New movement-based game controllers take some getting used to

By Petra Albers Aug 29, 2010, 20:36 GMT

Berlin - Increasingly, characters in today's video games take their cues from players, who have to jump, turn and gesticulate to get their onscreen personalities to do their bidding.

It takes a little getting used to and, at the start, it can seem silly - especially to onlookers who don't understand the game.

But most players, once they've gotten over their awkwardness, won't have time to worry about what other people think because they are too immersed in the game, raising their arms, jumping and pivoting to get their character to their goal. And mostly, they're having too much fun to care.

Sony's Playstation 3 uses its new Move technology, which relies on a camera that captures players' movements and then repeats them onscreen. Players hold a wireless controller resembling an illuminated microphone in their hand during play.

All kinds of familiar games - music, sports, action - work with Move. But now, players get extra challenges. For example, in Sing Star, it's no longer enough just to sing karaoke. Players have to dance while a small figure in the corner of the screen mimics their moves.

Just like in real life, archers in Sports Champion have to practice to get it right. Sliders has players traversing a city in an office chair. Players don't just move, they also have to concentrate and show some skill.

Microsoft's Kinect for the XBox 360 goes a step further, hoping to offer a more complete gaming experience by doing away with the controller entirely. Players control action on the screen with gestures and body movements.

So, in the auto race game Joy Ride, players hold an invisible steering wheel and try to stay on track. Exaggerated squatting, spinning or bending backwards can result in the video car pirouetting or somersaulting, all to get bonus points.

Another game makes monkeys out of players. Players take over a video gorilla. To add to the fun, animal noises are encouraged by a microphone that captures all the sounds.

Hardware makers aren't the only ones getting into the action. Software manufacturers have also seen the potential, with Electronic Arts releasing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, where players can become the wizard, fighting off evil with a magic wand. Ubisoft is also bringing out several sports games.

Manufacturers hope to reach out to new markets with the new technology, primarily families and people who only play occasionally. That's because these games are simple and social, with many of the games playable by two or more people.

'The entry hurdle for computer games will keep sinking,' says Olaf Wolters, head of the German Trade Association of Interactive Entertainment Software. 'Once, you had to almost be a computer expert to play a game. Now grandparents sitting on their couch can play, since they only have to make simple gestures.'

But Wolters says it will take two to three years to see the true potential of the new controllers 'once the developers have had the chance to experiment with the new technical form of play.'