Alternative User Interfaces in Videogaming

Sabine Berger∗ Vienna University of Technology

Figure 1: Alternative Gaming Interfaces in use.

Abstract rently common ways of interacting with video gaming systems. The most common, widely used, gaming interface ist the game pad. This state of the art report gives an overview about the most com- The game pad or simply controller is a handheld device that is usu- mon alternative user interfaces for videogaming currently avail- ally connected to a gaming console using a cable or wireless con- able on the market, including The -Remote, the Du- nection as via (for example used with the 360 con- alScreen handheld, camera-, - and musical instrument troller). Its purpose is to accept input from the user and proceed it controllers, as well as dance mats and buzzer controllers. A short to the console in order to control the events in games and/or the sys- description with some technical data is given about each of them. tem settings of the device. For this there are further several standard Further, important aspects of videogaming are analysed on the basis elements of a controller layout called digital pads, analog-sticks, of the previously discussed alternative gaming interfaces. Lastly a trigger buttons, shoulder buttons and face/action buttons (see Fig- short preview about possible or already set future alternative gam- ures figgamepad and 3, all of which are able to sense either digital ing interfaces is given. or analog inputs from the user. Each analog-stick may be moved to any direction in around a horizontal 360 circle. All face and trigger Keywords: user-interface, videogaming, wii-remote, , buttons as well as the analog-sticks are able to process analog in- music-controller, camera-controller, controller, dualscreen, nin- put, which means that the controls are dependend on how hard the tendo, xbox, , wii buttons/sticks are pushed. A character moved by the analog-stick might for example walk slowly if it is pushed just slightly to the right, but may run if it is pushed there as far as possible. Although the game pad is a very powerful and general user interface, it fails 1 Introduction to provide an intuitive control scheme for many applications. Alter- native gaming interfaces therefor often provide less powerful input possibilities but are far more fit to the application they were made A user interface provides the possibility to a user to communicate for. with a system or any kind of machine. They come in the form of software or hardware components and have the purpose to en- able the user to simply transmit his commands to the system he is communicating with, or for the machine to provide feedback to the user. This paper will mainly focus on hardware interfaces designed for video gaming. Common Gaming Interfaces Common gaming interfaces by the definition incorporate the cur-

∗e-mail: sabine [email protected]

Figure 2: Standard game pad elements demonstrated on Sonys Du- alShock 2 Controller

Alternative Gaming Interfaces 2.1 Intuitive Usage

One of the most important aspects of every gaming interface is its intuitivity. Players have to be able to use a gaming system without much experience with other gaming interfaces and without much learning efford. Due to this it is very important to design them in a way most people can understand by intuition. To achieve this, developers try to create gaming interfaces that are as similar as possible to everyday life objects, because users will know how to work with them out of experience they’ve gained even if they never touched a gaming system before. Taking a look at the alternative Figure 3: Example for Shoulder Triggers (Trigger Buttons) demon- gaming interfaces discussed in this paper, most of them are repli- straded on Sonys DualShock 3 Controller cas or very close to such everyday life objects. The Wii-Remote, as the name already indicates, is used very similar to a common for a TV-set and the tilting of it in order to move Alternative gaming interfaces can typically be used more inuitive objects in a game also is something very natural. An example for than common gaming interfaces. This is done by providing the that would be the common reaction of players using a and user with the possibility of getting a more intensive feeling or the leaning sideways when driving around corners in a racing game - possibility of actually doing what the game he is playing tries to with the Wii-Remote they actually really could enhance their turn make him believe he is doing. by doing so. The Nintendo DS on the other hand manages to com- bine traditional gaming with alternative gaming possibilities like An early example of alternative gaming interfaces is the lightgun the control by touch pen. By now, most people are used to using (Figure 4). It is a special type of controller that bears the looks a , while everyone has used a pencil before - the of a gun or pistol. To use this type of controller the user points the touch pen control combines both to a very intuitiv interface scheme. lightgun at the monitor and presses a button to fire. Sometimes there The most intuitive gaming interfaces are, of course, those which are are further buttons on the lightgun to enable the user to give more simplified replicas of the real life device they are emulating like the specific commands to the game. The interaction with the system musical instrument, microphone and buzzer controllers, but further is either done by a cable link installed on the lightgun or via an also dance mats. These interfaces try to provide the user with an infrared interface. Through its form resembeling a real gun, the experience similar to that with the real life device, but simplified feeling of actually shooting at the screen, and thus the characters in enough to be used in everyone’s living room. a game, is implied. 2.2 Ergonomics and Handling

