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The most popular peripheral of all time is without a shadow of doubt the control pad. Since the earliest consoles this has always been the preferred way of interacting with most games. The console has evolved a lot of the past 20 years and the controller has too. They are now very comfortable to control and have far more buttons than they originally did. With the extra buttons it means that games can allow more input and interaction from the gamer making them more fun to play as the range of things the character can do has been improved. The first controller to really change things was the SNES, all of today's controllers are similar to its design. Todays controllers have many features, for example, digital and analouge controls, vibration and feedback, some can even be programmed with macros for 10 hit combos at the touch of a button. The PS2 controller now offers feedback in the form of a vibration and has analogue controls. The GameCube and X-Box controls will havesimilar technology in them improving the way that users can interact with games. Everyone has different taste when it comes to controllers but my favourite so far is the PS2 pad as it fits perfectly into my hands and there is no struggling to find the right buttons.
Next in the list is probably the light gun, for shooting games the only real way to play them is with a light gun. The G-con gun that was released on the PSX offered a very accurate and precise shot and the newer version is even better. The NES was the first console I ever played with a light gun and it was a lot of fun, the basic idea is still there but with the aide of technology the quality of the light gun has improved (as to have the games) to a higher level making the games even more fun to play. I remember the SNES gun it was more like a rocket launcher, it was still fun to play but I prefer the plain and simple hand gun for most games. I would like a sniper rifle style peripheral for silent scope but I feel the cost for such a peripheral may be a little too much.
So what about in the future, what could be the biggest addition to the peripheral range? Could one better the control pad.
By far the best idea for a peripheral I have seen has to be the one that Sony are working on, it shows butterflies being attracted to coloured spheres, one sphere attracts them and a different coloured one repels them. The basic idea in this could see star wars light sabre games in the future using a light sabre peripheral. For any star wars fan out there this is probably a dream come true (if it happens) as they finally get the chance to fight properly with a light sabre in a game and if the game can recreate the magic of the early films then it is definitely one to get. This idea could be used for lots of things in various ways, sword fighting games, it could be used in boxing games with sensors in gloves that detect where you are swinging your punch. The idea of motion recognition, in my view an idea that has the potential to make the gaming industry a lot lot better. This idea is used in the police 24/7 arcade game in that you have to physically move to avoid being shot, a camera picks up your movements and responds by making your character in the game move. The possibilities with this one are almost endless. The best one could be the chance to have a light sabre game where the peripheral is a pole and when you move and swing it then the character on screen copies your actions. Or what about a gun shooting game like time crisis, when you run out of ammo you could use the handle of your gun to batter the enemy.
Which leads me on to the next one. I noticed in a Special Reserve magazine a peripheral for fighting games. It was a mat with two poles that seemed to be for kicking or something similar. So what can we expect in the future for peripherals similar to this. How about a peripheral where you stand in the centre and when you kick or punch sensors pick up your movements and your character recreates them within the game. For those who have played Police 911 in the arcade where you actually have to dodge to make your character avoid bullets then the idea would be slightly similar to this. It could be used in boxing games, fighting games and maybe even sports games. Again something like this is probably making full use of motion sensors which are nowhere near as good as they could be in the future.
I have also noticed a step towards using voice as an extra input in some Japanese games and if this idea improves then it could make its way over here. It is still in its early stages and voice recognition technology needs to be improved a lot before it will really be beneficial to games but it is one to look out for in the future. We will soon be able to shout abuse and commands at the screen and have them actually do something.
What about the ultimate peripheral ever? What would it be? How about a helmet that you put on your head that actually reads your thoughts and plays the game according to your commands. Could such a thing ever be possible? I'm not sure if this could and would be the ultimate peripheral as it could take a lot of the fun out of the game as you wouldn't really feel like you are interacting with the game as best as you can. If your opponent is beating you it could send a sharp shock to their control pad causing them to drop it allowing you to once again take the lead. But what would happen if you got side tracked from the game and thought of something else? Picture the situation…… "Look there your next door neighbour is sunbathing naked" after taking a peek you are no longer concentrating on the game, you then look back at the screen. "What is Snake doing to that guard??????" Sounds like the kind of thing you find in a sci-fi film.
