Will Motion Controlled Videogames Really Take Off?

Don’t let the title fool you. As a semi-proud owner of a Nintendo Wii, I know that motion controlled games can be successful. Wii Sports is one of the funnest pick up and play videogames of this generation, and the innovation of motion detection in Metroid Prime 3 made first person shooters play so much better than the typical two joystick setup. We know the motion controlled system can really help the accessibility in games, and even improve some, but that isn’t the question.

What I want to know is if these new immersion techniques are able to be integrated into the hardcore gaming market successfully. Will the Playstation Move and Microsoft’s Natal help or hinder the hardcore games? Will they do more or less towards the struggle to videogames known as art form, or just make them seen as “kids stuff” in the media more than they already are? These are all questions that will hopefully be answered by next year.

Microsoft’s Natal will be doing integration much differently than the rest of the pack. By not designing a specific controller and locking the player into gameplay solely centered on motion control, they are allowing the gamer to utilize the best of both worlds. With their unique camera design they allow the motion aspect to enhance the game rather than center around it. This is the single most important aspect of Natal that will keep it on top of the pack. That is, if the game developers actually utilize it in the correct way. Just think about the possibilities that can come from a camera that can recognize movements and motions in the real world and apply them to game play.

One example that I immediately thought of was for squad based shooters. I could never really get into these types of games, only because the management of multiple members while in first person mode drives me crazy. All those D pad commands either got too complicated or too limiting. But with Natal, imagine if your hand motions would represent the actual military hand motions and your AI controlled characters would respond to them! You hold up a fist and all your teammates stop dead in their tracks. You then point to a soldier and motion forward with your hand. They respond and then folks out your order to the T. That kind of game enhancement is what we need right now, not a take over from the controller but instead a way to interact in small ways with your characters on screen. You want the experience to be more realistic, not cheap and gimmicky.

Though we still have seen neither Natal nor Move, it will be exciting to watch how their presence in the game market will change the perception of the entire industry from both the media and gamers themselves. No matter what happens, At least we can be glad developers aren’t trying to get us wear 3D glasses to experience better “immersion.” Oh wait..