High Dynamic Range Lying

The fight to create the new innovative control method for the future of video games has never been so heated as it is right now. With Nintendo introducing the DS in 2004, and then the Wii in last year’s final months, developers are starting to wrap their heads around new ways to control and interact with the games they create.

Nintendo especially, has been rather forward-thinking about their treatment of game control. Many of Nintendo’s releases on the DS have made use of the touch screen for movement and actions, including the recently released Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (ゼルダの伝説: 夢幻の砂時計).

Many have complained that the departure from traditional button based controls are not only needless change, but lose a lot of the precision that buttons have provided in games for many years. The lack of familiarity and intuitive nature involved in a new control type is naturally met with resistance, especially when introduced in a game series that has otherwise been traditionally controlled in the past.

In the same way, detractors lambasted the PS3’s inclusion of gyroscopic control, stating it was a useless and unnecessary addition to the controller. Others complained that the Wii’s “waggle” function was a fad that would die down eventually. Many thought the control for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was an afterthought and felt tacked on, while others felt it was a natural progression for the future of the series.

The complaints are well-founded. Many times, new control methods do not have the precision or accuracy that traditional methods do. Much the way some still prefer playing certain genre with a d-pad as opposed to an analog stick, playing with the Wii remote or with the DS touch screen feels unwieldy and loose, giving the player the feeling that they’re not entirely in control of their actions.

The answer hidden in all of this is quite simple: not all games should have, or even need, the same control method. Until Halo’s introduction on the Xbox, the console first person shooter genre was largely maligned by genre enthusiasts as a poor substitute for the far superior keyboard and mouse combination. Despite Bungie introducing major advances in the console space, certain concessions such as auto-aim are still required to make the game less frustrating.

The dangerous future we face is one that’s already starting the rear its ugly head. Companies see the success of the Wii, and port Playstation 2 and PSP games to the console, slap on gimmicky gestural control, and push it into the market. Others make games for the DS, and instead of designing the game with the DS’ capabilities in mind, add useless second screen functionality, or touch screen control that either does not fully work, or is completely unnecessary.

The future is not all dark, though. Sony’s recent Playstation 3 release Folks Soul uses gyroscopic control in a number of situations that, instead of making the game more cumbersome, adds to the tactile connection with the game’s enemies. Players defeat enemies, and instead of running their character over an icon to collect its soul, wrench souls from enemy bodies using whip motions with the controller.

Nintendo also recently announced Exclamation Warriors (絶叫戦士 サケブレイン), where players team up as Power Rangers style characters and issue all of their commands by speaking into the mic. When arriving at bosses, players have to deliver hackneyed super hero speeches before doing battle. Built completely around the mechanic, the game is designed with the unique control method in mind, which is more than can be said for a boatload of other games releasing for the DS.

The important thing for developers to embrace, including Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft, is that every control method has its purpose and its niche. The gestural technology of the Wii is wonderful, but there are some games to which it would be detrimental. On the other hand, some games (like Exclamation Warriors) derive their charm from their unique control methods.

Everything has its place, and the sooner we all learn that, the healthier the industry will become.