UGAACCIDENTALS

Just added a new category “Much Needed” and this is my first post in it. This category will focus on things that the gaming industry needs to create. This installment of Much Needed will focus on additional peripherals in gaming.

It seems like ever since Dunk Hunt came out no gaming peripheral has been able to compete until the guitar of Guitar Hero. What is happening in the gaming industry that no other interesting control schemes can be created? One thing that comes to mind is a “Mech” type game that required a $120 joystick/control system to play. I wonder if this cost barrier is the main reason we don’t see more interesting peripherals.

With a game like Rock Band you can appeal to a huge audience including non gamers. However, with a joystick and “Mech” game you’re still limited to people who play games often. Then in addition to that you’re limited to the gamers who can afford such a setup. This is basically adults or spoiled children which is probably a smaller market (currently) than the casual child/teen gamer.

I could definitely stand to see some new interesting controllers especially when it comes to PC games. I’d like some kind of Wii type aiming system that incorporates movement as well. I have to imagine a title like this would be cheap to produce and sell extremely well considering the PC market has essentially zero peripherals other than the keyboard/mouse/joystick.

The Nintendo Wii is seriously lacking games that will attract so called “hardcore gamers.” This is causing them to miss out on a huge share of the video game market. However, they’ve almost created an entirely new untapped market of casual gamers and fitness nuts. I can’t even remember how many older people I’ve heard tell me they’re getting a Wii for Wii Fit. It’s really surprising to me that so many people are willing to invest around $300 for something they could easily do without any electronics at all. In fact, you could probably get a better workout by NOT using the Wii Fit than you can with it.

Recently got the new Trauma Center game for the Wii and I have to say I’m quite impressed. This is basically the first Wii game that I’ve seen really take advantage of the controller setup. Other games have seemed more gimmicky than revolutionary when it came to integration of the controls with their game. Somehow this game also seems to have more precision with the controls which other games lack. I highly recommend it and give it a 9/10 and it would score higher if they had stuck to more of the realistic scenarios instead of throwing so many made up illnesses in that required minigames that unimerse you from the gameplay.