It started with the Nintendo Wii. The handheld controllers created a revolution in video gaming, with a host of games developed to take advantage of the ability to hold a controller in your hand and wirelessly control the action on screen. The Wii quickly became the standard for active video gaming.
But other developers have also been hard at work. The two advances in active video gaming I am most looking forward to seeing in the shops are Microsoft’s Project Natal and Blobos.
MS Project Natal is based on a camera mounted on the TV screen watching your body movements. So, you just stand in front of the screen and move. No controllers needed. Watch a promo video here.
Blobos is a concept I was introduced to earlier this year at a conference in Vienna. Developed by a Scandinavian company, it is similar to the Wii in that you have a controlling mechanism in your hand. The difference is that the mechanism is a slightly squishy plastic ball. You can bounce the ball, squeeze it, rotate it, throw it, put it in your pocket and generally have much more subtle control over it than the Wii allows. It is based on Bluetooth technology, and must be run through a PC (i.e. not directly to TV). It has remarkable potential. Watch a promo video here. Blobo is now available in the UK.
Gaming has never been more fun, more social and more active.