MG's Panel-Based Quiz-Game Thing #5 -- GAME THREAD!

[Lance]

Good luck guys – bonus points for gratuitous brown-nosing of course. Answers need to be in by Sunday 4th. Any answers after that will be accepted, but docked points.


Question 1:
I first learned about anti-gamers while playing Dungeons and Dragons (a fact I'm not proud of) and I'm still amazed at the lengths they go to in their idiocy to blame society's problems on All games that espouse violence, sex, drugs etc. Since then I've seen some REALLY stupid anti-gaming debates and here is just one example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryH2WemACIM

**What makes this video funny is that Julie Peasgood voiced a character on the 2000 horror video game Martian Gothic: Unification**

Firstly, what are your thoughts on that "debate" and secondly, give an example (personal or in the media) of anti-gamers with ridiculous arguments.



Question 2:
3D Movies are MASSIVE at the moment. After Avatar, it seems every other movie is going to be released in 3D, whether it's a good idea or not. Enter 3DS, Nintendo's new DS will be 3D without glasses.
So what's everyone's thoughts on 3D in gaming. Are we at a point in technology where it will be worth a try, or are we still a long way off?



Question 3:
Spy Party (http://kotaku.com/5500968/the-next-smart-video-game-only-lets-you-kill-once) is a much anticipated game. While still only in early development (as the graphics show), the premise is solid and very different from most games. You get only 1 bullet and you have to kill the other player who is pretending to "blend in" with the AI guests at a party while completing objectives.

While it sounds fun, it could also be very repetitive and a downright disaster if made incorrectly. So, place yourself in the developer's shoes, what features would YOU include in the game to make it a critical success?



Question 4:
The Ghostbusters WIImote (http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/214180/ghostbusters-wiimote-mod-looks-painful-cool/) is one of the best "home-made" game controllers in a long time. So if you could build the ultimate game controller or console mod, what game would you make it for, and what would be the key features?

[Jason]

Question 1:
I first learned about anti-gamers while playing Dungeons and Dragons (a fact I'm not proud of) and I'm still amazed at the lengths they go to in their idiocy to blame society's problems on All games that espouse violence, sex, drugs etc. Since then I've seen some REALLY stupid anti-gaming debates and here is just one example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryH2WemACIM

**What makes this video funny is that Julie Peasgood voiced a character on the 2000 horror video game Martian Gothic: Unification**

Firstly, what are your thoughts on that "debate" and secondly, give an example (personal or in the media) of anti-gamers with ridiculous arguments.

I think there are potentially valid arguments out there that violent videogames can have a negative effect on impressionable youngsters - just as violent movies can do the same. However, those who make the loudest noises are almost always ill-informed loudmouthed idiots who have never played a game in their lives. This, unfortunately is called 'freedom of speech', and as we all know, opinions are like arseholes - everyone's got one, and most of them stink.
Of course, to most sane humans, responsibility should lie with parents to make an informed decision on what their kids should and should not be allowed to play - that's not always the way things work though, and it's never the parents that get the blame when Little Jimmy goes out and smacks his brother upside the head with a baseball bat after playing too much GTA.

As for the best example of anti-gaming hysteria, the hilarious interview with the woman (whose name escapes me) condemning that awful 80's live-action game Night Trap as a game that "encouraged the trapping and murdering of young women" - conveniently missing the fact that the idea of the game was to save said young women from bizarre creatures that were trying to kidnap them through the use of cameras and traps. The gaming world had a right good laugh at that one - unfortunately, no-one heard them because they were all living in their parents' basements. :p

Question 2:
3D Movies are MASSIVE at the moment. After Avatar, it seems every other movie is going to be released in 3D, whether it's a good idea or not. Enter 3DS, Nintendo's new DS will be 3D without glasses.
So what's everyone's thoughts on 3D in gaming. Are we at a point in technology where it will be worth a try, or are we still a long way off?

I don't think 3D gaming is coming for a while yet - the processing power needed to make something look exceptionally pretty in "2D" is still phenomenal - look at the two console leaders at the moment - Uncharted 2 and God of War III - both gorgeous games, but both require about 90% of the PS3's processing power, and the PS3 has some fairly impressive grunt behind it. Also, we're still having games (particularly third person shooters/action games) released where the camera is unfeasibly difficult to control, so god only knows the problems we'll have when developers try to move to 'true' 3D...

