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Are Game Controllers Too Complicated?Are Game Controllers Too Complicated?

July 9, 2008| schommer| 0 Comment| 11:27 pm

The same company that brought us the NES Advantage has proven the Wii control scheme isn’t as bad as critics speculated. The beauty of adding the “waggle” technology is limiting your button count to a reasonable level without overwhelming gamers.

We’re seeing casual gaming on the rise both in the press and in the public. Yet, each “next generation” console brings new features and functionality to the consoles, games and accessories. Since NES birthed the SNES we’ve seen button count increase on controllers.

Nintendo has usually been conservative on buttons, trying to work “shape” over sheer volume of buttons, barring the C button count on the N64 controller. Nintendo controllers change shape with each generation and they’ve evolved, not innovated, their way around with the Wii control scheme. Each function of the controller exists, on its own, in other products but nobody has built a fully functional controller in such a way for a game console until now.

Sony took pieces of this concept in their PS3 controller and its ability to detect “tilt.” Xbox 360 stuck with the beefy controller with lots of buttons and analog sticks. Not just a D-Pad but two analog sticks and a ton of buttons to press, some pressure sensitive as well. What of our next-generation console? Maybe a few new buttons?

Or, maybe a few new motions? Wii evolved the control scheme and Sony validated their decision, what’s next? Are the controllers just too damn complicated in today’s world? Or, perhaps limiting the buttons brings in more gamers, like Grandma and Grandpa, to play your console as well.

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Elebits 2 Announced for Nintendo DSElebits 2 Announced for Nintendo DS

July 8, 2008| schommer| 0 Comment| 12:24 pm

How odd to release the sequel to a fun Wii game on a hand held device over the original platform. Introducing, Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero. Sure, the DS is a great staging point for an Elebits style game, but what happened to the Wii platform?

Video game attachment rate, that’s what happened to the Wii version. Konami has chosen to launch the second franchise title on the platform that sells more games. Unlike the Wii, the DS sells both hardware and software while the Wii sells accessories and consoles.

If the Wii could move hardware and attach software with the sale they may have a more stable launching point for other video game titles, both casual and hardcore. Perhaps Wii Sports was the worse thing that could have happened to Wii because Nintendo can’t get us to buy other games. For the most part, the Wii and the bundled game is worth the money; we need no other games.

Konami, a company that makes “other games,” probably wants to see higher volumes of sales. Now, we’ll have to wait until Fall of 2008 to get the DS release of Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero, unless you’ve got a Wii and no hand held DS system than you’re out of luck! But, apparently nobody buys Wii games anyway so the chances are, neither would you…

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Mega Man 9 – Actual Teaser FootageMega Man 9 – Actual Teaser Footage

July 7, 2008| schommer| 0 Comment| 12:49 pm

Here is the first teaser footage, badly encoded with tons of words overlying the action but you get the idea. It’s total 8-bit retro feel with classic NES style sound effects. This instantly rockets you back to your youth in front of the cartridged based square box of an entertainment system.

Is this going to have lasting appeal? Will development shops open up to re-create the retro style gaming platforms on new hardware? This WiiWare title should do well considering it is new content created using the old virtual console NES look and feel. If gamers are eating up classics this should do extremely well.

Or, is this effort a total waste of time. Mega Man fans should fall in love as Mega Man 9 is like going 80’s style..

Guitar Hero: On Tour – 300K Units SoldGuitar Hero: On Tour – 300K Units Sold

July 3, 2008| schommer| 0 Comment| 3:30 pm

The little DS title Guitar Hero: On Tour arrived with a hand-held attachment for playing guitar on the go. Some reviewers found it cramped, annoying and too damn small to really feel any comfort. Other reviews found it exciting, fresh and a break from standard DS games.

Reviews aside, 300,000 people are willing to bet money that the DS title was going to rock the house. The concept hit the mark for the DS because the game system is for on the go “touch and feel” style games; Guitar Hero: On Tour is definitely a touch and feel game.

Although we’ve not played it, we’re not too surprised that 300k people purchased the title, considering the install base for the Nintendo DS device itself. With such a large install base, even if only 25% of the target audience buys into the product they’ll be rolling in the dough.

Will this inspire a Rock Band style ‘drum game’ for the future from the Activision competitors or was this nothing but a fluke?

(Thanks, GameSpot)