). Waiting to see how Move plays out.

Since we're talking about the future, I chose Motion controls as being standard... since future can pertain to any time beyond now, no one can ever prove me wrong. I'm sure that in 100 years people won't be playing video games by pushing buttons on a piece of plastic they hold in their hands.

PS. and even if Im wrong... I'll guarantee that in 1000 years humans definately won't be using a standard controller of today.

I'll guarantee that in 1000 years humans definately won't be using a standard controller of today.

moistsandwich

Since we're talking about the future, I chose Motion controls as being standard... since future can pertain to any time beyond now, no one can ever prove me wrong. I'm sure that in 100 years people won't be playing video games by pushing buttons on a piece of plastic they hold in their hands.

PS. and even if Im wrong... I'll guarantee that in 1000 years humans definately won't be using a standard controller of today.

moistsandwich

this sums up my feelings on motions controls pretty appropriately.

[QUOTE="moistsandwich"]I'll guarantee that in 1000 years humans definately won't be using a standard controller of today.

Natal is doing it wrong. It will only spawn casual games. Sooner or later they are gonna have the need of evolving from the classic controler. Probably both from a sales point of view, and in order to innovate the games. Otherwise, they are gonna make changes for the sake of change in the games and that's not good.

Motion / IR is staying in the game, not necessarily the main way of playing all kinds of games; but the ones that benefit from it, should use it. It just opens up so much room for new things. More functions = more ideas = fresh software. Of course, I'm mainly talking about the gameplay area here.

I think motion is now established and will only improve from here on out. Now and for a while to come, I still think it will remain more of an option, though. One I used to not be overly fond of, but I am now on board with completely. It is simply refreshing to have another way to play a game beyond sitting on your ass mashing buttons. I do still prefer a good old controller, but it is certainly nice to have a change of pace and a different way to play as well.

Honestly I feel people on this site are doing it wrong, at least with regards to Natal. The point isn't to take traditional games or franchises and shoehorn motion controls into them. The point is a developer thinks of an interesting control method or gameplay mechanic that is fun, then builds an experience around that.

Make them strictly optional, & create games mainly with the standard controller in mind. I want motion controls to become niche, much like the eye toy.

My opinion on motion controls:

PS3 Move: Don't have a PS3, so i dunno. The inappropriate design is discouraging.

Natal: Wouldn't it work better as a tool instead of a controller?

Wii: Hard to say. Some devs have proven themselves capable of making use of it, while others shouldn't have bothered. Has potential, but the wiimote is far from becoming a standard.

It is too early to say since I have oonly used the Wii mote, I believe there is many more things that can be done with motion controls. I would like to see people explore new routes(like Natal) then expand upon existing ones(like Move). I don't think anything announced right now will actually stand the test of time as these all seem like prototypes for the each company to see what they are capable of.

What will become of brawlers and other genre's if motion controls do become mandatory? I also think F-Zero has been forgotten this gen because I honestly can't fathom a control scheme that would fit it on the Wii.

Unless Nintendo plans to ditch the Virtual Console they will release another Cl.assic Controller next gen, fact. If the next installment of Smash Bro's doesn't support it then there will be a lot of unhappy fans too. This will give third parties an excuse again to support a traditional controller for its versatility and this whole cycle will repeat itself.

If the MH3 dev's didn't want to alienate its fans then that would mean a Wii 2 installment would likely do the same, those fans aren't going away. Can you imagine sim racing fans or dev's of Forza and Gran Turismo, having to settle for motion controlled racing like in Mario Kart Wii?

Dual analogue is here to stay

tomarlyn

I didn't say the gamepad would go way. It will just treated in the same way it already is on the PC. As an optional accessory. Most fighter games will support it along with arcade sticks. But support won't be a guarantee for most other genres.

As motion controls improve and standardize, and more people become familiar with them, there will be less hesitation with supporting them proper. The problem with the Wiimote is that while it's quite responsive when it comes to pointing or tilting, it gets completely lost with more complex motions. As a motion controller it is quite primitive. Which is why Nintendo released WM+. Unfortunately being an accessory it suffers the same flaw as other accessory controllers: Requiring WM+ would divide a game's potential customer base.

NSMB would have been better played with a ds3/sixaxis.....................THAT IS ALLRespawn-d

I'd love to see what Nintendo's next system is going to use.

No control method is going to be completely ideal for everything. Brawlers and fighters as they are now aren't suited for motion controls (especially the primitive ones we have today), nor a mouse and keyboard for that matter. OTOH my suspicion is that Monster Hunter 3 was designed for the CCpro only because the developer didn't want to risk alienating their existing fanbase.

Anyway, I can practically guarantee you that motion controls will become the norm. While next gen might not make them completely standard, motion controls will at least be far more "entrenched" than today. Microsoft will probably include Natal along with a controller with the next gen Xbox. Nintendo will not go back to a gamepad, period. Sony is the real wildcard. The technology in general will also improve.

As for the controller we know now, I see it eventually joining the ranks of joysticks and arcade pads. It will be the novelty.

ThePlothole

Watch when Sony and MS are still doing the motion controls, Nintendo in the next gen will do something revolutionary and innovative that it will blow minds. Its called moving forward, not copying.

It will alienate gamers, thats for sure.

imo motion controls are just a fad that will fade away shortly the reason i say this is because to me motion controls are nothing new do any of you remember the power glove or that octogon thing for the sega genesis that you uesd to have to stand in? just look at the wii it may be leading in hardware sales but some of the games i have played for it i just didn't enjoy them and it felt like they had motion controls just for the sake of having them but then again this is just my opinion.

