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Do you think force feedback enhances games or is just a gimmick?
I think it does enhance gaming. Whether it's crashing a car, or a sudden explosion in a cut-scene, or something like the tug from dragging Yorda around in Ico, it adds to the immersion.
Most of it is just a gimmick and sometimes even annoying. Though there are some games that use it properly.Quote:
Originally Posted by NeoZeedeater
Psycho Mantis proved how awesome the rumble feature can be. And don't forget the "Stone of Agony" (?) thing from Zelda OOT...it vibrated when hidden loot was near- very cool.
Gimmick. The first thing I do when I turn a game on is go to the Options Menu and turn it off.
About the only time I thought it was cool was when I was wearing boxers and layed the controller in my lap during a cutscene not knowing their was going to be an explosion with some intense rumbling.
I dunno...most of the time I barely notice it. But if I turn it off, I definitely notice it's GONE. I guess it's one of those subconscious deals. Just another step towards the effect of "being there."
Gimmik. I always turn the damn thing off.
I like it, and I think it can add alot to a game. Often though, game designers use it in a gimmiky way. Since most game designers dont give a rats ass about the game as a whole, they just use it for the most base things like explosions and crashes. Yay for them I suppose. I like being lazy on the job aswell. Rez is esspecially enveloping with the rumble.
Gimmick for me. Even the Rez trancevibrator get ignored once I really start gaming, I tend to tune it out just as I tune out most outside distractions once I start gaming. It's a neat idea and can be used well, but 95% of the time I ignore it. I never turn it off, though.
James
Enhances on some, not nessecary but nice for a lot. Rez and SP5p2 use it damned well (although they do cheat a bit with the trancevibrator) although I probably wouldn't truly care if it hadn't been for MGS. MGS was and still is the essential game that truly takes advantage of and shows what rumble can truly do. From using it to show distance and speed of the helicoptor in the opening to triggering at just the right amount during every appropiate moment, MGS without rumble feels like it's missing something. Playing it on PC without the rumble makes it seem more detached, almost hollow. It really gave an extra feeling.
Although nothing else has come even close to matching that.
I like it.
I like it. It adds a great sense of impact to the moves in WWE WrestleMania XIX, and works wonders in showcasing what kinds of surfaces you're driving on in PGR.
I'd say force feedback is a nice feature. I never go out of my way to shut it off but it never bothers me if a game lacks it.
Psyvariar's Buzz system takes a whole new meaning when the damned controller is buzzing, too.
I'm desensitised to it. When I played Lylat Wars for the first time it was amazing, especially when you rort that train on Macbeth and it crashes into that facility and goes BOOM! rumblerumblerumblerumble BOOM!
Now the rumbling is all subconscious, just like ViciousJazz said.
Silent Hill used it quite well. Most often it's just thrown in for no real reason though.
Yeah. For racing games and similar things, I think its great. For fighting games and the like, not so much.Quote:
I dunno...most of the time I barely notice it. But if I turn it off, I definitely notice it's GONE. I guess it's one of those subconscious deals. Just another step towards the effect of "being there."
Gimmick, and this is a perfect example of it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zerodash
I think it started off as a gimmick, and certainly some games continue to use it as nothing more (Maximo v. Army of Zin), but other certain games are better for it.
I voted game enhancer.
Now, if we're talking about vibration, it's good when it's used well, but it's not used well very often. Off the top of my head, I can only think of a few games that use it well: Final Fantasy games (during magic), MGS, Rez, and some driving games.
Now, if we flip that and we are talking about TRUE force feedback, it's fucking incredible. I mean, think of a good arcade racer with a force feedback steering wheel, it really makes a difference. Or playing something like Freespace with a good force feedback joystick, that game is unbelievable.
It all depends on the game, its often a gimmick, just turned on because they had that option in the dev kit, but on a game like my current addiction, PGR2 its done really really well, a great example is on some of the Florence tracks, you drive from pavement to cobblestones the handling of the car can change, and can feel the difference in just driving over them.
Yeah, the same thing happens in PGR, when you drive over a rougher surface, it'll vibrate at a different level then when you drive on a smooth surface.
It's cool.
I play PGR2 in the high first person view, meaning the sides are blind spots. The rumble of the controller lets me know if they are on a side and pushing my car.
