Gearheads of War

The Wii has started something that I've kind of dreaded for a while.  Each and every console manufacturer is moving towards having their own version of jumping around in front of your television set.  I think the idea of Natal is cool.  The Sony motion controller looks like it's true one-to-one motion.

But here's the thing.  I don't really know if I want to play games where they take the immersion level up to nearly real-life.  I don't want to necessarily want to sneak around in front of the camera like Sam Fisher.  Or pretend like I'm driving around like Niko Bellic.  Or pretend like I'm bending it like Beckham in FIFA 10.  Maybe it's just because I'm an older gamer and perhaps a bit grumpy about them trying to change the way I've interacted with games since the Atari 2600.

But I get my exercise at the gym.  My game time is my relax and enjoy myself time.  It isn't about pretending I'm an elite supersoldier or a Spartan fighting the Covenant in my living room.  Wait, actually it is about pretending I'm those things, but by controlling them through a device I use while I relax and sit back in my chair.  I know that the controller has been a barrier to entry to a lot of people through the years.  My wife is one of those who often has complained that the controller has too many buttons and she doesn't get the whole dual-stick thing.  

At the same time, there will be good options for her with these new controllers.  Natal, Sony and the Wii are working to meet that market and exceed their expectations for ease of use.  I have no problem with it, but I just hope that all games don't go that direction or they might just lose some of the old school gamers like myself.  I don't think that they'll stop with the controller interaction at all.  I just hope that they don't go totally crazy with the application of things.  Because sometimes, pushing a button is the only thing that will do.

Where do you stand on the whole motion controlled future we seem headed for?