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Have you ever played Duck Hunt? That game on Nintendo's first console, the NES, which used a light gun? Whether you have or haven't, it's a game worth experiencing. It uses a light gun, see, and while this may not seem revolutionary to you - in it’s time, the game was definitely that. To my knowledge, it was the first game to use an add on peripheral; a light gun. While it couldn’t boast pixel-perfect accuracy (although since there were only about 1,000 pixels on screen, this may not be totally untrue), it was a luxury item, and a first. It didn’t start the peripheral revolution, but it was one of the early guys. No no, peripherals in all shapes and forms started rushing into our home consoles in about the time that the PlayStation came rushing into our homes. You may hate it, but the PlayStation made games cool and popular, and it brought about many things.
You can’t say you’ve never used a lightgun. Whether it was one of your own, a friends, or in an arcade, they’re common and used by many. However, the PlayStation and the PS2 have suffered problems thanks to the lack of software. The guns are great, but there isn’t enough software. So imagine what this must have been like on the Nes! Games weren’t as popular then, and consequently fewer games were developed and released. There were only a handful of Nes games which supported the light gun, and on the Snes few more for the Super Scope 7 (famous thanks to the ‘laser mounted piping’ metaphor). When the Snes became popular, and videogames took off, at least there could be more specialist games. The result? More and more peripherals.
I like peripherals. They give me pleasure. Vibrator quips aside, peripherals may be expensive, but they’re brilliant. The fun from dancing games when played competitively, is almost as cool as double-gun mode in Time Crisis 2. Similarly, racing in Gran Turismo is divine with a steering wheel, and there are many space sims which are boring on their own, but brilliant with a joystick. It’s all down to peripherals, you see. If there is a special type of add-on, like a light gun, developers can customise the game as they see fit. It beats having to develop for the normal joypad, because they can do what they want. The result? Games like Steel Battalion; a robot game with a huge 80-button cockpit looking peripheral. It looks extravagant and excessive, but the game melts into the controller, and it’s a totally immersive and brilliant experience.
But there comes a point when peripherals become excessive. If they become unnecessary add-ons, ones which are purely expensive crap, then I have to object. Hard drives, for instance. Sony knew from day 1 that the PS2 would need a Hard Drive; they put an HDD port on the PS2 for Christ’s sake. So when they come along and charge an extra hundred quid for a hard drive which is essential for online play, it becomes a joke. It makes the Xbox seem like incredible value against the PS2; it’s already got a Hard Drive and is cheaper than just the PS2 on its own. Memory cards are essential for CD based consoles, and this is fine in my opinion. But £30 for a memory card (Sony, again) is also a bit pricey. Okay, it makes the supposed 40GB HDD look pennies in comparison, but to play a console you need a memory card to save your game - but they don’t tell you that on the box. Imagine little Billy’s dismay on Christmas day, and having to wait another twenty four hours to get a memory card to save games. Oh well.
A common complaint I here among more learned gamers is that consoles are becoming PCs. Hard Drives; online adaptors, N64-style memory upgrades. It’s becoming the case that consoles are upgradeable, and this isn’t especially welcoming. The next wave of consoles will be standardised I know, but chances are you won’t want to surf the internet on your PS3, Xbox 2 or Nintendo GameCube 2. You’ll use your PC for that, so why the insist on mice and keyboards is beyond me. If I wanted to play a game with a mouse and a keyboard, I’d use the machine I’m using to write this. Not my console, which is in my living room, in front of my TV.
But peripherals are fun. I’ve had so much fun before in i-Link Time Crisis 2, it’s just like the arcade! And Jungle Book Groove party is also great fun - just like in the arcade. Oh, oh, and don’t forget racing in Sega Rally... just like in the arcade. Arcades used to be places of impressive hardware and games, places where you’d find things consoles just couldn’t handle. Unfortunately, no longer. The demise of arcades, in my opinion, is straight down to peripheral vision. Specialist controllers. Light guns; dance mats; steering wheels; arcade pads. I have no reason to go to the arcade to play Time Crisis 2 if I have it at home. That’s exactly what peripherals try to do - emulate the arcade. Almost none manage that splendour; as the arcade’s ‘feel’ is lost with the removal of flashing lights, loud noises and interested onlookers. And the skill has gone too.
So what am I really talking about? Well, I expect gaming in the future to become much more specialised. I don’t think Steel Battalion will be as unique as it seems at the moment, and similarly I think that virtual reality isn’t as far off as it seems. Sony’s Eye-Trek goggles are like VR masks, and it’s only a matter of time before an ambitious developer really does start making a total immersion video game. It’s only a matter of time...