I think that in the future the control pad will still be the preferred input for most games, the control pad will have improved with time and get better and better. Old favourites like the light gun and steering wheels will also still be around and also improve with time. I am sure there will also be a lot more new peripherals released, some will be hugely successful and some will be about as much use as a chocolate fire guard. I think that in the future the control pad will be modified with extras like microphones, digital camers? and be used in conjunction with other peripherals to give an even better gaming expeience.
Along with the decent peripherals being released there is also a lot of crazy and wacky peripherals that get released. So what is the craziest peripheral available to buy? Well I guess that is all down to personal preference. There have been fishing rods for the good old fishing games. I'm not a fan of fishing games (or fishing in general) but I would guess there isn't that much excitement in the game but I would guess that it is better to fish in the real world and not in the game. There have also been controls for trains released for the good old train driving games. Recently my dad got loaned MS Train simulator from a friend, I seen no point to this game and it bored me straight away. Obviously games like these must appeal to some people and the peripheral is a dream come true for them as now they can interact the way it should be done. Just like a real train driver. The same can be said for the likes of MS flight simulator, a good plane control peripheral can make these games good although sometimes they still need to be used along side the keyboard.
Other peripherals like Skateboards, which can be used with skateboarding games and snowboarding games not only add to the feel of the game and allow you to interact better with them but they also can improve the game a lot too. Dancemats seemed to be quite popular. Copy the dancing moves on the screen and get fit at the same time, I think there are the kind of peripherals that are useful when you are staying in with your mates (maybe alcohol is involved if you are old enough) which can lead to hours of fun and making fun of those that really are pants at games.
I guess some of the extra ways of inputing the data we have available are just there to help make games that little bit more realistic. But is there a limit to this? I mean is there a time when they become to realistic and the fun disapears? I hope not.
So what other crazy peripherals can we expect to see in the future?
How about a pair of football boots and a ball and how hard and where you kick the ball determines how the character on the screen behaves in the football game. How about a steering wheel with a proper gear stick, accelerator, brake and clutch that behaves like the controls of a real life car. This is one peripheral I would like to see available and games to use it as it would make driving games that little bit more realistic. Although I do think that creating such a peripheral would be extremely difficult and it would also be extremely hard to code into a game.
Maybe in the future we could see a bicycle peripheral in which you have to pedal and steer it just like any ordinary bicycle, bicycle games could also be released to coincide with the peripheral, games along the lines of the tour de France. Not only could it be fun to play but it could also keep you fit.
By far the craziest peripheral I have ever seen is on an arcade machine from japan. It is two piecs which are used together, first one is a bottom (yes a persons bum, fake of course) and the second part is a hand with the fingers shaped like a gun. The aim of the game if you haven't already worked it out (or seen it) is to prod the bum as hard as you can and try cause the person as much pain as possible. The arcade machines out there have many strange ways of inputing the data. I'm sure you have all seen the punching game where the machine takes your photo and adds your face to a character, you then punch it as hard as you can and try and disfigure the face as much as you can.
One of the big problems with peripherals is the cost. There is no point in making them if the cost to make them is so high that the selling price is also very high. Sure if the final product is good some will buy it but maybe not enough to make a decent profit or even to operate without making a loss. It is the cost that could see a lot of great ideas not being turned into reality as it just wouldn't be a good business approach to release something without knowing it is going to do well.
The way I see it is control pads are the best way to play all games, some play better with the use of a peripheral, some don't. Peripherals make some games more fun to play. They can make good games a little better and anything that improves games for the better must be good.
So what's is your favourite peripheral? What do you think is the craziest peripheral you have ever seen? If you were designing a peripheral for he future what would it be?
I know a number of these seem well a little far fetched and almost impossible, but who knows what the future holds. Man can achieve great things and some of the ideas, maybe even ones more far fetched than these could be used on consoles in the future.
Next in the list is probably the light gun, for shooting games the only real way to play them is with a light gun. The G-con gun that was released on the PSX offered a very accurate and precise shot and the newer version is even better. The NES was the first console I ever played with a light gun and it was a lot of fun, the basic idea is still there but with the aide of technology the quality of the light gun has improved (as to have the games) to a higher level making the games even more fun to play. I remember the SNES gun it was more like a rocket launcher, it was still fun to play but I prefer the plain and simple hand gun for most games. I would like a sniper rifle style peripheral for silent scope but I feel the cost for such a peripheral may be a little too much.
So what about in the future, what could be the biggest addition to the peripheral range? Could one better the control pad.
