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It's hard not to be cynical about devices like the Move and Kinect because they are such blatant reactions to the success of the Wii. But maybe Eriq is right. Does it really matter why Sony and Microsoft created them if they're fun to use?
The Sega Master System was my first gaming system, and since then, I’ve owned every mainstream console. I'm a proud a veteran of five generations of tech. I remember the days when people called the hobby "stupid" or "pointless," "child’s play" or just "a waste of time."
Rebelling against such judgments is a memorable point of pride. I’d tell my parents, teachers, or any condescending adult that games are my thing. They didn't have to like them, but that didn't give them the right to disrespect me for what I do.
For people my age, games matter. The console wars are sort of like my generation’s political battleground. Over the years, I’ve seen people show more passion for Sony, Microsoft, Sega, and Nintendo products than for most presidential candidates.
The enthusiasts who've been around the long enough to remember the 1983 crash and its subsequent rebound have a genuine appreciation for how far technology and design methodology have come. In 1994, L.A. Noire would’ve been a full-motion video adventure for the Sega CD à la Night Trap. It wouldn’t have worked because as we learned more than 15 years ago, an interactive movie is not a game.
Gears of War, Assassin’s Creed, Uncharted, and BioShock are just a few of the titles that have made this generation the best we’ve ever had. The "hardcore" gamer is in heaven. In fact, we should be embarrassed about how lucky we are.
But we're not. We're ungrateful. We have become the epitome of what we once hated. We're a community of people who squabble about stupid, pointless, child’s-play, waste-of-time arguments. We’re no longer kids; we’re adults who tend to forget that the one common thread for all of us is that we have fun playing our platformers or our shooters or our role-playing games.
Why do we feel the need to troll Kinect, Wii, and Move? I can’t help but to roll my eyes at the derision these technologies endure. I’ve spent more hours than I care to count playing Kinect Sports and Kinect Adventures with my son, and he loves watching me play Portal 2, Split Second, and -- as he calls it -- "Halo game." He loves all these titles, and he’s four. His instincts tell him "this is fun." It’s the same reaction that us old-heads have when we play Battlefield or Call of Duty. If we're having fun, does it really matter how?
Kinect, Move, Wii, or old school: It doesn't matter! Bring that shit, bitch!
Titles that use Kinect and Move properly are coming. Wii had Super Mario Galaxy and Metriod Prime 3 as great examples of how motion controls can work in a traditional game. Killzone 3 has Move support, and it's pretty good. Like any new technology, it might be more than a year before we see these devices truly take flight.
We all had to tolerate the horrible first years of the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox 360. We got our PS2s for Metal Gear Solid 2 and our 360s for Gears of War, and neither system launched with those titles. In the case of the PlayStation 3, we had to wait two years for "that game" (which I would argue was Metal Gear Solid 4).
Each machine had a reason to adopt early: The PS2 had a DVD player, the 360 had comprehensive online play, and the PS3 had Blu-ray. But that's all irrelevant; we got these machine to play games and to have fun.
My point here is to remind all gamers (including myself) of something: Before you call the next Kinect, Move, or Wii game shit (or even just some traditional title you have it out for), remember that that game might not be your thing. Don't be like an overbearing parent from 1989. You don’t have to like it, but that's no reason to take shots at anyone because they do.
