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I've been an avid gamer since the days of the cheeky little Sega Master System, and like anyone else in that position, am filled with glee to see what these newfangled gizmos are doing for next gen gaming [quietly unwraps another Werther's Original]. But I can't help notice we're still only given the same old peripherals for playing on. Joypads, light-gun and maybe a steering wheel are about as much as we can expect.
I just reckon that if games are going to really break new ground, a more 'authentic' control system than a standard joypad would be an ideal starting point. A decent driving game is made absolutely amazing if you use a force feedback steering wheel with pedals. It IS the arcades in your living room. Likewise, light gun games will always be enormous entertainment value if you're equipped with a shiny GCon... but would be as dull as watching a repeat of Trisha, whilst listening to the shipping forecasts and eating a stale corned beef sandwich, without one. If that immersive quality offered by decent accessories was stretched to more than just driving or shooting, there's endless possibilities.
OK, so the occasional novelty peripherals have popped up recently(ish): with the Dreamcast's fishing rods, maracases (Samba de Amigo), microphone (Seaman) and those dance-mats and thrustmaster skateboards. But these have all been extremely limited release, often not reaching these shores at all. And when a 3rd party attempts some independent innovation, it is a nice idea, but unfortunately if the games aren't programmed with that peripheral in mind, it's inevitably not going to work as well as a conventional joypad... I bet no-one using that skateboard thingy has ever got a double figure score in Tony Hawks.
If I was God/Allah/Jesus/Buddah/Harry Krishna/David Icke, I would bless this world with many more peripherals of a cross-compatible nature. I would expect every gamer to own 1 Arcade twin-stick panel [these do actually exist], 2 leather-stitched force-feedback steering-wheels, 2 light guns and 4 slick chrome joypads... and these would work on any and every gaming platform.
Then I would appear in the dreams of various prominent developers, and tell them to make games that use all these peripherals simultaneously. 'GTA: By Holy Decree' would allow you to walk round town with your joypad, drive cars with the steering-wheel and shoot at people with the light gun... at the same time. It would be a standard genre: the drive-by shoot 'em up, and no 1st person shooter would be complete without the cunningly combined use of novelty-controllers.
I deem that to be a basic human rights issue, and the future of gaming must abide by that ruling lesseth it burn in the hellfires of Lucifer's toaster. But on top of that, I reckon there should be loads more plain-silly controllers for one off useage. I've got a fishing rod & Sega Marine Fishing for my DC, and that gets reeled out every Saturday night (and yes, it does impress the ladies)... but even that's not enough, how about some stuff like:
->Tennis Rackets, Hockey Sticks, Golf Clubs etc...
->Chariot Reins for that game Circus Maximus. It would make it.
->Star Wars combo pack: light sabre and laser-phaser. Imagine it. If they bundled that with a well-made, appropriately compatible game... jees, they could sell if for a monkey, and it would still sell-out before it's release date.
->Big Swords, or axes, or chainsaws... ["and also knives, I think knives are good"]
->Night Vision Specs for MGS3 (you need to look at little screens inside some big glasses to decipher the dark moments on your TV set)
->Sniper Scope (...I mean, what was the point of Silent Scope on home consoles without that! Tsk)
->Small scale sit-down cars modified for driving games
->Full scale fighter planes
->Super scale alien spacecraft
OK, maybe I ask a little too much, and the details of my proposals are technically-speaking: a bit sketchy. But the jist is clear enough. I want more toys to play my games with. So if any mover-and-shakers in the Interactive Peripheral Consultancy world read this, go on... make some.
I just reckon that if games are going to really break new ground, a more 'authentic' control system than a standard joypad would be an ideal starting point. A decent driving game is made absolutely amazing if you use a force feedback steering wheel with pedals. It IS the arcades in your living room. Likewise, light gun games will always be enormous entertainment value if you're equipped with a shiny GCon... but would be as dull as watching a repeat of Trisha, whilst listening to the shipping forecasts and eating a stale corned beef sandwich, without one. If that immersive quality offered by decent accessories was stretched to more than just driving or shooting, there's endless possibilities.