Question 3:
Spy Party (http://kotaku.com/5500968/the-next-smart-video-game-only-lets-you-kill-once) is a much anticipated game. While still only in early development (as the graphics show), the premise is solid and very different from most games. You get only 1 bullet and you have to kill the other player who is pretending to "blend in" with the AI guests at a party while completing objectives.

While it sounds fun, it could also be very repetitive and a downright disaster if made incorrectly. So, place yourself in the developer's shoes, what features would YOU include in the game to make it a critical success?

The concept for this beauty is very similar to Outerlight Studios' The Ship, which remains one of my favourite multiplayer games. The issue I can see is that with one-on-one games there are going to be quite a few 'down' times where there's not much happening. I think they need to borrow another idea from the ship and invite a few more players to the party to throw a couple more spanners in the mix. However, I agree with you that I'm still very much looking forward to this one.

Question 4:
The Ghostbusters WIImote (http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/214180/ghostbusters-wiimote-mod-looks-painful-cool/) is one of the best "home-made" game controllers in a long time. So if you could build the ultimate game controller or console mod, what game would you make it for, and what would be the key features?

Ooh, I think some kind of guitar-shaped controller where you push one of five coloured buttons as they scroll down the scr...*whisper whisper* ...wha? It's been done? Damn.
Erm... I'd quite like to see some kind of tablet-based controller for RTS games - the surface of the tablet shows the entire map, and you can move your units simply by touching them and then touching where you want them to go. It'd allow for much faster issuing of orders, which is a godsend in the middle of a hectic battle - you'd be able to keep the main camera on your base to oversee buildings and construction of units, whilst still monitoring the overall situation and being able to issue orders at the front line.

[Rob]

I first learned about anti-gamers while playing Dungeons and Dragons (a fact I'm not proud of) and I'm still amazed at the lengths they go to in their idiocy to blame society's problems on All games that espouse violence, sex, drugs etc. Since then I've seen some REALLY stupid anti-gaming debates and here is just one example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryH2WemACIM

**What makes this video funny is that Julie Peasgood voiced a character on the 2000 horror video game Martian Gothic: Unification**

Firstly, what are your thoughts on that "debate" and secondly, give an example (personal or in the media) of anti-gamers with ridiculous arguments.
There were so many things wrong with that interview. I'm not familiar with the program, but from the conversation and the reaction of the crowd I can only assume that it's a conservative program with an older age group as their primary viewers. Also based on what took place during the mock discussion I don't think the show could be valued as anything more then entertainment akin to the Bill O'Reilly show is the U.S. It doesn't seek out a solution as much as it searches for a way to appeal to peoples emotions. That in itself is fine for entertainment, but it bothers me when they approach serious subjects with blinders.

Engim and Peasgood both threw out some statistics that I felt did nothing to further the discussion and they put entirely to much weight behind them. Studies done over such a large number of people and time are open to so many different variables that speaking of their results as fact strikes a nerve with me. I have no idea who funded the research or what biases they might have had. For each study showing one view there will almost always be another study arguing the opposite. Aka. The U.S. Tobacco industries view of tobacco and the link to assoiciated deaths.

My view on this is simple and probably obvious since I'm here at MG :) Video games in general must be seperated into their different categories because nothing is achieved by lumping them all together and calling them dangerous. Seperate from the rest of the industry, violent video games are a source of entertainment and can be very dangerous psychologically if put into the hands of immature people of any age. That has a lot to do with the interaction required by the player to perform violent acts. I agree completly with that viewpoint. With that said there is no more of a problem with these games then there is with rubber band guns or literature containing violence. Do rubber band guns lead to children shooting up their schools? Does a young child's interest in the the Lord Of The Rings trilogy books lead to the child taking up sword and stead to charge into a bloody rampage? I'm getting a little bit offbeat but Im sure you get what I mean.

