4. Kinaesthetic Gaming
The Wii-mote brought down a heap of derision on Nintendo when the first images were released, looking more like a remote control for a television than a conventional game controller. Well, the Wii has sold almost 100 million copies since then (compared to around 70 million for both the PS3 and the Xbox 360) and Sony and Microsoft definitely arent laughing any more. Theyre taking notes. Read this recent press release from Microsoft:
Xbox 360 has found new ways to extend the console lifecycle by introducing controller-free experiences with Kinect and re-inventing the console with a new dashboard and new entertainment content partnerships. We are always thinking about what is next for our platform and how to continue to defy the lifecycle convention. Theres been a recent emphasis on controller-free gaming across the board, with Microsoft and Sony both following Nintendos suit. We can expect this trend to continue, as players will be increasingly using their voices or physical movements, as opposed to mere button pressing. After all, companies want to be able to reach as wide an audience as possible and while manipulating a game controller is a skill which needs to be learned, emulating tennis strokes with the Wii-mote or singing into a microphone isnt. Thats why you can expect less and less hands on gaming in 2013.