Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Natal, Playstation Move

To start, here is a couple links to catch up those of you who are unfamiliar with the upcoming Xbox & PS3 motion control upgrades. I assume anyone reading this blog is aware of the motion controls used with the Nintendo Wii.

Natal

Move

Since the beginning I have played video games to relax. Take my mind off of work, school, or whatever stress was going on in my life, but ultimately to relax. Hopping around my living room like a freak with an "eye" plugged into my console watching me (Natal) or something strapped to my wrist tracking my movements (Move, Wii) is not my idea of a relaxing evening.

That being said, I do understand the applications that this game genre applies to, I just don't believe they're any fun. Obviously, there are plenty of people who would disagree (the Wii outsells both consoles), but those aren't people who would play a "Hit Game". They didn't buy Heavy Rain, Halo 3, or Modern Warfare 2. So are they gamers? I don't believe they are. So can the Wii be compared on the same scale? I don't believe it can.

In the Wii's defense, it does have some real games out for it. No one can deny the classic platformer "Mario", and recently we had an addition to the Mario franchise. ( Super Mario Wii ) Being a Nintendo property, the only console Mario was released for was the Wii. Thus a good game, a "gamer's game", was released on the Wii. But what does the motion controller add to the experience that a standard controller couldn't? Absolutely nothing.

However. What defines a good game, unfortunately does NOT define sales. The Wii's sales have proven this. Recently, Microsoft and Sony have announced their response to the Wii in the form of Natal and the Move. The idea being the people who bought the Wii but have no interest in the traditional game experience offered by the PlayStation 3 or the Xbox 360 would run out and buy the other consoles.

I don't see how games like the upcoming Fable sequel ( Fable III ) which will reportedly use the Natal technology, will be improved by this motion tracking. It does not improve "immersion" into the game by any means, if anything it detracts from it by causing you to put more thought into your movements than pressing a single button.

In conclusion, it is my opinion that the recent progression into motion tracking is not what the gaming world needs. What it needs are fresh ideas, and to break new boundaries.