If I was effected by video games then I have no problem pointing the finger directly at my parents. There is a clear disconnect between younger generations that grew up with Nintendo and the generations before them. Older age groups discount videogames as a waste of time and by doing that they are at fault for any wrong doing resulting from their lack of interest in what is the entertainment of today and the foreseeable future. I can't stand censorship and ignorance from anyone and its so appearant here that I just laugh at old people. Why not do as Engim was suggesting and take a more active role in what your child does? Use the child safety systems in place and working right now in all game consoles. It's like talking to a brick wall with these people...


3D Movies are MASSIVE at the moment. After Avatar, it seems every other movie is going to be released in 3D, whether it's a good idea or not. Enter 3DS, Nintendo's new DS will be 3D without glasses.
So what's everyone's thoughts on 3D in gaming. Are we at a point in technology where it will be worth a try, or are we still a long way off?
I'm weary of the massive push for 3D from the entire entertainment industry. Games in particular are trying to do motion controls and now 3D at the same time and I'm not biting. I understand what is going on here. Nintendo has reached saturation point with the DS and has to introduce something new to the line before it loses its star power. They think being the first to make the 3D jump is going to land them in the same mountain of gold as before. Who really cares about 3D right now. The tech is very early and far from being something I would value for entertainment. Maybe 5 or 10 years down the road it will be smoother and not cause me to get headaches. Until then I'm writing this off as something that is completely unessesary right now.

Spy Party is a much anticipated game. While still only in early development (as the graphics show), the premise is solid and very different from most games. You get only 1 bullet and you have to kill the other player who is pretending to "blend in" with the AI guests at a party while completing objectives.
Boring. Show me a person that can make a character blend in with and AI crowd and I'll show you my Ferrari. AI is nowhere near advanced enough to make me interested in Spy Party. Here's hoping that i'm completely wrong and the game turns out to be fun.

The Ghostbusters WIImote is one of the best "home-made" game controllers in a long time. So if you could build the ultimate game controller or console mod, what game would you make it for, and what would be the key features?
Jason why use a tablet when you could use one of Microsofts touch sensitive tables? A game built from the ground up to use multi-touch tech like that would be beyond amazing. I'm imaging that tables touchscreen up a few feet off the ground and tilted at an angle. You could stand there and command the battlefield with both hands. Mmm the future :)

[MyNameDidntFit]

Question 1
Firstly, I got to 0:07 before the guy's voice annoyed the shit out of me and I stopped it. So, based off my skimming of Rob's excessive use of textual diarrhoea, the debate is as farcical as any other 'debate' on video games as a stimuli for youth development -- in other words it's bullshit and people only believe it because it's what they want to hear.

Secondly, I was watching the news not too long ago and an article came on that I was barely paying attention to: a man had gotten his throat slit when someone attacked him with a broken piece of glass. Ouch. Yeah, nice news story and- WHAT WAS THAT? A guy that they didn't even introduce as any sort of 'expert' was sitting there saying that [gasp] video games were to blame and -- now here's the real hilarious bit -- that the link between children playing violent video games and their development of violent tendencies was more solid than that between smoking and lung cancer.
Two things wrong here: 1) smoking is medically proven to increase the risk of lung cancer and 2) I've never seen a game where a character uses glass as a weapon... hell, the modern Romeo & Juliet film (with that Dicaprio guy) has more glassings than the gaming industry, why aren't we blaming Shakespeare?

Question 2
If I was looking at a market for 'real' gamers (full consoles/PC) then no; 3D is not worth trying. Developers can barely optimise a pretty game like Crysis well enough to run on the rigs that are commonplace when it comes out so, unless they go for Wiiesque graphics, 3D games will come out and allow a very small portion of the consumer base to play them, thus raping, pillaging and plundering the sales beyond and viable level.

However, being that this is for the DS... it's a risk, but it could hit the spot. Not to pick on you specifically, Rob, but, who cares about 3D? Have you seen Avatar? It's pathetic. All it has is pretty CGI and 3D and yet it's a massive blockbuster. If Nintendo bring out 3D games (and possibly link it in some way to Avatar) on the DS, Wii or any other 'casual gaming oriented' platform, they have a potential to rake in a barrowload of sales simply because casual gaming loves gimmicky crap -- Wii Fit, much?

