Is jumping around the future of gaming?

[Jason]

With Microsoft's NATAL well into development, the huge sales success of the Wii, and now even Sony delving into the motion-capture market with the eyepet and eyetoy, it appears that motion-capture gaming is here to stay for the time being.

Personally, I don't think it's going to ever really take hold. The Wii's sales are starting to slump a little without decent games to back up the technological innovation (or possibly because everyone in the known universe owns one). As for the eyetoy, I believe it launched back in the days of the PS2, and nobody blinked twice.

NATAL seems to have good technology behind it, but exactly what use does motion capture have in gaming apart from novelty 'family' games? I just can't see how motion capture offers anything that is going to push forward the gaming industry or excite the gaming public, which is probably going to result in poor sales.

How do you feel about motion capture? Has it been taken as far as it can go, or does it still have plenty to offer?

[Daggers]

Wow Jason, what an interesting question! (:P)

I shall answer that with my own viewpoint that. No, for me "Jumping around" is not what I hope the future of gaming will be.

As you are no doubt aware, project "Natal" has been released since this post was made TWO FREAKEN YEARS ago. Personally though I don't much like the idea of Kinect and I thing there is still a lot to be said for the traditional controller pad style of gaming. At least, I think it has a good few years left.

Who knows what's coming 5/10 years down the line though. For all we know the Xbox 720 could possess some kind of virtual reality technology that literally puts you into the game you're playing! I think that would be pretty sweet and it's an idea that's floated around throughout console history as "the future" right?

So yeah, with that said, maybe this "jumping around" business is a stepping stone in that direction. For me, at the moment It's seems more like a "party" game kind of thing, much like the Wii and doesn't seem like something you would play often on your own. But it's definitely a step forward.

P.S.
Necro-bumped.

[Konrad]

I still think NATAL was a much cooler, though granted not quite as punny a name.
It seems that jumping around is indeed the way it's going, if nothing else than because people are buying it. Sooner or later somebody out there is bound to make something revolutionary with it while engaging the hardcore crowd - and then a wave of only slightly innovative clones will follow. Thus, a genre shall develop!

The whole jumping around thing is going to be a huge thing to overcome for extended play games though. It's going to be very difficult to convince anyone to get down and jiggy for the entirety of a 60 hour RPG, it would be like expecting someone to watch the Lord of The Rings trilogy, but actually cover the distance to Mordor while they do it.

[Jason]

In fairness, that would probably do the image of your average LotR nerd quite a lot of good. Being able to speak Elvish and know five hundred ways to tell the difference between Smeagol and Gollum hasn't traditionally lead to an awful lot of lady-related action, but throw in thighs the size of a normal man's torso, and it might improve the odds at least a little.

[Konrad]

I don't know if thighs are exactly what these people are low on. :p

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dJylj_lumkc/Sw6be8EdSQI/AAAAAAAAAEk/zO1YVpaoKzQ/s1600/really-fat-guy-on-computer.jpg

[Daggers]

I don't know if thighs are exactly what these people are low on. :p

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dJylj_lumkc/Sw6be8EdSQI/AAAAAAAAAEk/zO1YVpaoKzQ/s1600/really-fat-guy-on-computer.jpg


You know considering his weight, the quality of the picture and the technology he's using, I'd say this guy is probably dead now.

[Jason]

Not true. That's actually MNDF's Myspace picture.

[MyNameDidntFit]

MySp-... My... MySpace... oh, good God man. Truly, if I ever fell so far into filth and sin that I created a MySpace I'd deliberately eat my way to that size, just to blot out the humility of that heinous act.



On the point though: motion technology as it currently is will remain a gimmick. That which will likely evolve from current motion technology may well hit mainstream (and I mean real gaming mainstream, not Wii mainstream) and be awesome.

[Lance]

You know considering his weight, the quality of the picture and the technology he's using, I'd say this guy is probably dead now.

Really? I'm surprised the toilet in the background looks like it's still functioning normally...

[hs6]

pretty soon, motion gaming will slump, probably when companies start to run out of new ideas for how jumping around can be used as a control system, then we gamers will RISE UP AND TAKE BACK WHAT IS OURS IN A BLAZE OF GLORY AND BLOODSHED!!!! ......or maybe everyone else will just get bored and stop buying motion consoles/peripherals......

[Kozahk]

THIS is the new future of motion gaming: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgrhVEPQu1c

I like to imagine that she's somehow managing to fly a fighter jet like that :D

[happysister]

are you kidding? she's playing the Karate Kid. "wax on, wax off."