When I read the title of this article, "The Secret World Might Be Microsoft's Killer App", I immediately thought of Project Natal. There's no mention of Natal in the article, but it got me thinking...
Has anyone thought about how gesture control systems like Project Natal could be used to design an MMO?
Showing posts with label controllers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label controllers. Show all posts
Friday, September 11, 2009
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Natal thoughts
In response to the GameTrailers discussion of Project Natal and competitors...
First, let me repeat that Microsoft stands to leave Nintendo and Sony in the dust if they make Natal useful for general TV viewing. If they can design Natal software that mimics the basic functions of TV remotes, then many non-gamers will bite into an intuitive product which frees them from ever again needing to hunt for a TV controller. Considering that the Xbox's original purpose was to move Windows into the living room, this makes all the more sense.
Certainly, a couple hundred bucks is a lot to pay to replace your TV remote, but not if the same hardware acts as a DVD player and on-demand TV/movie service. How far this strategy would take Microsoft's console would depend largely on the targeting and substance of its marketing campaign. But this basic Natal application could explode the market, attracting consumers far beyond the boundaries of present gaming audiences.
Reliability seems like the main issue to me. I still disbelieve projections that the 360 will remain Microsoft's primary console for another five years. The console has survived its dismal reputation for hardware failure largely thanks to the warranty. Once present owners are no longer comfortable under that umbrella, a new wave of bad publicity will pour down. And, like Windows Vista's reputation could not be saved from the mistakes of its early presentation, the 360 cannot shake its original failures even if new models perform better. The 360 market won't collapse completely when hardware replacement is no longer guaranteed, but it will definitely be shaken. A fresh start will be necessary by 2011.
Pachter has suggested Microsoft might come out with another version of the 360 soon, instead of a wholly new console. It's possible. But, as I said, anything that looks and feels basically like the original 360 will suffer from its RROD reputation.
That avid or "hardcore" gamers are not rushing to buy Wiis just to play The Conduit and Metroid Prime 3 is no surprise. Some people do buy consoles just for one or a few games, but that is certainly not average consumer behavior. The success or failure of hardcore Wii games offers little insight into potential Natal game sales because the Wii is not a comparable console. Even among occasional gamers (such as those who buy only a sport game or two per year), the Wii is popularly defined as a family or kids' console because that describes the majority of its games. Present gamers and non-gamers alike who are disinterested in the more dazzling Wii titles will be attracted to similar content on Natal, simply because the 360 console has a different general focus and appeal.
Really, the more the 360 becomes the multimedia console, offering TV/movies and other non-game services, the less the Wii and 360 will be direct competitors. If Nintendo continues to focus exclusively on games and offer an obviously unique experience, then Microsoft and Nintendo might soon compete only in the way that DVD manufacturers compete with the iPod -- the consumer only has so much money, but buying one product doesn't affect one's desire for the other.
I agree 100% with Pachter that controllers are here to stay for the foreseeable future. Motion control is an exciting alternative, not an unqualified progression. The most obvious reason is that physical activity is not always welcome. Gamers will always want to game from the couch on occasion.
Will some genres always demand a traditional controller? I doubt it. Even a system like Natal, which seemingly enables 1:1 representations of player movements, isn't limited to 1:1 animations. I don't need to wave my arm completely to have my character wave his arm completely. A game could be designed so that a small movement on my part results in an exaggerated movement on-screen. Thus, a game like Mortal Kombat won't necessarily have players leaping and twisting around in their homes. I can't think of any basic style of game which is impossible to translate well into motion control.
Natal's proposed ability to incorporate the unique objects of individual players could play a major role in games. For example, as a guitarist, I own guitars which are different from the guitars of other musicians. If Natal can scan a guitar of mine so that others can see it, that ability to share in an active environment online is a great appeal. Even without the online component, I'd love to play with my own guitar in Rock Band 2.
The scanning function could be applied to many games to match the protagonist's body proportions and clothing to the player's. This would personalize heroes, but there are other benefits. Imagine your character looking a little different every day, just as you do.
Anyway, I've focused mainly on hardware here. I'll probably write another Natal article focusing on potential games. In the meantime, any thoughts?
First, let me repeat that Microsoft stands to leave Nintendo and Sony in the dust if they make Natal useful for general TV viewing. If they can design Natal software that mimics the basic functions of TV remotes, then many non-gamers will bite into an intuitive product which frees them from ever again needing to hunt for a TV controller. Considering that the Xbox's original purpose was to move Windows into the living room, this makes all the more sense.
