Loose Threads: Are tilt controls a fad?

The word 'fad' is a very dangerous one to bandy around in the realm of handheld gaming. Let's not forget that the explosion of casual gaming on consoles such as the Wii and to a lesser extent services like Xbox Live and PSN over the last year undeniably began on handhelds as fads.

It would have been easy to dismiss (as many did) the emergence of brain training games as a fad back in the early days of the DS. Cut to three years later and mental exercise games constitute a robust genre in their own right, quite separate from kissing cousin genres such as puzzlers and lifestyle (both of which have also been accused of being transitory in their time).

So it is with more than a sliver of trepidation that we bravely trudge into a debate over tilt controls, a method that seems at once throwaway and ripe with possibility. Of course, all eyes are on the iPhone for this one, given its brave new physiology, so that understandably was the obvious jumping off point for first poster, hunter_alien:

"I think that tilt controls can become more then just gimmicky extras. In my opinion they have a pretty good chance at becoming a necessity in future handheld systems, just like rumble is for consoles at this point. And let's be honest, they do add to many games' value.

"Now I don't believe that the iPhone is the future of handheld gaming, but the tilt controls actually work well. They are actually better, in my opinion, in racing games than touchscreen controls. And in many puzzle games they could work well too, or for puzzle solving in more complex games (let's say action/adventures, platformers etc.)

"Yes, there is definitely a future for tilt controls, and I would be ready to bet that both Sony and Nintendo's upcoming handhelds will include this feature."

That's a bold claim, Gideon B was next in line to expand on that point:

"My idea on tilt controls generally, unless done right, is that, yes tilt controls are a fad. They are just used to entice users but half the time they don't work right."

We'd tend to agree with you there. The games that make good use of the feature on the iPhone are fast becoming grossly outnumbered by hordes of games that make tilt controls seem brutishly imprecise. But that surely suggests that there are worthwhile tilt controls?

SetsFireToPoshHammer was happy to explore that notion:

"I agree with hunter. I think tilt controls are better for racing games than the touchscreen. The only problem is, from where I'm sitting, it's still just the lesser of two evils and for the majority of games, a solid button is much more apt than a touchscreen or an accelerometer.

"That said, it's not like I think those types of controls aren't suited to gaming full stop, just not necessarily for the majority of typical genres (racing, FPS etc.) I don't see any reason why tilt controls can't work in more suited genres, the puzzler Aurora Feint is a great example of tight tilt integration as is SciFly (more aerial combat games please). As to whether or not they are a fad or not, I think it's too early to tell."

That's probably sensible, but Accelorata Jengold had another take on it:

"I agree that buttons tend to work best in gaming, though the addition of another interface can work really well in tandem, the DS is solid proof of that. When it comes to mobile gaming however, I have to say, I don't miss using the numerical pad to play games.

"A touchscreen and accelerometer, though not necessarily the best tailored handheld gaming solution, is still preferable to using horribly small, fiddly little keys. Some handsets are better than others, but for someone with big flat digits like me, pressing the right button in a mobile game on a traditional handset tends to be a bit hit and miss.

"As to whether tilt controls are a fad, I'd say yes, I think as time goes on the iPhone will increasingly rely on the touchscreen and less so on the accelerometer. That said, I still don't think that will stop at least one of either Sony or Nintendo (or maybe both) including an accelerometer in their next handheld console."

Us mobile gamers are never happy are we? We spend years moaning about the poor control options available to mobile games and then when something new comes along we trample it into the ground. As to whether tilt controls are a fad or not, remember what everyone said about the Wii's controller when it came out? Think on it.

Elsewhere in the forum, ET3D is having a spot of bother with SimCity Metropolis on mobile:

"During the second mission I keep getting pestered about improving transportation, and was told that a subway would help, but I can't find where to build it."

Any ideas people? Also, next week's topic is:

How powerful does the next PSP need to be?

All the details on that one can be found in the usual place, which is also where you should leave your thoughts behind. So until next week's discussion, happy commenting and remember to click 'Track It!' to make sure you don't miss it.