Poll: Motion Control Gaming Poll and Discussion

[Michael Hirst]

I have a Playstation Move which I bought as a curiosity and really the technology is good, I liked playing Killzone 3 with it more than a standard controller, the issue is that there just aren't enough games that use it effectively. I tried Heavy Rain with the Move and it still felt as crappy gameplay wise just exhanging out of context button presses with out of context arm waving.

I've only had short tries on the Kinect because I don't own a 360 and also becuase after 5-10 minutes I'm sick of how trivial the games are using it.

It's not the "Breaking a sweat" thing that bothers me, just how poor the quality of games are that require "Breaking a sweat".

 

[LiberalSquirrel]

If there was an awesome, fun, engaging motion control game, I'd love to play it. I mean, why not? If I'd have fun with it, I'd have fun with it, motion control or no.

My problem is the actual cost of the motion control system. I own an xBox 360: I got it as a birthday/Christmas present years back. As a poor, fourth-year university student, I simply don't have the cash to buy the motion-control system currently out on the market. I buy maybe, maybe, one game a month. If that. And I buy them used (yes, yes, please don't attack me if you think used games is a horrible thing), because I simply don't have $60 to spare for a new game. The highest amount of money I've paid for a game in the last few years? $25. And that hurts my bank account badly enough. If I was going to go out and spend a significant amount of money on something, I'd buy a new TV. My current one is held together with duct tape.

I mean... hey. I like DDR. I have no problem with moving while I game. It's my favorite kind of exercise.

 

[New Frontiersman]

I don't mind motion controls at all, for the Wii and Move, it's just another way to map out controls, not really that different than a control stick honestly, neither of them require that much strenuous activity, at least for most games. The Kinect is a bit different though, without a controller or any buttons it gets a bit awkward to control, whereas the Wii and Move have buttons along with motions to map actions to.

As long as the control scheme is intuitive and the game is fun then motion controls are just another way of doing things, right now I don't think its feasible to control an entire game with motion controls alone and no buttons, but maybe in the future when the technology is more advanced full bod motion control will be more practical. Right now though I don't mind at all flicking my wrist to swing a sword, or pointing at the screen to aim a gun; in fact done properly it can be quite immersive.

 

[Scrustle]

I don't think games as they are now work well with motion controls. They are deigned to work with a controller and have evolved along with it. But if there was a game where this wasn't an issue I still probably wouldn't get it. Sure, it may be really fun, but if it's giving me the same entertainment value I would get out of a game where I don't have to move about and look like a moron then I'm not interested. Also there's the extra cost, which is pretty huge with some motion controllers. Why bother spending more money on a game which will give you the same entertainment as one which costs less? And also the way you worded the options for the poll gives another reason I wouldn't go for the motion control game. If it doesn't matter which control method I use then why am I using the motion control? I don't think motion controls are really worth it if it doesn't matter if I use them or not. The point of motion controls is that they are supposed to add an extra layer to the immersion, it's like they are part of the game. If that doesn't matter, then why bother?

 

[Raika]

I'm of the opinion that motion controls are pretty much always a bad thing. I've played one game that utilized motion controls and didn't feel like a tired, shallow gimmick, and that was Wii Fit Plus. Sure, Wii exclusives such as Super Mario Galaxy may be good games on their own merits, but there's no reason I should not be able to play Super Mario Galaxy with a real controller rather than this obnoxious "waggle" malarkey that doesn't even work half the damn time. If I'm fighting with the terrible control scheme(and make no mistake, the Wii Remote is bloody terrible), then the game will lose a great deal of entertainment value for me. I don't own a PlayStation Move, I don't own a Kinect, and I never, ever will. I'm hoping that this silly fad will die out by the time the next generation of consoles rolls around, so we can make way for... I don't know, bionic implants or something.

Actually, yeah, bionic implants would be pretty killer. Can I have an arm, an eye, and a few internal organs, please?

 

[lavalamp]

Hey Scrustle you're making a very valid point.

... And also the way you worded the options for the poll gives another reason I wouldn't go for the motion control game. If it doesn't matter which control method I use then why am I using the motion control? I don't think motion controls are really worth it if it doesn't matter if I use them or not. The point of motion controls is that they are supposed to add an extra layer to the immersion, it's like they are part of the game. If that doesn't matter, then why bother?

And in fact you're right, it does make the point a bit moot. I guess I squashed two different questions in one and this is where the confusion comes from. I suppose really the two different questions I was asking were

a) Would you go for motion controls over controller if the entertainment value was the same?

Your answer to which I take it was "No" based on the very nicely argued post above (price, extra effort required, concerned about image when playing games etc)

and the other question was

b) Would you go for motion controls over controller if the entertainment value was slightly more (with motion controls). Due to immersion, educational aspect, whatever.

Your answer to which would be...?

(and again...keep in mind this is a hypothesis...don't think about existing games...stick with the abstract "entertainment value" factor)

 

[krazykidd]

Until we are talking about holodecks, I am not interested.

