Getting more interesting...
And the full keynote, with both dialog and slides (displayed next to the video) translated and timed. It's like being there!
Friday, September 16, 2005
Videee of controlleeee
Getting more interesting...
And the full keynote, with both dialog and slides (displayed next to the video) translated and timed. It's like being there!
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While the video in the link is truly masterful marketing, one can't help but notice that the people are simply waving a rectangular wand around in the air in synchronicity with sound effects. No actual functionality is displayed.
ReplyDeleteAt the very best, the thing could function like a laser pointer attached to a joystick, which would be used as a means of interacting with the game environments. It's questionable, given the way the user is forced to hold the joystick, whether or not the pointing would be accurate or even enjoyable in that manner, or whether gamers would find it worthwhile. Again, that's assuming the thing were effectively a laser-accurate pointer.
The device, however, is not a laser -- it's an IR device. IR devices are not pinpoint-accurate. The slashing motions displayed by the people in the video, for example, are not being magically motion-sensed -- at best, they're just the pointer being sensed as moving diagonally across the screen, causing the character to make a movement with his sword. While interesting, it's just a gimmick, and again, no actual functionaliy was demonstrated. Your imagination may be giving the device far too much credit.
Remember the PowerGlove? The commercials gave the distinct impression that the opening, closing, and movements of the fingers seemed to perfectly control the character. It was almost implied that every hand motion would cause a reaction in the game, or serve some sort of purpose. In effect, though, the PowerGlove was basically just a spacial sensor that was wildly inaccurate, strapped to a glove alongside an NES joystick.
And the U-Force thingie that sat on the ground and was intended to do similar? Oh, that was wildly popular.
Yup.
Show it to me when it's actually working and when it doesn't look like yet another stupid gimmick that people assume they need because the marketing is so good.
--Derek
Yeah, I'm still skeptical--but if you read on the internet, everyone who has actually used it all seem to be either very optimistic about it or are downright gushing over it.
ReplyDeleteIt took me a good 24 hours, but geez, man, use your imagination. This has actual, real potential, unlike the PS3 and X360 controllers which basically were technology done by someone who woke up, scratched their ass, and then spent 15 minutes brainstorming over how to make the plastic smoother and the buttons shinier on the same controller from 5 years ago.
And Nintendo sucks at marketing--they've never been 'marketing.' If we're talking marketing between MS, Sony, and Nintendo, Nintendo is the gimp-footed two-legged blind goat. I actually believe that, as crazy as it is, Iwata really wants to revolutionize gameplay.
Listen: By the sound of this thing, you could play Initial D v3 using the damn thing with it's gyroscopic sensors as a steering wheel, and it would be effective. Is that not nothing unimportant to you?! Are you not blind to the lack of successes this fails to neglect?
"Im... a... gin... ay... shun?"
ReplyDeleteI completely disagree that Nintendo sucks at marketing. They make "just a little bit better" product after "just a little bit better" product and sell the fuck out of them.
Wow, that gameboy is now the "Gameboy Advance!" Wow! Must buy! Oh, now there's the Advance SP! Must buy! WOW THAT GAMEBOY HAS TWO SCREENS, that, like... *counts on fingers* makes it 8 times better!
Yes, imagination is great, but a product ends up being its reality, unless you want to get into the whole "subjective experience and placebo effect self-fulfilling prophecy of a positive consumer experience" crap.
Yes, the thing has promise. Yes, it's CLEARLY innovative. But will it work extremely well as an interface to games by itself, or will Nintendo soon begin bundling an adaptor or more traditional controller for its *normal* suite of games? If the companies making games for Nintendo choose not to incorporate the capabilities of the joystick, what good will those capabilities be?
Ever heard of the iToy, a netcam-type-thing that people can hook to their console to be able to use motion capture to play games? People who tried that overwhelmingly thought that was "really fun" and were "optimistic" as well... yet, that was just for a very limited set of games, and people still almost exclusively want to play their games using a traditional controller. While I agree that some of the recent console controllers have been unweildy and complicated, that's not to say that they weren't quickly adapted to and that they didn't serve well as what they are: an interface to a wide suite of diverse games.
There's only so far imagination can take you before it becomes just completely unwarranted idle speculation and optimism.
SHOW ME A VIDEO OF PEOPLE PLAYING MULTIPLE GAMES WITH THE CLICKER AND MAKE A BELIEVARR OF ME!
I WANNA KNOW WHAT LOVE ISSSSSSSSS
I KNOW YOU CAN SHOWWWWWWW MEEEEEEEE
...
ReplyDeleteOkay, okay, so I read more about the thing. It seems to have a positional gyroscopic sensor within the thing of which I was previously unaware.
If the accuracy of said device is sufficient, it could indeed rock balls.
Sincerely,
--Derek
I'm glad you've capitulated fully, and I accept your shameful surrender!
ReplyDeleteA pithy note concerning your Nintendo DS thing--Hey, we're not even talking about the DS! But even if we were, compare it to the PSP, which was just "turn up the technology--TO ELEVEN!" ,well--just based on that you see that relatively, Nintendo has at least three more bushels and five more sacks of marbles of imagination than any of the other players.
Yes, they've been milking the GB/GBA teet dry, but name another instance where they've done that? That's the sole example of 'tweak and release' and it does nothing to prove they have marketing ability, which they don't!
Let this debate live forever! Viva la discusión!