Certainly, a couple hundred bucks is a lot to pay to replace your TV remote, but not if the same hardware acts as a DVD player and on-demand TV/movie service. How far this strategy would take Microsoft's console would depend largely on the targeting and substance of its marketing campaign. But this basic Natal application could explode the market, attracting consumers far beyond the boundaries of present gaming audiences.
Reliability seems like the main issue to me. I still disbelieve projections that the 360 will remain Microsoft's primary console for another five years. The console has survived its dismal reputation for hardware failure largely thanks to the warranty. Once present owners are no longer comfortable under that umbrella, a new wave of bad publicity will pour down. And, like Windows Vista's reputation could not be saved from the mistakes of its early presentation, the 360 cannot shake its original failures even if new models perform better. The 360 market won't collapse completely when hardware replacement is no longer guaranteed, but it will definitely be shaken. A fresh start will be necessary by 2011.
Pachter has suggested Microsoft might come out with another version of the 360 soon, instead of a wholly new console. It's possible. But, as I said, anything that looks and feels basically like the original 360 will suffer from its RROD reputation.
That avid or "hardcore" gamers are not rushing to buy Wiis just to play The Conduit and Metroid Prime 3 is no surprise. Some people do buy consoles just for one or a few games, but that is certainly not average consumer behavior. The success or failure of hardcore Wii games offers little insight into potential Natal game sales because the Wii is not a comparable console. Even among occasional gamers (such as those who buy only a sport game or two per year), the Wii is popularly defined as a family or kids' console because that describes the majority of its games. Present gamers and non-gamers alike who are disinterested in the more dazzling Wii titles will be attracted to similar content on Natal, simply because the 360 console has a different general focus and appeal.
Really, the more the 360 becomes the multimedia console, offering TV/movies and other non-game services, the less the Wii and 360 will be direct competitors. If Nintendo continues to focus exclusively on games and offer an obviously unique experience, then Microsoft and Nintendo might soon compete only in the way that DVD manufacturers compete with the iPod -- the consumer only has so much money, but buying one product doesn't affect one's desire for the other.
I agree 100% with Pachter that controllers are here to stay for the foreseeable future. Motion control is an exciting alternative, not an unqualified progression. The most obvious reason is that physical activity is not always welcome. Gamers will always want to game from the couch on occasion.
Will some genres always demand a traditional controller? I doubt it. Even a system like Natal, which seemingly enables 1:1 representations of player movements, isn't limited to 1:1 animations. I don't need to wave my arm completely to have my character wave his arm completely. A game could be designed so that a small movement on my part results in an exaggerated movement on-screen. Thus, a game like Mortal Kombat won't necessarily have players leaping and twisting around in their homes. I can't think of any basic style of game which is impossible to translate well into motion control.
Natal's proposed ability to incorporate the unique objects of individual players could play a major role in games. For example, as a guitarist, I own guitars which are different from the guitars of other musicians. If Natal can scan a guitar of mine so that others can see it, that ability to share in an active environment online is a great appeal. Even without the online component, I'd love to play with my own guitar in Rock Band 2.
The scanning function could be applied to many games to match the protagonist's body proportions and clothing to the player's. This would personalize heroes, but there are other benefits. Imagine your character looking a little different every day, just as you do.
Anyway, I've focused mainly on hardware here. I'll probably write another Natal article focusing on potential games. In the meantime, any thoughts?
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Natal and TV viewing
I suggested on Geoff Keighley's blog that Microsoft should advertise Project Natal, when they release it, alongside their Netflix and on-demand movie services. Hopefully, they'll also have live TV deals by then, like they made in Britain with Sky.
People who play games infrequently, and even not at all, are already attracted to the Netflix service. I have two non-gaming relatives who use Xbox 360s exclusively for Netflix and renting movies in high definition. Consumers who own or are interested in the Wii will be attracted to Natal games. But it's a combination of both Natal gaming and cheap, on-demand movie/TV services in 360 advertising that will convert Wii owners and tap into the irregular-gamer/non-gamer market.
This leads me to a point made my Peter Molyneux about Project Natal. The new hardware, Molyneux argues, opens up possibilities beyond traditional genres and applications.
What about TV interaction? Microsoft could position their next console to become as universal as DVD players if it enables TV viewers to interact with average, non-gaming TV shows somehow.