By far the best idea for a peripheral I have seen has to be the one that Sony are working on, it shows butterflies being attracted to coloured spheres, one sphere attracts them and a different coloured one repels them. The basic idea in this could see star wars light sabre games in the future using a light sabre peripheral. For any star wars fan out there this is probably a dream come true (if it happens) as they finally get the chance to fight properly with a light sabre in a game and if the game can recreate the magic of the early films then it is definitely one to get. This idea could be used for lots of things in various ways, sword fighting games, it could be used in boxing games with sensors in gloves that detect where you are swinging your punch. The idea of motion recognition, in my view an idea that has the potential to make the gaming industry a lot lot better. This idea is used in the police 24/7 arcade game in that you have to physically move to avoid being shot, a camera picks up your movements and responds by making your character in the game move. The possibilities with this one are almost endless. The best one could be the chance to have a light sabre game where the peripheral is a pole and when you move and swing it then the character on screen copies your actions. Or what about a gun shooting game like time crisis, when you run out of ammo you could use the handle of your gun to batter the enemy.
Which leads me on to the next one. I noticed in a Special Reserve magazine a peripheral for fighting games. It was a mat with two poles that seemed to be for kicking or something similar. So what can we expect in the future for peripherals similar to this. How about a peripheral where you stand in the centre and when you kick or punch sensors pick up your movements and your character recreates them within the game. For those who have played Police 911 in the arcade where you actually have to dodge to make your character avoid bullets then the idea would be slightly similar to this. It could be used in boxing games, fighting games and maybe even sports games. Again something like this is probably making full use of motion sensors which are nowhere near as good as they could be in the future.
I have also noticed a step towards using voice as an extra input in some Japanese games and if this idea improves then it could make its way over here. It is still in its early stages and voice recognition technology needs to be improved a lot before it will really be beneficial to games but it is one to look out for in the future. We will soon be able to shout abuse and commands at the screen and have them actually do something.
What about the ultimate peripheral ever? What would it be? How about a helmet that you put on your head that actually reads your thoughts and plays the game according to your commands. Could such a thing ever be possible? I'm not sure if this could and would be the ultimate peripheral as it could take a lot of the fun out of the game as you wouldn't really feel like you are interacting with the game as best as you can. If your opponent is beating you it could send a sharp shock to their control pad causing them to drop it allowing you to once again take the lead. But what would happen if you got side tracked from the game and thought of something else? Picture the situation…… "Look there your next door neighbour is sunbathing naked" after taking a peek you are no longer concentrating on the game, you then look back at the screen. "What is Snake doing to that guard??????" Sounds like the kind of thing you find in a sci-fi film.
I think that in the future the control pad will still be the preferred input for most games, the control pad will have improved with time and get better and better. Old favourites like the light gun and steering wheels will also still be around and also improve with time. I am sure there will also be a lot more new peripherals released, some will be hugely successful and some will be about as much use as a chocolate fire guard. I think that in the future the control pad will be modified with extras like microphones, digital camers? and be used in conjunction with other peripherals to give an even better gaming expeience.
Along with the decent peripherals being released there is also a lot of crazy and wacky peripherals that get released. So what is the craziest peripheral available to buy? Well I guess that is all down to personal preference. There have been fishing rods for the good old fishing games. I'm not a fan of fishing games (or fishing in general) but I would guess there isn't that much excitement in the game but I would guess that it is better to fish in the real world and not in the game. There have also been controls for trains released for the good old train driving games. Recently my dad got loaned MS Train simulator from a friend, I seen no point to this game and it bored me straight away. Obviously games like these must appeal to some people and the peripheral is a dream come true for them as now they can interact the way it should be done. Just like a real train driver. The same can be said for the likes of MS flight simulator, a good plane control peripheral can make these games good although sometimes they still need to be used along side the keyboard.
Other peripherals like Skateboards, which can be used with skateboarding games and snowboarding games not only add to the feel of the game and allow you to interact better with them but they also can improve the game a lot too. Dancemats seemed to be quite popular. Copy the dancing moves on the screen and get fit at the same time, I think there are the kind of peripherals that are useful when you are staying in with your mates (maybe alcohol is involved if you are old enough) which can lead to hours of fun and making fun of those that really are pants at games.
I guess some of the extra ways of inputing the data we have available are just there to help make games that little bit more realistic. But is there a limit to this? I mean is there a time when they become to realistic and the fun disapears? I hope not.