This or virtual reality , otherwize tbe motion controlles are kinda meh. Although , mertroid prime 3 was a lot of fun , unlike other M ( which might have been playable without samus whining and the motion controles).

 

[Jakub324]

I think motion controls are pointless, apart from when we apply them to helping fatties become thin. I'd say they lack immersion and can only be used for light-hearted, casual games like Kinect Adventures. I say we go back to traditional controllers.

 

[Scrustle]

Hey Scrustle you're making a very valid point.

... And also the way you worded the options for the poll gives another reason I wouldn't go for the motion control game. If it doesn't matter which control method I use then why am I using the motion control? I don't think motion controls are really worth it if it doesn't matter if I use them or not. The point of motion controls is that they are supposed to add an extra layer to the immersion, it's like they are part of the game. If that doesn't matter, then why bother?

And in fact you're right, it does make the point a bit moot. I guess I squashed two different questions in one and this is where the confusion comes from. I suppose really the two different questions I was asking were

a) Would you go for motion controls over controller if the entertainment value was the same?

Your answer to which I take it was "No" based on the very nicely argued post above (price, extra effort required, concerned about image when playing games etc)

and the other question was

b) Would you go for motion controls over controller if the entertainment value was slightly more (with motion controls). Due to immersion, educational aspect, whatever.

Your answer to which would be...?

(and again...keep in mind this is a hypothesis...don't think about existing games...stick with the abstract "entertainment value" factor)

Hmm... I might get it then, but there's still the cost of motion controllers. It would have to be a game which is really something special. Something which HAS to be experienced, and can only be done with motion controls.

 

[lavalamp]

Understood. Thanks for indulging my crazy hypotheses I do appreciate it is quite a lot to try to imagine

 

[EmperorSubcutaneous]

I enjoy Child of Eden because it feels like you're conducting music.

But you could also play it with a controller like Rez and get an experience that's just as good.

I don't really care, personally. It's silly to hope it will die out or go away, because I don't think we've seen enough yet to know what it's capable of, and its existence isn't threatening the types of game we already have. But Child of Eden, Fruit Ninja, and Leedmees (in that order) are really the only ones I've enjoyed so far.

 

[SextusMaximus]

I WILL buy motion controlled games once the system is perfected (or made to a far higher standard than it is now) - I just don't believe it's ready yet. Give it time, though!

EDIT: Will also buy mouse + controller controlled games at that time as well, I'll keep it mixed, I mean - I'm not sure how well Assassin's Creed or Prince of Persia would work as a motion controlled games

 

[Veylon]

I will say that I am dogmatically opposed to breaking a sweat while playing a game. Exercise and dance games, fine, those are all about motion.

I will note that Yahtzee made a good point: if you could make gestures like casting a spell or putting together a puzzle, that would make good sense. The key problem here is the range of bodily motions that you can make is very limited. If I want my character to turn around, I can't simply turn around because then I won't be facing the TV. I can't walk off to the left to make my character walk off to the left. How do I convey that I want to somersault without actually doing it? That's the crux, and new technology short of the Holodeck can't fix it. It's the dilemma of implying movement without actually moving that has to be solved before this can work effectively.

I'm certainly not going to say that deep, cerebral games couldn't be made with motion controls, it's just that they wouldn't benefit from them. How is ten minutes of dialogue enhanced by standing up while it's going on? In fact, given how many of these games involving conversation have the characters sitting down, why shouldn't I?

Now, all that being said, you could make a decent Master of Magic type game out of this. You could cast spells, direct armies, flip through your spellbooks, and mix potions from the comfort of your couch. Imagine standing dramatically behind your armies, engaged in a rapier duel of spell and counter-spell with your shadowy counterpart while the torn bodies of mythical beasts and abominations litter the battlefield! A game that's all about melodramatic gestures and poses could work just fine. Bonus points if you get to use a staff.

 

[CCountZero]

This is the point of the question. It's a "what if?". What if the controls DID work? What if the content WAS deep and engaging? What if the gameplay DID provide you with enough fun challenge? Would you be interested then? Or would you still not care because it would require you to move?

For me, I simply can't take motion controls seriously. With all respect to the people who like them, when I use stuff like Kinect and Move, I just end up feeling like an idiot.

Now, if I had something like that Battlefield simulator the Gadget Show made?
I don't know how I'd feel, as I haven't tried it, but I imagine I'd be all business.

So, the concept of having to move doesn't really get in my way. As has been stated before, it's not that I have to move, it's that it has to be effective as a method of control.

This means that me playing my Rock Band drum kit and pro-mode guitar is great, while me using my mates Gun-thing for the PS Move to play Killzone or whatever, is shit.

What's necessary to make motion control work is Augmented Reality, which I'm convinced will eventually get a good and firm hold on all of us.

 

[Xprimentyl]

When I get home from work, kick my shoes off, crack open a beer and fire up the Xbox, the LAST thing I want to do is have to move my coffee table to a far wall so I can flail my arms and legs around in front of my TV. To be clear, I've no problem with physical activity; I'm actually quite active, it's just nothing I ever felt was missing from my gaming experience. The could probably install an Easy-Bake Oven in my glove compartment, but y'know, I don't really think that'd improve my morning commute much...

