Mad Genius break-apart motion controller is for the serious Skyrim sniper

by Richard Mitchell on May 13th 2013 9:00PM

Split controller designs are nothing new. We've seen them implemented by third parties such as SplitFish and, of course, major players – Nintendo's Wii Remote and Nunchuk, and Sony's PS Move and Navigation Controller. Now, Mad Genius is looking to up the ante with its new break-apart motion controller.

Mad Genius says the controller is capable of tracking movements as minute as 1/100 of an inch. A video demonstrates the controller being used in an unmodified version of Skyrim on Xbox 360, tracking the player's body movement to make the character move in the game world. A more practical application is splitting the controller apart to aim and fire a bow in-game.

Holding the two halves like a bow and arrow, the game automatically equips and begins aiming the bow. The control is so fine, according to Mad Genius, that players will actually have to hold their breath to steady their shots, lest a tiny movement knock them off target.

The motion-tracking system will work with any game on any platform, including even outmoded platforms such as the original PlayStation (though it's not clear how you would actually connect the two together). Mad Genius is planning to launch a Kickstarter to fund the final version of the controller, which will be wireless and, presumably, a bit sleeker.

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See Epic Mickey 2 in motion and in Warren Spector's words

by JC Fletcher on Mar 22nd 2012 6:30PM

In the foreground of this video, you see Warren Spector talking about Oswald's role in Epic Mickey 2, and his enthusiasm for musicals; in the background, you can see footage of the new game for the first time. The two elements cooperate, just like Mickey and Oswald.

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What motion controls could do for JRPGs

by Jason Schreier on Dec 16th 2011 4:50PM

This is a column by Jason Schreier dedicated to the analysis (and occasional mocking) of his favorite genre, the Japanese role-playing game. Whether it's because they're too antiquated or just too niche, he believes JRPGs don't get enough attention in the gaming industry today. It's time to change that.
While plowing through the last few sections of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword several weeks ago, I realized that I didn't want it to end. Not because I wanted to keep playing -- the action-adventure game had already stolen more than 40 hours of my life -- but because I wanted to continue waving my arm up and down to kill things. I was completely enthralled by the game's motion controls.

And I used to hate motion controls.

You see, Nintendo's latest Zelda uses the Wii controller's MotionPlus accessory to recognize the precise movements of your arm. Slash horizontally, and hero Link will do the same. Slash vertically, and Link's sword will follow suit. Slash diagonally? Well, you can probably guess.

As a cranky longtime gamer with a crippling fear of change, I spent a long time thinking that this sounded terrible. Waggling my controller in games like Super Mario Galaxy and Twilight Princess felt more like inconvenience than innovation. Would Skyward Sword really feel all that different?

Yes. Yes it would. It felt phenomenal. And it made me start asking another question.

Could motion controls add some flavor to JRPGs?

There's no easy answer. As any developer who has worked with the Wii understands, it can be tough to find the balance between intrusion and necessity. Go too far and you risk leaving players tired and sore. Stay too minimal and it can seem like your motion controls have just been grafted on.

Exacerbating this issue for traditional JRPGs is the fact that the genre is known for turn-based, menu-driven, slow-paced combat. Players will typically have plenty of time to think and decide what they want to do next. It's a system that seems to be at odds with the instinctual, rapid nature of motion controls.

But maybe there are ways to combine the two.

Take Xbox 360 RPG Lost Odyssey, for example. Every time one of the game's protagonists attacks a monster, you get a limited window of time in which to push a certain button and do extra damage. The Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi games have similar mechanics.

What if those timed hits were activated by motion controls? What if you selected from a menu to attack or cast spells or use special abilities, then swung your controller to determine their effectiveness? Precise movements and proper timing would be the key to victory. It'd require both sharp instincts and keen strategy.

One of Skyward Sword's biggest strengths is a design tenet that would be perfect for JRPGs: fewer, more challenging battles. Thanks to the motion-controlled swordplay, that random lizard with a shield is just as pesky to bring down as the gigantic scorpion boss. A JRPG that offers similar trials could work really well.

And what about minigames? Or quick-time events? Countless JRPG scenes could have been enhanced by motion controls, like the rhythm-fueled sword-fighting sequence in Final Fantasy IX's introductory play, or the carnival games of Chrono Trigger. Imagine steering Final Fantasy VII's motorcycle with one hand and swinging your arm to hack down enemies with the other. There are a lot of possibilities here.

It's easy to dismiss motion controls as an unnecessary gimmick, and as a toy better suited for flinging suicidal birds than going on grandiose quests and adventures. Hell, I've done it. But after seeing what Skyward Sword can do, I think it's time we reconsider that approach.

