by Nicholas Roussos
At the Tokyo Gaming Show, Nintendo grabbed the lime light with its unprecedented new take on the console controller. With the first solid impression of where Nintendo wants to take us with this generation, everyone’s mind has begun to wander with possibilities. Many are discussing how the new “freehand-style” control scheme will affect their favorite genres (FPS, fighters, and more). For me, I’m more interested in what new genres will appear.
One of the few sports that I actively participate in is fencing. Modern fencing is a fast-paced and exciting sport. Enter the Revolution’s new controller and a new type of game-play emerges: Zero Button.
It’s simple. There’s no stick to push, no button for attacking, nothing for defense either. To attack, just move the controller in the direction of your on-screen opponent. To defend, it works just like in real life; move your controller just as if it were a real foil or epee. What if you want to move closer to your opponent? OK, do it. That’s right; you could just take a step closer to the TV. Sure, not everyone will like moving around, but that’s really the point in most sports.
You could just look at TV to find new genres. Take home improvement. Imagine a game where you can pick up a hammer or a drill, and just start building a house. Become a gardener. Any type of craftsman or artist simulations could benefit.
Clearly, these ideas just scratch the surface. In fact, that’s the point. The possibilities are no longer limited to a set amount of buttons. Whether it’s changing the way we play our current genres or inventing wholly new ones, the Revolution is bound to be a lot of fun. What new genres are you hoping for?
Anonymous
I’m really hoping that Nintendo does the dreaming for me. Who knows what they’ll come up with. That’s what so enticing about the Rev.
I would have never proposed a dog simulation game (Nintendogs) but Ninty did and that game is a blast to play.
nuclearice
I would see more of a point where if you moved the controller in front of the foward point or behind the backward point for movement in a fencing game. That would just work a lil more with the general public that would try this game. Of course they can always fall back to useing the d-pad for movement as well.
accela
simulations are crap. i always hated them, this is so boring. i sincerly hope the revolution will not be a simulations hell. what is the main idea behind simulations ? get the real thing and videogamize it…. wow… genius… i can understand that we need some of these games for afficionados but who do you think will play the rev if there are like 30 fishing sim games, 12 fencing sim games, 54 tennis sim games, 5 ping pong, 8 badminton, 47 cooking sim game (controller as a knife and so on), 21 surgery games, 3 dentist games, …. why not a “television zapping sim game” while you’re at it ?
i really think people that can only imagine simulation games are narrow minded. dont think of the controller as smth you can transpose in real life. remember, this is a game controller, not a virtual knife nor a virtual golf club !
human life has its own mechanics, so are games, and they are almost infinite.
have you already jumped over mushroom men and entered green pipes to visit caves with winged-turtles in real life ?
have you already saved a princess from a pig-like demon ?
i already did both, it was only with my fingers on two buttons and a “cross” and that was great. nintendo want to make me play with their remote like 3D pointer. i will. but lets wait for them to give us games that you wouldnt like to play with two buttons and a cross. they MUST provide games really suited for their controller now, because if they dont nobody will and it would proof that they were wrong. if you want to be an artistic leader, like say, a painter ? dont just give people innovating paintbrushes but a new way of painting, a new way of thinking about paint.
nintendo, for me, has shown nothing by showing us their controller. i cant even imagine why they were so secret about it. i have been really disapointed by their stupid video showing ppl gesticulating with a remote, this is crap. i have seen NOTHING in this except ppl using what is supposed to be a game controller to perform fake life-like movements. where are the games in it ?
Nicholas Roussos
Accela,
But don’t all video games simulate something to a certain extent? In Mario, there’s simulated jumping. In Zelda, there’s sword, shield, boomerangs, bombs, etc. All these are taken from real life.
“where are the games in it ?”
I don’t think Nintendo intends to release any games. The video with the controller is it. They just want to see how much fun you can have… WTF? All kidding aside, I’m sure Nintendo will show games when they are ready.
A month ago, everyone was asking “Where’s the controller?” Now, it’s “where’s the games?” I guess you’ll just have to wait.
The whole point of the video game controller is to be as transparent as possible. In fact, that’s pretty much the intention of most techonology. The less you have to think about pusing up, down, left, right, a, b, start; the more you start thinking jump up there and slide across and grab that.
Letting people pick up a controller and move it in a 3D space is much more transparent than mashing buttons. When’s the last time you saw a hammer that came with an instruction manual?