So what other crazy peripherals can we expect to see in the future?
How about a pair of football boots and a ball and how hard and where you kick the ball determines how the character on the screen behaves in the football game. How about a steering wheel with a proper gear stick, accelerator, brake and clutch that behaves like the controls of a real life car. This is one peripheral I would like to see available and games to use it as it would make driving games that little bit more realistic. Although I do think that creating such a peripheral would be extremely difficult and it would also be extremely hard to code into a game.
Maybe in the future we could see a bicycle peripheral in which you have to pedal and steer it just like any ordinary bicycle, bicycle games could also be released to coincide with the peripheral, games along the lines of the tour de France. Not only could it be fun to play but it could also keep you fit.
By far the craziest peripheral I have ever seen is on an arcade machine from japan. It is two piecs which are used together, first one is a bottom (yes a persons bum, fake of course) and the second part is a hand with the fingers shaped like a gun. The aim of the game if you haven't already worked it out (or seen it) is to prod the bum as hard as you can and try cause the person as much pain as possible. The arcade machines out there have many strange ways of inputing the data. I'm sure you have all seen the punching game where the machine takes your photo and adds your face to a character, you then punch it as hard as you can and try and disfigure the face as much as you can.
One of the big problems with peripherals is the cost. There is no point in making them if the cost to make them is so high that the selling price is also very high. Sure if the final product is good some will buy it but maybe not enough to make a decent profit or even to operate without making a loss. It is the cost that could see a lot of great ideas not being turned into reality as it just wouldn't be a good business approach to release something without knowing it is going to do well.
The way I see it is control pads are the best way to play all games, some play better with the use of a peripheral, some don't. Peripherals make some games more fun to play. They can make good games a little better and anything that improves games for the better must be good.
So what's is your favourite peripheral? What do you think is the craziest peripheral you have ever seen? If you were designing a peripheral for he future what would it be?
I know a number of these seem well a little far fetched and almost impossible, but who knows what the future holds. Man can achieve great things and some of the ideas, maybe even ones more far fetched than these could be used on consoles in the future.
The most popular peripheral of all time is without a shadow of doubt the control pad. Since the earliest consoles this has always been the preferred way of interacting with most games. The console has evolved a lot of the past 20 years and the controller has too. They are now very comfortable to control and have far more buttons than they originally did. With the extra buttons it means that games can allow more input and interaction from the gamer making them more fun to play as the range of things the character can do has been improved. The first controller to really change things was the SNES, all of today's controllers are similar to its design. Todays controllers have many features, for example, digital and analouge controls, vibration and feedback, some can even be programmed with macros for 10 hit combos at the touch of a button. The PS2 controller now offers feedback in the form of a vibration and has analogue controls. The GameCube and X-Box controls will havesimilar technology in them improving the way that users can interact with games. Everyone has different taste when it comes to controllers but my favourite so far is the PS2 pad as it fits perfectly into my hands and there is no struggling to find the right buttons.
Next in the list is probably the light gun, for shooting games the only real way to play them is with a light gun. The G-con gun that was released on the PSX offered a very accurate and precise shot and the newer version is even better. The NES was the first console I ever played with a light gun and it was a lot of fun, the basic idea is still there but with the aide of technology the quality of the light gun has improved (as to have the games) to a higher level making the games even more fun to play. I remember the SNES gun it was more like a rocket launcher, it was still fun to play but I prefer the plain and simple hand gun for most games. I would like a sniper rifle style peripheral for silent scope but I feel the cost for such a peripheral may be a little too much.
So what about in the future, what could be the biggest addition to the peripheral range? Could one better the control pad.
By far the best idea for a peripheral I have seen has to be the one that Sony are working on, it shows butterflies being attracted to coloured spheres, one sphere attracts them and a different coloured one repels them. The basic idea in this could see star wars light sabre games in the future using a light sabre peripheral. For any star wars fan out there this is probably a dream come true (if it happens) as they finally get the chance to fight properly with a light sabre in a game and if the game can recreate the magic of the early films then it is definitely one to get. This idea could be used for lots of things in various ways, sword fighting games, it could be used in boxing games with sensors in gloves that detect where you are swinging your punch. The idea of motion recognition, in my view an idea that has the potential to make the gaming industry a lot lot better. This idea is used in the police 24/7 arcade game in that you have to physically move to avoid being shot, a camera picks up your movements and responds by making your character in the game move. The possibilities with this one are almost endless. The best one could be the chance to have a light sabre game where the peripheral is a pole and when you move and swing it then the character on screen copies your actions. Or what about a gun shooting game like time crisis, when you run out of ammo you could use the handle of your gun to batter the enemy.
