Sensory controllers: Games ended?

Sensory controllers: Games ended?

On the way the next generation of game consoles – Sony presented PlayStation 4 back in February, and Microsoft organizes a presentation of a new Xbox May 21. Already at the end of this year, new gaming platforms may appear on sale, and updated versions of Move and Kinect touch controllers will be released with them. And this time they will not only become a pleasant addition to the capabilities of the consoles, but will initially be inscribed in their "ecosystem". For example, Sony Introduced Move into the DualShock 4 gamepad, and Kinect 2.0, according to rumors, will become an integral part of the new Xbox.

According to preliminary data, new controllers will finally learn to read the user movements more accurately and will have a number of additional capabilities: for example, Kinect 2.0 can read the lips. I would like to hope that not only technologies, but also games will make a qualitative leap, because with them the current generation of sensors had serious problems. We will try to figure out why this happened and what players should expect from sensory controllers in the future.

Unfulfilled hopes

When in the fall of 2010 we entered the market PS move And Kinect , Many were waiting for the revolution – it painfully bold promises made Sony And Microsoft. Hundreds of millions of dollars were spent on advertising campaigns not in vain – in just six months Sony managed to sell 9 million MOVE sensors, and a year ago the number of Kinect owners in the world exceeded 20 million people.

► Many Kinect owners are happy until they are faced with the problem of choosing games.

But when the euphoria went on decline, many happy owners were in difficulty-Move or Kinect were bought, and there is nothing to play, the circle of accessible games is limited by a couple of genres. Sad, but after two and a half years, the situation has almost not changed. Years are going on, and the owners of the sensors are still pressing up in front of the TV, performing the instructions of the virtual coach, dance with friends and play virtual golf. No revolution has happened.

From mice to sensors

Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft are produced by sensory gaming controllers. For example, a well -known manufacturer of https://bubblesbet-casino.co.uk/ peripheral devices Razer together with Sixense Entertainment developed a device called Hydra. The principle of its operation is based on the use of magnetic motion sensors. Valve Software Especially for Hydra, I released a set of levels for Portal 2. Razer controller is supported in more than a hundred games – from BIOSHOCK 2 And Civilization 5 to Modern Warfare 2 And Fallout 3. True, in the vast majority of them, Hydra simply replaces the usual ligament from the keyboard and mouse. Many owners of the device noted that it was not very convenient to use it, because the interface and mechanics of most games for Hydra did not adapt.

Exception – levels from the Sixense Motionpack set for Portal 2. They were finalized so as to reveal the capabilities of the Razer controller as much as possible. For example, at these levels, the portal gun has new opportunities – it made it possible to set “cubes of depression” at any angle and rotate objects in three dimensions. It would be extremely difficult to solve some puzzles from Sixense Motionpack without Hydra, since the controller provides much greater freedom of object management. It is a pity that other developers support the Razer device only nominally.

Crisis of ideas

Often developers follow the path of the least resistance. In the list of games for sensory controllers, you can easily find a dozen fitness simulators, several dance games and a bunch of simple sports arcades. This is the most obvious use of the capabilities of sensory controllers. If you want to save on a subscription to the gym or you are regularly gathering funny companies, you can safely go to the store for Kinect or Move – your parties will become more fun with them, and virtual coaches will not allow to leave. Such projects are sold well, and their development costs relatively inexpensive.

► At home parties, Kinect and Move are successfully replaced by karaoke.

The situation is much worse with the games of other genres – RPG, shooters or strategies. If the developers try to adapt such projects to the use of sensors, then the result, as a rule, is deplorable. There is no need to go far for examples. Last summer Capcom Issued Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor, in which you need to manage a huge walking tank. Initial Steel Battalion , Released in 2002 at Xbox, offered to use a monstrous controller with pedals, joysticks and a bunch of buttons for this – everything is like in the cabin of a real combat vehicle!

► last year Avengers: Battle for Earth, for example, offers to feel like a halk and break everything. One of those games for which alternative controllers are justified.

The game turned out to be original, for which it was appreciated. Now, instead of all these buttons and levers – the Kinect sensor, unequal replacement, agree. The very idea of ​​driving a huge combat vehicle, making passes with your hands, is somewhat delusional, and even the accuracy of the work is depressing – if you want to pull one lever, and the virtual hand reaches for another, some teams are performed with a huge delay, which is in battle (recall, around yours the tank constantly thunder explosions) is unacceptable. As a result, CAPCOM and From Software It turned out a complex, atmospheric simulator with a good script and a bunch of interesting ideas, which is simply impossible to play in.

► Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor – Expensive experiment with a sad ending.

Fable: The Journey also did not become a bestseller. True, this is not the Kinect, but the developers who hit another extreme and turned the game with good potential into a primitive shooting range, the only task of which is to demonstrate the owner of the Xbox 360 sensory controller. They simply forgot about the branded atmosphere of the series, scenarios and other components of any quality game – either there was not enough time for them. Tried to use sensory controllers in strategies, but so far unsuccessfully. In terms of accuracy of work, Kinect and Move are inferior not only by the mouse, but also to the gamepad. Do not believe? Remember the sad experience R.U.S.E.

► Trying to play r.U.S.E. Using Kinect. It looks stupid, difficult to play, and the game does not always react as it should.

The reasons for the failure of such projects may vary, but the fact remains – examples of the successful adaptation of shooters, strategies or role -playing under the use of sensory controllers are unknown to us. Sometimes the developers, carried away by the work with Kinect or Move, forget about the plot or gameplay, and sometimes the implementation of the support of the touch controller is openly unsuccessful. That is why most companies use the capabilities of the sensors only for a checkmark. So, with the help of Kinect, you can command partners in Mass Effect 3, Look at Forza Motorsport 4 or activate combat clicks in Skyrim. Pleasant little things for which it is hardly worth spending on a sensor.

