Motion control has to be the most divisive topic in gaming culture since the controller versus mouse and keyboard debate. Everyone has a strong opinion, and although there are plenty of people happily using both, there are communities on either side of the fence who feel that motion controls are either the future of games design, or a craze that has brought about the need for overpriced peripherals and far more floor space than has been previously required.
It’s arguable from both sides of the fence, and the first argument worth taking a look at is that motion control defeats the point of the classic console gaming attitude. People play party poker because they love poker, but don’t want to travel to Vegas. In the same vein, console gamers love playing NBA titles, but the reason they do this is because they are not as keen on being out on the court playing basketball at that precise moment. But what if that becomes the norm, and the only way to play Halo is to spend four hours a night jogging on the spot? Hardly relaxing, some would say.
On the other hand, motion control enables game designers to take interaction to a whole new level. Microsoft’s Kinect is being used for purposes outside this, however – to help blind people see, to produce more advanced technology that is swiftly catching up with our visions of virtual reality, and so on. But in order for this tech to develop, people have to embrace the idea that motion control is the way forward. Controllers will always have a place in gaming, but being able to actually exercise, or just explore with your hands is an arguably more fluid experience.
Both arguments are valid, and a lot of developers are producing titles that worth with both, or settle for one or the other. The controller will always have a place in any gamer’s home, but whether or not it falls by the wayside in favour of a sensor is yet to be decided.
