Think motion control is just for consoles? Think again: On the show floor at CES, Valve demoed how easy it was to chop zombies with the new Razer & Sixense "Ultra Motion Controller" for PCs.
The sound is a bit off - it's not the motion control, it's the video. Just FYI.
While the hardest of hardcore are busy gnashing their teeth and wailing about how motion control is a dead-end technology and how game companies should be focusing on delivering supergraphics with even higher resomolutions, real-time infra-bumpmaptoasters and polygon shademashers, game developers are busy working out how to potentially evolve the medium in a way that removes one of the biggest barriers to entry for non-gamers (the controller) and doesn't just depend on becoming more prohibitively expensive. Though all three console manufacturers currently have - or are developing - their own motion control technology, the same seemed to be largely absent from the PC gaming field... until now.
Gaming peripheral maker Razer showed off its 'Razer Sixense Ultra Precise Motion Controller' at the CES show floor, developed in conjunction with motion sensing firm Sixense (y'know, like it says right there in the title). Using electromagnetic sensors, the RSUPMC (as I will be calling it from now on) is reportedly accurate to 1 millimeter of positioning and a single degree of rotation, and "aims to bring 'true-to-life, next-generation motion sensing and gesture recognition controller for PC gaming.'"
Guess who's on board? None less than fanboy-adored PC titan Valve, who were proud to demonstrate the technology in their (totally awesome) co-op zombie murderthon Left 4 Dead 2, as seen above. "With this controller, Razer and Sixense have created the most immersive way to play our games," said Valve's Chet Faliszek. "For us and for our customers, this release represents motion-enabled gaming that's more integrated and visceral than any platform has so far achieved."
Engadget calls it a hybrid between the Wiimote and Natal for the PC, which doesn't seem to be all that inaccurate - and looking at the video it does seem to work pretty well for meleeing zombies and (more importantly) shooting them, too. The only weird part is that the katana seems to be floating in midair, not being held like it normally is - but seeing as how this demo was put together in about a week (so we hear), it makes sense that Valve and Razer might not have wanted to display it without the proper animations.
That's how it feels when you play it, too, says CNet. "[W]hile there was a bit of a learning curve, the motion control was on point and accurate. We were able to rotate and slice a katana blade on screen, successfully decapitating a few zombies in the process. Shooting seemed a bit more intuitive and we were impressed with the satisfying degree of control the device offered."
Now that Valve is clearly on board the motion control ship, it remains to be seen if its legions of fanboys will follow suit. Almost makes that Half-Life 2 on Natal video seem a tiny bit more genuine, huh?
CantFaketheFunk: delivering supergraphics with even higher resomolutions
intentional?
Also don't they already have something like this....the Novint Falcon? Also the response seems to be just a tad slow so in the midst of 10000 zombies running at you, you can't flail your arms like a mad-man
Real hardcore gamers play everything, that includes the Wii. That seems to be what "hardcore" would mean. Playing one system doesn't make you hardcore at all. Or maybe a lot of people call themselves that to sound less lame. >_>
CantFaketheFunk: delivering supergraphics with even higher resomolutions
intentional?
Also don't they already have something like this....the Novint Falcon? Also the response seems to be just a tad slow so in the midst of 10000 zombies running at you, you can't flail your arms like a mad-man
Don't you want your resomolutions and your polygon shademashers??
its nice that they try to make pc gaming easily accessible, but the controls never seemed to be the problem, most people are more than familiar with the mouse and keyboard interface, heck my 6 year old brother can figure it out (and not just because i forced him), the problem seems to be the requirements and upgrading, something console gamers never have to think about, and i hate to put my self in the "hardcore" group in your eyes Funk (because you really seem to hate them) but i agree that motion control is a dead end.
the alien ware laptop from yesterday seems to do more to make pc gaming accessible than this thing does.
CantFaketheFunk: delivering supergraphics with even higher resomolutions
intentional?
Also don't they already have something like this....the Novint Falcon? Also the response seems to be just a tad slow so in the midst of 10000 zombies running at you, you can't flail your arms like a mad-man
Don't you want your resomolutions and your polygon shademashers??
