Steel Battalion was legendary for one thing: its enormous controller. Festooned with knobs, buttons and flashing lights, it aimed to make players feel immersed in the mech combat experience. It looked awesome, and it was a lot of fun to use. Unfortunately, relatively few people bought it. A combination of the high price tag and the inaccessible difficulty of the game put many off. Not to mention the fact that the controller could only be used for that one game. And the fact it took up a considerable proportion of an average closet when not being used.
So it’s fitting that in a return for the series, Capcom are having a rethink. If the enormous, daunting controller put people off, then why not get rid of the controller entirely?
Yes, that’s right. Steel Battalion Heavy Armor is a Kinect title. This may prove once and for all that the little camera that could is a viable control scheme for hardcore gamers. Or it might be a disastrous and embarrassing failure.
“The announcement of Steel Battalion Heavy Armor is further testament to Capcom’s commitment to produce innovative titles that take advantage of the latest technology,” said Keiji Inafune, Capcom’s head of R&D. “With Kinect’s ability to track your joints and movements and understand where the player is in 3D space, and the development expertise of From Software in partnership with Capcom’s own personnel, we are confident of delivering a truly immersive experience for Xbox 360 gamers.”
There’s a distinct lack of details on exactly how the Kinect controls will work, though. Will it involve players standing up and stomping around their living room whilst shouting “I ARE MECHA”? Will players sit down and operate “virtual controls” by wafting their arms around? The original game had 40 buttons, three pedals and two joysticks. How in the name of all that is good and pure can that possibly translate to a control scheme with no buttons whatsoever? And more importantly, will there be an alternative control scheme for those who don’t have Kinect, or those who find the motion controls difficult? Hopefully more details will trickle out soon.
“We are thrilled to once again work with our partners at Capcom and From Software to develop exclusive, innovative titles,” said Matt Barlow, General Manager of Interactive Entertainment Business Marketing at Microsoft. “It’s exciting to see publishers evolve renowned franchises like Steel Battalion with Kinect to create gameplay that you can only experience on Xbox 360.”
Will people want to experience it though? That’s the question that needs answering. Once people get a chance to get properly hands-on (or hands-off) with the new game, all will become clear. Perhaps.
