E3 2009 was the year of the sensor, which means most games in the not so distant future will have a new level of off the couch interaction with the player.
Let me ask the hard questions: Is this good? Is this bad? Is this a fad?
Help me break it down:
Is it cool? Yes. Will it help reverse the damage done to the gamer waistline over the years? Yes. Do the non-Wii players of the world want this? Well that's the real question isn't it, and there's a "new coke" feeling scratching at the back of my brain. Since I already have the core gaming market, can I change the product to appeal to the competition's market as well?
The short answer is no. Boys that like shooters or button mashers want better graphics, better sound, better physics, better AI, better multiplayer and cooperative modes, better stories and unbelievably good gameplay. A few years ago, die hard gamers were refusing to leave the PC due to the scaled back games and general hardware performance of the xbox and playstation. If Sony or Microsoft take $5 out of the core R&D budget to accommodate sensor technology, a new player will almost certainly enter the field committing to pushing the hardware envelope.
The long answer is yes. Ultimately the consumer wants choice, but it cannot come at the cost of your business strengths. Sony and Microsoft have market share for a reason. They need to continue to cater to the needs of their primary market and refuse to compromise on cutting edge console and game development.
Once again, this has to be a choice. Cutting back (or even plateauing) on core values to incorporate sensor technology is suicide. The only path to success is to technologically forge ahead on both fronts.
Will it happen? I hope so. Microsoft's Natal Project is unbelievably cool, but my gut instinct says that it will be underutilized by most games due to time and cost constraints. So assuming we see the finished product within the next three years, will you buy the new hardware for one or two games? I'll probably wait until Bethesda green lights it with a few titles.
More pictures here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=129714&id=608075070&l=d05e462e03
See you back in the peg!
Jeff
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