People who play games infrequently, and even not at all, are already attracted to the Netflix service. I have two non-gaming relatives who use Xbox 360s exclusively for Netflix and renting movies in high definition. Consumers who own or are interested in the Wii will be attracted to Natal games. But it's a combination of both Natal gaming and cheap, on-demand movie/TV services in 360 advertising that will convert Wii owners and tap into the irregular-gamer/non-gamer market.
This leads me to a point made my Peter Molyneux about Project Natal. The new hardware, Molyneux argues, opens up possibilities beyond traditional genres and applications.
What about TV interaction? Microsoft could position their next console to become as universal as DVD players if it enables TV viewers to interact with average, non-gaming TV shows somehow.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Project Natal controls
Microsoft has sent Project Natal to its developers. I believe we can expect quality Natal game as early as next year, both in the form of small games, ala Wii Sports, and big titles. I can't help but wonder what games I would make with the technology. Over the next few weeks, I'll be dropping some ideas.
A core strength of Natal is its intuitiveness. It allows players to perform actions with the exact physical motions they would use in real life. Today, I'm going to ask: Which natural actions would be easy to mimic and which might be problematic?
By problematic, I don't mean that these character actions can't be translated into player actions. I mean that there's not a 1:1 relationship; the character action requires something less than completely intuitive from the player. In some cases, designing control movements could be tricky.
Walking, for example, requires that the player do something other than walk to create the action in the game. Having the player lean forward and back is a possible command action, but there are potential issues with that. Though that's a command the player could pick up quickly through simple experimentation, I expect many players would occasionally give the command without meaning to. Aside from the fact that most people don't have perfect posture, many people have an instinctive tendency to lean forward when interested in what they're seeing.
Incidentally, posture could be the basis of a fun mini-game or two. Imagine players competing at walking tightropes by only controlling the posture of their bodies. A game could also be designed for the expressed purpose of exercising the abdominal muscles by making a game of bending (though some players might throw their backs out).
Anyway, another problematic action is turning around. What's an intuitive command for turning? Well, turning the shoulders is a possibility, but that raises the question of degree. How could the player control how quickly and how much he or she turns?
Pete suggested shooting might be a problem. I don't think so. For a pistol, it would be natural to cup the right hand in the left hand (for a right-handed person). Though the trigger finger is probably too small and obscured motion to be reliably recognized by Natal's cameras, jerking the trigger hand back would work... especially since jerking the hand back moves the arm. With a rifle, the hands might be separated, but the same basic method works. An alternative, and one that would work better for machine guns, is for the player to raise the thumb of the trigger hand.
What others actions might be difficult to translate into Natal commands? If you identify them for me, I'll try to respond with possible solutions.
A core strength of Natal is its intuitiveness. It allows players to perform actions with the exact physical motions they would use in real life. Today, I'm going to ask: Which natural actions would be easy to mimic and which might be problematic?
By problematic, I don't mean that these character actions can't be translated into player actions. I mean that there's not a 1:1 relationship; the character action requires something less than completely intuitive from the player. In some cases, designing control movements could be tricky.
Walking, for example, requires that the player do something other than walk to create the action in the game. Having the player lean forward and back is a possible command action, but there are potential issues with that. Though that's a command the player could pick up quickly through simple experimentation, I expect many players would occasionally give the command without meaning to. Aside from the fact that most people don't have perfect posture, many people have an instinctive tendency to lean forward when interested in what they're seeing.
Incidentally, posture could be the basis of a fun mini-game or two. Imagine players competing at walking tightropes by only controlling the posture of their bodies. A game could also be designed for the expressed purpose of exercising the abdominal muscles by making a game of bending (though some players might throw their backs out).
Anyway, another problematic action is turning around. What's an intuitive command for turning? Well, turning the shoulders is a possibility, but that raises the question of degree. How could the player control how quickly and how much he or she turns?
Pete suggested shooting might be a problem. I don't think so. For a pistol, it would be natural to cup the right hand in the left hand (for a right-handed person). Though the trigger finger is probably too small and obscured motion to be reliably recognized by Natal's cameras, jerking the trigger hand back would work... especially since jerking the hand back moves the arm. With a rifle, the hands might be separated, but the same basic method works. An alternative, and one that would work better for machine guns, is for the player to raise the thumb of the trigger hand.
What others actions might be difficult to translate into Natal commands? If you identify them for me, I'll try to respond with possible solutions.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
our motion-control future
In response to Pete's article here:
I bet Sony and Microsoft will have more quality motion-control games than Nintendo within a year or so of releasing their new systems.
