by James W. McKinley

Created on: July 29, 2009

Just because something is popular, doesn't mean it is good or the next big thing. Fads come and go, people jump on and off the band wagon at will. What really matters is what does it add to an experience? I'm not convinced that the Wii's motion controls are the huge deal that some claim.

I am in a rather unique situation, being a disabled gamer without full use of a leg perhaps makes me a bit bitter at my inability to fully utilize a control system such as the Wii's. With other companies quick to follow suit, I have to admit that I feel a bit forgotten. I do not think that there will be a day where there will be no gaming options for me at all, yet I do feel a bit worried that I will be more limited in my choices in the near future. They are so busy hopping on the bandwagon, that they forget that not everyone will have the ability to play these games. While my situation isn't as extreme as it could be, it does leave me to wonder what someone thinks that has no use of their legs. A lot of the Wii's game play isn't conducive to a sitting position.

My own bitterness not withstanding, I do feel that motion control is still more of a gimmick than anything. I maintain that game play is king, while for some games having the option to have motion control can add to the immersion. But, not every game needs such an option and I don't think an entire console needed to be built around the idea. With the lack of any real physical feedback, motion controls are a dodgy deal for most games at best. The one area I do see where they shine are sports games, such as golf and baseball. Something where making contact is only a momentary action and does not have a lasting effect on the action.

With the Wii's huge success, Sony and Microsoft are playing catch up in developing their own forms of motion control. Adding it as an after thought this far into a console's life span I feel is even worse than developing an entire console around such a gimmick. I do hope that Nintendo's next effort will be something I would be able to play a bit easier. Instead of flailing around, and waggling a white remote control at the screen like I'm sixty and angry that the evening news was preempted by a basketball game.

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