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"The future of gaming will be defined by Controllers, Not graphics"

June 02, 2008 in Industry News comments 22

According to Wild Tangent CEO, Alex St John, the one thing that defines a game is it's controller ... not it's graphics.

He believes that innovative controllers (like the Wiimote) will be the main focus of future gaming and fun experiences, while realistic graphics won't be as important to gamers.

"Of the three consoles in the market, the only one that's profitable is the one that used an old graphics chip and off the shelf components and instead differentiated by an input device," he told Wedbush Morgan Management Access Conference attendees.

St John said that games based upon unique input devices - dancing games, machine gun games, motorcycle games - are all that's left of the arcade business after the console wiped it out.

"You'll also notice that it is happening in the console space. Rock Band and Guitar Hero aren't defined by being the most spectacular 3D games - they're defined by a new type of input devices to find a new type of gameplay.

"To bolster that point, I'd say that's what the Wii shows - that the future of gaming is going to be defined by controllers, not necessarily by the 3D graphics chip in the console that they come with."

"And innovation isn't "bigger, faster, better," which is sort of the PS3 kind of idea on the graphics side. But it is all kinds of innovation, from Rock Band...I think there is going to be a whole other area of innovation which will be the immersive game."
Miss Razz via gamesindustry.biz »
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  • 0
    Vendetta Jun 3, 08
    I agree with this article to some extent. Controllers are an extremely important part of a console. You can't have a great console without a great controller (need I remind anyone of the original Xbox's 'Duke' controller?) but it won't necessarily "define the future of gaming", at least in my opinion. Other console manufacturers will catch on it will lose its novelty.
  • 6
    Supreme Wolverine Jun 3, 08
    The future of gaming will be defined by the game not the controler. What the future of gaming will be is making important decisions. Each choice you make having a realistic effect on the outcome of the game.
  • 0
    Hungryturtle Jun 3, 08
    I somewhat agree that controllers will be an important part of gaming, but the depth of the game and game play is far more important.

    And graphical improvements don't wow me in the slightest this generation, unfortunately.
    • 1
      McClubbin Jun 3, 08
      He states that the controller defines a game. Not the controller defining gaming, which completely distorts everything.
  • 0
    Shadow of Death* Jun 3, 08
    Aye. Well, in the future, when graphics reach the point where they can't really look much more realistic, the gameplay itself will mean far more than it does now....

    As I've said several times before, I would imagine/hope that they'll start using neural interfaces in the next gen, or the one after that....
    • 0
      Final Blade Jun 3, 08
      I don't, last thing people needs is a way to get cancer from that crap.
      • 0
        Storm Jun 3, 08
        ROFL! Oh yeah, cancer! There goes tallteen's plan to hold the world at ransom...
        • 1
          Shadow of Death* Jun 4, 08
          Oh noez! I've been found out >_>

          But seriously, the stuff will only READ information coming FROM your brain, not sending signals in....This same tech is used in medical devices >_>

          Though in the future, if neural interfaces take off, you'll start seeing ones that input data into your brain as well....
  • 2
    Existenz Jun 3, 08
    Its like the whole graphics and gameplay debate... It generally boils down to you cannot have one without the other, the same here you need the controller to play the game but you also need graphics for the atmosphere and the draw to play the game, i'll be damned if people go backwards now after playing either the 360 or PS3, ah well if all 3 consoles turn to gimmicky shit next gen there is always PC gaming.
  • 3
    Blackfalcon Jun 3, 08
    Amazingly, I think I'll be more interested in the games coming out, and not the controllers I get to play them on. I'm serious. =P

    As long as I can play games on them, the controllers are perfect. =)
  • 0
    Bale Fire Jun 3, 08
    You need both to have a good game. If I spent $100 on a game and it had the graphics of something from the 16 bit era, I would return it almost without question. But without a good controller then the game is essentially useless.

    Still all the consoles have great controllers so there's nothing to worry about except graphics
  • 0
    Onvacation Jun 3, 08
    Thats stupid, You can always buy a different type controller if you don't like the one you got.

    Point is, I can play great games with a substandard Controller, But i won't/can't play shit games with a ace controller.
    • 0
      Existenz Jun 3, 08
      Not if they go with motion detection and all that stuff, if the consoles revolve around that, yes they will often make the game compatible with none motion controllers, but the features are not always available to said controller user, say if the PS4 went full motion controlled and the next Xbox does too then the chances of other controllers being available to those that don't like it are slim to none, as motion would become industry standard.
  • 0
    Onvacation Jun 3, 08
    True that, I actually meant the feel and quality of the controller more then its use. For example i didn't like the Xbox controller so i went for a more comfortable 3rd party sytle.

    But i can guarantee that if the Wiimotes wern't as good as they are, there would be another company (Such as say, Logitech?) Who would make a Alternative Motion controller, Just like they do for PS3 and Xbox.
  • 4
    Sonic Flash* Jun 3, 08
    The birdmen are once again flapping their mechanical wings, trying desperately to emulate success by looking at the wings and not the underlying physics of flight...
  • 2
    BANDITO ATTACK Jun 3, 08
    as soon as every game console turns into a fag-hole like the wii, I turn to pc gaming.
    • 1
      Armed Rebel Jun 4, 08
      Word. The "wiimote" is the stupidest shit ever. Sure new/revolutionary, but that doesn't make it good. I'll take a 360/PS3 controller any day over that crap. If every console for the rest of my life has a controller like the 360, I'm happy.

      The future of gaming is in processing power.
  • 0
    black doom Jun 3, 08
    The Wii's true potiential isn't being used. Developers aren't used to the way to work with the Wii, they are just giving us games that are lazy adaptions. If they 'ignored' the other consoles well working on the Wii things would be better.

    I want to be an unfair ass and point out how much better Sonic and The Secret was than Sonic the Hedgehog next gen but... well, among a whole load of other things, I am not going to go that far out of my way and make myself look that bad in this example of just how moronic anyone using this 'cause I say so' logic of yours looks.
  • 1
    Slumpy monkey Jun 3, 08
    HEY LOOK AT ME, CHECK OUT MY NEW SUPER AWESOME CONTROLER WITH HOLOGRAPHS AND OTHER COOL CRAP!!

    Now lets go use it to play pong!!!
    • 0
      black doom Jun 3, 08
      You almost had a point... The problem is that would be fun.
  • 1
    J Bro Jun 3, 08
    I think the controllers are a big part of a console and its games. But do I think it will define the game industry in the future. No, not at all. The graphics, gameplay and story are just as important, if not more important, than the controller.
  • 2
    Redemption Jun 3, 08
    Keep in mind that Wild Tangent makes games with questionable graphics quality (they make casual games not the high end shooters and other gfx heavy titles), so this type of statement is kind of biased (although personally I agree with it to some extent).

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