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Motion controls when you're left handed...

Anonymous
Not applicable
As most of you know, I have a Vive. Which means I have motion controls. and Rift is getting motion controls soon (not before time!), so I felt it was appropriate to post this...

Motion controls add a huge amount to a game. But, and it's a big but, because we're now using our hands in games and not simply aiming with a joypad/mouse and keys, the question of which hand to use comes into play. All the games I've played so far default to the dominant hand being the right. Which is fair enough. The majority of people are right handed. However, most of these games offer no option to switch hands. Which, when you're a leftie like me, is a bit of a bummer.

I know it's early days for VR games, but the sooner games devs start catering for us southpaws, the better 🙂
48 REPLIES 48

Anonymous
Not applicable

Sakkura said:


Zoomie said:

A solution would be to have the Touch controllers represent hands, rather than tools.  That way you could pick UP the appropriate tool with whatever hand you like.  Rather than having a sword fixed to the right hand, just let the player pick up a sword "object" with their dominant hand.


That is a little more complicated to implement if the game otherwise doesn't need the ability to pick up items. But yeah it's a good idea.


Might be, but then it begs the question how harder was it to ask the user what hand to use in the in first place? 

CrashFu
Consultant
On a related note, game devs should also avoid situations where the player HAS to use both hands simultaneously (unless it's absolutely CRUCIAL to the game's premise), since that would isolate players who don't have the use of both hands (either permanently, or even just temporarily, in the case of someone having an injury).

Also, maybe I just want to do my best impersonation of "Julian" from Trailer Park Boys, and play shooting games with a drink in one hand. :neutral:    Hmm, now we just need Drink Tracking technology... like a beer-cozy with constellation lights embedded in it!
It's hard being the voice of reason when you're surrounded by unreasonable people.

I can think of some VR experiences where you'd want to have one hand free

Zoomie
Expert Trustee

CrashFu said:

On a related note, game devs should also avoid situations where the player HAS to use both hands simultaneously (unless it's absolutely CRUCIAL to the game's premise), since that would isolate players who don't have the use of both hands (either permanently, or even just temporarily, in the case of someone having an injury).

Also, maybe I just want to do my best impersonation of "Julian" from Trailer Park Boys, and play shooting games with a drink in one hand. :neutral:    Hmm, now we just need Drink Tracking technology... like a beer-cozy with constellation lights embedded in it!


It has become increasingly popular to cater to the disabled to avoid exclusion.  While the concept has merit, in this case you're asking developers to limit their control scheme (two touch controllers) to cater to edge case users.  You're limiting the extended gameplay options of two handed users to cater to a very small group of one-handed users.

Many games like The Climb rely specifically on two hand interaction.  I'd go so far as to say most Touch games will rely at least partially on two handed interactions.  This may simply be a by-product of the fact we're modelling the real world; In the real world users with the use of only one hand need to make-do.  In some cases they can use a prosthetic or get by with creative use of other limbs.  In some cases they simply can't do a task that requires two hands - that's why it's called a disability. 

I'm not disagreeing with your premise - it's always good to support people as much as possible.  The issue is that VR users as a group are already a small market.  You're asking developers to potentially limit their design to cater to a very small subset of that small market.  I don't see it happening until VR has a much larger market-share.
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. - Arthur C Clarke

Hanover
Rising Star
All they would have to do is mirror the screen.

Anonymous
Not applicable
As I lefty I +1 this!

The disability aspect is interesting and really needs consideration, instead of making games not use both hands there should instead be accessibility options so people can play one handed if needed.

JeffNik
MVP
MVP
Of course - the REAL solution is to learn to use your RIGHT hand as dominant, as the good lord INTENDED! (j/k - I'm a leftie, too). Can't wait to receive my Touch so I can experience this problem first HAND.

Warbloke
Superstar

Why cant you just learn to use you right hand ?

This is the correct hand to use... that's why it's right !

"You can't believe everything you read on the Internet " :- Abraham Lincoln 

Lemming1970
Rising Star
+1 for left handedness.
Modded Coolermaster RC-1000 Cosmos/1000W Corsair HX Series i7 6700k o/c to 4.7ghz Corsair H100i water cooler. Zotac 1080Ti 16 gb DDR4 o/c to 3000mhz Predator XB271HU 27" 2560x1440 IPS G-Sync 165Hz

GenetixStudio
Superstar
I'm bumping this as well - I am left handed and hope that developers will keep it in mind when designing control schemes for Touch software.