Another important aspect of gaming interfaces is their ergonomics. All the buttons and other elements on the interfaces must be com- fortably reachable and even longer usage must not cause physical distress to the users - particularly because the comfortable handling of gaming systems also plays a huge part in its success at sales. For that, companies like Microsoft and Nintendo have taken many mea- sures to constantly improve their controllers in this aspect. The Nin- Figure 4: The Atari XE Lightgun tendo DS is a good example for that: Since the original design was often complained about to be too heavy and thus causing muscle fa- This paper will first take a look at the most important attributes tigue in case of longer playing, the new variation, the NDS Lite, was of alternative gaming interfaces, such as their degree of inutitivity, developed. Taking a look at their new Wii-Remote, though, users possibilities of being used by physically disadvantaged people and may find that some of the accomplishments in ergonomics gained ergonomics, in Section 2. Following that, it will describe differ- from their long-term experience has been discharged in order to ent kinds of alternative gaming interfaces currently available on the create a more intuitive gameplay by giving it the form of common market, as well as at some enhancements that are sold to go with remote control. A remote control, however, isn’t designed to be them in order to expand their usability or functions, in Sections 3 held for more than a few minutes at maximum, so a great problem through 9, such as the Wii-remote, the Nintendo DualScreen, musi- of alternative gaming interfaces is that because of their emphasized cal instrument and camera controllers. It will thereby focus on their intuitive or ”realistic” designs ergonomics are often neglected. general looks and ways of usage as well as their specific technical functionalities. Finally, in Section 10 it will give a short preview of future alternative gaming devices. 2.3 Actual Usefulness of Using Alternative Instead of Standard Gaming Interfaces

A very important aspect of alternative gaming interfaces also is their 2 Important Attributes for Alternative actual usefulness. Does the alternative gaming interface really im- Gaming Interfaces prove the gaming experience by brining it closer to the real life ex- perience or easier to be used? Microphone controllers for singing games or dance mats for dancing games undoubtably do a lot for In this section some important aspects of gaming interfaces shall be building up the illusion of ”reality” or authenticy. Generally, an al- described and further be shortly analysed for the alternative gaming ternative user interface that allows the player to experience a game interfaces described in Section 3 to Section 9. more intensely or provide him with the possibility of controlling it more intuitively, can be described as useful since it improves the 3.1 The Infrared Sensor Technology of the Wii- fun of playing. Remote