OK, so the occasional novelty peripherals have popped up recently(ish): with the Dreamcast's fishing rods, maracases (Samba de Amigo), microphone (Seaman) and those dance-mats and thrustmaster skateboards. But these have all been extremely limited release, often not reaching these shores at all. And when a 3rd party attempts some independent innovation, it is a nice idea, but unfortunately if the games aren't programmed with that peripheral in mind, it's inevitably not going to work as well as a conventional joypad... I bet no-one using that skateboard thingy has ever got a double figure score in Tony Hawks.
If I was God/Allah/Jesus/Buddah/Harry Krishna/David Icke, I would bless this world with many more peripherals of a cross-compatible nature. I would expect every gamer to own 1 Arcade twin-stick panel [these do actually exist], 2 leather-stitched force-feedback steering-wheels, 2 light guns and 4 slick chrome joypads... and these would work on any and every gaming platform.
Then I would appear in the dreams of various prominent developers, and tell them to make games that use all these peripherals simultaneously. 'GTA: By Holy Decree' would allow you to walk round town with your joypad, drive cars with the steering-wheel and shoot at people with the light gun... at the same time. It would be a standard genre: the drive-by shoot 'em up, and no 1st person shooter would be complete without the cunningly combined use of novelty-controllers.
I deem that to be a basic human rights issue, and the future of gaming must abide by that ruling lesseth it burn in the hellfires of Lucifer's toaster. But on top of that, I reckon there should be loads more plain-silly controllers for one off useage. I've got a fishing rod & Sega Marine Fishing for my DC, and that gets reeled out every Saturday night (and yes, it does impress the ladies)... but even that's not enough, how about some stuff like:
->Tennis Rackets, Hockey Sticks, Golf Clubs etc...
->Chariot Reins for that game Circus Maximus. It would make it.
->Star Wars combo pack: light sabre and laser-phaser. Imagine it. If they bundled that with a well-made, appropriately compatible game... jees, they could sell if for a monkey, and it would still sell-out before it's release date.
->Big Swords, or axes, or chainsaws... ["and also knives, I think knives are good"]
->Night Vision Specs for MGS3 (you need to look at little screens inside some big glasses to decipher the dark moments on your TV set)
->Sniper Scope (...I mean, what was the point of Silent Scope on home consoles without that! Tsk)
->Small scale sit-down cars modified for driving games
->Full scale fighter planes
->Super scale alien spacecraft
OK, maybe I ask a little too much, and the details of my proposals are technically-speaking: a bit sketchy. But the jist is clear enough. I want more toys to play my games with. So if any mover-and-shakers in the Interactive Peripheral Consultancy world read this, go on... make some.
Hear, hear that man.
Novelty peripherals are the future of gaming, no two ways about it. I want boxing gloves with motion sensors, trainers with impact detectors and pants that know when I've chuffed so my avatar can look suitably embarressed in MMPORPGs.
And I've never seen a funnier sight than one of my mates trying to reel in the bag fat fish in the final stage of Bass Fishing. Genius.
Novelty peripherals are the future of gaming, no two ways about it. I want boxing gloves with motion sensors, trainers with impact detectors and pants that know when I've chuffed so my avatar can look suitably embarressed in MMPORPGs.
And I've never seen a funnier sight than one of my mates trying to reel in the bag fat fish in the final stage of Bass Fishing. Genius.
Silent85 wrote:
> Insane your TYPING LIKE A NEWBIE and I like the fishing rod because I
> got one it is amazing fun
*****
I think. *I THINK* he was trying to be funny.
oh and illzen.... hooray!
> Insane your TYPING LIKE A NEWBIE and I like the fishing rod because I
> got one it is amazing fun
*****
I think. *I THINK* he was trying to be funny.
oh and illzen.... hooray!
Insane Bartender wrote:
> FOR THE SAKE OF THE FUTURE OF ALL HUMANITY KEEP THOSE THINGS AWAY FROM
> BRITISH SHORES!!!
