blkmage wrote:I don't think gamers will get used to them unless they're forced to use them.
The problem is that there are those who will refuse to use them because we feel they're implemented poorly. My refusal to purchase Skyward Sword is a direct result of this, and they're not going to "force" me to use them.
I have enough video games that if I am put in a position where it's "Use motion controls or you won't be able to buy any more games" then I'll just spend the rest of my life playing the games I already own. Haven't beaten half of 'em yet anyway, it wouldn't be the worst thing that can happen.
If a game has a bad button control scheme, then what? People are way less likely to complain about it and there's zero talk about moving away from buttons. People are also much more likely to just deal with it, because we already know how to deal with bad button control schemes.
I don't think this is a fair comparison, for a lot of reasons. First, people complain about bad button control schemes all the time. I remember an online review site talking about the Mega Man Anniversary Collection for PS2 and Gamecube. In the end he said flat out buy the PS2 version, because the Gamecube version of the game made A fire and B jump, which is the exact opposite control scheme Mega Man games have had and goes completely contrary to how people have controlled the games for years. He called it out and said it was a terrible decision (though he understood to a point why they did it]seems[/i] more sensible to make the big green A button the shoot button, even though it isn't).
Though I can't think of any more specific examples, I'm sure there are more. It's just that was the biggest one that stood out to me, because I was one of the idiots who bought the Gamecube version (I only read the review a couple of years after the fact) and tried playing it, was like "Why did they switch the buttons this is garbage" and went back the next day and traded it in for the PS2 version.
The big reason why it's different is because in a game, many games require split-second timing, and button controls are flat-out objectively superior to any other form of input. The only thing that could surpass buttons is to literally have a machine that could read your thoughts and instantly perform the action you wanted to. In other words,
faster input = better gaming experience. You want a guy to do something IMMEDIATELY when you press a button.
This is why some bad games are described as having delayed controls. The game waits a second or so before doing the action you pressed a button to have the character do. This is bad, because when you press a button you want something to happen RIGHT NOW.
Motion controls exacerbate the delay between input and action. I have my thumbs over the buttons when I'm playing a game with a controller, so I can press a button in a split-second when I want my dude to do something. With motion controls, it may take upwards of a second, second and a half to swing the remote. And then AFTER that, the game still has to process that input and THEN give the signal to the character to do the action. It's slower and less precise than a button scheme. When I press a button on the controller, if the game is programmed properly, the only time my character shouldn't react is if my controller is worn and some connections aren't making contact...which does happen. With motion control, it could be as simple as "LOL YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO DO A DIAGONAL SLASH BUT YOUR ANGLE WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH SO WE INTERPRETED IT AS A HORIZONTAL SLASH AND YOU DID THE WRONG THING SUCKS FOR YOU." Yes, that happened to me on Dragon Quest Swords a LOT. That's part of the reason I stopped playing it.
Can motion controls be used properly? Yes. Yes they can. I already gave the example of aiming the bow in the Zelda games as an excellent, EXCELLENT use of motion controls. Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People and Sam and Max? Again, fantastic use of motion controls! I even really like the fact that in Metroid Prime 3/Trilogy, in Morph Ball mode, you can flick the controller up to have Samus do a quick hop rather than using a bomb to jump. That's really really awesome.
But having to twist the controller to unlock certain doors in MP3? Bad use. Using it to have Link swing a sword? HORRENDOUS use.
But I don't think that that means that they should always let the player choose to do it the easy way out and depend on controls that they're used to.
I disagree. The player is the one who wants to have fun. If the developer force them to use a control scheme the player does not want because it could easily be replaced, that's not better, that's worse. It's limiting the player for no real reason than "We think we know better than you how you should have fun."
Again, ONLY if it could easily be replaced. For example, Skyward Sword's "SWING REMOTE TO SWING SWORD" could easily be replaced with a button press. Easily. They could let you use a Gamecube controller or Classic Controller. They've done it before with Mario Kart Wii and Smash Bros. Brawl, so using a Gamecube Controller as input for a Wii game is totally possible and can be done.
However, let's take a look at a game that cannot be replaced with a button press. Kirby's Canvas Curse. You literally could not do that game with standard button input. It's a fantastic game that really is the pinnacle of stylus controls as far as I'm concerned. Ouendan/Elite Beat Agents is another prime example of this. However, Phantom Hourglass? Could easily be done with buttons. I'm not even against stylus control in that game, honestly. I think drawing a line for your ship to sail, and drawing a line for boomerang trajectory is awesome! Excellent use of stylus controls! But stylus controls to move Link/attack enemies is garbage, pure garbage plain and simple.
Never played TWEWY, nor will I ever (boo real-time combat systems) but wasn't the whole deal in that one that like...buttons did stuff on the top screen and stylus did stuff on the bottom? Or am I mistaken? Because honestly, if I'm right, that really does sound like a cool control scheme that buttons alone could not replicate, and thus would be excellent use of the stylus.
