Motion sensing controls come to PS2, PC, DS [update 1]
If the video game world were more like the fashion world, motion-sensitivity would be the new black. Accessory-makers and hackers are tripping over themselves to retrofit old systems with gyroscopes in light of the high demand for the Wii and PS3.
First up is eDimensional, whose buzzword-laden Wireless Gyroscopic G-Pad Pro used "patented Virtual Reality Motion Sensing Technology" to basically translate the tilt of the controller into a directional button press on PC or PS2 games. A short Flash demo shows the controller being used on a racing game, but it will supposedly work with "virtually any existing game on your PC or PS2." The $39.95 controller also supposedly "reduces hand fatigue," which just sounds dirty to us.
The DS homebrew scene is also jumping on the motion sensing bandwagon with the DS Motion Card. Much like the GBAccelerometer before it, the attachment translates the tilt of the system into control data for specially coded homebrew games. Unfortunately, the sensor doesn't seem to work on commercial releases, dashing our dreams of twisting the portable around like an idiot while playing Yoshi's Island DS.
Frankly, these grafted-on technologies seem a little unnecessary to us. Would you use a motion-sensitive control made for your legacy systems?
[Update: ThatGameBlog brings word of the MotionFX TiltSense Adapter, which adds motion sensitivity to a standard PS1 or PS2 controller.]