Jason Schreier is a freelance writer/editor based out of NYC. He's a contributing writer for Wired.com and occasionally writes for a number of other sites and publications, including Edge Magazine, the Onion News Network and G4TV. You can follow him on Twitter at @jasonschreier.

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Just Dance 3 coming to 'all motion platforms' this October

by Christopher Grant on Jun 6th 2011 6:36PM

While it may seem unthinkable, Ubisoft took the wraps off of Just Dance 3, the latest sequel to its massively successful series of dancing and/or embarrassment simulators. The trailer featured all sorts of professionally attractive people having a good time and who are we to judge them? Have you seen what we look like?

Just Dance 3 is coming to "all motion platforms" – meaning another appearance on Wii, and its debut on Kinect and PlayStation Move – on October 11.

Update: Ubi just sent over a press release with some more details on the game, including console-specific features like the Wii's "four-player choreographies and dynamic environments" and Kinect's "Shout Out!" feature "which allows players to score extra points by belting out their favorite song verse." The first confirmed tracks include:
2 Unlimited – "No Limit"Black Eyed Peas – "Pump It"Duck Sauce – "Barbra Streisand"Groove Century – "Boogie Wonderland"Gwen Stefani – "What You Waiting For"Katy Perry – "California Gurls"Kiss – "I Was Made For Lovin' You"Laura Bell Bundy – "Giddy On Up (Giddy On Out)"LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock – "Party Rock Anthem"MIKA – "Lollipop"Taio Cruz – "Dynamite"

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Rumor: Wii successor has controller with giant touchscreen, also uses motion controls

by JC Fletcher on Apr 21st 2011 3:20PM

Some purported new information about the still-unannounced Wii successor paints a surprisingly specific picture of the device's controller. Kotaku reports that, according to unnamed sources, the controller for the "Project Cafe" device will have eight buttons, two analog sticks, a camera ... and an enormous 6.2" touchscreen.

For reference, the DSi XL has 4.2" screens. The Kindle has a 6" screen. If these rumors are true, this controller will likely be crazy expensive. We honestly can't see Nintendo getting away with selling $200+ controllers.

Kotaku also reports that this won't be the only accepted control method. "Project Cafe" will also reportedly support "Wii Remote-style controllers," the site says, though it's currently unknown whether that means the existing Wiimote or a new motion device.

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Harmonix brainstorming 'reimaginings' of Rock Band, new motion games

by Andrew Yoon on Feb 28th 2011 7:30PM

"There's no denying that Rock Band 3 hasn't yet sold to the level we hoped it would out of the gate," Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos admitted to Edge. "But on the flipside of that we also believe that it's a product that has a lot of life."

It may be difficult to share Rigopulos' optimism. Since the beginning of the year, Viacom sold Harmonix (back to Harmonix), MTV Games was shut down and Activision hit the pause button on its long-running Guitar Hero franchise. Still, Rigopulos offers a "glass half-full" interpretation of Activision's retraction from the genre, seeing a newfound opportunity to expand the developer's audience. "We think there are also a lot of devoted Guitar Hero fans who have probably never given Rock Band a try," Rigopulos told Destructoid. Harmonix wants to convert them and "let them know that Rock Band 3 is worth giving a try."

Rock Band 3 will continue receiving updates through the year, as Harmonix tries to "cultivate" the platform -- though Rigopulos added that "fundamental reimaginings of the Rock Band franchise" are being planned. "The marketplace is clearly demanding something very new," Rigopulos noted. "It's clearly demanding a dramatic evolution of the Rock Band franchise, I think, and I think that's actually exciting for us."

While rebooting the band genre will be an uphill battle for the company, there's still one bright star in the studio's portfolio: Dance Central. Finishing the sequel is an obvious next step, but it seems Harmonix has more motion-gaming ideas. "It's safe to say you'll see a lot more in that domain from Harmonix beyond Dance Central," Rigopulos teased. "We'd be absolutely open-minded about that."

With their future projects still shrouded in secrecy, it seems Rigopulos is confident that his team will easily bypass this dark era for music gaming. Contrary to industry perception, the company might have too much on its plate. "We have a lot of very cool new ideas in the works right now, looking out beyond both Rock Band and Dance Central."

[Image credit: RockBandAide]

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Yuji Naka's 'Rodea the Sky Soldier' in motion

by JC Fletcher on Jan 25th 2011 1:10AM

At first, you'll probably be underwhelmed with Rodea the Sky Soldier, Yuji Naka's airborne Wii/3DS game, thanks to the anime stereotypes and mid-90s CG look. But as soon as the gameplay starts up in this trailer, it gets more impressive, looking like a high-speed NiGHTs with rail shooter elements.

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