The Motion Sensing Revolution

In the past, games and gamers have always been abstracted from each other. Through awkward little plastic joysticks and controllers, players were tried absorb themselves into games. But, as technology increasingly pushed forward, games and gamers alike began witnessing the advent of the motion sensing revolution.

My First experience with human integration in games was with the Nintendo Entertainment System’s “Zapper” light gun. The Zapper worked by reading the light emitted by a television screen, and it determined whether or not it was pointed at a target. (Baer) Although this wasn’t true motion sensing, I still recognized the amazing mechanic of shooting virtual objects on a television screen with an actual physical object that I could move around, and that this was only a precursor of what was next.

During the 2009 Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3), gamers were introduced to one of the biggest revolution in terms of motion sensing technology. All three of the home entertainment consoles introduced a new motion sensing technology to the audience. Nintendo’s Wii’s motion controller was given a precision upgrade, while both Microsoft and Sony unveiled their own versions of motion sensory peripherals. While Nintendo’s motion tracking technology remains the same, both Microsoft and Sony have taken a different approach to technology by introducing more precise tracking sensors. (Nguyen)

Microsoft’s approach to motion sensing was through the apparatus named “Natal”, which could sense where players were moving and interacting. (Nguyen) Sony’s approach was similar, but it required players to use a secondary controller as a prop. This theoretically leads to better motion control and sensing. One of the biggest reasons why motion sensing technology has become a priority for console developers is to draw in people who would never consider themselves gamers and prompt them to buy a console. (Terdiman)

The first source of information that I used for this post came from the website “Übergizmo”, which is a site dedicated to blogging all aspects of emerging technology, news, and gadgets to whoever has an interest in technological goodies. The website and article can be found here. This website has legitimate credentials, and has been invited to cover the events of game expos, such as E3, PAX, and GDC. The main reaction that this article had to the Motion sensing revolution was cautiously optimistic: For every good move that Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft made, it also addressed multiple pitfalls and possible downsides.

While researching this topic further, I found a much different article in regards to the so called motion sensing revolution. The website and page can be found here. The article went into detail about the novelty of motion sensing controllers, and how they actually constricted player’s interactions within a gaming environment. The article firmly stated that motion sensing technology was nothing more than a relic of the past, and that modern games are being held back by this limited technology. (Reisinger)

The reason why I chose this article is because it came from an extremely reliable and credible online source, CNET.com. This site is known widely as one on the best review sites in regards to technology, gadgetry, blogs, news, tech tutorials, and downloads. It doesn’t surprise me that this site has a more negative outlook on the motion sensing technology revolution as CNET is also known for being quite blunt when it comes to reviews. In my opinion, that’s a good quality.

When comparing both of these articles, I found the Übergizmo piece to be much more credible and convincing. The reason for this is because Übergizmo address both sides of the argument, rather than siding with one which is evident in the CNET article. Despite Übergizmo being less credible, they did a much better overview of the motion sensing technology, and how it has the potential to truly change gaming.

Here are the Electronic Entertainment Expo Demonstrations of Microsoft's Natal, and Sony's motion sensing controller:

Works Cited

Baer, Ralph H. “Television precision target shooting apparatus and method.” US Patent 4395045. July 26, 1983.

Nguyen, Hubert. "Motion Control - The Art of Motion Control: Beyond the Hype." Ubergizmo, The Gadget Blog. 4 June 2009. Web. 13 Sept. 2009. .

Terdiman, Daniel. "Microsoft's Project Natal: What does it mean for game industry?" Technology News - CNET News. 1 June 2009. Web. 13 Sept. 2009. .

Reisinger, Don. "Is motion-sensitive gaming a gimmick?" Technology News - CNET News. 16 June 2009. Web. 13 Sept. 2009. .