Question 3
I, like Jasmine, thought of The Ship when I read this -- I haven't played it, but I thought of it. Personally, when I think 'what could I do with this?' I think 'mix it with Splinter Cell'... how so? Give it a whole bunch more spyness than wandering around somewhere with your monocle out pretending you aren't out to kill another bloke. Make it so that you can take great risk for great reward, attempt to get into secure areas, past security or whatever suits the locale to get intel on who your target is. Things like that would give a two-fold risk -- firstly, you're risking being caught snooping which could either bring a bunch of attention to you or bugger something else up for you. Secondly, these secure locations would be static, making them perfect positions to be exposed by your adversary.

Maybe that's just me, but it sounds like it'd add excitement.

Question 4
Hey, Jason, ever heard of a mini-map? Unit bindings? No? Ah, sorry, here I was thinking that we were looking for something original ;)

Rob, your idea is good, but I've seen it somewhere... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ohNzHWL7FI

If they hadn't already been made, I'd have said either the impact vests for FPS games that make you feel the hits you take, or the multi-million dollar vehicle simulators used by professional racing teams for off-course training. But they've been made by dirty idea-stealing bastards so... I'll combine those ideas.

VR is something that every gamer has thought about, seen in movies and the like and basically jizzed all over their pants... well, except for the idea of actually moving while you play a game, but you get over that quickly enough. You said ultimate, so I think ultimate. I'd personally love for an FPS VR kit that'd consist of a medium to allow for body movements to be monitored and placed into the game environment, something akin to a hamster ball (awesome on so many levels, really), in which you would make use of a series of props to represent your sidearm, primary weapon, grenades and other equipment. The visual medium would either take the form of the clichéd VR goggles or by projecting it onto the entire inner surface of the hamster ball -- giving that awesome surround experience and allowing you to actually look over your shoulder and all that. Then you add in similar technology to the aforementioned impact vests and you get yourself a bloody amazing experience.

The only real downside to this is if you're a) unfit, or, b) want to relax to play your games (discounting the downside of the pure power required as this is a fantasy). I really can't think of anything better for the gaming industry than an epic FPS simulation device.

And... hey... the gamer stereotype would get a whole damn lot hotter ;D

[Lance]

Question 1:
I first learned about anti-gamers while playing Dungeons and Dragons (a fact I'm not proud of) and I'm still amazed at the lengths they go to in their idiocy to blame society's problems on All games that espouse violence, sex, drugs etc. Since then I've seen some REALLY stupid anti-gaming debates and here is just one example:


What makes this video funny is that Julie Peasgood voiced a character on the 2000 horror video game Martian Gothic: Unification

Firstly, what are your thoughts on that "debate" and secondly, give an example (personal or in the media) of anti-gamers with ridiculous arguments.


Originally posted by Jason
I think there are potentially valid arguments out there that violent videogames can have a negative effect on impressionable youngsters - just as violent movies can do the same. However, those who make the loudest noises are almost always ill-informed loudmouthed idiots who have never played a game in their lives (+1 unless they've *stared* in one that is). This, unfortunately is called 'freedom of speech', and as we all know, opinions are like arseholes - everyone's got one, and most of them stink. +0 speak for yourself, mine smells like roses.

Of course, to most sane humans, responsibility should lie with parents to make an informed decision on what their kids should and should not be allowed to play - that's not always the way things work though, and it's never the parents that get the blame when Little Jimmy goes out and smacks his brother upside the head with a baseball bat after playing too much GTA. -1 If Little Jimmy is only using a baseball bat, he hasn't learned his lesson.