If you think that the PS2 will suffer a drought of light gun games, or steering wheel compatible games, you should think again. I’m seeing more and more new games, updates and ports every month. From Virtua Cop to Vampire Night, there’s a huge variety there. And what else? Well, steering wheels are compatible with almost everything, and really do make GT, Ridge Racer and Sega Rally seem that bit more realistic.
I’m happy that peripherals are becoming more popular. They let games be more immersive, more fun, and more impressive. I think small things, like the Xbox communicator headset, are pushing the technology boundary, in terms of what’s in the box. If there is an Xbox 2, I reckon it’ll contain an HDD, a broadband adaptor, a Scart and S-Video cable, a DVD Remote and one of these headsets. Is it really so impossible? No. Peripherals are the future. I see it, the developers see it, and it is seen on the shop shelfs. Well, I’m off. Steel Battalion beckons, and I just can’t resist those beefy plastic charms :).
You can’t say you’ve never used a lightgun. Whether it was one of your own, a friends, or in an arcade, they’re common and used by many. However, the PlayStation and the PS2 have suffered problems thanks to the lack of software. The guns are great, but there isn’t enough software. So imagine what this must have been like on the Nes! Games weren’t as popular then, and consequently fewer games were developed and released. There were only a handful of Nes games which supported the light gun, and on the Snes few more for the Super Scope 7 (famous thanks to the ‘laser mounted piping’ metaphor). When the Snes became popular, and videogames took off, at least there could be more specialist games. The result? More and more peripherals.
I like peripherals. They give me pleasure. Vibrator quips aside, peripherals may be expensive, but they’re brilliant. The fun from dancing games when played competitively, is almost as cool as double-gun mode in Time Crisis 2. Similarly, racing in Gran Turismo is divine with a steering wheel, and there are many space sims which are boring on their own, but brilliant with a joystick. It’s all down to peripherals, you see. If there is a special type of add-on, like a light gun, developers can customise the game as they see fit. It beats having to develop for the normal joypad, because they can do what they want. The result? Games like Steel Battalion; a robot game with a huge 80-button cockpit looking peripheral. It looks extravagant and excessive, but the game melts into the controller, and it’s a totally immersive and brilliant experience.
But there comes a point when peripherals become excessive. If they become unnecessary add-ons, ones which are purely expensive crap, then I have to object. Hard drives, for instance. Sony knew from day 1 that the PS2 would need a Hard Drive; they put an HDD port on the PS2 for Christ’s sake. So when they come along and charge an extra hundred quid for a hard drive which is essential for online play, it becomes a joke. It makes the Xbox seem like incredible value against the PS2; it’s already got a Hard Drive and is cheaper than just the PS2 on its own. Memory cards are essential for CD based consoles, and this is fine in my opinion. But £30 for a memory card (Sony, again) is also a bit pricey. Okay, it makes the supposed 40GB HDD look pennies in comparison, but to play a console you need a memory card to save your game - but they don’t tell you that on the box. Imagine little Billy’s dismay on Christmas day, and having to wait another twenty four hours to get a memory card to save games. Oh well.
A common complaint I here among more learned gamers is that consoles are becoming PCs. Hard Drives; online adaptors, N64-style memory upgrades. It’s becoming the case that consoles are upgradeable, and this isn’t especially welcoming. The next wave of consoles will be standardised I know, but chances are you won’t want to surf the internet on your PS3, Xbox 2 or Nintendo GameCube 2. You’ll use your PC for that, so why the insist on mice and keyboards is beyond me. If I wanted to play a game with a mouse and a keyboard, I’d use the machine I’m using to write this. Not my console, which is in my living room, in front of my TV.
But peripherals are fun. I’ve had so much fun before in i-Link Time Crisis 2, it’s just like the arcade! And Jungle Book Groove party is also great fun - just like in the arcade. Oh, oh, and don’t forget racing in Sega Rally... just like in the arcade. Arcades used to be places of impressive hardware and games, places where you’d find things consoles just couldn’t handle. Unfortunately, no longer. The demise of arcades, in my opinion, is straight down to peripheral vision. Specialist controllers. Light guns; dance mats; steering wheels; arcade pads. I have no reason to go to the arcade to play Time Crisis 2 if I have it at home. That’s exactly what peripherals try to do - emulate the arcade. Almost none manage that splendour; as the arcade’s ‘feel’ is lost with the removal of flashing lights, loud noises and interested onlookers. And the skill has gone too.
