Novint Falcon, Continued
It's clear that Novint put a lot of effort into the Haptics-Life 2 mod in hopes that it would display the very best of the Falcon's capabilities. And there was good reason to do so; it's likely that the Falcon's fortunes will depend greatly on how the controller performs with first-person shooters like Half-Life 2 and other actions titles. It's unlikely the Falcon will catch on for real-time strategy titles, but shooters and even point-and-click adventure are the kinds of games that can truly shine with such a haptic controller.
To that end, the Novint Options in the mod's game menu has a host of different settings that players can adjust and tweak to their preferences. For example, if you want stronger recoil for the .357 Magnum but less for the shotgun or submachine gun, you can change the feedback settings on a specific weapon (the settings are on a scale of 1 to 40). You can also adjust the settings of "object carry weight" for items that are either carried by the player or the Gravity Gun.
There were times during Haptics-Life 2 that the Falcon felt more like a mechanical bull than a PC game controller - the air boat sections of the game sent the device into frantic spasms that were nonetheless entertaining and actually felt like I was controlling a real boat. For some gamers, this might be too much forced feedback, so be warned. Still, it's incredibly impressive to see the Falcon controller jump, rattle and vibrate in a way that was perfectly synched with what was transpiring in the game.
The Falcon has a sturdy base to keep the device grounded during heavy action and it easily connects to PCs through its USB cord.
Novint has been promoting the Falcon since a prototype of the device first turned heads at E3 2006. The prevalent thinking at that time - and most likely still today - was that mass market adoption for the Falcon would be a challenge given its expensive price tag (originally listed at $239 but now reduced to an MSRP of $189) and intimidating control style. The cost will certainly be the biggest roadblock for Novint's revolutionary controller, and it's unlikely to change much anytime soon. But Novint is building out the number of titles that will support the Falcon, which should increase adoption.
Novint has had a couple of other haptic mods for the Falcon, such as a Quake 4 multiplayer mod and a version of Penumbra: Overture, a horror-themed adventure game. These mods, along with Haptics-Life 2 and the Feelin' It sports pack titles, are available through N VeNT, Novint's online store and community site. The company has a slew of additional mini-games and casual titles slated for release in June, like the Feelin' It: XLR8 racing game and Space Recoil, a 2D arcade shooter.
The Falcon's traditional grip has buttons that are sometimes hard to use depending on the level of force feedback.
But the real potential is going to be with third-party titles. According to its Website, Novint is currently working on drivers for both World of WarCraft and Second Life. Both mods are listed as being in an "exploration phase." Second Life may be a better fit for the controller than World of WarCraft; Wow players may be too busy grinding to be interested in feeling the weight of various items or experiencing the textures of the world around them. Plus, the Falcon isn't the best controller for competitive multiplayer action, given that the targeting is less accurate than it is with a mouse.
Novint also announced some big news earlier this month regarding a major partnership with Electronics arts. According to the announcement, EA will work with Novint to bring several of its premiere titles to the Falcon, including series such as the Madden NFL, NBA Live, Tiger Woods PGA Tour, Need for Speed and Battlefield. If the Falcon can replicate its magic with Half-Life 2 for the Battlefield titles, then that alone should make the EA alliance worth the effort. Adding the sports franchises and racing games to the mix makes the partnership even more intriguing.
To support FPS titles, Novint has also recently introduced the Pistol Grip, which is interchangeable with the traditional Falcon grip. Listed at an MSRP of $19.99, the Pistol Grip's design looks like the back half of gun. Plug the front of the Pistol Grip into the Falcon interface and you're able to point and target the device like an old school arcade shooter. I have a feeling the Pistol Grip will become a popular addition and make the Falcon much easier to use for fast-paced shooter titles.
The Falcon is undoubtedly one of the finest PC gaming peripherals I've ever seen. The device oozes top-shelf quality with a stellar design that's comfortable and fun to use, despite some occasional drawbacks. But it's not just about the device design; as we've seen with the Wii, you can make a sleek-looking controller that may be pleasing to the eyes but it fails to accurately translate the action to the screen. Novint, however, has developed the software drivers to make sure that the Falcon is synchronized to perfection with its games. Yes, the controller is expensive, but this isn't some cheap plastic peripheral that will crumble under heavy use within a few months. It represents true innovation in gaming, which is a rarity. For gamers looking for the next generation of PC gaming peripherals and haptic controllers need not look any further - the Falcon is here.
Join our discussion on this topic