As for the best example of anti-gaming hysteria, the hilarious interview with the woman (whose name escapes me) condemning that awful 80's live-action game*Night Trap*as a game that "encouraged the trapping and murdering of young women" - conveniently missing the fact that the idea of the game was to*save*said young women from bizarre creatures that were trying to kidnap them through the use of cameras and traps. The gaming world had a right good laugh at that one - unfortunately, no-one heard them because they were all living in their parents' basements. +2 Yeah, gotta watch out for those a**** teaching people to protect young maidens from bad guys so they get laid and +1 for the good example
+1 Good answer overall




Originally posted by Rob
There were so many things wrong with that interview. I'm not familiar with the program, but from the conversation and the reaction of the crowd I can only assume that it's a conservative program with an older age group as their primary viewers. Also based on what took place during the mock discussion I don't think the show could be valued as anything more then entertainment akin to the Bill O'Reilly show is the U.S. It doesn't seek out a solution as much as it searches for a way to appeal to peoples emotions. That in itself is fine for entertainment, but it bothers me when they approach serious subjects with blinders.

Engim and Peasgood both threw out some statistics that I felt did nothing to further the discussion and they put entirely to much weight behind them. Studies done over such a large number of people and time are open to so many different variables that speaking of their results as fact strikes a nerve with me. I have no idea who funded the research or what biases they might have had. For each study showing one view there will almost always be another study arguing the opposite. Aka. The U.S. Tobacco industries view of tobacco and the link to assoiciated deaths.

My view on this is simple and probably obvious since I'm here at MG. Video games in general must be seperated into their different categories because nothing is achieved by lumping them all together and calling them dangerous. Seperate from the rest of the industry, violent video games are a source of entertainment and can be very dangerous psychologically if put into the hands of immature people of any age. That has a lot to do with the interaction required by the player to perform violent acts. I agree completly with that viewpoint. With that said there is no more of a problem with these games then there is with rubber band guns or literature containing violence. Do rubber band guns lead to children shooting up their schools? -0 Speak for yourself, I've been tempted... :) Does a young child's interest in the the Lord Of The Rings trilogy books lead to the child taking up sword and stead to charge into a bloody rampage? I'm getting a little bit offbeat but Im sure you get what I mean.

If I was effected by video games then I have no problem pointing the finger directly at my parents. There is a clear disconnect between younger generations that grew up with Nintendo and the generations before them. Older age groups discount videogames as a waste of time and by doing that they are at fault for any wrong doing resulting from their lack of interest in what is the entertainment of today and the foreseeable future. I can't stand censorship and ignorance from anyone and its so appearant here that I just laugh at old people. Why not do as Engim was suggesting and take a more active role in what your child does? Use the child safety systems in place and working right now in all game consoles. It's like talking to a brick wall with these people... +3 Overall great answer.... -0 for making my eyes bleed though


Originally posted by MNDF
Firstly, I got to 0:07 before the guy's voice annoyed the shit out of me and I stopped it. +1 It was slightly annoying yes So, based off my skimming of Rob's excessive use of textual diarrhoea, +2 Finally, some trash talk! the debate is as farcical as any other 'debate' on video games as a stimuli for youth development -- in other words it's bullshit and people only believe it because it's what they*want*to hear.

Secondly, I was watching the news not too long ago and an article came on that I was barely paying attention to: a man had gotten his throat slit when someone attacked him with a broken piece of glass. Ouch. Yeah, nice news story and- WHAT WAS THAT? A guy that they didn't even introduce as any sort of 'expert' was sitting there saying that [gasp] video games were to blame and -- now here's the real hilarious bit -- that the link between children playing violent video games and their development of violent tendencies was*more solid than that between smoking and lung cancer.
Two things wrong here:*1)*smoking is*medically proven*to increase the risk of lung cancer and*2)*I've never seen a game where a character uses glass as a weapon... hell, the modern Romeo & Juliet film (with that Dicaprio guy) has more glassings than the gaming industry, why aren't we blaming Shakespeare?*

+1 point for all good points



First round, and MNDF kicks things off with the trash talk, netting him extra points. Rob's... long... post went in his favor and Jason's answer was good, if a little restrained ;) Good start overall guys.


1st Place – MNDF, 4 points
2nd Place – Rob, 3 points
3rd Place – Jason, 3 points

[Lance]

Question 2:
3D Movies are MASSIVE at the moment. After Avatar, it seems every other movie is going to be released in 3D, whether it's a good idea or not. Enter 3DS, Nintendo's new DS will be 3D without glasses.
So what's everyone's thoughts on 3D in gaming. Are we at a point in technology where it will be worth a try, or are we still a long way off?



