One of the things that irks me right now is the technological accomplishment of the Micrsoft Kinect sensor bar coupled with the lack of software putting it to proper use. It's so frustrating to me that a company like Microsoft (who usually takes others' good ideas and makes them better) was able to create a totally new, Minority Report-like product, and now that it's out it is becoming a paper weight because of the lack of inginuity and creativity within the games industry. It's like they are so set in their ways that they can't see past the controller and begin to see how to use a product like this to enhance the market rather than gum it up with gimmicks.
So, here are five ideas that I have which someone should have immediately put into action when Kinect came out.
1) Why do we have to put down the controller to play Kinect? The whole idea that you must play games exclusively on Kinect or exclusively on the controller is bogus, untrue, and being perpetrated by the vast majority of developers. I want a Halo game that allows me to remove my right hand from the controller and throw a grenade rather than waste a button on that. I want to reload the gun by flicking the controller up and down. That leaves other buttons open. That allows additional inputs. Why aren't people doing this?????
2) Dear SEGA: Kinect launched and you released a hoverboard game with Sonic. Okay. But why in the world didn't you realize, "Hey, this is perfect for NiGHTS"? The players hand could control an orb which the NiGHTS character chases through the map. The off-hand could be used to control acrobatics like an orchestrator. Closing one's hand into a fist would make NiGHTS go into the spinning turbo mode. This would all be better than using a controller. Or, hey, SEGA, why is there no Super Monkey Ball in which you hold the world in your hands and tilt it that way? Yeesh.
3) Kinect, you'd be flippin' spiffy if you could see my open hand close into a fist. Then I wouldn't have to wait for a circle to go around my hand to select items. See, if you could let me close my hands, then I could pick items in a quick and efficient way that makes sense. Even Kudo should know that one.
4) Where's my horrific killer app that involves me controlling my movements with the left hand while my right hand holds a flashlight? Turn the lights off at night and let me talk through Kinect to the local yokels in some sort of twisted, dark film-like experience. If my hand is the flashlight, do you know how creepy that's going to be due to the immersion?
5) The kids love Dora. The kids love Micky Mouse Clubhouse. Yet no matter how much they love 'em, it seems that Dora and Mickey can't quite see like they used to. Ever notice how when they tell the kiddos to reach up, even if the kids do or don't, Dora and Mickey say "Great job!" Well, with Kinect, they could see your kids. They could interact with them and the entire game could go along just like a regular episode. Heck, put four episodes on a disc in which the characters can actually see and interact with the kids. That'd be just groovy wouldn't it? I'd love to see the wee ones point to the blue object on the screen after being prompted, only to hear Mickey say, "Almost, but that's orange. Can you find the blue one instead?"
Let's go innovators!
- J Frazier
No comments:
Post a Comment