â??Duck Hunt on the original Nintendo was the first experience that many people had with a truly interactive video game. Sure, the gun felt cheap and was about as accurate as a drunk at a George Webbâ??s urinal â?? but none of that mattered.

Do you remember your first time?

With sweaty palms and nervous anticipation, you gripped it tightly. Your breathing slowed as you shut one eye, focusing all of your attention on the task at hand. Finally, you knew it was time, and you squeezed your finger ever so softly.

Click.

The screen flashed for a moment before the euphoric sight of the duck falling to the ground filled your eyes. To top it all off, that nameless dog popped out of the grass to congratulate you.

“Duck Hunt” on the original Nintendo was the first experience that many people had with a truly interactive video game. Sure, the gun felt cheap and was about as accurate as a drunk at a George Webb“s urinal “ but none of that mattered. The fact that people were able to interact with a game in a new way made “Duck Hunt” an instant classic.

Throughout much of the “90s, the only place to experience interactive games was in the seedy depths of your local arcade. Sustaining themselves by providing experiences that simply could not be replicated at home, the arcades thrived.

Games that physically put you behind the wheel of a Ferrari or behind the scope of a sniper rifle provided a visceral experience unlike any other.

As the popularity of arcades dwindled, these experiences were transferred over to home consoles. Anyone could buy a steering wheel, light gun or dance pad and hook it up to their TV. As these gimmicks became cheaper and more accessible, their novelty seemed to wear out.

It seemed like interactivity had taken a back seat in the future of video games. That is, until fall 2005, when the phenomenon known as “Guitar Hero” came to America.

Published by RedOctane, “Guitar Hero” changed the face of video games by putting a faux-Gibson SG in the hands of the gamer. While an inventive controller is by no means a new thing, the popularity of the game was staggering.

““Guitar Hero“ is a very rare product that has transcended into a true mass market brand,” said Stacey Hirata, RedOctane“s vice president of Marketing, on the success of the game.

One of the main drawing points of “Guitar Hero” is its overall ease of entry. Anyone can pick up the controller and, within minutes, understand how to play it. This is a departure from most games nowadays, which seem to require a doctorate degree just to be able to move your character.

It“s hard to feel like a soldier storming the beaches of Normandy when you“re sitting on your couch with a controller in your sweaty palms. However, jamming out on your mini Gibson with copious amounts of alcohol running through your veins provides a social experience that is the next best thing to being an actual rock star.

Selling 1.3 million copies in November and December alone, “Guitar Hero 2” was an even bigger hit than the original. The game, slapped with a steep $80 price tag, became the fifth-highest selling game of 2006, which is even more impressive considering that it was released in November.

The future of interactivity in games is becoming brighter everyday. Numerous “Guitar Hero” sequels and expansions are planned for the upcoming year. Along with this, Nintendo has also become a strong believer that heightened interactivity is the true future of video games.

Their new system, Nintendo Wii, is built around the functionality of the controller. Games are able to recognize movements of the remote, allowing it to become an extension of the player“s body. Swinging a sword, throwing a bowling ball or steering a car are all done by mimicking real-life motions.

With the recent success of “Guitar Hero” and the Wii, the sky seems to be the limit for the future of interactive entertainment. Now, a moment of silence for all of the ducks who gave their lives for the sake of entertainment.

Source: Gamedaily.com

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