It has nothing to do with the motion control. Nintendo's game libraries have shrunk with each generation, and each library has had a worse ratio of great games to mediocre ones. Microsoft, on the other hand, has attracted many quality games for the 360 and has many more on the way. Sony took a while to get going, but the PS3's got a lot of quality stuff coming out as well. The Wii has some great games, but the other companies are attracting more quality design, for whatever reason.
The Milo demonstration was heavily scripted and controlled, but Molyneux has said that Milo wasn't just made for E3. That's a part of Lionhead's full game project, and Molyneux demonstrated with Fable 2 that he's learned to control expectations. Not all of that demo will show up as true gameplay, I'm sure, but Molyneux seems to believe that most of it is representative of his future game's honest potential.
The two most important parts of Molyneux's demonstration were when the player reaches down to catch what Milo throws (I have no doubt most people would reach down) and the passing of the paper from the player to the virtual character.
Project Natal is brilliant and has enormous potential. EA will be able to pump out a dozen fun mini-games, ala Wii Sports, in the first year. If they made an air hockey game, a fitness game, and a fighting game, people will buy 360s just for that. Yes, dueling with a lightsaber with nothing in your hand would feel weird, but no more so than having just the short Sony or Nintendo controller in your hand -- and Natal could allow you to grab any stick-shaped object from your house, or include a styrofoam saber, to complete the experience.
Sony's system also blows the Wii away. As I've said before, all they have to do is make one action-RPG using the sword and archery combat from their demo and I would go into debt to buy a PS3... as would hundreds, if not thousands, of other gamers. People who don't normally game would buy a PS3 for that, and similar experiences. The fast-tracking and accuracy is great, and Sony has enough quality-focused developers in affiliation to produce many good motion control games.
November of next year at the earliest, perhaps summer of 2011, gaming will be taken to a whole new level.
I bet Sony and Microsoft will have more quality motion-control games than Nintendo within a year or so of releasing their new systems.
It has nothing to do with the motion control. Nintendo's game libraries have shrunk with each generation, and each library has had a worse ratio of great games to mediocre ones. Microsoft, on the other hand, has attracted many quality games for the 360 and has many more on the way. Sony took a while to get going, but the PS3's got a lot of quality stuff coming out as well. The Wii has some great games, but the other companies are attracting more quality design, for whatever reason.
The Milo demonstration was heavily scripted and controlled, but Molyneux has said that Milo wasn't just made for E3. That's a part of Lionhead's full game project, and Molyneux demonstrated with Fable 2 that he's learned to control expectations. Not all of that demo will show up as true gameplay, I'm sure, but Molyneux seems to believe that most of it is representative of his future game's honest potential.
The two most important parts of Molyneux's demonstration were when the player reaches down to catch what Milo throws (I have no doubt most people would reach down) and the passing of the paper from the player to the virtual character.
Project Natal is brilliant and has enormous potential. EA will be able to pump out a dozen fun mini-games, ala Wii Sports, in the first year. If they made an air hockey game, a fitness game, and a fighting game, people will buy 360s just for that. Yes, dueling with a lightsaber with nothing in your hand would feel weird, but no more so than having just the short Sony or Nintendo controller in your hand -- and Natal could allow you to grab any stick-shaped object from your house, or include a styrofoam saber, to complete the experience.
Sony's system also blows the Wii away. As I've said before, all they have to do is make one action-RPG using the sword and archery combat from their demo and I would go into debt to buy a PS3... as would hundreds, if not thousands, of other gamers. People who don't normally game would buy a PS3 for that, and similar experiences. The fast-tracking and accuracy is great, and Sony has enough quality-focused developers in affiliation to produce many good motion control games.
November of next year at the earliest, perhaps summer of 2011, gaming will be taken to a whole new level.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Microsoft Surface games
If Microsoft Surface does become a popular household item one day -- or even just a hotel lobby passtime -- there will certainly be games for it. I don't believe it will greatly change device interaction in general (not person-device interaction, anyway; inter-device interaction, yes), but its unique interface definitely invites fresh types of gameplay.
Touchscreen technology has been around a while now. The iPhone and Nintendo DS are popular, but all such products require one hand to hold and one hand to operate. MS Surface, being a table, invites use of both hands. That drastically affects gameplay potential.
You might immediately think of arcade-style games when imagining Surface games. But deep AAA action adventure games are also possible... especially if linked to a pair of gaming goggles (3-D films and games should be common by the time Surface comes down in price, so using 3-D goggles might be common).
