A 3D controller?

[nonamer]

Here's an awesome article about a 3D mouse: http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,1128548,00.asp

In short, it works, and well. So that leaves me thinking... why not a 3D controller?

IMO, such a device will be perfect as it would give a controller the precision and control of a mouse. No more complaining about how bad FPS's are on a console, a 3D controller will work just as well-maybe almost as well-as a keyboard and mouse setup. It would also give a whole new method of user input. No more using just thumbs and fingers. Just think: use the control stick for movement while aiming with the whole controller. A lot better than a two stick control method. It's really intuitive to use such a device. Virtually everyone it seems move there whole arms around while playing. The improvements of a 3D controller over the current ones are huge IMO. The only downside I can see is people flailing their arms around trying to play a multiplayer game, hitting and getting hit by each other, but I don't see that as much of a problem. Anyhow, the benefits are huge while the downsides are quite minor, and with any luck, we may see the total adoption of 3D controllers next generation.

 

[zurich]

There have been all sorts of screwed up '3D controllers' out there for the PC.. Kensington Orb comes to mind. None have lasted :?

 

[nonamer]

Read the link. It seem that this one actually works, and that's the cool part of it.

 

[zurich]

Read the link. It seem that this one actually works, and that's the cool part of it.

Well first off, thats a mouse, I was talking about controllers for the PC (designed for FPSs).. strange orb-like devices. Thing is, they all 'worked'.. but never caught on cause people would just gawk at them and run in fear. Just as the mouse/keyboard is permenantly entrenched into PC gaming, dual analog will never leave consoles

 

[AzBat]

Nonamer,

This product is by far not the first. When I was working for Creative Labs back in 1994 we released a product called the AeroDuet. It included the AeroMouse and AeroPen. These were wireless 3D devices, but they looked and operated just like their 2D competitors. In fact, if you didn't like the 3D you could just use it in 2D mode. It had a base/mouse pad that received signals from the devices. For more info I found this press release posted on USENET back in May 1994.

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&th=d33aab0f5114bf32&rnum=17

I've also used quite a few of the 3D controllers that Zurich mentioned. In fact, I still have my SpaceTec SpaceOrb 360 and Logitech Cyberman 2. They were very interesting to say the least. When I did use them it was mainly in Descent and Descent 2. Boy, what memories!!

Tommy McClain

 

[Blade]

such a device will be perfect as it would give a controller the precision and control of a mouse

For FPS's? Are you kidding? Let's see.. mouse and keyboard versus waving a wand around.. I think I know the winner. Eh, maybe with future enhancements to the hardware and games themselves, this'll be viable.. but for now I need accuracy.

Mouse and keyboard (and for now, dual-analog) are the way to go for the foreseeable future, in FPS's anyway.

 

[nonamer]

It'll be really nice if people READ THE LINK AND MY POST BEFORE POSTING. I never made any claim that this is first, nor that is perfect. Also, according to the article, the mouse gets 3D input from a gyroscope inside it, and it looks like just a regular old mouse. It's not exactly difficult for such a technology to be implemented in a controller (since it's pretty small and simple).

 

[frownupsidedown]

I can see that mouse becoming a projectile in a tense fps.

 

[MfA]

You can shape it more like a joystick handle to ensure a tighter grip.

Id still want a keyboard under my left hand though

 

[Lazy8s]

SEGA had two unique ideas for 3D controllers.

The first was a prototype they developed for a psuedo-sequel to NiGHTS, AeroNiGHTS, that never came out. It allowed you full 3D movement in the game, the addition of flying "in" and "out", by means of a tilt sensor added to a NiGHTS Analog Controller (special pad that shipped with the first game). So, your arms and hands would have been more active while playing as you tilted the controller to make NiGHTS fly towards or away from the screen.

The second idea allowed for a very intuitive way of aiming in a shooting game. SEGA's light gun design had directional controls on it, so you could move about levels with the gun's pad and simply aim and shoot things with the gun like normal. Interestingly, GUNVALKYRIE started out as a Dreamcast game that required a gun and controls to be used in conjunction to fight, before the control scheme was changed for its Xbox makeover.

 

[notAFanB]

The second idea allowed for a very intuitive way of aiming in a shooting game. SEGA's light gun design had directional controls on it, so you could move about levels with the gun's pad and simply aim and shoot things with the gun like normal.

looks like they implemented a similar function into GunCon2+.