So much for gamers being all thumbs. Picking up where Dance Dance Revolution floor mats left off, a new generation of controllers puts the rest of your body in command. Sony’s motion-detecting EyeToy camera lets you kick, punch, and jump your way through games such as the upcoming EyeToy AntiGrav. And Nintendo’s rolling out its own camera doohickey for use with a future Mario Party title, plus a pair of congas in September that let you control your ape hero by pounding the skins in Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. Meanwhile, the upcoming Nintendo DS handheld packs a touch screen, so you can tap, point, press, and let your fingertips do the gaming.
With new ways to interact with your machines, look for new kinds of games and fresh spins on old ones, such as fighting and skateboarding games you control with hyperactive conniptions. But don’t expect old-fashioned controllers to become landfill fillers, says Dr. Richard Marks, creator of the EyeToy. “The controller is still good for certain kinds of games,” he says. “Some people don’t want to get exercise when they play.”
