There’s no doubt that Nintendo Wii has gained the number one spot in the market of next generation video console gaming. In just nine months, the Nintendo Wii has turned the video game industry upside-down. Sales of the console, whose players use their bodies as much as their fingers and thumbs, are far above even the most optimistic projections — the Wii has sold 9.3 million units worldwide, and is expected to hit 22.3 million units by next March, almost twice the sales (11.6 million) that rival Xbox 360, from Microsoft, will have generated in two years.
It certainly hit the gaming industry with surprise. Publishers and developers were caught a little off-guard by the popularity of the Wii and how quickly the machine took root in the market. It’s a totally different system compared to PS3 and Xbox 360. Instead of just the old school finger-and-thumb playing a game, Wii players can actually goes through the physical motions of characters in the game — a baseball pitcher throws the ball, a golfer swings a club, a basketball player dekes and shoots. And because of this, game developers have to think differently as it’s kind of like a new challenge.
And because of this, it’s certain that there will be an increase in demand for people who understand how to program and apply the dynamics of human motion into game development. How could they possibly build in control schemes to simulate what a player holding a Wiimote can do? Just by imagination, the effort and knowledge needed to get such algorithm working will sure be a challenge.
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