Control over games...

I responded to an article over at Kotaku. The initial article is by Leigh Alexander who's got a very interesting gaming blog (much better than this one) and does a lot of other stuff as well. It regards the classic way of controlling games, reminding that although motion control seems to be the new thing, it doesn't necessarily enhance the gaming experience. Very true. Yet that seems to include the Wiimote and here comes things I would tend to argue on.
I've also wanted to rant a bit over the amount of slack the Wii's taking and that seemed like a perfect opportunity!

Since I did take the hassle to write a comment I might as well reproduce it here...

Here it is.
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I would like to know how "classic controller" is defined.

I kind of feel that the Wii controller isn't included in there. Would that be because it features motion control?
That would be a bit silly, in my opinion.

If you really look at it, the wiimote/nunchuk is a classic controller. It's broken in 2, sure, but it's got 2 sticks, shoulder buttons, face buttons, etc. Sure, it's streamlined, but pretty much like anything like Nintendo released after the SNES (which should be the quitessential classic gamepad, as Sony only built on it to create the PS controller, which is the best pad ever created): the pads for the N64 or the GC were attempts to innovate on its base. They only took it a step further with the Wii controller, even breaking away from the shape (OH MY GOD!).

Now, having established that, the Wii controller adds 2 features to the classic controller scheme: the IR pointer & the motion controls.

Now who will stands and say that FPSs are better played with a pad? Or RTSs?
Personnally, I would even go as far as saying that having played FIFA 09 with the pointer, I would not want to play a football game without it anymore...

It's an evolution of the same medium, it's an enhancement. And it's not because you use motion controls that the game becomes easier.
Back to FIFA 09, replacing the shoot button by a Wiimote movement enables the control to be analogic, you need to learn to get your movement right. It's not especially well implemented in FIFA, sure, but still, it's a lot better than just pressing a button and releasing at the right time and it's not dumbing it down. It's just different.

Natal would be more the issue and here I believe that it's pushing it too far.
But the culprit is not the Wii. The Wii innovated wildly and created something new, while being able to build on the old stack.
The problem is that it seems to be driving the rest to try to cash in on motion control. Done the right way it could open huge possibilities. For money, it won't yield anything better than what was done with the PS2 EyeToy...

I'm saying this being a Wii-fanatic, sure and I do stand a bit disappointed that there are too few games that take real advantages of all the possibilities the Wii controller has to offer.
But to me as an interface, it's the new best one ever done for a game.

And at least it's fresh, unlike Sony who's releasing the same system only with improved graphics for the past 3 generations...