BioWare bosses see potential, challenges in Move and Natal

Speaking to IndustryGamers, BioWare head honchos Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka shared some thoughts on the current state of motion controls and the potential of Move and Project Natal. According to Zeschuk, BioWare has been looking for ways that the technologies could enhance a role-playing experience. He mentioned using motions to "enhance your feeling that you're actually acting in the game." For a game like Mass Effect, Zeschuk imagined the ability to affect a conversation with a gesture, saying "you could actually pull your finger and pretend you're shooting the guy for the renegade action."

Zeschuk wants to see motion controls "evolve beyond the party game." He added that "it's going to be a challenge" for developers to move past the party game mentality. "You look at the Wii, and no one's ever gotten past that, that initial stage," said Zeschuk (someone send that man a copy of Shattered Memories). Thankfully, both Natal and Move are far too sophisticated for simple bowling games. Oh, wait.

For Muzyka's part, he believes motion controllers can make games more accessible, allowing developers to connect on a deeper level with players. "The challenge is finding ways to remove those barriers that doesn't create new barriers like having your arms get tired from waving the controller around, things like that," said Muzyka, adding, "If you can do that, I think there's a real opportunity."