;)
ahh taking punts at the hardcore gaming crowd now are we :-D
swaki: its nice that they try to make pc gaming easily accessible, but the controls never seemed to be the problem, most people are more than familiar with the mouse and keyboard interface, heck my 6 year old brother can figure it out (and not just because i forced him), the problem seems to be the requirements and upgrading, something console gamers never have to think about, and i hate to put my self in the "hardcore" group in your eyes Funk (because you really seem to hate them) but i agree that motion control is a dead end.
the alien ware laptop from yesterday seems to do more to make pc gaming accessible than this thing does.
CantFaketheFunk: delivering supergraphics with even higher resomolutions
intentional?
Also don't they already have something like this....the Novint Falcon? Also the response seems to be just a tad slow so in the midst of 10000 zombies running at you, you can't flail your arms like a mad-man
Don't you want your resomolutions and your polygon shademashers??
;)
ahh taking punts at the hardcore gaming crowd now are we :-D
I game for a living. It'd be foolish of me to dislike people, y'know, like me.
What irks me are people who insist that the only way forward is higher and higher technical specs.
What irks me are people who insist that the only way forward is higher and higher technical specs.
Amen to that!
Well motion control is all well and good for melee, I'm far from convinced that motion control is the right thing for FPS. The whole point is to only make small corrections with the mouse, not keep something pointed at the center of the screen the whole time.
Yeah motion control just isn't really my thing. I can imagine Natal or something similar would be awesome just for navagating your computer, browsing the web etc. But when it comes down to it, in games where you need fast movements and rapid action, it's all going to boil down to arm flailing.
Yes Valve, very nice we're all proud of you. Now get back to your room and don't come out until you have a new game! Eli's corpse isn't getting any fresher!
Yeah, I think one of the problems is that PC gaming already has pretty much perfect control with keyboard and mouse. Motion control might look nice and all, but at the moment we don't really need it I think. Also, valve needs to stop playing with motion control and get some work starting on HL2: Ep3
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CES: Valve and Razer Demo Motion-Control Left 4 Dead 2 on PC
Think motion control is just for consoles? Think again: On the show floor at CES, Valve demoed how easy it was to chop zombies with the new Razer & Sixense "Ultra Motion Controller" for PCs.
While the hardest of hardcore are busy gnashing their teeth and wailing about how motion control is a dead-end technology and how game companies should be focusing on delivering supergraphics with even higher resomolutions, real-time infra-bumpmaptoasters and polygon shademashers, game developers are busy working out how to potentially evolve the medium in a way that removes one of the biggest barriers to entry for non-gamers (the controller) and doesn't just depend on becoming more prohibitively expensive. Though all three console manufacturers currently have - or are developing - their own motion control technology, the same seemed to be largely absent from the PC gaming field... until now.
Gaming peripheral maker Razer showed off its 'Razer Sixense Ultra Precise Motion Controller' at the CES show floor, developed in conjunction with motion sensing firm Sixense (y'know, like it says right there in the title). Using electromagnetic sensors, the RSUPMC (as I will be calling it from now on) is reportedly accurate to 1 millimeter of positioning and a single degree of rotation, and "aims to bring 'true-to-life, next-generation motion sensing and gesture recognition controller for PC gaming.'"
Guess who's on board? None less than fanboy-adored PC titan Valve, who were proud to demonstrate the technology in their (totally awesome) co-op zombie murderthon Left 4 Dead 2, as seen above. "With this controller, Razer and Sixense have created the most immersive way to play our games," said Valve's Chet Faliszek. "For us and for our customers, this release represents motion-enabled gaming that's more integrated and visceral than any platform has so far achieved."
Engadget calls it a hybrid between the Wiimote and Natal for the PC, which doesn't seem to be all that inaccurate - and looking at the video it does seem to work pretty well for meleeing zombies and (more importantly) shooting them, too. The only weird part is that the katana seems to be floating in midair, not being held like it normally is - but seeing as how this demo was put together in about a week (so we hear), it makes sense that Valve and Razer might not have wanted to display it without the proper animations.
That's how it feels when you play it, too, says CNet. "[W]hile there was a bit of a learning curve, the motion control was on point and accurate. We were able to rotate and slice a katana blade on screen, successfully decapitating a few zombies in the process. Shooting seemed a bit more intuitive and we were impressed with the satisfying degree of control the device offered."
Now that Valve is clearly on board the motion control ship, it remains to be seen if its legions of fanboys will follow suit. Almost makes that Half-Life 2 on Natal video seem a tiny bit more genuine, huh?
(SlashGear, via NowGamer)
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