I always liked it. I thought it was great in old arcade games like Afterburner 2. In home consoles it hasn't fared quite as well. But I think the dual shock was able to give alot of texture to it. Even on the DC though, I always keep my jump pack plugged in. I think alot of games use it very well.
i've never really cared about it, although when it was an add-on peripheral that you had to buy (N64, DC), i kinda scoffed at it...
a few games use it very well, but those are rare exceptions.. in most games, it's just "there"..
although the rumbling feels kinda nice when placed on certain parts of my body, that's not really what i'm playing the game for.. :P
Excellent point. That distinction does need to be made.Quote:
Originally Posted by GohanX
Well....when the whole joystick moves that's not really rumbing. :) I love force feedback. I wish home steering wheels pulled you all over the place like they do in the arcade.Quote:
Originally Posted by Frogacuda
Now, I'm POSITIVE that there is no one out there who would want the vibrating feature to disappear from all games forever...even if it IS a gimmick.
Right? Right?
Usually gimmick, but there are times when it is used right. As was said, Silent Hill made great use of it - instead of a health meter, you could feel the character's heartbeat. The faster it got, the closer they got to death - but you were never really certain how close.
Wrong. Ditch the rumble, and give me pack-in wireless controllers with extended battery life in its place.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zerodash
I like the rumble effect in my games. One game that used it really well was Clock Tower 2- when you were hiding from the killer, the rumble would go faster and faster, acting like a frightened heartbeat racing. Nice effect. Lots of games just stick the effect in there without doing anything special, but when games use it right (CT2, Silent Hill, Metal Gear Solid), it really enhances the gameplay experience.
To hell with extended battery life...I want wireless controllers with rechargeable battery packs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yoshi
Personally, StarFox 64 and Rez don't feel right without the rumble.
Well it's actually both but I'm gonna lean towards ehancer since it does in fact make certain aspects of many games more enjoyable. Smacking some guy in the face and feeling the rumble is always great. I'm also one of those people who will take it for granted when it's on but when it's off everything just feels wrong to some extent.
Rez
Amplitude/Frequency
MGS/MGS2
SEGA Bass Fishing
Silent Hill
...are all games that are improved by rumbling. But in most cases it adds nothing to the experience.
Absolutely dispise it. Always disable it.
Being someone who always turns it off, I doubt I'd notice if people stopped using it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zerodash
I don't know - I fail to see how a buzzing thing in your hand replicates the sensation of, say, a car crash. If they can figure out a way to make the whole room shake, maybe I'll subscribe.
silent hill was enhanced with it, also it hepled me play skies of arcadia without going cross eyed(stupid cham gobbling weapon).
I dig it when it's subtle. Which it never is. Most developers seem bent on vibrating my wrists right off.
I think I mentioned DMC the last time this topic came up. The vibration levels used for the handguns is a nice example of rumble done right.
Definitely can add to the experience.
Personally, I like the rumble.
Sometimes I don't even notice it's there... but, for instance, Halo wouldn't have been as fun without the vibrations everytime I let off some rounds on the assault rifle.
Plus it's fun as hell messing with people in ESPN NBA when they're shooting their free throws hahahaha
You stole my post.Quote:
Originally Posted by MechDeus
I hate the rumble feature in Dreamcast games. Not only is it a plug-in, but it rattles the flimsy conrollers so loudly that it distracts from the gameplay. I tightened all the screws in my controller as far as they would go, and it still shook the thing to pieces.
PS1/2, and GameCube rumble nicely, but the convienence of a Wavebird is better.
I find my Xbox controllers (two of the four) have that annoying motor trying to rumble buzz to them. I think the force feedback is pretty good despite the annoying noise those controllers make at least.Quote:
Originally Posted by OmegaFlareX
The N64 Rumble Pack and the DC Jump Pack I rarely found myself using, especially the Rumble Pack... wasn't fond of having to put batteries in after the intial novelty (Star Fox 64) had worn off.
I never thought Rumbling was any good - it's about as worthwhile as blast processing, to my mind.
My S controller has the most annoying rumble... it seems too weak at times, and makes this whiny noise. I like everything else, but yeah, AAA batteries are the devil, so fuck the Rumble Pack (though it was great at the time.)
I dig the 'ole rumble feature.
its called a good sound system. let the whole neighborhood know you crashed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt
Quote:
Originally Posted by OmegaFlareX
Sega's official rumble pack vibrated too much, but the one from Nyko (Thunder pack) was pretty good. The only problem was, that Sega's games did'nt support it. NFL2K1 would'nt boot with Nyko's Thunder Pack in the controller.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kinopio
It worked great with Sega Bass Fishiing. You could react quicker to when you hooked a fish. It really added to the experience and for a person like me, who has fished his fair share, it as close to the real deal as you can get.