The main part of the sensor technology comprises of an infrared 2.4 Possibility of Usage in the Case of Physical Dis- light source that is to be installed above or below the monitor, as advantages well as an infrared-sensitive charge-coupled device (CCD) type im- age sensor on the Wii-Remote. This image sensor includes a low Finally there’s the aspect of the possibility of usage for physically resolution monochrome camera, a focus lens as well as a digital sig- disadvantaged users. Of course, when developing sys- nal processor in order to reduce the data to be sent to the console. tems and their respective gaming interfaces, developers assume On the front surface of the controller the sensor is placed, so that their users to be avarage healthy people. However, as a matter of it points forward, looking down a pointing axis P. The direction of fact, many people have to live with certain physical disadvantages. pointing axis P changes as the user changes the orientation of con- The most problematic interfaces for such people to use are those troller. Further, special pivot mechanism was installed to allow the that require much physical input such as dance mats or camera con- user to hold the Wii-Remote in an inexact angle to the screen to trollers that need you to move in front of them. In fact, it can be said provide better ergonomics (i.e. while sitting on the floor in front that, the less physical action a person needs in order to operate the of the TV-set). This sensor setup gives the controller optical point- gaming interface, the better it is suited for the usage by physically ing capabilities and enables it to sense movements done with the disadvantaged people, though, of course, the actual possibility of Wii-Remote such as rotating it, moving it towards a specific direc- usage severely depends on the kind of physical disadvantage. The tion or similar reorientations. The sensor is further designed and best suited gaming interfaces of the ones discussed above thus are configured to sense the emitters of the light source and has a cer- the Wii-Remote, the microphone controllers and the buzzer con- tain well defined field of view symmetrical with the sensor pointing trollers, since all of them may be operated by using just one hand. axis P of 20.5 degrees. Such well defined field of view provides an acute triangularly shaped viewing area that the sensor can mon- itor, with the base of the triangle increasing in length as distance 3 The Wii-Remote from the controller increases. The sensor also has a well defined sensitivity such that it can only ”see” IR emissions above a certain range of intensity. The emitters used with Wii are designed to pro- The Wii-Remote is the standard controller for the gaming system vide sufficient output power and beam spreading consistent with Wii which was released in December 2006 as the newest genera- the sensitivity of the Wii-Remote sensor such that it can ”see” the tion of gaming consoles by Nintendo (Figure 5). The name comes emitters at ranges consistent with how video game players arrange from its looks which are very similar to a common remote control themselves in a room relative to a TV-set (i.e. a distance of about as used for TV-sets. The greatest novelty about this kind of user two to five meters). interface for gaming was, that it can be used with only one hand. It also includes an orientation sensor as well as a three axis accelera- tion sensor systems which enable it to perceive motion input given 3.2 Enhancements for the Wii-Remote by the user. For example: In a game of tennis for Wii, the user is able to use the Wii-Remote just like a real tennis racket in order to The Nunchuk-Controller play. The game will then analyse the motion of the Wii-Remote to The Nunchuk-Controller is an expansion for the Wii-Remote to be realise if the user did bat the ball, in what way (back hand, front used with the second hand of the user (Figure 6). It’s connected hand, etc.), and with what strength. This data is then used to create to the Wii-Remote with a four feet long cable that is plugged in the according reaction on the screen. The controller also includes at the back side of the Remote. Just like the Wii-Remote itself an integrated speaker which is able to provide special sound feed- it contains a three-axis sensor to sense movement back to the user, except from those sounds coming from the TV- input given by the user. Unlike its counterpart it doesn’t include set’s speakers, a rumble function that gives vibration feedback to feedback systems or has pointing capabilities. Instead it provides the user, as well as several standard buttons (a cross switch digital an additional analog-stick, a trigger button as well as a shoulder pad, face buttons and triggers). The data input on the Wii-Remote button. is transmitted to the console via Bluetooth connection.

Figure 6: Wii’s Nunchuk expansion Figure 5: Nintendo’s Wii-Remote controller as seen from several perspectives The Wii-Zapper The Wii-Zapper is a shell peripheral for the Wii-Remote and its Nunchuk-Controller-Expansion letting it look like a gun (see Fig- ure 7) in order to give users the feeling to be actually shooting at the screen rather than just pointing at it. It functions as a kind of lightgun but also provides all the possiblities the Wii-Remote does, accepting movement input and giving acoustic as well as vibration feedback.

