WIRED Staff
Culture

Slideshow: Appeasing the Control Freaks

Developers want realism in their games. Sony's new EyeToy and other innovative peripherals take that desire to a new level by actually putting players in the game. In the world of video games, it's all about control. By Brad King.
Image may contain Human Video Gaming Person Electronics Computer Hardware Keyboard Computer and Computer Keyboard
The Cymouse, developed by Maui Innovative Peripherals, sends light impulses to a sensor tower that is attached to the PC, letting the player's head movements direct on-screen action. It doesn't replace the keyboard and mouse; instead, it gives players another way to control characters.Maui Innovative Peripherals

See related story: Appeasing the Control Freaks

Image may contain Mouse Electronics Hardware and Computer

Belkin's SpeedPad series of controllers combines keyboard, mouse and eight-way directional pad devices into a single-handed game controller for keyboard-based PC games.

Belkin
Image may contain Human Person Video Gaming Screen Display Electronics and Monitor

Essential Reality's P5 Glove lets players control first-person shooters with a series of hand twitches and waves. The glove works with a handful of PC titles; however, the company released its developer tools for the PlayStation 2. Now, Eidos Interactive, Infogrames and Electronic Arts are integrating the control system directly into new games.

Essential Reality
Image may contain Projector

The EyeToy is a Universal Serial Bus camera with motion-tracking technology that places gamers' images on the screen and allows players to control action with their body movements in one of 12 custom PlayStation 2 games.

Sony
Image may contain Adapter

The EyeToy, which won't hit American stores until October, is part of a new push to build game peripherals that operate differently than the joysticks and game pads of the past.

Sony