Trust me IB, they're ace. I've never been fishing in real life, and I would never even contemplate standing in the rain for 6 hours on a Sunday morning... but computer games with fishing rods are a real giggle, and have the same broad appeal as a fairground game. If I've got mates round who aren't bothered about computer games, Fishing is the only game they want to try... and that's purely because of its peripheral.
And frankly, if fishing-games are going to reach these shores at all, then they better have a special controller with them.
> FOR THE SAKE OF THE FUTURE OF ALL HUMANITY KEEP THOSE THINGS AWAY FROM
> BRITISH SHORES!!!
Trust me IB, they're ace. I've never been fishing in real life, and I would never even contemplate standing in the rain for 6 hours on a Sunday morning... but computer games with fishing rods are a real giggle, and have the same broad appeal as a fairground game. If I've got mates round who aren't bothered about computer games, Fishing is the only game they want to try... and that's purely because of its peripheral.
And frankly, if fishing-games are going to reach these shores at all, then they better have a special controller with them.
illzen wrote:
> OK, so the occasional novelty peripherals have popped up
> recently(ish): with the Dreamcast's fishing rods
FOR THE SAKE OF THE FUTURE OF ALL HUMANITY KEEP THOSE THINGS AWAY FROM BRITISH SHORES!!!
IB
> OK, so the occasional novelty peripherals have popped up
> recently(ish): with the Dreamcast's fishing rods
FOR THE SAKE OF THE FUTURE OF ALL HUMANITY KEEP THOSE THINGS AWAY FROM BRITISH SHORES!!!
IB
I've been an avid gamer since the days of the cheeky little Sega Master System, and like anyone else in that position, am filled with glee to see what these newfangled gizmos are doing for next gen gaming [quietly unwraps another Werther's Original]. But I can't help notice we're still only given the same old peripherals for playing on. Joypads, light-gun and maybe a steering wheel are about as much as we can expect.
I just reckon that if games are going to really break new ground, a more 'authentic' control system than a standard joypad would be an ideal starting point. A decent driving game is made absolutely amazing if you use a force feedback steering wheel with pedals. It IS the arcades in your living room. Likewise, light gun games will always be enormous entertainment value if you're equipped with a shiny GCon... but would be as dull as watching a repeat of Trisha, whilst listening to the shipping forecasts and eating a stale corned beef sandwich, without one. If that immersive quality offered by decent accessories was stretched to more than just driving or shooting, there's endless possibilities.
OK, so the occasional novelty peripherals have popped up recently(ish): with the Dreamcast's fishing rods, maracases (Samba de Amigo), microphone (Seaman) and those dance-mats and thrustmaster skateboards. But these have all been extremely limited release, often not reaching these shores at all. And when a 3rd party attempts some independent innovation, it is a nice idea, but unfortunately if the games aren't programmed with that peripheral in mind, it's inevitably not going to work as well as a conventional joypad... I bet no-one using that skateboard thingy has ever got a double figure score in Tony Hawks.
If I was God/Allah/Jesus/Buddah/Harry Krishna/David Icke, I would bless this world with many more peripherals of a cross-compatible nature. I would expect every gamer to own 1 Arcade twin-stick panel [these do actually exist], 2 leather-stitched force-feedback steering-wheels, 2 light guns and 4 slick chrome joypads... and these would work on any and every gaming platform.
Then I would appear in the dreams of various prominent developers, and tell them to make games that use all these peripherals simultaneously. 'GTA: By Holy Decree' would allow you to walk round town with your joypad, drive cars with the steering-wheel and shoot at people with the light gun... at the same time. It would be a standard genre: the drive-by shoot 'em up, and no 1st person shooter would be complete without the cunningly combined use of novelty-controllers.
I deem that to be a basic human rights issue, and the future of gaming must abide by that ruling lesseth it burn in the hellfires of Lucifer's toaster. But on top of that, I reckon there should be loads more plain-silly controllers for one off useage. I've got a fishing rod & Sega Marine Fishing for my DC, and that gets reeled out every Saturday night (and yes, it does impress the ladies)... but even that's not enough, how about some stuff like:
->Tennis Rackets, Hockey Sticks, Golf Clubs etc...