Figure 8: The original Nintendo DualScreen and its components

looks and some improvements to the screen and battery power. The new model is about a third smaller than the original Nintendo DS and also has less weight in order to hold it more comfortably (see Figure 9). Its displays have four brightness settings and the posi- tion of the buttons, the microphone and the touchpen slot changed as well so that they could be reached more easily. The power but- Figure 7: The Wii Zapper shell with Wii-Remote and Nunchuk in- ton was replaced by a power switch and the two parts are now the serted same size and fit together without a gab between them so that the handheld can be stored more comfortably and its screens are also The Wii-Wheel protected even better. Like the Wii-Zapper the Wii-Wheel is a shell peripheral for the Wii- Remote giving it the form of a steering wheel. By turning the wheel the user actually tilts the Wii-Remote giving input to its motion sensors in order to steer cars in a racing game or space ships in a flight simulator.

4 The Nintendo DualScreen

The Nintendo DualScreen (Nintendo DS) is the newest handheld- gaming-system of the Japanese Incorporation Nintendo and was first released in Europe in March 2005 (Figure 8). It comprises two parts: The upper, smaller part contains a LCD screen and speakers, Figure 9: The NDS Lite variation model while the lower, bigger and heavier part contains a touch-sensitive LCD screen, two cartridge slots, a power supply interface, an audio- in interface and a microphone as well as a cross-switch button, six face buttons and a power button. There’s also space to comfortably 4.2 The NDS Slide Enhancement store a touch pen in the lower part of the Nintendo DS. The two parts can be folded together so that the screens are protected from The newly released Slide Motion Controller for Nintendo DS (only external harm such as scratches from dust grains or by touching ob- in Japan so far) is a controller enhancement that is able to recognize jects. This function is also used in several games. In Nintendos horizontal movement of the handheld in order to use the gained data ”Another Code: Two Memories” for example this folding is used to control characters or environments in video games (Figure 10 to imply the use of a stamp. The specialty about the Nintendo DS and Figure 11). In more detail, the Slide Motion Controller is able is that its games feature great intuitive usage because of their pro- to recognize movement along two axis as well as rotational move- viding the possibilty to ”realistically” interact with them. The user ment and their speed. The technology used is very similar to that of has to blow into the microphone in order to blow away dust from an optical computer mouse and uses infrared sensors. The basis for a table on the screen or talks to a person in a game through it in its technology is the same as for the not yet released portable Wii order to make him do things, or adjusts the angle between the two handheld system as described in Section 10.2. The enhancement screens in order to see a reflection of a picture on of the screens in is used by putting it into the GameBoy Advance cartridge slot. It’s a mirror that’s therefor represented by the second screen. Further, not clear if the peripheral will be released in Europe as well so far. the usage of the touch screen/pen is much more intuitively done as the control with buttons since the user just has to tap/draw on the screen which is very similar to touching things in reality or using a pencil, something that everyone is used to doing in everyday life.

4.1 The Nintendo DS Lite Variation

One year after its original release a varation model called Nintendo Figure 10: The NDS Slide Motion Controller Enhancement as seen DS Lite replaced its predecessor. The new version features the same from the side and fromt the view of the user while playing. CPU power and features but comes with a complete redesign of the 5.2 The PlayStation Eye

The PlayStation Eye is the indirect PlayStation 3‘s successor to the EyeToy Camera and was released in November 2007. Just like the EyeToy Camera it is an USB camera with a resolution of 640x480 pixel for 60Hz or 320x240 pixel for 120Hz. It features higher light sensitivity as well as a new zoom function with two zoom-levels and also includes a 4-channel microphone which is capable of function- ing as a microphone controller (see Section 7).

