17th July 2005, 3:56 PM
You know, the gyro concept was a neat thing to think about, but what you are suggesting really does have some major potential and you see further than I did just imagining the gyro idea on it's own. It's not without flaws worth discussing, as will follow, but I think they can be overcome by those with insight greater than my own.
Truly, a gyro sensor that senses movement in all 3 dimensions would be superior to the analog stick; though in order to get two individual sets of input one would indeed still need the stick, or else create a setup as such that one holds two seperate one handed controller PARTS which work together for input. As such, I would submit that such an arrangment of an analog stick on the left in the traditional setup combined with a gyro sensor in place of the right would allow for better control. Indeed, it would allow for better control in other ways than just an additional axis.
What I mean is that instead of one pressing the right stick at all times, that thumb would now not be so hindered and would be at a great liberty to indulge itself in pressing any face button it so pleases while the wrists busy themselves with the task at hand of tilting the gyro about.
Now as to the problems that I see as upcoming regarding such as suggestion, I believe range of motion and stress are the two chief concerns. Indeed, I see the two coinciding. I would state it's one problem but the English language prevents me to identify it as such.
Permit me in this example. Say the player in this case was playing such a game in that they had to strafe about from side to side repeatedly. Say that it was important in this case that the player know exactly at what degree the sensor is tilted so as to get the proper response in the game. What method would be employed to allow the player to know this? I would submit perhaps that a short rumble (the rumble being something pretty much overlooked and underused for anything else in gaming today) would suffice. Indeed, in this way the player might be allerted when they reached the maximum range in any direction. There are problems with this as well I believe, though at present I am not of a mind to go into them. Further though, there is the issue of a situation wherein the player wishes to cross a very narrow path. In such a situation the player would want to know for certain if they were only pushing along one axis or if they were pushing along another. I think perhaps a very small "dead zone" should be employed in all the dimensions so as to allow slight shifts in other dimensions when a player really only means to shift in one.
To elaborate on the second part of the problem, it all comes down to wrist strain. Namely, normally when one plays a game they can hold their wrists in whatever manner pleases them at the time. In a gyro game, they are now forced to, perhaps, hold their hands in what might be an uncomfortable position for many seconds at a time. This could put undo stress on the hands. I am however imagining a scenario in which the range of motion is physically rather great, much like a steering wheel. However, should the physical range of motion be as such that only a very slight motion is needed to get to the furthest range of a dimension, this is solved. Another matter, that of how small a movement the wrist is capable of, immediatly comes to attention, but I think one such as that is easier to handle.
At any rate I must say this is a very impressive idea you have come up with. I can only hope those at Nintendo are in fact talking about this when it comes to a control innovation.
Truly, a gyro sensor that senses movement in all 3 dimensions would be superior to the analog stick; though in order to get two individual sets of input one would indeed still need the stick, or else create a setup as such that one holds two seperate one handed controller PARTS which work together for input. As such, I would submit that such an arrangment of an analog stick on the left in the traditional setup combined with a gyro sensor in place of the right would allow for better control. Indeed, it would allow for better control in other ways than just an additional axis.
What I mean is that instead of one pressing the right stick at all times, that thumb would now not be so hindered and would be at a great liberty to indulge itself in pressing any face button it so pleases while the wrists busy themselves with the task at hand of tilting the gyro about.
Now as to the problems that I see as upcoming regarding such as suggestion, I believe range of motion and stress are the two chief concerns. Indeed, I see the two coinciding. I would state it's one problem but the English language prevents me to identify it as such.
Permit me in this example. Say the player in this case was playing such a game in that they had to strafe about from side to side repeatedly. Say that it was important in this case that the player know exactly at what degree the sensor is tilted so as to get the proper response in the game. What method would be employed to allow the player to know this? I would submit perhaps that a short rumble (the rumble being something pretty much overlooked and underused for anything else in gaming today) would suffice. Indeed, in this way the player might be allerted when they reached the maximum range in any direction. There are problems with this as well I believe, though at present I am not of a mind to go into them. Further though, there is the issue of a situation wherein the player wishes to cross a very narrow path. In such a situation the player would want to know for certain if they were only pushing along one axis or if they were pushing along another. I think perhaps a very small "dead zone" should be employed in all the dimensions so as to allow slight shifts in other dimensions when a player really only means to shift in one.
To elaborate on the second part of the problem, it all comes down to wrist strain. Namely, normally when one plays a game they can hold their wrists in whatever manner pleases them at the time. In a gyro game, they are now forced to, perhaps, hold their hands in what might be an uncomfortable position for many seconds at a time. This could put undo stress on the hands. I am however imagining a scenario in which the range of motion is physically rather great, much like a steering wheel. However, should the physical range of motion be as such that only a very slight motion is needed to get to the furthest range of a dimension, this is solved. Another matter, that of how small a movement the wrist is capable of, immediatly comes to attention, but I think one such as that is easier to handle.
At any rate I must say this is a very impressive idea you have come up with. I can only hope those at Nintendo are in fact talking about this when it comes to a control innovation.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)