![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Logitech-G27-Racing-Wheel-Pedals-Gear-Shift-Lever-Set.jpg\" "\\"Logitech-G27-Racing-Wheel-Pedals-Gear-Shift-Lever-Set\\"")
<\/a>Logitech G27<\/p><\/div>\n
Aviation enthusiasts have the same immersive ride, thanks to a range of specialist equipment that allows them to do pilot stuff in a way similar to how real pilots do real pilot stuff; I\u2019m sure that beats fiddling with a joystick. Sure these specialist peripherals cost a lot of money (the G27 will set you back more than R3,000, and I don\u2019t even want to get into the aviation kit), but they are still a lot cheaper than the real life experience and will find their way into an enthusiast’s home.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Home Flight Simulator set up<\/p><\/div>\n
If this level of immersion is worth the cost, then why don\u2019t we see more specialist gear being made?<\/p>\n
Perhaps it\u2019s the cost. Despite the obvious price issue, some are willing to pay for a specialized peripheral. The cost of making a sniper rifle frame that produces an accurate reproduction of the recoil of a .50 cal may just exceed the cost effective window manufacturers have to work within to produce products and stay profitable.<\/p>\n
Perhaps it\u2019s the complexity. Cars are easy to drive with a universal control, because most cars share many common aspects – steering, pedals, and gear change for one system can do it all. However, when it comes to first person shooters there are a range of different guns one can use to attack the enemy. The pistol peripheral would have to differ from the shotgun peripheral, which would differ to the one used for SMGs. Changing peripheral as quick as you change weapons in game is nearly impossible, especially when you can pick up other gear as you go.<\/p>\n
Perhaps it\u2019s a safety issue. Assuming such a device could be made, the first time a 13 year-old tried to quick-scope, they may end up with a dislocated shoulder and a new appreciation for the dangers of weapons.<\/p>\n
Perhaps it\u2019s an experience issue. I\u2019ve been lucky enough to grow up around guns and hunting, and I\u2019ve fired a range of weapons including many of the sniper rifles found in realistic first person shooter games. No amount of gaming can prepare you for the recoil, the sound, and the shockwave the gun produces in the instant you pull the trigger. Many people experience what driving a vehicle feels like, even if it\u2019s a go-kart or pedal car of some kind; but few experience what it\u2019s like to fire off a volley of shotgun slugs at a target.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Nothing says \u2018Family Fun\u2019 like attaching your Wii-motes onto a shotgun replica. Good times.<\/p><\/div>\n
Perhaps it’s society worried about mass producing killers. With the number of violent events blamed on video games, and their role in helping perpetrators of violence train (Anders Breivik and Call of Duty spring to mind), more realistic scenarios mean more ammo for those who would ban violent video games altogether.<\/p>\n
Perhaps people just don\u2019t care about realism. Maybe gamers don\u2019t care about using more realistic equipment and would rather remain more competitive by using a keyboard and mouse. Perhaps social gamers who enjoy a bit of gaming at the end of the day don\u2019t want a realistic feel, but rather want some mindless action that doesn\u2019t require much effort to enjoy.<\/p>\n
And finally, perhaps some games just aren\u2019t suited to dedicated peripherals. Guitar hero and Gran Turismo may be perfectly suited to immersive peripherals, and modern shooters and platformers may not be. The vast open spaces and impossible situations game characters find themselves in may not translate into peripherals as successfully, and if this is the case, what is the point?<\/p>\n
<\/a>Sony 3D headset<\/p><\/div>\n
Motion control and augmented reality may be the future of gaming, but is that what we want right now? I\u2019m not entirely convinced.<\/p>\n
Gaming companies strive for more detailed scenes, complete with fancy lighting, realistic shadows and facial expressions that surpass Kristen Stewart\u2019s best attempts at a smile (okay, so that last one isn\u2019t particularly difficult).<\/p>\n
Sound engineers work hard to make sure the engine noise of a Honda S2000 is realistic right through the rev range and that the wiz of bullet just inches from your left ear sounds exactly like the real deal.<\/p>\n
As for peripheral engineers? They slap a new coat of paint on a current product and market it as the Mass Effect 3 edition; job done, we can go home.<\/p>\n
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Game over, man, game over<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n