14 DAY TRIAL // For the PC gamer, the mouse and keyboard control scheme has become pretty much standard fare, with the much used joystick dying along with the whole videogaming genre of the space simulator and with the popularity of the driving wheel going down while racing sims remain popular. It's now pretty unusual to see a new computer peripheral designed to enhance the gaming experience.
There have been a few promising experiments with helmets designed to let the player control his computer solely through the power of his mind, but success has been limited so far.
The Novint Falcon might just be that elusive controller which can revolutionize the way you master your games. The weirdly shaped device promises and delivers a complete feedback experience while maintaining a degree of control and precision which the developers claim is unmatched by the best in gaming hardware. The only real issue for the Falcon is that it lacks built-in support in most of the videogames, so players can't yet enjoy its full capabilities.
Now Novint is signing deals with important videogame publishers to bring support for the peripherals to major titles like Half Life 2 and Team Fortress 2. A deal with Electronic Arts has just been signed and Valve is also keen on declaring its support for the new controller, with a new "Falcon Orange Box" bundle set to arrive in time for the end of 2008.
Gabe Newell, president at Valve, declared that "Recently we've seen how new interfaces have changed gaming. The Falcon adds a new level of interaction for PC gaming, adding compelling force feedback while maintaining controls as accurate as a mouse, and now the millions of Steam gamers will have the chance to play, feeling this new type of experience".
The main aspect against the Novint Falcon, at this point in time, is that it's quite pricey, but as more and more are produced, more and more gamers will be able to afford one and maybe help push along a quiet gaming revolution.