14 DAY TRIAL // Dr. Richard Marks, the creator of Sony's PlayStation Eye, EyeToy and the upcoming PlayStation Move, has recently talked about the new types of control methods that are and will be used with video game platforms, revealing that buttons can't be replaced from the core gaming experience.
As you all know, Sony and Microsoft will release two new technologies designed to change the way people play video games at home and, hopefully for the two companies, will attract the large demographic that already bought a Nintendo Wii.
While Sony is opting for the PlayStation Eye camera and a special controller in the form of the PlayStation Move, Microsoft is going all in, and presented the Kinect as just a camera-based motion detection system which doesn't require any controller.
According to Dr. Marks, that strategy might be wrong, as controllers, specifically the buttons on it, can't be replaced, at least with the current generation of video games and gamers.
"I don't think that point of view is quite right. When we did EyeToy we wanted to create a new way to play games but we didn't want to replace the existing way. I think that you can do some things really well with just a camera, or just a 3D camera, but there's just some stuff you can't do as well," said Marks.
"Buttons are irreplaceable as an input device. Too many buttons are overwhelming, but one single action button is very powerful feeling. For core games you really do need a set of buttons to quickly choose things. Trying to replace buttons with gestures doesn't work very well," Marks revealed.
The PlayStation Move is already available for purchase in a few territories around the world, and the first impressions are pretty good, with the technology even gaining praise from inside the gaming industry.
Microsoft's Kinect is scheduled to debut on the market in November, and will completely revolutionize the way we play games, at least according to the American company.