18 July,2010 06:00 PM IST | | Sowmya Rajaram
The game: 100-metre hurdles. What you do: Run on spot in front of the screen, and jump. The result: The character on screen clears the hurdle in a sweep. Motion sensing gaming, some of it handheld controller-free, is out in the next few months, and gaming addicts can barely wait, says Sowmya Rajaram
From the grunts and whoops, it would seem like Venus Williams was battling sister Serena for the Wimbledon trophy on Centre Court. Closer inspection reveals it's just a regular game of tennis on the Nintendo Wii being played by sisters Ahalya and Ananya Krishnan at their Dadar home. Complete with racquets, golf clubs and a steering wheel for their favourite game, Speed Racer, the sisters settle down before the Wii at most at-home parties, where their friends indulge in a workout of sorts, swinging their paraphernalia instead of squatting motionless before the 50-inch LCD screen in their drawing room.
It's probably gamers like them that Microsoft and Sony have decided to lure with their motion sensor gaming innovations that will be out in the market in the next few months. The Microsoft Kinect and Sony PlayStation Move are yours to try in December and September respectively, say the two companies who are trying to expand their user base to include the adult target audience and attract casual gamers and families, the way the Wii has.
Make faces, show the finger
So what can you expect? "Controller-free gaming," is the answer from Jaspreet Bindra, Regional Director-Entertainment & Devices Division, Microsoft Corporation (India) Pvt. Ltd, who's quick to stress the difference between their technology and the one that Wii operates on. "With the Microsoft Kinect, you won't be holding anything. There's nothing between you and the game. We eliminate all hurdles." How can that work? "Say you are playing a car racing game. You will not be holding a steering wheel. You will instead use just your hands. If it's 100-metre hurdles, the gamer will run on spot and then jump in his place before the screen to get past the hurdle in the game."
You move, you are captured on 3D
Not so with the Sony Playstation Move, which will use a combination of movements with a handheld motion controller and the Eye Toy, a motion sensor camera. "The idea is to capture a player's movements in 3D, and judge the depth of his/her space accurately to translate it on screen," explains Atindriya Bose, Country Manager, Sony PlayStation India.
Will that mean a compromise on the graphics, you wonder, scarred by the Wii's cartoon-like racers and baseball players, obviously meant for a younger audience. "In fact, the Kinect will have graphics richer than current Xbox games. You'll be able to see every blade of grass and every shadow on your screen," says an emphatic Bindra.
But this doesn't mean motion sensor gaming is meant only for the not-so serious gamers. "You'll also be able to play a shooting-intensive game like Heavy Rain with the Move. We plan to straddle both categories of gamers; those who can spend a few hours shooting down people and working on strategy, and the ones who want to liven up a party with a bit of visual baseball," says Bose.
Gamers can't wait
Game junkies, of course, are seriously excited to be able to up the ante. Kandivali resident Vidit Kundra owns a PS3, but is excited about the Move. "I plan to upgrade when it's out," says the 29 year-old, citing the example of God Of War III, the tale of bloodthirsty Kratos. "Imagine being able to swing an axe and actually get the feel of attacking with weaponry! It will be more accurate, more physical, and more real," he says.
Thirty five year-old Kane Kong Lew, art director with a digital media firm, agrees. "The Wii pioneered motion sensor gaming, but lacked the serious graphics that the Xbox and PS3 offer. I'd like to see what the Move is like, because the experience of playing a game with a controller in your hand will be something else." A hardcore gamer himself, Lew isn't certain of how the Kinetic's no-controller strategy will work, though. "I would prefer a controller to my bare hands. It'll make it more engaging. Also, if you've played the Wii, you know that after a point it gets really tiring. You need a controller for the more serious games," he says.
Indian gamer here challenges one in Australia
Add the fact that both, Microsoft Kinect and Sony Playstation Move will let you compete with others across the globe via Xbox Live and PlayStation Network (PSN), and you know this is big. As Bose puts it, "It's going to be a real game changer in the Indian market." Why is the fact that a geek in India can challenge another in Australia to a shooting contest, such a big deal, you might wonder. Let's put your mind at rest with some facts. All the tending you did to your farm on Facebook and the points you collected on Mafia Wars have, in the course of a little over a year (starting from March 2009, contributed to making social gaming in India a billion dollar industry. "It's the fastest growing sector," says Deepak Abbot, Vice President, Products, Zapak.