Which leads me on to the next one. I noticed in a Special Reserve magazine a peripheral for fighting games. It was a mat with two poles that seemed to be for kicking or something similar. So what can we expect in the future for peripherals similar to this. How about a peripheral where you stand in the centre and when you kick or punch sensors pick up your movements and your character recreates them within the game. For those who have played Police 911 in the arcade where you actually have to dodge to make your character avoid bullets then the idea would be slightly similar to this. It could be used in boxing games, fighting games and maybe even sports games. Again something like this is probably making full use of motion sensors which are nowhere near as good as they could be in the future.
I have also noticed a step towards using voice as an extra input in some Japanese games and if this idea improves then it could make its way over here. It is still in its early stages and voice recognition technology needs to be improved a lot before it will really be beneficial to games but it is one to look out for in the future. We will soon be able to shout abuse and commands at the screen and have them actually do something.
What about the ultimate peripheral ever? What would it be? How about a helmet that you put on your head that actually reads your thoughts and plays the game according to your commands. Could such a thing ever be possible? I'm not sure if this could and would be the ultimate peripheral as it could take a lot of the fun out of the game as you wouldn't really feel like you are interacting with the game as best as you can. If your opponent is beating you it could send a sharp shock to their control pad causing them to drop it allowing you to once again take the lead. But what would happen if you got side tracked from the game and thought of something else? Picture the situation…… "Look there your next door neighbour is sunbathing naked" after taking a peek you are no longer concentrating on the game, you then look back at the screen. "What is Snake doing to that guard??????" Sounds like the kind of thing you find in a sci-fi film.
I think that in the future the control pad will still be the preferred input for most games, the control pad will have improved with time and get better and better. Old favourites like the light gun and steering wheels will also still be around and also improve with time. I am sure there will also be a lot more new peripherals released, some will be hugely successful and some will be about as much use as a chocolate fire guard. I think that in the future the control pad will be modified with extras like microphones, digital camers? and be used in conjunction with other peripherals to give an even better gaming expeience.
Along with the decent peripherals being released there is also a lot of crazy and wacky peripherals that get released. So what is the craziest peripheral available to buy? Well I guess that is all down to personal preference. There have been fishing rods for the good old fishing games. I'm not a fan of fishing games (or fishing in general) but I would guess there isn't that much excitement in the game but I would guess that it is better to fish in the real world and not in the game. There have also been controls for trains released for the good old train driving games. Recently my dad got loaned MS Train simulator from a friend, I seen no point to this game and it bored me straight away. Obviously games like these must appeal to some people and the peripheral is a dream come true for them as now they can interact the way it should be done. Just like a real train driver. The same can be said for the likes of MS flight simulator, a good plane control peripheral can make these games good although sometimes they still need to be used along side the keyboard.
Other peripherals like Skateboards, which can be used with skateboarding games and snowboarding games not only add to the feel of the game and allow you to interact better with them but they also can improve the game a lot too. Dancemats seemed to be quite popular. Copy the dancing moves on the screen and get fit at the same time, I think there are the kind of peripherals that are useful when you are staying in with your mates (maybe alcohol is involved if you are old enough) which can lead to hours of fun and making fun of those that really are pants at games.
I guess some of the extra ways of inputing the data we have available are just there to help make games that little bit more realistic. But is there a limit to this? I mean is there a time when they become to realistic and the fun disapears? I hope not.
So what other crazy peripherals can we expect to see in the future?
How about a pair of football boots and a ball and how hard and where you kick the ball determines how the character on the screen behaves in the football game. How about a steering wheel with a proper gear stick, accelerator, brake and clutch that behaves like the controls of a real life car. This is one peripheral I would like to see available and games to use it as it would make driving games that little bit more realistic. Although I do think that creating such a peripheral would be extremely difficult and it would also be extremely hard to code into a game.
Maybe in the future we could see a bicycle peripheral in which you have to pedal and steer it just like any ordinary bicycle, bicycle games could also be released to coincide with the peripheral, games along the lines of the tour de France. Not only could it be fun to play but it could also keep you fit.
