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| "Oh my god. I can't see a thing with these on!" |
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| "Wait! Don't touch that... welp, you touched it." |
This year's Electronic Entertainment Expo has come and gone, leaving in its wake rumors, exciting announcements, technical innovations, and underpaid "booth babes." I was fortunate enough to attend the three day event, getting to see some unreleased creations a few months early and bask in corporate self-aggrandizement. This week on the podcast, Scott and I discuss the ins-and-outs of E3, from motion controls and 3D technology, to Zelda and SOCOM 4. Let us know your thoughts in on all the E3 announcements in the comments section below..jpg)
The Nintendo Wii launched nearly four years ago and it undoubtedly changed how we view and approach gaming. Even now, its influence is demonstrably strong on Microsoft and Sony. This fall, both companies are launching their own motion control hardware, wrangling in the remaining consumers eager to shake their dongle or their booty at the TV. 
We should call the Move and Kinect what they are: as of yet untested methods of interaction with digital realms, just two among many. They are optional and on occasion, like all input methods, completely superfluous. There will certainly be great games that require motion tracking, but they will not replace or define the industry. Sony seems keenly aware of this fact, and many of the titles that will feature Move compatibility will also include non-Move options on the same disc.
Accessibility is increased, however, with two elements of motion control: transparency and public play. Put simply, anyone unfamiliar with gaming can see how an individuals actions correlate to on-screen action. Most importantly, it normalizes a form of public recreation. At E3 I saw grown adults, many in work attire, happily flailing about with plenty of strangers watching their every move. They were playing, in public, and did not seem even slightly self-conscious. I do not think this behavior would be so readily accepted ten years ago. The Move, and the Kinect even more so, widen the visible space and lay bare the act of play for its own sake.
Converting your living room into a stage may have a lasting affect. Maybe someone more comfortable performing in front of friends, will find themselves performing better in other social situations. Maybe someone willing to "drop it like its hot" in Dance Central will more easily overcome stressful situations at the office. Even without a wide range of must-purchase software in the near future, we should look forward to the unforeseen consequences of normalized public play. Motion controls may not change the games industry, but they might just change how we all incorporate play into our day-to-day lives. Now that is a prospect that will get me moving.
Have recent video games left you feeling a little flat? Fear not: as we speak, companies are getting ready to venture in to your living room via the third dimension. This week, we use Gus Mastrapa's article about the current 3-D gaming scene to discuss what may be the next big visual leap in games. Topics include everything from the practical costs of the technology to its implications for game design. Regardless of whether you already own a custom pair of 3-D goggles or if you still rock a black-and-white tube-TV, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
The gaming internet sites were humming with excitement during the Game Developers Conference last week in sunny San Francisco. Upon one particular announcement, a mix of gleeful tittering and cries of consternation were audible across the bay, and a widespread internet discussion soon followed. The product announced was OnLive, a gaming service that purports to do away with hardware concerns by streaming your games over high-speed internet. Crowds gathered around the presentation like skeptics around a yeti corpse, wanting to believe in the mythical beast.