->Chariot Reins for that game Circus Maximus. It would make it.
->Star Wars combo pack: light sabre and laser-phaser. Imagine it. If they bundled that with a well-made, appropriately compatible game... jees, they could sell if for a monkey, and it would still sell-out before it's release date.
->Big Swords, or axes, or chainsaws... ["and also knives, I think knives are good"]
->Night Vision Specs for MGS3 (you need to look at little screens inside some big glasses to decipher the dark moments on your TV set)
->Sniper Scope (...I mean, what was the point of Silent Scope on home consoles without that! Tsk)
->Small scale sit-down cars modified for driving games
->Full scale fighter planes
->Super scale alien spacecraft
OK, maybe I ask a little too much, and the details of my proposals are technically-speaking: a bit sketchy. But the jist is clear enough. I want more toys to play my games with. So if any mover-and-shakers in the Interactive Peripheral Consultancy world read this, go on... make some.
I just reckon that if games are going to really break new ground, a more 'authentic' control system than a standard joypad would be an ideal starting point. A decent driving game is made absolutely amazing if you use a force feedback steering wheel with pedals. It IS the arcades in your living room. Likewise, light gun games will always be enormous entertainment value if you're equipped with a shiny GCon... but would be as dull as watching a repeat of Trisha, whilst listening to the shipping forecasts and eating a stale corned beef sandwich, without one. If that immersive quality offered by decent accessories was stretched to more than just driving or shooting, there's endless possibilities.
OK, so the occasional novelty peripherals have popped up recently(ish): with the Dreamcast's fishing rods, maracases (Samba de Amigo), microphone (Seaman) and those dance-mats and thrustmaster skateboards. But these have all been extremely limited release, often not reaching these shores at all. And when a 3rd party attempts some independent innovation, it is a nice idea, but unfortunately if the games aren't programmed with that peripheral in mind, it's inevitably not going to work as well as a conventional joypad... I bet no-one using that skateboard thingy has ever got a double figure score in Tony Hawks.
If I was God/Allah/Jesus/Buddah/Harry Krishna/David Icke, I would bless this world with many more peripherals of a cross-compatible nature. I would expect every gamer to own 1 Arcade twin-stick panel [these do actually exist], 2 leather-stitched force-feedback steering-wheels, 2 light guns and 4 slick chrome joypads... and these would work on any and every gaming platform.
Then I would appear in the dreams of various prominent developers, and tell them to make games that use all these peripherals simultaneously. 'GTA: By Holy Decree' would allow you to walk round town with your joypad, drive cars with the steering-wheel and shoot at people with the light gun... at the same time. It would be a standard genre: the drive-by shoot 'em up, and no 1st person shooter would be complete without the cunningly combined use of novelty-controllers.
I deem that to be a basic human rights issue, and the future of gaming must abide by that ruling lesseth it burn in the hellfires of Lucifer's toaster. But on top of that, I reckon there should be loads more plain-silly controllers for one off useage. I've got a fishing rod & Sega Marine Fishing for my DC, and that gets reeled out every Saturday night (and yes, it does impress the ladies)... but even that's not enough, how about some stuff like:
->Tennis Rackets, Hockey Sticks, Golf Clubs etc...
->Chariot Reins for that game Circus Maximus. It would make it.
->Star Wars combo pack: light sabre and laser-phaser. Imagine it. If they bundled that with a well-made, appropriately compatible game... jees, they could sell if for a monkey, and it would still sell-out before it's release date.
->Big Swords, or axes, or chainsaws... ["and also knives, I think knives are good"]
->Night Vision Specs for MGS3 (you need to look at little screens inside some big glasses to decipher the dark moments on your TV set)
->Sniper Scope (...I mean, what was the point of Silent Scope on home consoles without that! Tsk)
->Small scale sit-down cars modified for driving games
->Full scale fighter planes
->Super scale alien spacecraft
OK, maybe I ask a little too much, and the details of my proposals are technically-speaking: a bit sketchy. But the jist is clear enough. I want more toys to play my games with. So if any mover-and-shakers in the Interactive Peripheral Consultancy world read this, go on... make some.