GDC: Harrison - Game Controller Ease Key To Industry Growth

Author: by Christian Nutt, Staff

As part of the GDC Luminaries Lunch attended by Gamasutra, Phil Harrison has been colorfully explaining the over-complexity of current game controllers to the average non-gamer, suggesting: "You hand someone a game controller and it's like you've handed someone a grenade with the pin taken out." The wide-ranging discussion at the lunch turned to the concept of reaching the wider market when Peter Molyneux asked the provocative question: "Do you think that we've failed as creators when you compare [the 8 million sales of Halo 3] to the 200 million people playing casual games?" Gas Powered Games' Chris Taylor continued the discussion by asking: "I'm curious on how to get a game to these 200 million people who are downloading these Peggles. [It's about] the idea that depth and complexity are not linked... and that simple is not boring." Sony Worldwide Studios head Harrison then chimed in by suggesting: "You hand someone a game controller and it's like you've handed someone a grenade with the pin taken out", mimicking the act of being handed a 'live' controller. He then referenced the growth of 'easy' controllers such as those on Sony's Buzz and SingStar and even Guitar Hero, noting: "That democratization has become very powerful", and also commenting of Apple's iPod touch interface: "Apple should be applauded for that innovation." Finally, Lionhead's Molyneux discussed of his accessibility dreams for Fable 2: "My dream is that someone who has never played games before can sit down and play with someone who's been playing all of their life."