Weekly Opinion - Gimmicks in Gaming

Games and gimmicks often go hand in hand. They are often a way to make a game at least somewhat memorable, as gimmicks can make a game stand out.

For some games, the gimmick is a way to transform the controller into a gun of sorts. Others require you to purchase (either with it or as an addition) special controller-instruments. Still others require a certain game, and some platforms have the gimmick built right in.

Gimmicks can be beneficial to a game, though the problem lies in that developers sometimes just include gimmicks for the sake of it having a gimmick. I'll go into some examples below.

Wii and Mii

The Wii can be seen as a console built almost entirely around a gimmick. The whole Wiimote with the motion sensing abilities allows for some interesting games, and can be fun (or so I hear, I myself have never touched a Wii), but at the same time is a bit odd, at least in choice. Nintendo did suffer some backlash for this design, as when the Wii took off, the wristbands for it often broke and had a person launching a Wiimote into their TV.



But ok, for the most part, the Wiimote is ok. You can hold it and pretend you're using a gun or Lightsaber. Yay for imagination! Only...Nintendo has created some peripherals to make the gimmicky Wiimote even more of a gimmick. They have a plastic holder that turns it into a gun (something one can do without it just as well), and a steering wheel case to make it a steering wheel (again, something easily done by people with...oh, I don't know, imagination).

Still, its ok, gimmick aside. Sometimes Nintendo seems to be going for the gimmick for gimmicks sake route, but it works well enough for now.

Touch Me, Feel Me

Nintendo makes my small list again, this time with the Nintendo DS. The DS, coming from Dual Screen, has...well, two screens, heh. The bottom one is actually touch sensitive, and games often make use of this. In truth, the fault for gimmickry does not lie with Nintendo here. It lies with developers. The touch screen can be quite useful and, when utilized well, can make a good game great.

But the problem is that some developers tend to forget that they can use it. I mentioned this in my Pokemon Pearl and Diamond review a while ago, but that's a good example. I can use the touch screen to do a few things, issue commands (but I can use the directional pad and regular buttons for that too), sort my bag, and change modes on my character's watch, but...that's it.

RAWK OUT!

The final one I'll bring up is Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Both are essentially the same. You play through a DDR-esque game where you hit the right colored button at the right time. In this case, your controllers are music instruments (Guitar, Drum, Mic/Tamberine or whatever, etc). Though I dislike the games (it seemed to just get popular all of a sudden. I can't tell you the amount of times I groaned when someone coming through the airport I work at was bringing a Guitar Hero guitar with their ON BOARD LUGGAGE. What, you think that you can play mid-flight? Ugh), the idea is good, and actually seems fun at times. Instead of air guitar or drums, you can let loose, and it doesn't require that much practice to use.



Conclusions

Gimmicks can make or break a game at times. But it can also cheapen a game, too. Developers and the companies behind the consoles need to learn how to balance a gimmick.