By far the craziest peripheral I have ever seen is on an arcade machine from japan. It is two piecs which are used together, first one is a bottom (yes a persons bum, fake of course) and the second part is a hand with the fingers shaped like a gun. The aim of the game if you haven't already worked it out (or seen it) is to prod the bum as hard as you can and try cause the person as much pain as possible. The arcade machines out there have many strange ways of inputing the data. I'm sure you have all seen the punching game where the machine takes your photo and adds your face to a character, you then punch it as hard as you can and try and disfigure the face as much as you can.
One of the big problems with peripherals is the cost. There is no point in making them if the cost to make them is so high that the selling price is also very high. Sure if the final product is good some will buy it but maybe not enough to make a decent profit or even to operate without making a loss. It is the cost that could see a lot of great ideas not being turned into reality as it just wouldn't be a good business approach to release something without knowing it is going to do well.
The way I see it is control pads are the best way to play all games, some play better with the use of a peripheral, some don't. Peripherals make some games more fun to play. They can make good games a little better and anything that improves games for the better must be good.
So what's is your favourite peripheral? What do you think is the craziest peripheral you have ever seen? If you were designing a peripheral for he future what would it be?
I know a number of these seem well a little far fetched and almost impossible, but who knows what the future holds. Man can achieve great things and some of the ideas, maybe even ones more far fetched than these could be used on consoles in the future.
Next in the list is probably the light gun, for shooting games the only real way to play them is with a light gun. The G-con gun that was released on the PSX offered a very accurate and precise shot and the newer version is even better. The NES was the first console I ever played with a light gun and it was a lot of fun, the basic idea is still there but with the aide of technology the quality of the light gun has improved (as to have the games) to a higher level making the games even more fun to play. I remember the SNES gun it was more like a rocket launcher, it was still fun to play but I prefer the plain and simple hand gun for most games. I would like a sniper rifle style peripheral for silent scope but I feel the cost for such a peripheral may be a little too much.
So what about in the future, what could be the biggest addition to the peripheral range? Could one better the control pad.
By far the best idea for a peripheral I have seen has to be the one that Sony are working on, it shows butterflies being attracted to coloured spheres, one sphere attracts them and a different coloured one repels them. The basic idea in this could see star wars light sabre games in the future using a light sabre peripheral. For any star wars fan out there this is probably a dream come true (if it happens) as they finally get the chance to fight properly with a light sabre in a game and if the game can recreate the magic of the early films then it is definitely one to get. This idea could be used for lots of things in various ways, sword fighting games, it could be used in boxing games with sensors in gloves that detect where you are swinging your punch. The idea of motion recognition, in my view an idea that has the potential to make the gaming industry a lot lot better. This idea is used in the police 24/7 arcade game in that you have to physically move to avoid being shot, a camera picks up your movements and responds by making your character in the game move. The possibilities with this one are almost endless. The best one could be the chance to have a light sabre game where the peripheral is a pole and when you move and swing it then the character on screen copies your actions. Or what about a gun shooting game like time crisis, when you run out of ammo you could use the handle of your gun to batter the enemy.
Which leads me on to the next one. I noticed in a Special Reserve magazine a peripheral for fighting games. It was a mat with two poles that seemed to be for kicking or something similar. So what can we expect in the future for peripherals similar to this. How about a peripheral where you stand in the centre and when you kick or punch sensors pick up your movements and your character recreates them within the game. For those who have played Police 911 in the arcade where you actually have to dodge to make your character avoid bullets then the idea would be slightly similar to this. It could be used in boxing games, fighting games and maybe even sports games. Again something like this is probably making full use of motion sensors which are nowhere near as good as they could be in the future.
I have also noticed a step towards using voice as an extra input in some Japanese games and if this idea improves then it could make its way over here. It is still in its early stages and voice recognition technology needs to be improved a lot before it will really be beneficial to games but it is one to look out for in the future. We will soon be able to shout abuse and commands at the screen and have them actually do something.