So what am I really talking about? Well, I expect gaming in the future to become much more specialised. I don’t think Steel Battalion will be as unique as it seems at the moment, and similarly I think that virtual reality isn’t as far off as it seems. Sony’s Eye-Trek goggles are like VR masks, and it’s only a matter of time before an ambitious developer really does start making a total immersion video game. It’s only a matter of time...
If you think that the PS2 will suffer a drought of light gun games, or steering wheel compatible games, you should think again. I’m seeing more and more new games, updates and ports every month. From Virtua Cop to Vampire Night, there’s a huge variety there. And what else? Well, steering wheels are compatible with almost everything, and really do make GT, Ridge Racer and Sega Rally seem that bit more realistic.
I’m happy that peripherals are becoming more popular. They let games be more immersive, more fun, and more impressive. I think small things, like the Xbox communicator headset, are pushing the technology boundary, in terms of what’s in the box. If there is an Xbox 2, I reckon it’ll contain an HDD, a broadband adaptor, a Scart and S-Video cable, a DVD Remote and one of these headsets. Is it really so impossible? No. Peripherals are the future. I see it, the developers see it, and it is seen on the shop shelfs. Well, I’m off. Steel Battalion beckons, and I just can’t resist those beefy plastic charms :).
You haven't seen a cool layout until you see Steel Battalion! It's a huge chunky thing, and is probably the best controller ever. I HATE mech games, but playing with that controller is a totally different experience.
Very nice and informative, dragged on a bit though
You missed one thing out - peripherals make your console layout look the part, I think so anyway. I've got four control pads for my PS2 and a G-Con lightgun, but even though there isn't much space where I keep my PS2, I always feel the need to squash them in, so everything looks complete.
I can remember playing a really old game on the commodore or something and it had quite a huge lightgun. My mate who had it felt chuffed because everyone was dazed by it at the time, including me. Thinking about it now, I don't think it was that special, more of a big hunk of junk, but it was fun while it lasted.
Peripherals are indeed the future, and obviously Microsoft have noticed this which is why they made that huge control system pad thing for the robot game. Not an Xbox fan myself but I must admit I was impressed. But I say anything Xbox can do, Sony's PS2 can do better.
I'll stop blabbing on now ...
You missed one thing out - peripherals make your console layout look the part, I think so anyway. I've got four control pads for my PS2 and a G-Con lightgun, but even though there isn't much space where I keep my PS2, I always feel the need to squash them in, so everything looks complete.
I can remember playing a really old game on the commodore or something and it had quite a huge lightgun. My mate who had it felt chuffed because everyone was dazed by it at the time, including me. Thinking about it now, I don't think it was that special, more of a big hunk of junk, but it was fun while it lasted.
Peripherals are indeed the future, and obviously Microsoft have noticed this which is why they made that huge control system pad thing for the robot game. Not an Xbox fan myself but I must admit I was impressed. But I say anything Xbox can do, Sony's PS2 can do better.
I'll stop blabbing on now ...
Have you ever played Duck Hunt? That game on Nintendo's first console, the NES, which used a light gun? Whether you have or haven't, it's a game worth experiencing. It uses a light gun, see, and while this may not seem revolutionary to you - in it’s time, the game was definitely that. To my knowledge, it was the first game to use an add on peripheral; a light gun. While it couldn’t boast pixel-perfect accuracy (although since there were only about 1,000 pixels on screen, this may not be totally untrue), it was a luxury item, and a first. It didn’t start the peripheral revolution, but it was one of the early guys. No no, peripherals in all shapes and forms started rushing into our home consoles in about the time that the PlayStation came rushing into our homes. You may hate it, but the PlayStation made games cool and popular, and it brought about many things.
You can’t say you’ve never used a lightgun. Whether it was one of your own, a friends, or in an arcade, they’re common and used by many. However, the PlayStation and the PS2 have suffered problems thanks to the lack of software. The guns are great, but there isn’t enough software. So imagine what this must have been like on the Nes! Games weren’t as popular then, and consequently fewer games were developed and released. There were only a handful of Nes games which supported the light gun, and on the Snes few more for the Super Scope 7 (famous thanks to the ‘laser mounted piping’ metaphor). When the Snes became popular, and videogames took off, at least there could be more specialist games. The result? More and more peripherals.