Figure 11: The bottom surface of the NDS Slide Motion Controller EyeCreate Enhancement. The EyeCreate Software is a free downloadable application to be used with the PlayStation Eye that enables users to store pictures, videos and audio records on the PlayStation 3’s harddrive. Those 5 Camera Interfaces data can further be edited with a variety of special effects or ex- ported to other systems such as a PC. It was released in the USA in October 2007. Camera controllers are used to integrate real life objects or persons The Eye of Judgment into a gaming world. This is either done by filming this object and ”The Eye of Judgment” was the first game released to use the func- projecting the gaming world around it using means of compositing, tions of the PlayStation Eye. It’s basically a monster fighting game or by taking pictures to be used as avatars, icons and the like. using cards marked with codes and a grid mat that serves as the playing field. The PlayStation Eye can ”read” the codes on the cards and also recognizes their position on the real grid mat. It will 5.1 The EyeToy Camera then use this data to create an augmented reality on the TV-screen that will include the filmed user’s hand as well as the effects pro- duced by the cards’ codes: 3D monster models will so appear on Camera controllers have first found their way into console gaming the virtual playing field by using monster cards or special actions with ’s EyeToy Camera for PlayStation 2 which was released will be initiated for action cards. The game can be played with one in Europe in July 2003. The EyeToy Camera is a usual USB CCD camera for two opponents facing each other in the real world or camera created by with a resolution of 640x480 pixel and via an online connection in which case each of the players needs to a size of 44x53x89 mm (see Figure 12). It is able to record the have his own PlayStation Eye and ”The Eye of Judgment” version. player and his movements and integrate them into games by means of pattern recognitional methods. For this, the user would see himself on the screen within the games location providing visual feedback of his motions. For the first time in videogaming using the EyeToy Camera players could acutally use their entire body’s movements in oder to interact with games by either slapping away attackers, boxing with a virtual character, picking up things seen in the game world, and so on. The integration of the users filmed appearance into the game created a kind of ” feeling” since the user seems to be right inside the game. ”EyeToy Kinetics” also featured a complete aerobic training program to be used with the EyeToy Camera which would control the right movements of the user. A secondary usage of the EyeToy Camera was to make randomly timed fun shots of users during game experiences or to shoot special photos for user profiles and the like.

Figure 13: In ”Eye of Judgment” the PlayStation Eye is used to recognize cards as well as their position on a game grid in order to create 3D monster models on their respective position on the virtual playing field.

6 Musical Instrument Controllers

Musical instrument controllers are hardware gaming interfaces with the optical appearance of and the basic functionality as real musical Figure 12: With the EyeToy Camera players become actual parts of instruments in order to create the illusion of really playing them. the game At the same time this basic funtionality is simplified to an extant at which even unexperienced players can succeed in using the musical Figure 14: The game functions using augmented reality methods. Here the user is holding a monster card which the camera recog- nizes. The data drawn from that is so used to project the according monster above the user’s hand on screen. instruments in a way that they will sound like played by a profes- sional player. Figure 16: The new ” Hero III” guitar controller with the looks of a Gibson Les Pauls. 6.1 The ”” Guitar Controller

In ”Guitar Hero” players take on the roll of wannabe rock stars play- 6.2 The ”” Musical Instrument Periph- ing the guitar to renowned rock songs. This is done using the guitar erals controller that is delivered together with the game itself. The guitar controller bears five buttons placed where the strings of a real gui- tar would be positioned (fret buttons), as well as a ”strum bar” users Following the success of ”Guitar Hero”, developer also have to beat during playing to simulate hitting the strings. Instead created a game where a whole band is simulated. In ”Rock Band” of really pressing down the strings players simply have to press the users may play the lead and bass , the drums, and also sing color coded buttons when they’re told to by the game. Because of using a microphone controller (see section 7) as well, performing the possibility of that kind of control scheme - to hold the guitar rock songs with friends. The game will be released in Spring 2008. controller like a real guitar but doing something as easy as pressing The Lead and Bass Guitar Controller buttons to ”play” it - creates the perfect illusion of actually being The lead and bass guitar controllers of ”Rock Band” bear the looks able to perform great rock songs like a real star on stage. ”Gui- of a Fender Stratocaster in black and white and are very similar to tar Hero” and thus the guitar controller were created by Harmonix ”Guitar Hero”’s guitar controller (see section 6.1). Other than it, Music Systems and first released in Europe in April 2006 for Sony’s they, however, have ten fret buttons instead of five, and also feature PlayStation 2. The original guitar controller featured the looks of a an additional button to apply effects upon the guitar sounds (Figure Gibson SG guitar (see Figure 15) and was colored black and white 17). (except for the buttons). By now there are two further optical vari- ations: The first one was introduced with ”Guitar Hero II”, which was also released for PlayStation 2 in November 2006, and looked excactly like the first guitar controller except for a change of color: the new version was red, black and white. The second variation was released in April 2007 together with the version of ”Gui- tar Hero II” and bore the new looks of a Gibson X-Plorer colored white (see Figure 15). Together with ”Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock”, which was released in November 2007, an even new gui- tar controller, bearing the looks of a Gibson Les Pauls, has been Figure 17: The Fender Stratocaster replica guitar controller for bundled (Figure 16). ”Rock Band”