What about the ultimate peripheral ever? What would it be? How about a helmet that you put on your head that actually reads your thoughts and plays the game according to your commands. Could such a thing ever be possible? I'm not sure if this could and would be the ultimate peripheral as it could take a lot of the fun out of the game as you wouldn't really feel like you are interacting with the game as best as you can. If your opponent is beating you it could send a sharp shock to their control pad causing them to drop it allowing you to once again take the lead. But what would happen if you got side tracked from the game and thought of something else? Picture the situation…… "Look there your next door neighbour is sunbathing naked" after taking a peek you are no longer concentrating on the game, you then look back at the screen. "What is Snake doing to that guard??????" Sounds like the kind of thing you find in a sci-fi film.
I think that in the future the control pad will still be the preferred input for most games, the control pad will have improved with time and get better and better. Old favourites like the light gun and steering wheels will also still be around and also improve with time. I am sure there will also be a lot more new peripherals released, some will be hugely successful and some will be about as much use as a chocolate fire guard. I think that in the future the control pad will be modified with extras like microphones, digital camers? and be used in conjunction with other peripherals to give an even better gaming expeience.
Along with the decent peripherals being released there is also a lot of crazy and wacky peripherals that get released. So what is the craziest peripheral available to buy? Well I guess that is all down to personal preference. There have been fishing rods for the good old fishing games. I'm not a fan of fishing games (or fishing in general) but I would guess there isn't that much excitement in the game but I would guess that it is better to fish in the real world and not in the game. There have also been controls for trains released for the good old train driving games. Recently my dad got loaned MS Train simulator from a friend, I seen no point to this game and it bored me straight away. Obviously games like these must appeal to some people and the peripheral is a dream come true for them as now they can interact the way it should be done. Just like a real train driver. The same can be said for the likes of MS flight simulator, a good plane control peripheral can make these games good although sometimes they still need to be used along side the keyboard.
Other peripherals like Skateboards, which can be used with skateboarding games and snowboarding games not only add to the feel of the game and allow you to interact better with them but they also can improve the game a lot too. Dancemats seemed to be quite popular. Copy the dancing moves on the screen and get fit at the same time, I think there are the kind of peripherals that are useful when you are staying in with your mates (maybe alcohol is involved if you are old enough) which can lead to hours of fun and making fun of those that really are pants at games.
I guess some of the extra ways of inputing the data we have available are just there to help make games that little bit more realistic. But is there a limit to this? I mean is there a time when they become to realistic and the fun disapears? I hope not.
So what other crazy peripherals can we expect to see in the future?
How about a pair of football boots and a ball and how hard and where you kick the ball determines how the character on the screen behaves in the football game. How about a steering wheel with a proper gear stick, accelerator, brake and clutch that behaves like the controls of a real life car. This is one peripheral I would like to see available and games to use it as it would make driving games that little bit more realistic. Although I do think that creating such a peripheral would be extremely difficult and it would also be extremely hard to code into a game.
Maybe in the future we could see a bicycle peripheral in which you have to pedal and steer it just like any ordinary bicycle, bicycle games could also be released to coincide with the peripheral, games along the lines of the tour de France. Not only could it be fun to play but it could also keep you fit.
By far the craziest peripheral I have ever seen is on an arcade machine from japan. It is two piecs which are used together, first one is a bottom (yes a persons bum, fake of course) and the second part is a hand with the fingers shaped like a gun. The aim of the game if you haven't already worked it out (or seen it) is to prod the bum as hard as you can and try cause the person as much pain as possible. The arcade machines out there have many strange ways of inputing the data. I'm sure you have all seen the punching game where the machine takes your photo and adds your face to a character, you then punch it as hard as you can and try and disfigure the face as much as you can.
One of the big problems with peripherals is the cost. There is no point in making them if the cost to make them is so high that the selling price is also very high. Sure if the final product is good some will buy it but maybe not enough to make a decent profit or even to operate without making a loss. It is the cost that could see a lot of great ideas not being turned into reality as it just wouldn't be a good business approach to release something without knowing it is going to do well.
The way I see it is control pads are the best way to play all games, some play better with the use of a peripheral, some don't. Peripherals make some games more fun to play. They can make good games a little better and anything that improves games for the better must be good.
So what's is your favourite peripheral? What do you think is the craziest peripheral you have ever seen? If you were designing a peripheral for he future what would it be?
I know a number of these seem well a little far fetched and almost impossible, but who knows what the future holds. Man can achieve great things and some of the ideas, maybe even ones more far fetched than these could be used on consoles in the future.
Another popular post here then. Has nobody got any views or have you just not read it because of it's length?
I'll be honest, I couldn't be bothered to read it. But the length was impressive though! :-)