Colin StevensGaming Accessories - something old, something new
June 4th 2008 01:50
We are currently in the era of the accessory. Gaming platforms have gotten to the point where graphically they are good enough for most people. Software developers are trying to find the next big drawcard to entice buyers to their games, but most of these are gameplay elements rather than bright shiny things that would normally get our attention, such as the new physics engine in GTA 4, Euphoria. Check it out out, it's really impressive.
So what have the boffins at Gaming HQ come up with? Lots and lots of accessories. Steering wheels, guns, tennis raquets, you name it. You could blame the Wii for this, those crazy guys at Nintendo having created a machine that makes the controller 3D. Some of the best are below.
Really convincing sports gear... For oompaloompas.
For those that think that cooking would be fun because it's in a game.
My personal favourite, they think of everything!
Really though, the trend of adding amazingly realistic and often dangerous accessories to your favourite games started way back in the dark ages of gaming, the local arcade. There were some classic examples of gimmicks to draw us in and walk around for a few hours with our pockets tearing under the weight of a few dozen coins. Here's a few classic examples of the art:
Talk about gimmicks. This game went as far as to break a few arms, suggesting it may have originally been designed in Italy rather than japan.
Afterburner actually made you feel like you were going upside down. It was one of the first hydraulic games and really threw you about. The cabinet supplied pounding sound and huge in your face explosions. It was an early favourite, but incredibly difficult. Watching someone play really got your attention.
A real soccer ball that you belted the hell out of, couldn't be more fun. Sure, half of them were stolen or beaten to within an inch of their lives, to the point where the game was unplayable, but as a game accessory it was impossible to walk past without giving it a boot, playing or not.
Today, the arcade has literally come into the home. There is no end to the One of the holy grails of gaming has been to immerse ourselves even further by seeing the game in 3d.
The Vuzix - VR920 Head Mounted Display is a new gadget that lets you see your gaming in 3D with excellent sound and doesn't make people think you've gone crazy with cellophane. it claims to work with everything under the sun but at a very cheap price point for this type of technology. Early reviews have been mixed.
The military, go figure, have taken things a few steps further.
There is also a live version, where soldiers storm actual buildings that have what looks to be a Gary's Mod of Half life 2 projected onto the walls. Using laser tag style guns, they shoot the baddies and as few civilians as possible. I didn't see any prisoners virtually piled naked and danced next to by U.S soldiers, but it did seem a quite realistic experience.
So that's a glimpe at the future of gaming accessories. It won't be long before we clear out the lounge room, switch on the four lens projector and whip out our wii controller with ak-47 accessory and storm the house in Half Life X.
So what have the boffins at Gaming HQ come up with? Lots and lots of accessories. Steering wheels, guns, tennis raquets, you name it. You could blame the Wii for this, those crazy guys at Nintendo having created a machine that makes the controller 3D. Some of the best are below.
Really though, the trend of adding amazingly realistic and often dangerous accessories to your favourite games started way back in the dark ages of gaming, the local arcade. There were some classic examples of gimmicks to draw us in and walk around for a few hours with our pockets tearing under the weight of a few dozen coins. Here's a few classic examples of the art:
Today, the arcade has literally come into the home. There is no end to the One of the holy grails of gaming has been to immerse ourselves even further by seeing the game in 3d.
The military, go figure, have taken things a few steps further.
There is also a live version, where soldiers storm actual buildings that have what looks to be a Gary's Mod of Half life 2 projected onto the walls. Using laser tag style guns, they shoot the baddies and as few civilians as possible. I didn't see any prisoners virtually piled naked and danced next to by U.S soldiers, but it did seem a quite realistic experience.
So that's a glimpe at the future of gaming accessories. It won't be long before we clear out the lounge room, switch on the four lens projector and whip out our wii controller with ak-47 accessory and storm the house in Half Life X.
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