Falcon finally released the Novint Falcon, a cheap haptics device they hope will penetrate the video game industry. Priced at 189, it’s actually much cheaper than the professional models, but I don’t think its cheap enough to market to gamers. Certainly it’s cool technology, and has real applications in medical simulation and education, but personally I don’t feel it adds enough to gameplay to warrant that price tag. I’m always asking myself “How would this work in a game?”, but after playing around with haptics I didn’t come to any revelations. That said, from what I read about the mini-games that come with this device, Falcon has put serious effort into bridging the gap between gaming and haptics. Force feedback, as in rumble or vibrating technology, has become a big business in the form of cell phones, game consoles and arcade machines, so thinking haptics isn’t far removed. Its just going to have to cost next to nothing before it will work in this industry.
Also, could they have thought of a less comfortable way to hold your hand for long periods of time?
Posted by lokno 