The Drum Controller The drumset used with ”Rock Band” consits of four drum pads rep- resenting snare, hi-hat, crash/ride cymbals and tom-tom, as well as a drum pedal representing the base drum and a standard face button layout for game navigation purposes (see Figure 18). The pads are played using authentic drum sticks and consist of a rubber surface supported by a layer of foam underneath to imply a realistic drum feeling.

6.3 The DK Bongos

The DK Bongos were first released together with the Nintendo GameCube game ”Donkey Konga”, a drumming game using the Figure 15: The three ”Guitar Hero” guitar variations characters of the famous ”Donkey Kong” series. The DK Bongos or tap on those areas in order to activate their function. In the exam- ple of a dance game such as ”Dance Dance Revolution!” the user actually does step sequences on the mat, touching one or more areas at once in order to perform several moves.

Figure 18: ”Rock Band”’s drumset controller Figure 21: A typical dance mat controller consist of two identical drums, that are hit sensitive on their up- per sides, as well as a microphone able to recognize clapping and a ”start” button (Figure 19). 9 Buzzer Controllers

Buzzer controllers are, as the name indicates, controllers in the form of buzzers as used in TV gaming shows or quizzes. There is only two kinds of buzzer controllers currently on the market in Eu- rope. The first one is delivered with the game ”BUZZ!” (also called ”BIG!” in some countries due to trademark conflicts) for PlaySta- tion 2 (Figure 22). It consists of a half-sphere shaped bumper but- Figure 19: The DK Bongos drum controller. ton on the top as well as four color coded action buttons on its front face which are used for the input of the right answers in the quiz’ challenges. The second buzzer controller comes with the game ”Scene It?” for Xbox 360 and looks very similar to the ”BUZZ”’ 7 Microphone Controllers controller. The main difference is that the bumper button isn’t po- sitioned on the top of the controller but also on its front face right Microphone controllers are usually used as gaming interfaces for above the as well color coded action buttons. singing performance games such as Sony’s ”SingStar” or Electronic Arts’ ”Boogie” (Figure 20). Instead of pressing a button to imply singing a special tone, the user actually sings into a microphone which proceeds this input to the game, where it is analysed in terms of right tone and right or exact phrases/vocal input as for comparing how exact the lyrics were performed. Other kinds of microphone controllers are the used with the Nintendo DS, which was already described in Section 4, the PlayStation Eye (see Sec- tion 5.2), or the one used with the DK Bongos (Section 6.3).

Figure 22: ”BUZZ”’ set of four Buzzer Controller. The red button on top is the actual buzzer button while the four colored ones are for inputting answeres in quiz games.

Figure 20: The ”SingStar” two-microphone controller set.

