Topic: Wii Vitality Sensor *expanding the blue ocean*

[broodwars]

 I'm ok with them giving this "Wii Relax" title 5 minutes or so of the 2 hour Nintendo Press Conference, but nothing more and after the flak they took from that Wii Music demonstration in E3 2008 I'm not sure it'll warrant more.  They have a packed year this year to cover at E3, and I don't want them sacrificing Zelda; Mario; or Metroid time for the latest casual craze (especially when I doubt that Wii Relax will be the only one they'll show).

As for the "game" itself, "bleh."  Silly me, assuming that one plays games to relax, especially "TEH CASUALZ".  It's especially redundant when we have a Nintendo fitness game out there with a focus on Yoga, but whatever.  So long as Nintendo covers the games we actually care about alongside their Blue Ocean stuff, come what may.

[vudu]

But we're vaguely talking about the Vitality Sensors presence at E3 and how that affects the entire conference.
There is no need to start thread about E3 when this is the only thing that we know for sure is gonna be there.

I've received multiple complaints.

[BlackNMild2k1]

really? weird.
All the lurkers out there could use some WiiRelax if that's the case.
Maybe I'll just change the name of the thread so they have nothing to complain about.

[Invincible Donkey Kong]

They have a packed year this year to cover at E3, and I don't want them sacrificing Zelda; Mario; or Metroid time for the latest casual craze (especially when I doubt that Wii Relax will be the only one they'll show).

It seems even after all these years that you don't get what E3 is all about and the importance of showing what we show.  You'll get to see more of the fantastic sequel to Super Mario Galaxy, you'll get to delve deeper into the mysteries surrounding Metroid: Other M, and you might even get a glimpse of our next Legend of Zelda game, but you'll also see just how far we strive to expand the definition of what a videogame is. 

Your pitiful attempt at mocking the Vitality Sensor only proves how pathetically stubborn the core gamer can be when it comes to trying something new outside what they believe makes a "game," and it's our job at Nintendo to continue pushing the envelope and keep this industry alive.

[Kairon]

As for the "game" itself, "bleh."  Silly me, assuming that one plays games to relax, especially "TEH CASUALZ".

I don't know. I mean, Nintendo declined to label Wii Music as a "game" per se, preferring to title it software, or "toy." I'm assuming that Wii Relax will be more like a bunch of Bio feedback scenarios/situations, so that would but Wii Relax firmly in the more "software" category. The most "traditional game" Wii Relax will have I'm thinking is probably the level of game Wii Fit has.

And actually, I've played games to "relax" before. It's weird, I mean, I totally LOVE Phoenix Wright, but that game is like a sleep aid for me. Jump in bed, turn on the DS, and about 15 minutes later I am OUT like a light. I wake up the next morning to Phoenix Wright music... it was pretty useful at the time.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I would like the Vitality Sensor come with some of those sensors you attach to your head that read brain waves. That could make for some interesting gameplay.

[Kairon]

I would like the Vitality Sensor come with some of those sensors you attach to your head that read brain waves. That could make for some interesting gameplay.

I've seen that. But from what little I know of how they work, and how they calibrate, they can be really, really inaccurate, or even fail to get any readings if not set up perfectly, or if you've got too much hair...

My friend tried it out at GDC 2008, but they took 20 minutes moving the sensors around his head and they didn't get it working 100% even after that.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Announcement of our first 3rd Party game support for Vitality sensor?

EA Sports Active 2.0 (looks like Vitality Sensor Support)

Heart Rate Monitor and New Wireless Control System Highlight Innovation Coming to New Suite of Fitness Products This Fall

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Millions of people around the world have experienced the revolution in home fitness since last spring with EA SPORTS Activeâ„¢, the number one rated fitness program for the Wiiâ„¢**. Today, EA SPORTSâ„¢, a label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), announced that EA SPORTS Active 2.0* (working title) is now in development and will be available this fall on PlayStation®3, Wiiâ„¢, iPhone® and iPod touch®. The new EA SPORTS Active 2.0*  fitness program will deliver true fitness results by featuring an innovative wireless control system, powered by new leg and arm straps with motion sensors, a heart rate monitor to capture intensity, and a new online hub to track and share workout data. EA SPORTS Active 2.0* will make working out simple, effective and will go with you wherever you are.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

MEGATON

[BlackNMild2k1]

Biometrics are Gaming's Future, According to Valve's Gabe Newell

"We think biometrics will be really important," the Valve boss told his GDC audience (via Develop). "We've seen a lot of work since the Wii shipped to explore how motion -- and with this next generation of controllers -- how vision systems are going to affect our games."

Newell continued, "Given that we have all these proxies inside of our games, that measure player state, we think that actually being able to measure small things like pupil dilation, heart rate -- those are the techniques that are going to give our games enormous impact in the future."

Will Valve ever do anything for the Wii? This isn't the first time he has talked about what Nintendo was doing with the Wii while seeming completely interested in where they were headed.

I would buy an Orange Box port to Wii. I would much rather play with the wiichuck comfortably from the bed than to struggle with a Kb/m (I don't have a proper computer desk and chair at my computer)

[Stratos]

I'd re-buy Orange Box and Left 4 Dead on Wii in an instant.

[MegaByte]

I've seen that. But from what little I know of how they work, and how they calibrate, they can be really, really inaccurate, or even fail to get any readings if not set up perfectly, or if you've got too much hair...

The technology works a lot better than that now.  I played with it a lot at GDC 2009 and 2010.  However, the question remains how useful the brain control is.  OTOH, it's still more interesting than vitality sensor control, and you can easily use it in conjunction with the Remote (I'll upload a video showing such later).

[BlackNMild2k1]

What I think should happen, is Nintendo make the Vitality sensor into a velcro wrist strap for the Wiimote, so that you use it without it getting in your way.