Originally posted by Jason

I don't think 3D gaming is coming for a while yet - the processing power needed to make something look exceptionally pretty in "2D" is still phenomenal - look at the two console leaders at the moment - Uncharted 2 and God of War III - both gorgeous games, but both require about 90% of the PS3's processing power, and the PS3 has some fairly impressive grunt behind it. Also, we're still having games (particularly third person shooters/action games) released where the camera is unfeasibly difficult to control, so god only knows the problems we'll have when developers try to move to 'true' 3D... +1 – Some games I REALLY hate the camera control... but-1 for the PS3 example – where's the 360 love?



Originally posted by Rob

I'm weary of the massive push for 3D from the entire entertainment industry. Games in particular are trying to do motion controls and now 3D at the same time and I'm not biting. I understand what is going on here. Nintendo has reached saturation point with the DS and has to introduce something new to the line before it loses its star power. They think being the first to make the 3D jump is going to land them in the same mountain of gold as before. Who really cares about 3D right now. The tech is very early and far from being something I would value for entertainment. Maybe 5 or 10 years down the road it will be smoother and not cause me to get headaches. Until then I'm writing this off as something that is completely unessesary right now. +1 for the good answer and +2 for understanding the headaches thing




Originally posted by MNDF

If I was looking at a market for 'real' gamers (full consoles/PC) then no; 3D is not worth trying. Developers can barely optimise a pretty game like Crysis well enough to run on the rigs that are commonplace when it comes out so, unless they go for Wiiesque graphics, 3D games will come out and allow a very small portion of the consumer base to play them, thus raping, pillaging and plundering the sales beyond and viable level.

However, being that this is for the DS... it's a risk, but it could hit the spot. Not to pick on you specifically, Rob, but, who cares about 3D? Have you seen Avatar? It's pathetic. All it has is pretty CGI and 3D and yet it's a massive blockbuster. If Nintendo bring out 3D games (and possibly link it in some way to Avatar) on the DS, Wii or any other 'casual gaming oriented' platform, they have a potential to rake in a barrowload of sales simply because casual gaming loves gimmicky crap -- Wii Fit, much? +2 for the answer (Gimicky crap does seem to be cash cows) and another +1 for ripping on Avatar (f****** blue freaks)



MNDF and Rob tie that round with 3 points each, leaving MNDF still in the lead – but barely. Jason drops back slightly with his pro-PS3 stance, but there's still 2 questions to go and it's anyones game.


1st Place – MNDF, 7 points
2nd Place – Rob, 6 points
3rd Place – Jason, 3 points

[Lance]

Question 3
Spy Party*is a much anticipated game. While still only in early development (as the graphics show), the premise is solid and very different from most games. You get only 1 bullet and you have to kill the other player who is pretending to "blend in" with the AI guests at a party while completing objectives.

While it sounds fun, it could also be very repetitive and a downright disaster if made incorrectly. So, place yourself in the developer's shoes, what features would YOU include in the game to make it a critical success?


Originally posted by Jason
The concept for this beauty (+1) is*very*similar to Outerlight Studios'*The Ship, which remains one of my favourite multiplayer games. The issue I can see is that with one-on-one games there are going to be quite a few 'down' times where there's not much happening. I think they need to borrow another idea from the ship and invite a few more players to the party to throw a couple more spanners in the mix. However, I agree with you that I'm still very much looking forward to this one. +2 sucking up always works well and +1 for great taste



Originally posted by Rob
Boring. (-1 Hey! I'm looking forward to it) Show me a person that can make a character blend in with and AI crowd and I'll show you my Ferrari. (+1 good comeback) AI is nowhere near advanced enough to make me interested in Spy Party. Here's hoping that i'm completely wrong and the game turns out to be fun. -0 Still can't get past that boring comment though



Originally posted by MNDF
I, like Jasmine (+1 – Jasmine lol), thought of The Ship when I read this -- I haven't played it, but I thought of it. -2 But Jasmine thought of it first Personally, when I think 'what could I do with this?' I think 'mix it with Splinter Cell'... how so? Give it a whole bunch more spyness than wandering around somewhere with your monocle out pretending you aren't out to kill another bloke. Make it so that you can take great risk for great reward, attempt to get into secure areas, past security or whatever suits the locale to get intel on who your target is. Things like that would give a two-fold risk -- firstly, you're risking being caught snooping which could either bring a bunch of attention to you or bugger something else up for you. Secondly, these secure locations would be static, making them perfect positions to be exposed by your adversary.

