Will Natal kill the Peripheral?

{ 02/21/2010 @ 3:50 pm } · { Technology, Videogames }
{ Tags: DJ Hero, Guitar Hero, Natal, PS3, Rock Band, Xbox 360 }

Having just come off a fun session of DJ Hero, a thought struck me. With the incoming Natal to the 360 and the Wand on PS3, where will we be without the glorious peripherals such as the Guitar Hero/Rock Band instruments and great DJ Hero decks? And who can forget those Time Crisis pistols? Never mind all the ubiquitous Wii controller-add ons like table tennis bats, golf clubs et al.

Can you imagine playing Rock Band 12 on air guitar or, even weirder, air drumming? There’s something quite satisfying having a piece of kit in your hands – even if it’s only a plastic replica – when you’re prancing around your sofa like Eddie Van Halen.

Still technology moves on and soon ‘motion control without the controller’ will be with us. Will the 360 and PS3 versions have the Wii-effect on sales? And games? Or will it just become another flash-in-the-pan gimmick?