I like peripherals. They give me pleasure. Vibrator quips aside, peripherals may be expensive, but they’re brilliant. The fun from dancing games when played competitively, is almost as cool as double-gun mode in Time Crisis 2. Similarly, racing in Gran Turismo is divine with a steering wheel, and there are many space sims which are boring on their own, but brilliant with a joystick. It’s all down to peripherals, you see. If there is a special type of add-on, like a light gun, developers can customise the game as they see fit. It beats having to develop for the normal joypad, because they can do what they want. The result? Games like Steel Battalion; a robot game with a huge 80-button cockpit looking peripheral. It looks extravagant and excessive, but the game melts into the controller, and it’s a totally immersive and brilliant experience.
But there comes a point when peripherals become excessive. If they become unnecessary add-ons, ones which are purely expensive crap, then I have to object. Hard drives, for instance. Sony knew from day 1 that the PS2 would need a Hard Drive; they put an HDD port on the PS2 for Christ’s sake. So when they come along and charge an extra hundred quid for a hard drive which is essential for online play, it becomes a joke. It makes the Xbox seem like incredible value against the PS2; it’s already got a Hard Drive and is cheaper than just the PS2 on its own. Memory cards are essential for CD based consoles, and this is fine in my opinion. But £30 for a memory card (Sony, again) is also a bit pricey. Okay, it makes the supposed 40GB HDD look pennies in comparison, but to play a console you need a memory card to save your game - but they don’t tell you that on the box. Imagine little Billy’s dismay on Christmas day, and having to wait another twenty four hours to get a memory card to save games. Oh well.
A common complaint I here among more learned gamers is that consoles are becoming PCs. Hard Drives; online adaptors, N64-style memory upgrades. It’s becoming the case that consoles are upgradeable, and this isn’t especially welcoming. The next wave of consoles will be standardised I know, but chances are you won’t want to surf the internet on your PS3, Xbox 2 or Nintendo GameCube 2. You’ll use your PC for that, so why the insist on mice and keyboards is beyond me. If I wanted to play a game with a mouse and a keyboard, I’d use the machine I’m using to write this. Not my console, which is in my living room, in front of my TV.
But peripherals are fun. I’ve had so much fun before in i-Link Time Crisis 2, it’s just like the arcade! And Jungle Book Groove party is also great fun - just like in the arcade. Oh, oh, and don’t forget racing in Sega Rally... just like in the arcade. Arcades used to be places of impressive hardware and games, places where you’d find things consoles just couldn’t handle. Unfortunately, no longer. The demise of arcades, in my opinion, is straight down to peripheral vision. Specialist controllers. Light guns; dance mats; steering wheels; arcade pads. I have no reason to go to the arcade to play Time Crisis 2 if I have it at home. That’s exactly what peripherals try to do - emulate the arcade. Almost none manage that splendour; as the arcade’s ‘feel’ is lost with the removal of flashing lights, loud noises and interested onlookers. And the skill has gone too.
So what am I really talking about? Well, I expect gaming in the future to become much more specialised. I don’t think Steel Battalion will be as unique as it seems at the moment, and similarly I think that virtual reality isn’t as far off as it seems. Sony’s Eye-Trek goggles are like VR masks, and it’s only a matter of time before an ambitious developer really does start making a total immersion video game. It’s only a matter of time...
If you think that the PS2 will suffer a drought of light gun games, or steering wheel compatible games, you should think again. I’m seeing more and more new games, updates and ports every month. From Virtua Cop to Vampire Night, there’s a huge variety there. And what else? Well, steering wheels are compatible with almost everything, and really do make GT, Ridge Racer and Sega Rally seem that bit more realistic.
I’m happy that peripherals are becoming more popular. They let games be more immersive, more fun, and more impressive. I think small things, like the Xbox communicator headset, are pushing the technology boundary, in terms of what’s in the box. If there is an Xbox 2, I reckon it’ll contain an HDD, a broadband adaptor, a Scart and S-Video cable, a DVD Remote and one of these headsets. Is it really so impossible? No. Peripherals are the future. I see it, the developers see it, and it is seen on the shop shelfs. Well, I’m off. Steel Battalion beckons, and I just can’t resist those beefy plastic charms :).
You can’t say you’ve never used a lightgun. Whether it was one of your own, a friends, or in an arcade, they’re common and used by many. However, the PlayStation and the PS2 have suffered problems thanks to the lack of software. The guns are great, but there isn’t enough software. So imagine what this must have been like on the Nes! Games weren’t as popular then, and consequently fewer games were developed and released. There were only a handful of Nes games which supported the light gun, and on the Snes few more for the Super Scope 7 (famous thanks to the ‘laser mounted piping’ metaphor). When the Snes became popular, and videogames took off, at least there could be more specialist games. The result? More and more peripherals.
