The controller revolution essay

The controller revolution: Gesture controllers-

How have they affected the videogames industry?

The controller revolution is changing rapidly as the technology is changing. Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo are changing their controllers and trying to find ways to improve them so they can compete with each other. As the game industry prepare themselves to go into the eighth generation of games consoles they are trying to find new ways to excite there audience. The recent introduction of the Kinect for the Xbox 360 and Move for the PlayStation 3 has made the competition with the Wii even tougher and now with new games being compatible with these controllers the videogame industry is becoming even more competitive. In this essay I will explore how these controllers have changed the videogames industry.

Kinect

Kinect is a motion sensing input device by Microsoft for the Xbox 360. Based around a webcam-style add-on peripheral for the Xbox 360 console, it enables users to control and interact with the Xbox 360 without the need to touch a game controller, through a natural user interface using gestures and spoken commands. The project is aimed at broadening the Xbox 360's audience beyond its typical gamer base. This is Microsoft’s version of the motion sensor to compete with PlayStation and Wii. This device has introduced the games that have revolutionized the videogames industry with them being the something new. Kinect sports, kinect adventures, etc. allow the player to do the natural movements instead of using controllers in hands. This is why it holds the Guinness World Record of being the "fastest selling consumer electronics device".

Move

This is PlayStations attempt at the motion sensing industry with PlayStation Move. Based around a handheld motion controller wand, PlayStation Move uses the PlayStation Eye camera to track the wand's position, and inertial sensors in the wand to detect its motion. Hardware available at launch included the main PlayStation Move motion controller, a supplementary PlayStation Move navigation controller, and an optional PlayStation Move charging station. Although PlayStation Move is implemented on the existing PlayStation 3 console, Sony stated that it treated Move's debut as its own major "platform launch", with a marketing campaign to support it. The PlayStation Move has enhanced game interaction and made it more realistic to play the games. These games in clude virtua tennis, killzone, etc.

Wii Motion Plus

The Wii motion plus is an add on to the wii controller which allows the user to have a more accurate motion copied by the console. During Nintendo's presentation of Wii's successor console, the Wii U, it was announced that it will have support for the Wii Remote Plus and its peripherals in games where use of its touchscreen-built-in primary controller is not imperative. Games for the wii are normally produced by themselves as a first party developer and these include wii sports resort, Just Dance 2 and others. These games changed the ideas of gaming and Sony and Microsoft have followed suit by bringing out there own versions.

Overall the video games that are getting produced today are ones that are compatible with the motion sensor part of the gaming world. This means the videogames industry has moved on with games development by producing this and this is what the future of gaming looks like. Motion Sensors have changed the way we see and the way we play video games.