Move support appeared in interactive drama Heavy Rain. The controller successfully entered the mechanics, but did not give new opportunities. It is curious that many bought a special edition of Heavy Rain: Move Edition not to support Move (it was added to a patch and to the usual version), but for the sake of bonus materials – an additional script The Taxidermist , soundtrack, the PlayStation 3 and video about creating a game. In addition, it was also cheaper.

The sensor (this applies to MOVE more) replaces the mouse and gamepad in shooters well – for example, it is pretty fun to use Move along with a special accessory resembling an assault rifle in Killzone 3.

But support for sensory controllers does not change the mechanics. Not everyone wants to make certain adjustments or radically change the interface. It is long and expensive. It is much easier to support the support of the same voice commands using Kinect or aiming using PS Move to add an attractive inscription to the box.

That is why some developers deliberately ignore sensory controllers. They perfectly understand – in their games from using PS Move and Kinect there will be no real benefit. In this regard, words are indicative Patrick Bach , Executive producer Battlefield 4. He showed surprisingly rational attitude to sensory controllers:

“We are not interested in things that cannot improve the game. People love to spend money on nonsense. So we are regularly asked to add support for sensors – however, they will not bring any benefit. We are not against innovations, but not in the case when they are useless. Sensory screens were once useless-no one just knew how to use them correctly. But then I iphone came out and put everything in place. The same situation with sensory controllers in games. If they are really useful for the gameplay, it's great. But if their support is implemented for show, it is stupid. ".

Who does not risk ..

The opening of new genres may be the way out of the impasse. For example, Sony began a rather successful experiment with interactive games-players, releasing Wonderbook: Book of Spells, which turns move into a real magic wand. It is likely that other developers will be picked up soon, although such games will never become mainstream, and their audience is obviously limited.

[[Videoid_10192]]

Another option is not to save on the budget, to successfully choose the mechanics and make a game initially focused on the use of sensory controllers, without sacrificing either graphics or script.

► RYSE can bring the quality of games for sensory controllers to a new level.

So acts Crytek , She has been working on slasher for several years RYSE, which is just created for the sensor Kinect. Once in ancient Rome, the player will be able to wield a sword, waving his hands, as well as defend himself with a virtual shield and beat the enemy with his feet. According to the latest data, they decided to postpone the game in order to include Xbox in the new generation of the new generation. Second generation Kinect sensor will learn to more accurately track the player's movements. For RYSE, dedicated to battles using cold weapons, this is extremely important.

But even with the success of RYSE, Crytek is unlikely to have many followers. So far, many developers perceive Kinect and Move as toys and, looking at unsuccessful examples of their colleagues, do not want to take risks, investing in projects oriented exclusively on sensors.

Here are the creators of the thriller Until Dawn, which was originally positioned as a game intended only for the use of PS Move, decided to play it safe. According to the latest data, Until Dawn will work great with the Dualshock gamepad. Another nail in the lid of the coffin ps move?

► In Until Dawn using Move, you can shine with a flashlight in dark angles. And undress the girls.

Change of priorities

Microsoft with Sony, looking at the poor game Kinect and Move, have already reviewed their position regarding touch controllers. Judging by rumors about the consoles of the next generation, new sensors should not so much diversify the gameplay, but to change the user interaction method with the platform. For example, using the DualShock 4, built -in in the PS4 sensor gamepad, will be able to identify users when a joint game behind one console. Moreover, in Split-Screen mode, the PlayStation Eye camera will track the position of the players and, if necessary, change the windows for them.

[[Videoid_10681]]

Built in the new Xbox sensor Kinect 2.0 will also be used to identify the user and navigation by the Xbox Live menu. But the high-profile announcements of the AAA-class games created specifically for Kinect or PS Move, we have not heard for a long time-there are no them in the start line PS4. Apparently, there are simply no incentives from Sony and Microsoft for their development.

New toy Nintendo

The fact that the attitude of console manufacturers to sensory controllers has changed perfectly illustrates the example Nintendo. At one time, it was she who became the pioneer, releasing WII in 2006. Then the main emphasis was on the opportunity to control the actions of the character using a touch controller.

But with WII U output, the priorities have changed – now Nintendo has a new fetish, a gamepad with a built -in display. It was about him, and not about the WII Remote, that the company representatives spoke for hours at presentations. It is enough to note that from the starting line of WII U, which included almost three dozen projects, only Wii Fit U, Game Party Champions, Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2013 And Just Dance 4 Initially designed for the WII Remote touch controller. And again a familiar picture – virtual simulators, dance simulators and simple arcades. Perhaps Nintendo does not see other options for using the sensory controller and that is why it actively promotes a new chip – its WII U Gamepad controller.

It is unlikely that with the advent of the next generation of the game for sensory controllers will become massive – this is due to both the natural technical limitations of the capabilities of such devices, and the specifics of existing genres and the unwillingness of the developers to go to experiments. For two and a half years, they failed to find the right principles of creating successful games for sensors, but loud failures, like Fable: The Journey and Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor, was enough. The exception is the so-called Party games that will probably continue in large quantities to go to PS4 and the next Xbox.

For dance and sports simulators, sensors are perfect, you will not argue. But the developers are unlikely to say something new in these genres-the ideas are already exhausted, and then you can only increase the accuracy of recognition. It is enough to look at the list of games for Move and Kinect to draw a simple conclusion: today blockbusters developers, sensory controllers are interested in little. They are ready to implement secondary functions using Kinect or Move – for example, voice commands, but to rebuild the entire gameplay taking into account the capabilities of the sensor -. And manufacturers of sensory controllers seem to have come to terms with this.