"Industry watchers predict that in the next two years, Indian will be the biggest destination for such social games." No mean prediction, that, when he adds that online social gaming company Zynga is now earning 50 million dollars per month from the pigs and sheep you and your friends share on Farmville.
Everyone's doing it
And if you thought games and their allure were reserved only for the loaded, think again. Since 2006, Mitashi has slowly been upgrading its own motion sensor gaming unit, culminating in the iSportmax, a Wii-lookalike that includes 19 virtual games with 16 bit graphics and 31 inbuilt 8 bit games with 16 bit graphics -- all for Rsu00a0 2,490 only. "We wanted to cater to the audience that doesn't want to spend Rs 20,000 on a console. At these prices, and with competitive graphics, we are bringing gaming to the masses," says Pankit Chheda, Marketing Manager, Mitashi.
With so much competition, the original, the Wii, might have to do some upgrading of its own to keep its audience. Abbot has the last word: "Eventually, both Microsoft and Sony will attract more casual gamers, who were previously the Wii's audience, which means the Wii might have to tweak content and graphics and get it right to stay in the game."
The game is certainly on.
Stars who play
Shah Rukh Khan: The king of Bollywood is a self-confessed video game addict, and spends hours playing with his children. A PlayStation fan, when the PS3 first came out in 2006, SRK couldn't wait to get his hands on it. In fact, his latest home production, Ra. One, is a videogame-based film, a tribute of sorts to his and his kids' love of games.
Zac Efron: In January this year, it was reported that High School Musical star Zac Efron was on the verge of splitting with co-star girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens, because of rows over his Xbox addiction. Vanessa threatened to dump Zac if he didn't stop playing his video games.
the handbook
How to know your games
MMOG: Massively multiplayer online game is a multiplayer video game capable of supporting thousands of players simultaneously. They are played online. Zapak has MMOGs like Crazy Kart and Power Soccer.
Advergame: In-game advertising refers to brand placement in the game and Advergaming is a game designed for a brand. AXE Twist is an example.
Social Games: Games played on social networking sites like Facebook (Farmville, for example) as opposed to playing games on your own.
Casual games: A video or online game targetted at or used by a mass audience of gamers. Casual games can have any type of gameplay and fit in any genre. They are distinguished by simple rules and lack of commitment required, in contrast to more complex games. They require no long-term time commitment or special skills.
Trend forecast
Games will be available online on rent
Deepak Abbot, Vice President, Products, Zapak
"Globally, in three years, games will move through digital distribution, eliminating CDs completely. The rental model, already being tried in Japan, where a $40 game is being made available online at just a $4 monthly rent, will take over.
In India, this will take some time to take off, depending on infrastructure improvements like broadband speed and bandwidth allocation."
Man-machine interaction will be seamless
Jaspreet Bindra, Regional Director - Entertainment & Devices Division, Microsoft Corporation (India) Pvt. Ltd
"The future is controller-less gaming. And beyond gaming, in another 10 years, we expect to see all man-machine interaction made seamless, without many interfaces. Social gaming too, is poised to take off in a big way. Challenging each other online, networking, updating scores and sharing them with others is the next big thing."
3D will be huge
Atindriya Bose, Country Manager, Sony PlayStation India
"3D is going to be huge. Soon, most games will upgrade to 3D.
The Playstation itself will become a unique playback device that will allow you to watch 3D movies and view 3D photographs, apart from being a 3D gaming device. All this will be infrastructure dependent, though."
Mutliplayer games will be played at home
Pankit Chheda, Marketing Manager, Mitashi
"3D and social gaming over a multiplayer network are going to be big. Soon, all formats, including television, will have to upgrade to 3D. Today, people play multiplayer games over a network in cybercafes. Soon, broadband speeds will have to improve to accommodate people who want to do the same at home."