 

[Shoggoth2588]

There are really only two games that require motion controls that I have a deep interest in or rather, 2 series that I had a deep interest in. Those being Dance Dance Revolution and, Guitar Hero (nothing against Rock Band but GH stole my heart first)

I honestly haven't tried any games for the Kinect but I'm positive there are still demos set up in various Best Buys near me. I've played various Wii games though and, based on that I know motion controls aren't for me. Not to say I dislike the Wii but my favorite games for the Wii are the ones that greatly downplay the motion controls or, better yet, the games that let you use the gamecube or, classic controller. Donkey Kong downplays the motion controls to the point that I've had fun playing it. Mario Kart Wii however, is unplayable for me if I have to use the Wiimote, with or without the Wii...eel.

As for other games integrating motion controls, I thought it was mildly amusing to have motion controls in Face Raiders on the 3DS but I only played that game for a couple of days. As for PS3 games that use the controller's motion thing like...I think it was Resistance or something...All I remember was turning the controller to turn a valve. I thought that aspect of the game was freaking annoying. It didn't take me completely out of the mood of the game but it made me feel like those schmucks from 90's TV shows who play video games by shaking and, turning their controller around.

I don't see myself liking the Kinect though. There's no force feedback of any kind so, if I'm playing Nightmare Something on the Kinect, I flail my left arm to punch and watch my character's fist shatter against a brick wall while my arm continues on and I throw myself off balance. Not to say I would want motion controls with force feedback. Pressing buttons and, pulling triggers on a vibrating controller is awesome but flinging a wiimote only to have it suddenly stop and try to fling itself back at me would probably result in a lot more injuries than what was reported when the Wii was first released.

TLR version? Only like motion controls in extreme situations. It would be great for arcades but those have gone the way of Crystal Pepsi.

 

[MiddleAgedMan]

Would like to point out that playing modern First Person Shooters is very much a reality using Kinect and the PC program FAAST.

Honestly, its not perfect, but in a lot of respects it's a far better experience than anything Microsoft has provided us with so far.

The program is free to download, and openly available. I recommend those interested in motion gaming, and those not wanting to wait for Microsoft to get their act together, try it out.

Want an example of how it works?

Here is a video of me playing Bulletstorm using FAAST and the Xbox Kinect:

.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp8HLje7BJc

.


As well, I have created Kinect control schemes with Morrowind, Oblivion, Dead Island, Just Cause 2, Mirrors Edge, S.T.A.L.K.E.R, and others, and am looking for recommendations for future game implementations.

What do you guys think?

Yay or Nay for using Kinect in this way to play PC games?

 

[MetallicaRulez0]

Where's the "Both" option?

I don't want to get out of my chair and flail around the room like a jackass while playing games. I want to sit in a comfortable chair and relax. Secondly, I have yet to see a single motion-controlled game that was anything more than absolute garbage, both from a gameplay and a narrative perspective. If you want me to get up and move to play your stupid game, at least make your stupid game worth playing.

 

[lavalamp]

Now, all that being said, you could make a decent Master of Magic type game out of this. You could cast spells, direct armies, flip through your spellbooks, and mix potions from the comfort of your couch. Imagine standing dramatically behind your armies, engaged in a rapier duel of spell and counter-spell with your shadowy counterpart while the torn bodies of mythical beasts and abominations litter the battlefield! A game that's all about melodramatic gestures and poses could work just fine. Bonus points if you get to use a staff.

Cool!

This means that me playing my Rock Band drum kit and pro-mode guitar is great, while me using my mates Gun-thing for the PS Move to play Killzone or whatever, is shit.

Indeed, rock band et al are good examples of how motion control can enhance an experience in ways a simple controller can't, but I agree with you 100%: it's completely game specific. And vice versa: you shouldn't be trying to shoehorn motion control in games that simply can't support them and would be better served with a controller.

 

[MiddleAgedMan]

Where's the "Both" option?

I don't want to get out of my chair and flail around the room like a jackass while playing games. I want to sit in a comfortable chair and relax. Secondly, I have yet to see a single motion-controlled game that was anything more than absolute garbage, both from a gameplay and a narrative perspective. If you want me to get up and move to play your stupid game, at least make your stupid game worth playing.

Did you check out the video I linked? Playing Bulletstorm with the Kinect has been a blast, and is probably the most functional implementation of Kinect, and controller free gaming, I have seen so far.

As far as a mixed control scheme goes, I have had best luck so far with STALKER. I handle all the shooting, reloading, movement, etc. with a Xbox controller (on PC w/ custom settings), and I use the Kinect only for two functions:

First, to lean left and right (its tough to lean/shoot at the same time on a controller).
Second, to move my cursor with greater speed. Since you need to be accurate in STALKER, you need your right analog stick to be very fine movements. All the coarse cursor movements are handled by the Kinect, by moving the entire controller left/right and up/down.

All this can be done from a sitting position, so no need to get up out of your chair and flail around like a jackass