The Wii has been lauded as a success for attracting people into gaming who normally avoid playing. Illustrating this point; Wii Sports is the biggest selling game of all time. On the other hand, do they actually prepare people for other gaming experiences, or just for waggling Wiimotes with the family during special occasions?
 

The Wii and its motion control system are brilliantly realised and marketed pieces of equipment. It enables people of all ages to gather around the television and have a game of virtual bowling. It has the potential to enable more interactivity in games, such as acting out the on screen actions of the player’s avatar; pulling levers, throwing objects to slashing swords and swinging golf clubs.
 

Unfortunately if you place a more traditional controller in the hands of this new crowd you will most likely be met with resistance to move away from the ‘fun’ of hand waving. Perhaps, rather than the Wii really being successful in inciting more people into gaming, they have just carved their own (rather substantial) niche in the market.
 

Due to the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 still catering to the more traditional gamer in the majority, those who have taken their first steps into the world of videogames through Nintendo’s family machine can be met with a very steep learning curve. Trying to play a recent first person shooter or action game for the first time can be very difficult and disorientating as traditional control schemes are far removed from those found in family orientated Wii games, even though they are second nature to those who play regularly.
 

Of course, Nintendo haven’t got the monopoly on casual games. There are still many to be found on either of the other two home systems on the market. However, these games, such as Rock Band, Singstar or Buzz, do no more for lessening the transition from casual to mainstream than the Wii does, even though they are on both the 360 and Playstation 3. The jump from plastic guitar to plastic pad is one which many people will find difficult to make for the first time.
 

With the introduction of their respective motion control apps at 2009’s E3, Microsoft and Sony have both been accused of jumping on the casual bandwagon and emulating Nintendo. However both would no doubt argue that their hardware can provide a new level of motion-orientated interaction, and are hoping to convince users that their more powerful systems are a better alternative to Nintendo’s still last-gen hardware.  Microsoft’s Project Natal is arguably more progressive than Sony’s more traditional system, but neither has yet reached the general public for the real acid test. Conversely, it is unclear if either company would care about transitioning users from motion control to joypads as long as they sell enough hardware/software. If motion control schemes help shift some extra hardware, but those people never buy another game, then both companies would likely have a large problem on their hands.
 

Perhaps a new type of game or software is needed, one which is an interactive tutorial for people new to gaming, one that could take players through the major areas of gaming; shooters, platformers, driving games, adventure games and so on, and show them what to do in an environment removed from any story, risk of death or failure. Perhaps a game in the same vein as Valve’s Portal; a fun, carefree environment where new players can experiment and get to grips with how to play games. Nearly all games have a tutorial section at the start of them, but even this can be daunting for completely new starters. The system could even be online-based, where there are real tutors ready to take you through aspects of controlling characters and moving through environments with you, and can answer questions on how to accomplish tasks in real time as you play. After all, the industry should be doing all it can to get more people playing videogames
 

It will be interesting to see how this new, casual sector of games will be treated in the future. Will we see a split in the industry with a major company such as Microsoft releasing two consoles, one for the casual market and one not, or will there be more integration between the two as hinted at by Project Natal. For now, it is at least a positive move in getting the general public to accept gaming as a whole, rather than a niche market for hobbyists.

MattyJ