Featured Discussion: Gaming in 2010
Where do you see gaming going in 2010? This was actually the discussion topic of ITC's 149th episode, which was lost to the abyss, so we're going to start off our new site with this topic since it's fresh in our minds. 2010 promises a lot of interesting changes to the world of gaming, and we want to explore the possibilities and hedge our bets on what we think we'll be seeing in gaming in the coming year. Some things of interest are Sony's as-of-yet unnamed motion controller, as well as Microsoft's still-codenamed Project Natal. We are also curious to see if Nintendo will do anything new to push the Wii even harder.So let me take a look at each of those big three, in, yes, a very particular order. First up we have Sony, who is taking what I think is probably the right approach to take on motion controls right now. The rumors as of now are that Sony will launch their new motion controller sometime in the first half of the year, probably around March. We don't know the price, or really much about the actual software that it will work with, but we do know that they're combining a mix of Nintendo's waggle with Microsoft's whole-body approach. This is why I think it's the right way to go.
Sony seems to understand that you can't use gimmicky motion controls as the only means of playing a game, at least in most cases. Their controller, which I'm betting will be called Sphere when it's released, uses precise motion tracking in combination with buttons on a wand-like device. Their tracking is going to be far more accurate than what Nintendo currently offers, even with the Wii Motion Plus. Essentially, if you imagine what the Wii *could be*, if it were magically an HD console with a solid online network, killer software and tight controls, you'd end up with the Sony Sphere. Here's hoping it will retail at a decent price and with an amazing lineup of software to get things started.
Microsoft, on the other hand, is going for a completely different kind of motion controls. We've all seen the demos of people, Jimmy Fallon included, flailing themselves wildly about trying to hit soccer balls with their heads or drive a car with an invisible steering wheel and so on. This approach seems odd to me because I'm a firm believer in physical interaction with your gaming. You probably know my thoughts on the iPhone "gaming revolution" and how it's, for the most part, just another gimmick. I think the same line of thought might apply to Project Natal.
The technology behind it is fantastic, don't get me wrong, but at this point I feel that Microsoft might be banking too heavily on it and forgetting that you still need buttons to push. They've got a while to get things sorted out, since it looks like Natal won't launch until October or November of next year, and I hope they make some smart choices. The Xbox 360 is undeniably the leading console at this point, and Microsoft has done almost everything spot-on this generation. I just hope they don't screw it up with their official response to Nintendo's motion-controlled phenomenon.
Speaking of which, I think Nintendo basically pulled "an Apple" in that they released a profound new product that was groundbreaking on one or two levels, and has rested on its laurels ever since. Nothing new has come to the Wii since its launch three years ago - and I firmly stand by that statement. There have been far too few titles that truly take advantage of the Wii and far too many titles that simply encourage me to get my grandma to shake it, throw it, twist it, etc. Would I have still bought a Wii three years ago if I'd have known the only games my wife and I would truly enjoy on it would be Mario Kart, Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime? Probably, but it would have made me reconsider the $250 asking price.
From what we can tell, Nintendo is offering is absolutely nothing new in 2010. We know that there are new games coming out that we all want, Metroid: Other M and Mario Galaxy 2 chief among them. But those sound awfully familiar, don't they? Sure I'm missing other great titles that I'm just not into, and hopefully the rest of our writers can fill in some gaps, but this has always been my style of gaming, and I grew up on Nintendo! So where is my Star Fox? Where is my F-Zero? Where is Pikmin 3? I'm sorry, Nintendo, but one or two franchises and the promise of a heartbeat sensor that I wear on my finger and is going to change the way I game (sigh) are not really enough to keep me interested. In 2010, Nintendo either needs to start showing off new hardware, or show the gaming world, people like you and I who grew up on their industry-defining titles, that they've still got some kahunas.
-Phil
Related Links
Famitsu - 2010 In Videogames Already Revealed
Sony seems to understand that you can't use gimmicky motion controls as the only means of playing a game, at least in most cases. Their controller, which I'm betting will be called Sphere when it's released, uses precise motion tracking in combination with buttons on a wand-like device. Their tracking is going to be far more accurate than what Nintendo currently offers, even with the Wii Motion Plus. Essentially, if you imagine what the Wii *could be*, if it were magically an HD console with a solid online network, killer software and tight controls, you'd end up with the Sony Sphere. Here's hoping it will retail at a decent price and with an amazing lineup of software to get things started.
Microsoft, on the other hand, is going for a completely different kind of motion controls. We've all seen the demos of people, Jimmy Fallon included, flailing themselves wildly about trying to hit soccer balls with their heads or drive a car with an invisible steering wheel and so on. This approach seems odd to me because I'm a firm believer in physical interaction with your gaming. You probably know my thoughts on the iPhone "gaming revolution" and how it's, for the most part, just another gimmick. I think the same line of thought might apply to Project Natal.
The technology behind it is fantastic, don't get me wrong, but at this point I feel that Microsoft might be banking too heavily on it and forgetting that you still need buttons to push. They've got a while to get things sorted out, since it looks like Natal won't launch until October or November of next year, and I hope they make some smart choices. The Xbox 360 is undeniably the leading console at this point, and Microsoft has done almost everything spot-on this generation. I just hope they don't screw it up with their official response to Nintendo's motion-controlled phenomenon.
Speaking of which, I think Nintendo basically pulled "an Apple" in that they released a profound new product that was groundbreaking on one or two levels, and has rested on its laurels ever since. Nothing new has come to the Wii since its launch three years ago - and I firmly stand by that statement. There have been far too few titles that truly take advantage of the Wii and far too many titles that simply encourage me to get my grandma to shake it, throw it, twist it, etc. Would I have still bought a Wii three years ago if I'd have known the only games my wife and I would truly enjoy on it would be Mario Kart, Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime? Probably, but it would have made me reconsider the $250 asking price.
From what we can tell, Nintendo is offering is absolutely nothing new in 2010. We know that there are new games coming out that we all want, Metroid: Other M and Mario Galaxy 2 chief among them. But those sound awfully familiar, don't they? Sure I'm missing other great titles that I'm just not into, and hopefully the rest of our writers can fill in some gaps, but this has always been my style of gaming, and I grew up on Nintendo! So where is my Star Fox? Where is my F-Zero? Where is Pikmin 3? I'm sorry, Nintendo, but one or two franchises and the promise of a heartbeat sensor that I wear on my finger and is going to change the way I game (sigh) are not really enough to keep me interested. In 2010, Nintendo either needs to start showing off new hardware, or show the gaming world, people like you and I who grew up on their industry-defining titles, that they've still got some kahunas.
-Phil
Related Links
Famitsu - 2010 In Videogames Already Revealed
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