10 The Future of Alternative Gaming In- 8 Dance Mat Controllers terfaces

Dance Mat Controllers actually work like a normal controller with directional or face buttons (see Figure 21). Instead of holding a After discussing alternative gaming interfaces that are already avail- game pad in his hands the user spreads a mat on the floor on which able on the market, a short preview of possible gaming interfaces or several areas function as different buttons. He can then stand, jump such already in development shall be given. 10.1 The

The Wii Balance Board has already been announcend and will be released in 2008. It has the look of a common household body scale and features several pressure sensors on its upper surface in oder to acquire data as the center of pressure and the center of mass in case of multiple pressure points (see Figure 23). The board will be released together with the game ””, a training game that will use the Balance Board for aerobical excercises. A second game by third party developer Bandai called ”Family Ski” will also be released using the Balance Board’s functions to control a skier and there has also been word that the new technology may also be used for the control of the characters in roleplaying games in the near future.

Figure 23: The pressure sensitve Balance Board for Nintendo Wii

10.2 A Wii-Remote Handheld Gaming System Figure 24: The illustrations going with the patent for Nintendo’s new ”Portable Wii Handheld System”. The new handheld features motion recognition for movement along the X-,Y- and Z-directions. In September 2006 Nintendo registered a patent at the US Patent Trademark Office called ”Information Processing Apparatus and Storage Medium Having Information Processing Program Stored Thereon” that describes a game system able to recognize transi- shape of the LEDs to determine the angle and velocity that the con- tional as well as rotational movement along three axis using an XY- troller is moving at to calculate movements on all three dimensional axis acceleration sensor to detect an acceleration in X- and/or Y- axis. Further, the LEDs can be modulated to transmit button pushes direction and a Z-axis contact switch to detect an acceleration in to the console wirelessly. Since each device has a unique modula- Z-direction. The patent further states that this input could be used tion code, multiple controllers could be used at the same time, also to control part of a game for this system. By that featuring almost providing the possibility of multiplayer gaming unsing this tech- the same technology as Nintendos Wii-Remote (see Section 3 for nology. It’s not clear whether this patent indicates an outstanding reference), it could be, that we will soon be able to play games us- release for system able to compete with the Wii-Remote’s technol- ing its abilities on a portable handheld system. See Figures 24 and ogy. See Figure 26 for some skizzes of the new system. 25 for some drawn illustrations going with the patent. Part of this patent has already been used with the new NDS Slide Motion Con- troller (see Section 4.2, though, and so it’s not clear if the rest of 11 Conclusion the patent’s ideas have just been discharged or if there really are plans to realize them to their fullest in an all new handheld system. Alternative gaming interfaces are a great way of enhancing as well as enriching videogaming experiences by providing the user with 10.3 Sonys Possible Competitor to Nintendos Wii the possibility to feel even more integrated into the games he is playing. The most important aspect about alternative gaming inter- Gaming System faces is their intuitiveness by imitating real life objects or provid- ing the user with a possibility of controlling a game as he would First filed in May 2007 this patent called ”Detectable and do automatically (e.g. tilting the controller to the side if driving Trackable Handheld Controller” almost sounds like the Wii- around a narrow turn in a racing game). The biggest challenge for Remote’description: Unlike it, though, using internal accelerom- designers of alternative user interfaces for videogaming is to create eter and gyroscopic sensors, this new patent by Sony is based on devices that truly enhance the game experience by building up an the idea of using four LEDs position on the front of the controller, even more authentic, respectively realistic, atmosphere during the in order to provide points of reference for a camera positioned on game consumption by bringing the experience closer to the real life top of a TV-set. This camera would then monitor the position and experience or by making the controls more intuitive. Figure 26: Some skizzes for the Wii-like gaming system by Sony. With the help of a camera and four LEDs on the controller the po- sition, orientation as well as movement of the controller could be recognized. This data could then be used for the control of games.

2Fsearch-adv.html&r=12&p=1&f=G&l=50&d=PG01&S1= nintendo&OS=nintendo&RS=nintendo, January. Figure 25: Another illustrations going with the patent for Nin- tendo’s new ”Portable Wii Handheld System”. The system also provides tilting recognition along the X- and Y-axis.

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