For example, imagine a game involving free-diving and swimming in the ocean. The player could move her hands on the MS Surface similar to true swimming motions. Starting one's hands in the middle of the screen and dragging them outward would propel the character forward in the water. Dragging both hands to the left or right would turn the character. Dragging both hands up or down would send the character to deeper or shallower water. Meanwhile, the goggles would allow the player to look independently of her movement... which enables gameplay like chasing and fleeing.
Placing the fingertips of one's open hand on the Surface and dragging them together would enable you to grab objects (including ladders). The opposite could drop or throw items, depending on the quickness of the movement. Dragging one hand could also throw objects, since only both hands together move the character through the water.
A light slap of the hand on the table could signal a punch or other blow (though I'm not sure how resilient Microsoft's table is). Dragging a finger in a circle around an object could throw a net.
Anyway, I'm really not trying to design a game here. I just mean to show that being able to interact with a touchscreen using both hands creates many possibilities not available when using only one hand. I don't forsee MS Surface becoming an ubiquitous device anytime soon. But if such a day comes, it could be fun for gamers.
Touchscreen technology has been around a while now. The iPhone and Nintendo DS are popular, but all such products require one hand to hold and one hand to operate. MS Surface, being a table, invites use of both hands. That drastically affects gameplay potential.
You might immediately think of arcade-style games when imagining Surface games. But deep AAA action adventure games are also possible... especially if linked to a pair of gaming goggles (3-D films and games should be common by the time Surface comes down in price, so using 3-D goggles might be common).
For example, imagine a game involving free-diving and swimming in the ocean. The player could move her hands on the MS Surface similar to true swimming motions. Starting one's hands in the middle of the screen and dragging them outward would propel the character forward in the water. Dragging both hands to the left or right would turn the character. Dragging both hands up or down would send the character to deeper or shallower water. Meanwhile, the goggles would allow the player to look independently of her movement... which enables gameplay like chasing and fleeing.
Placing the fingertips of one's open hand on the Surface and dragging them together would enable you to grab objects (including ladders). The opposite could drop or throw items, depending on the quickness of the movement. Dragging one hand could also throw objects, since only both hands together move the character through the water.
A light slap of the hand on the table could signal a punch or other blow (though I'm not sure how resilient Microsoft's table is). Dragging a finger in a circle around an object could throw a net.
Anyway, I'm really not trying to design a game here. I just mean to show that being able to interact with a touchscreen using both hands creates many possibilities not available when using only one hand. I don't forsee MS Surface becoming an ubiquitous device anytime soon. But if such a day comes, it could be fun for gamers.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
motion sensing gameplay
To be honest, I don't know much about Wii games. My sister has a Wii, but all I've played so far is Wii Sports, Wii Play, and Mario Kart. That said, the videos I've seen of other games lead me to believe that there's still a lot of untapped potential for the Wii's motion-sensing technology.
Running off Keira's post, I’d like to see games that don’t just give the player a small set of actions to use exclusively throughout the entire game. Instead, if the programming is simple enough, fill the game with interactions that will be intuitive but are specific to one or a few parts of the game.
If the arms and hands are very basically represented in a game, then simply directing those hands in intuitive motions could accomplish any number of tasks.
If the player sees a ladder, it would be intuitive to simply place a hand on one rung, then the other hand on the next rung, and back and forth as the character moves up or down. Any object could be grabbed by moving the hand over an object and closing the hand.
Even the relatively rudimentary motion-sensing technology of current consoles could be used to make open-ended, explorative gameplay in this way.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
control standards?
Should consoles have standards, hard or soft, for which buttons on their controllers do what?
You don't have to play many games or play often to be annoyed by disparity in controls. One game uses Left Trigger to aim and the next uses it to direct squad mates. One game uses the Y button to jump, another B, another Left Bumper. It would sure make life easier for gamers, especially occasional gamers, if we could count on some familiarity in controls.
By the way, this is one of the reasons occasional gamers get discouraged from becoming regular gamers. Every game's controls are a challenge to learn, because little is familiar.
You don't have to play many games or play often to be annoyed by disparity in controls. One game uses Left Trigger to aim and the next uses it to direct squad mates. One game uses the Y button to jump, another B, another Left Bumper. It would sure make life easier for gamers, especially occasional gamers, if we could count on some familiarity in controls.
By the way, this is one of the reasons occasional gamers get discouraged from becoming regular gamers. Every game's controls are a challenge to learn, because little is familiar.
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