Are Motion Controls the Future?

[Son of Detroit]

I hope to god that one day people will consider Videogames and motion-control games different.

Ok, games - like Mario Galaxy - that don't market their entire premise on motion controls are, to me, still videogames. But things like Dance Central and all the Kinect titles need to be classed as something different to videogames.

Videogames have been steadily maturing over the years, but the emergence of motion-control games - particularly classing them as videogames - is stalling the progress of the industry.

I don't have a problem with motion-control games, in fact, I really enjoy playing them at a party. But you cannot associate them with controller-based videogames such as Fallout or RDR simply because they do not offer up the same kind of experience.

Hrm, I feel I need a example to better explain my point.

I'd happily sit and play Read Dead Redemption, FIFA, TEKKEN or Need For Speed on my own, and I can see others doing the same. But in no circumstances could I ever see one person, alone, busting moves in their living room on Dance Central.

*shrugs*

Obviously this is all just my opinion and I welcome criticism.

See, you're only thinking of silhouette tracking and party games when motion controls extend far beyond that. I played Heavy Rain and MAG with Move and preferred it to the DS3 by a longshot.

 

[Woodsey]

All I've seen motion controls do so far is limit what can be done, or poorly implement what can already done.

And the problem is immersion - I should be less focused on what I'm actually doing, not more.

 

[Feriluce]

I think the future will be games controlled by electric impulses from the brain making it so we don't have to move at all and making the game more immersive.

Yup, this is definately the future. People want more immersion and more control over the game. Motion controls are not immersive when theres no sort of feedback. Its actually easier to ignore the fact that you are in fact using a mouse and keyboard to control your character than it is to ignore that you're flailing around in the air like an idiot.

However with direct brain input, you're actually controlling your character like you'd control your own body. You think about moving your arm, and the char in the game moves his arm. There is no intermediary mouse or flailing involved. Combined with something like contact lense screens and possibly other senses being stimulized and you're suddenly very much immersed in the game.

 

[Tsaba]

For motion controls, I tend to look back and think of:

Just because it was cool doesn't mean it was the future. I do agree that there needs to be a line between games with motion controls and games that are fricken meant to be played with a controller.

 

[The Human Torch]

I hope, I play games to relax, not to jump and down and use my entire body as a controller, I go the gym to stay in shape, I don't want my X-Box to do that for me.

 

[rockingnic]

I think you should play a game any way you want. Motion controls can and will work for some people and not for others. If you want to get up and wave your arms around trying to hit someone, then go ahead, if you want to use the traditional controller then please do so. I think they can work for any game genre, including FPSs and RTSs. It seems to me that it would be fun to use them in FPSs and it can probably bring more precision to RTSs on consoles once you get use to it. I'm not saying they're the future, I just think it's about time there's a different way to play games now than using a controller or keyboard and mouse. But I do believe that the controls shouldn't determine the type of play style for the games, but they should develop the controls fully if they plan on having it as an option. Look at Killzone 3, they didn't develop the game for the Move, but they develop the controls to optimize the efficiency of use the Move.

"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=levDGb1FY6E" is a video how the Move actually works in Killzone 3, I'm just too lazy to embed the video right now...

 

[Tips_of_Fingers]

See, you're only thinking of silhouette tracking and party games when motion controls extend far beyond that. I played Heavy Rain and MAG with Move and preferred it to the DS3 by a longshot.

Yeah, I briefly mentioned Mario Galaxy at the start but never looked further into it.

I consider Mario Galaxy (and the 2nd one while we're at it) to be a great example of a game's balance between motion control and button pressing. The motion controlling Mario Galaxy is used intuitively, which makes it less overbearing and - for lack of a better word - shit.

I've never played any of the Move games so I can't comment (although my original copy of Heavy Rain has updated to the Move Edition...) but I definitely think that Sony has the upperhand over Kinect. I think that a decent balance between motion control and button-pressing needs to found; for me, Mario Galaxy is the perfect balance for a game that can appeal to both casual and hardcore gamers alike.

*shrugs*

But as I said, I haven't tried any Move games so I could be very wrong about this.

I'm curious, did Heavy Rain involve both button pressing and swinging your arm like a madman?

 

[Soxafloppin]

If the stay the way they are - NO!

If they make them actually work - Still NO! But I'l not gurn as much.

 

[XT inc]

I think it might be if they can have some sort of kinect + controller set up. Otherwise No they don't seem to have enough of the control portion.

 

[Kagim]

I would rather hope all games do not become motion control games.

I just don't have fun with it. The only game i could stand really for the Wii was mario kart, and only because i could use a classic controller.

I just don't have fun with it. Even in a world where the motion controllers perfectly pick up what you want to do I'd rather just sit back wiggle my thumbs. The old fashioned way.

 

[Kungfu_Teddybear]

I certainly fucking hope not...

 

[Shoggoth2588]

I doubt it'll be the future but I also doubt they'll fizzle into obscurity. Motion Controls are going to continue being used though. We have a trinity now: M/K (mouse and keyboard), control pad, motion control...well not quite trinity but you get the idea.

 

[terrible cheeb]

i hope not.

 

[Luke Cartner]

No they are a gimmick and will go the way of light guns and dance pads.
Motion control make immersion almost impossible, what is needed is less impedance between the players brain signals and the computer games characters actions not more..

 

[mentalkitty789]

Motion controls have their place, but no I do not think they will replace the controller. With a controller I can relax and enjoy games that would be pretty impractical to play without a controller. The thought of playing a fast pace fighting game or beat em' up or even an rpg. Motion controls just aren't good enough yet. That and I think games will always be made differently. There will be 'Fighting games' then there will be 'motion control fighting games'.
Of course there are somethings motion controls can do that controllers can't. I always loved arcade shooters because they let out hold a gun while you blew through the enemy. Like Time Crisis and House of the Dead. In time motion controls will get better, but for now they are only good for more casual games in my opinion.
Also people who talk about virtual reality and/or thought control. Anything like that is probably a LONG WAY OFF. Of course something like that would be awesome but it isn't practical or realistic to consider that right now. So I hope those weren't being recommended seriously.

 

[Jibblejab]

Motion controls work best with games designed specificly to be played using motion controls rather than a normal game hurriedly adapted to motion controls which is what happens often. And motion controls arent very good. And just no they arent the future.

 

[Tipsythegza]

God i hope not, unless it gets a lot better than what it is right now; FPS on wii sucks IMO.

 

[Dusk17]

I think the future will be games controlled by electric impulses from the brain making it so we don't have to move at all and making the game more immersive.

Yes because all we want is to sit on our fat asses all day in front of a screen not moving telling yourself "I'M WINNING!" even more so than with a regular controller...

 

[Delusibeta]

Let's face facts here: in the short term (i.e. including the next generation of consoles), motion controls will define console gaming. The Wii has made too much money for Sony and Microsoft to pass up giving it a few goes, never mind the fact that Kinect has been reasonably successful in its own right. I think motion controls will continue on to the next generation. By that time, I wouldn't be surprised if a significant minority of game purchasers know only motion controls, which means that all involved would be reluctant to throw that segment of the market away (by switching by to traditional controllers). Thus, I theorise that motion controls are the future of console gaming. Anyone with an allergic reaction to motion controllers should buy a PC.

 

[Bender Rodriguez]

I think we'll have a mix of the two.
Fingers on techy stuff and some easy hand gestures here and there - The biggest game changer will be voice interaction.