Maybe that's just me, but it sounds like it'd add excitement. +1 good answer – like the ideas


And Jason makes a comeback with a liberal use of sucking up, while Rob and MNDF made some good points, they remained on the same points. Last round coming up – who's gonna win?

1st Place - Jason, 7 point
2nd Place – MNDF, 7 points
3rd Place – Rob, 6 points

[Lance]

Question 4:
The*Ghostbusters WIImote*is one of the best "home-made" game controllers in a long time. So if you could build the ultimate game controller or console mod, what game would you make it for, and what would be the key features?



Originally posted by Jason
Ooh, I think some kind of guitar-shaped controller where you push one of five coloured buttons as they scroll down the scr...*whisper whisper* ...wha? It's been done? Damn. +1 – made me laugh
Erm... I'd quite like to see some kind of tablet-based controller for RTS games - the surface of the tablet shows the entire map, and you can move your units simply by touching them and then touching where you want them to go. It'd allow for much faster issuing of orders, which is a godsend in the middle of a hectic battle - you'd be able to keep the main camera on your base to oversee buildings and construction of units, whilst still monitoring the overall situation and being able to issue orders at the front line. +1 Good idea -1 Too bad it's been done already....



Originally posted by Rob
Jason why use a tablet when you could use one of Microsofts touch sensitive tables? (+2 – See) A game built from the ground up to use multi-touch tech like that would be beyond amazing. I'm imaging that tables touchscreen up a few feet off the ground and tilted at an angle. You could stand there and command the battlefield with both hands. Mmm the future -1 Um... forgot your idea?



Originally posted by MNDF

Hey, Jason, ever heard of a mini-map? Unit bindings? No? Ah, sorry, here I was thinking that we were looking for something original.

Rob, your idea is good, but I've seen it somewhere...

If they hadn't already been made, I'd have said either the impact vests for FPS games that make you feel the hits you take, or the multi-million dollar vehicle simulators used by professional racing teams for off-course training. But they've been made by dirty idea-stealing bastards so... I'll combine those ideas.

VR is something that every gamer has thought about, seen in movies and the like and basically jizzed all over their pants... well, except for the idea of actually moving while you play a game, but you get over that quickly enough. You said ultimate, so I think ultimate. I'd personally love for an FPS VR kit that'd consist of a medium to allow for body movements to be monitored and placed into the game environment, something akin to a hamster ball (awesome on so many levels, really), in which you would make use of a series of props to represent your sidearm, primary weapon, grenades and other equipment. The visual medium would either take the form of the clichéd VR goggles or by projecting it onto the*entire*inner surface of the hamster ball -- giving that awesome surround experience and allowing you to actually look over your shoulder and all that. Then you add in similar technology to the aforementioned impact vests and you get yourself a bloody amazing experience. +1 – while it sounds cool... running around in a hamster ball could cause serious damage to the furniture :)

The only real downside to this is if you're*a)*unfit, or,*b)*want to relax to play your games (discounting the downside of the pure power required as this is a fantasy). I really can't think of anything better for the gaming industry than an epic FPS simulation device.*

And... hey... the gamer stereotype would get a whole damn lot hotter ;D -1 If only 90% of gamers WEREN'T male



Annnnnnnnd Jason holds on to his slim lead to take out the game, pipping MNDF and Rob at the post after a slow start, though it could have been a different story had Rob given an idea for a controller or MNDF didn't want male gamers to be hotter :P They finished 2nd on equal points. Sadly, Konnie placed as a DNF due to his absence, but we'll forgive him due to his vacation.

1st Place - Jason, 8 points
2nd Place – MNDF, 7 points
2nd Place – Rob, 7 points
DNF – Konrad, 0 points