The problem I see with motion controls is that for example in FPS you still control the game in 2D, they use the same old trick of having a reticle always in the middle of the screen. The developers still make the games the same way, so motion controls just seem like a gimmick. Once they start doing games to control in actual 3D then maybe they will become something more but as of now the Wiimote is basically an airborne mouse that you can waggle, move will go the same way and natal will be just a ridiculous activity.

What of the people with certain fine motor control issues that make it difficult for them to operate a gamepad? Short of a direct brain interface, any control method is going to be discriminatory.

Now there is a difference between motion controls and full body motion tracking. The latter I honestly don't see being implemented as much.

If motion controls are the future, then casual piece of garbage software like Wii sports is also the future, and quality games that are actually made for gamers will fade away. Anyone that has enough interest to actually come to this site and post should be completely sickened by this horrifying shift to make game grandma's can play. Oh please god dont let my hobby turn into a casual nightmare.

With the exception of fighters, pretty much every genre plays better with a wiimote and nunchuck than on dual analog.

What of the people with certain fine motor control issues that make it difficult for them to operate a gamepad? Short of a direct brain interface, any control method is going to be discriminatory.

Now there is a difference between motion controls and full body motion tracking. The latter I honestly don't see being implemented as much.

Wii, far as i know that is the only one on the market!

[QUOTE="goblaa"]

With the exception of fighters, pretty much every genre plays better with a wiimote and nunchuck than on dual analog.

You are living on your own planet on this one my friend. Show me one gaming tournament on television, or for big money where the competition chooses to use a Freakin Wii-mote LOL. That thing is a piece of garbage, mouse and keyboard is obviously over 100x faster, more precise, and accurate at literally any genre. Im sure you were thinking of comparing it to the 360 or ps3 pad, and im thinking you were trolling, but if your serious, imagine you could play Halo 3 with a Wii-mote, in a game with 16 players and everyone else was equal skill to you, but they got to use the 360 pad, it would obviously not be fair, you would get slaughtered.

[QUOTE="chrion133"]

[QUOTE="goblaa"]

With the exception of fighters, pretty much every genre plays better with a wiimote and nunchuck than on dual analog.

LastRambo341

You are living on your own planet on this one my friend. Show me one gaming tournament on television, or for big money where the competition chooses to use a Freakin Wii-mote LOL. That thing is a piece of garbage, mouse and keyboard is obviously over 100x faster, more precise, and accurate at literally any genre. Im sure you were thinking of comparing it to the 360 or ps3 pad, and im thinking you were trolling, but if your serious, imagine you could play Halo 3 with a Wii-mote, in a game with 16 players and everyone else was equal skill to you, but they got to use the 360 pad, it would obviously not be fair, you would get slaughtered.

And I can read sarcasm in text

[QUOTE="LastRambo341"][QUOTE="chrion133"]

You are living on your own planet on this one my friend. Show me one gaming tournament on television, or for big money where the competition chooses to use a Freakin Wii-mote LOL. That thing is a piece of garbage, mouse and keyboard is obviously over 100x faster, more precise, and accurate at literally any genre. Im sure you were thinking of comparing it to the 360 or ps3 pad, and im thinking you were trolling, but if your serious, imagine you could play Halo 3 with a Wii-mote, in a game with 16 players and everyone else was equal skill to you, but they got to use the 360 pad, it would obviously not be fair, you would get slaughtered.

And I can read sarcasm in text

wait...i lost track who is being sarcastic?

The whole purpose of motion controls, I think, is to make the gamer feel more immersed in the games (i.e. actually feel like they are doing the action instead of just pressing a button). In that respect, I think the Wii failed for the most part. In a game like Metroid Prime 3, using the Wii mote in all those creative ways (to open a door, or tear shields off, or w/e) was cool and original, but I was still just holding a controller. Even with Natal, I'm not sure this 'problem' could ever be addressed...

The only way I can imagine you really feeling like you control the game is if you combine 3D AND motion controls. But that's crazy talk.

And yes, the Wii's best games don't even need motion controls.

Don't need, don't want.

motion controls (besides M+KB) suck.

imo motion controls are just a fad that will fade away shortly the reason i say this is because to me motion controls are nothing new do any of you remember the power glove or that octogon thing for the sega genesis that you uesd to have to stand in? just look at the wii it may be leading in hardware sales but some of the games i have played for it i just didn't enjoy them and it felt like they had motion controls just for the sake of having them but then again this is just my opinion.

RadTad62

The concept may not be entirely new, but if you look at the tech world you would realize that old ideas that were impractical or didn't offer enough benefit at the time often come back as the technology matures. Analog sticks are just one gaming example. I often see people state that the N64 controller was the first to sport an analog stick. In fact that honor would go to the Atari 5200's controller, released more than a decade prior.

If motion controls are the future, then casual piece of garbage software like Wii sports is also the future, and quality games that are actually made for gamers will fade away. Anyone that has enough interest to actually come to this site and post should be completely sickened by this horrifying shift to make game grandma's can play. Oh please god dont let my hobby turn into a casual nightmare.

chrion133

Yeah, I'm so sickened that I can't play a game like Metroid Prime or Resident Evil with motion controls... :roll:

It will still alienate gamers, face it. I had a broken wrist 2 year ago, about the same time i sold my wii, you know how frustrating it was not being able to play on my wii because of that? I'm just saying that motion controlled gaming will create more hinders then ever. Also, you won't be making alot of advancements in motion controlled gaming if we limit ourself to our hands alone, it's a double edged sword, and you know it.Sandvichman

You can do a lot with just hand movement. A single handheld motion controller can give you analog precision on all six axes (pitch, yaw, roll, heave, sway, and surge). That's something no other controller is capable of.

Don't need, don't want.

motion controls (besides M+KB) suck.