A finger clip better not be the final design because that is very short sighted on their behalf.

[MegaByte]

Personally, I can't wait for Wii MRI Machine.

[Ian Sane]

Reading Newell's comments has got me thinking.  You know how Nintendo is always talking about simplifying controls and how the Wii is kind of a back-to-basics approach for lapsed gamers?  I kind of agree with that, only I think in the end the need to simplify controls is going to have the opposite effect Nintendo wants in that I think we'll eventually head back to the pre-Wii way of doing things.

It seems like playing a game now is requiring so much from a player.  You have to swing your limbs around and if you use the balance board you have to shift your weight and such and now with this are we going to have to hook up something to ourselves to measure our heartbeat and such?  Newell is talking about pupil dialation!  How the hell is this stuff supposed to simplify gaming?  And now Sony and MS are joining in as well.  We talk about lapsed gamers but we're getting to the point where to play a game you have to buy 5 or 6 doodads.  And there's talk of 3D games where you'll have to wear glasses as well!

The irony is the simplest way to control a game, the one that requires the least effort from the player, is one where you just hold a controller in your hands, sit on the couch and PUSH BUTTONS.  With the Wii and the music games this has been the generation of peripherals.  I can sense a backlash coming at some point.  Hooking up some glorified heartrate monitor to myself just to play a game, for me, is crossing the line of unnecessary doodads.

[ThePerm]

If Gabe Newell is talking about HDR he is talking about simulating how pupils dilate in graphics. Theres this thing in HL2 where when you walk in and out of buildings the lighting changes in a more natural way to simulate how when you walk in and outside how your eyes adjust. Maybe theres an up-down management employee communication gap. I don't think they could make an effective game to measure heart rate and pupil dilation for someone like gabe newell who looks like he probably has an elevated heart rate, and myopia.

[vudu]

The irony is the simplest way to control a game, the one that requires the least effort from the player, is one where you just hold a controller in your hands, sit on the couch and PUSH BUTTONS.  With the Wii and the music games this has been the generation of peripherals.  I can sense a backlash coming at some point.  Hooking up some glorified heartrate monitor to myself just to play a game, for me, is crossing the line of unnecessary doodads.

Pushing buttons might exert the least amount of effort but in many cases there isn't anything simple about it.

Put your PS3 controller in front of your grandma and try explaining to her how to play Street Fighter IV.  Tell her that to shoot a fireball she has to press down, down-forward, forward and then the punch button and to perform an jumping upper cut she has to press forward, down, down-foward and then the punch button.  Then ask her to repeat what you just said.  She probably won't be able to.

Now imagine if she just had to mimic the actions on screen to perform the moves--to throw a fireball she just has to put her hands against her chest and then extend them out; to do a jumping uppercut she just imitates an uppercut.  Think she'd be able to do that?

[Ian Sane]

Street Fighter is a major exception because of the button combos.  That's the whole point of the game, that these special moves require skill to pull off.  But I could teach my grandma the basic controls of "these buttons are punches, these are kicks, up is jump, left and right move left and right, down ducks."  Street Fighter is a complicated game so it isn't as easy to sum up as Mega Man but performing a kick in Street Fighter is easy.

Motion control is easier for people that decide for themselves that such-and-such is too complicated without making any effort to even try.  My Mom won't play fucking PAC-MAN.  The controls are just moving the joystick in the direction you want the guy to go.  You can't make that easier but my Mom is just freaked of it.  The ease of all these nifty doodads is an illusion.  It's like the same logic used by companies that have those horrible imprecise voice activition call centers instead of the ones where you just push 1 for this, 2 for that etc.  The voice recognition creates the illusion that it is easier for people unwilling to learn the button method but anyone who isn't close minded knows the button method is exact and simple and less frustrating to use.

Some games are going to be complicated to the point that some people won't play them and you can't explain the controls to them in 10 seconds (or for that matter the objective of the game).  But those games will remain complicated regardless of whether you use motion control or not.  But the games where it's just "move with the control stick, this is jump, this is shoot" are easiest to control with buttons.

I think the "sitting on the coach" factor also plays a big part in the ease-of-use.  You don't need to clear space or set anything up and you can't get fatigued.  I was playing Guitar Hero with my friends last weekend.  I love it but setting up all the instruments and clearing the space for them is not something that I want to do all the time.  Same with DDR.  Any game where I have to move the coffee table out of the way goes from being pick-up-and-play to being an event.  This is why I think controller-on-the-coach will be the norm forever because it's so low maintenance.  It's like one step up from watching TV.

[MegaByte]

If there's one thing I learned at GDC, it's that there's a disconnect between control simplicity and control effectiveness for different groups of players.  As gamers, we tend to infer a strong connection between the two, but for a large percentage of non-gamers, it turns out that perceived simplicity -- even when effectiveness is near zero, trumps everything.

[ShyGuy]

HEY

Where is my vitality sensor, Nintendo?

[BeautifulShy]

Yeah I was interested in what Nintendo would show but hey we got all these awesome games revealed.

[Manthony Chopkins]

Doesn't Nintendo still have a roundtable planned for later tonight? Maybe that's when they'll show off the vitality sensor.

[noname2200]

HEY

Where is my vitality sensor, Nintendo?

Apparently, it was stolen by Ubisoft or something.

To be honest, I'd wait to see if they show it off in a more suitable setting: E3's main press conference is antithetical to relaxing!

[Mop it up]

I think they learned from the response it got at last year's E3. Plus, I have a feeling that they might still not have any software ready to demonstrate.

[King of Twitch]

After a year, no Fatality Sensor games, no big Motown Plucks games, and Retro has been working on DKC for 3 years.

What the Funky Kong.