I like peripherals. They give me pleasure. Vibrator quips aside, peripherals may be expensive, but they’re brilliant. The fun from dancing games when played competitively, is almost as cool as double-gun mode in Time Crisis 2. Similarly, racing in Gran Turismo is divine with a steering wheel, and there are many space sims which are boring on their own, but brilliant with a joystick. It’s all down to peripherals, you see. If there is a special type of add-on, like a light gun, developers can customise the game as they see fit. It beats having to develop for the normal joypad, because they can do what they want. The result? Games like Steel Battalion; a robot game with a huge 80-button cockpit looking peripheral. It looks extravagant and excessive, but the game melts into the controller, and it’s a totally immersive and brilliant experience.
But there comes a point when peripherals become excessive. If they become unnecessary add-ons, ones which are purely expensive crap, then I have to object. Hard drives, for instance. Sony knew from day 1 that the PS2 would need a Hard Drive; they put an HDD port on the PS2 for Christ’s sake. So when they come along and charge an extra hundred quid for a hard drive which is essential for online play, it becomes a joke. It makes the Xbox seem like incredible value against the PS2; it’s already got a Hard Drive and is cheaper than just the PS2 on its own. Memory cards are essential for CD based consoles, and this is fine in my opinion. But £30 for a memory card (Sony, again) is also a bit pricey. Okay, it makes the supposed 40GB HDD look pennies in comparison, but to play a console you need a memory card to save your game - but they don’t tell you that on the box. Imagine little Billy’s dismay on Christmas day, and having to wait another twenty four hours to get a memory card to save games. Oh well.
A common complaint I here among more learned gamers is that consoles are becoming PCs. Hard Drives; online adaptors, N64-style memory upgrades. It’s becoming the case that consoles are upgradeable, and this isn’t especially welcoming. The next wave of consoles will be standardised I know, but chances are you won’t want to surf the internet on your PS3, Xbox 2 or Nintendo GameCube 2. You’ll use your PC for that, so why the insist on mice and keyboards is beyond me. If I wanted to play a game with a mouse and a keyboard, I’d use the machine I’m using to write this. Not my console, which is in my living room, in front of my TV.
But peripherals are fun. I’ve had so much fun before in i-Link Time Crisis 2, it’s just like the arcade! And Jungle Book Groove party is also great fun - just like in the arcade. Oh, oh, and don’t forget racing in Sega Rally... just like in the arcade. Arcades used to be places of impressive hardware and games, places where you’d find things consoles just couldn’t handle. Unfortunately, no longer. The demise of arcades, in my opinion, is straight down to peripheral vision. Specialist controllers. Light guns; dance mats; steering wheels; arcade pads. I have no reason to go to the arcade to play Time Crisis 2 if I have it at home. That’s exactly what peripherals try to do - emulate the arcade. Almost none manage that splendour; as the arcade’s ‘feel’ is lost with the removal of flashing lights, loud noises and interested onlookers. And the skill has gone too.
So what am I really talking about? Well, I expect gaming in the future to become much more specialised. I don’t think Steel Battalion will be as unique as it seems at the moment, and similarly I think that virtual reality isn’t as far off as it seems. Sony’s Eye-Trek goggles are like VR masks, and it’s only a matter of time before an ambitious developer really does start making a total immersion video game. It’s only a matter of time...
If you think that the PS2 will suffer a drought of light gun games, or steering wheel compatible games, you should think again. I’m seeing more and more new games, updates and ports every month. From Virtua Cop to Vampire Night, there’s a huge variety there. And what else? Well, steering wheels are compatible with almost everything, and really do make GT, Ridge Racer and Sega Rally seem that bit more realistic.
I’m happy that peripherals are becoming more popular. They let games be more immersive, more fun, and more impressive. I think small things, like the Xbox communicator headset, are pushing the technology boundary, in terms of what’s in the box. If there is an Xbox 2, I reckon it’ll contain an HDD, a broadband adaptor, a Scart and S-Video cable, a DVD Remote and one of these headsets. Is it really so impossible? No. Peripherals are the future. I see it, the developers see it, and it is seen on the shop shelfs. Well, I’m off. Steel Battalion beckons, and I just can’t resist those beefy plastic charms :).