» Wed Jun 13, 2012 11:17 pm
Leap may become a normal input device in the same way as the mouse did but unfortunately, like all new tech, it is developed by people who know how to use it properly and not tested thoroughly by those who have never even seen a system like this before. If you know what you are doing, it may be easy to use but for those still learning, false results too many times could put people off before thy have had a chance to learn to use it properly. People want things to work properly out of the box and with very minimal practice, a long learning curve to use it as it should be used can really put them off.
Similar to voice recognition, Leap will have to undergo many years of field work and revamping until the tech is refined enough for the average user to operate without problems. This tech is not new by any means, the PS2 used a cam to do the same thing but it was no more than a gimmick and didn't really take off. The Wii uses an infrared version of it but many people just can't get on with it, myself included.
In games, it can sometimes take several motions to attack because the weapon is not ready, this often leads to frustration and the desire to throw the controller away. Ie: How many people stab the mouse button furiously, hoping to attack faster when thy are wielding a slow weapon like a Broadsword? It's bad enough with the mouse but with new tech like a motion sensor, it could lead people to believe the motion sensor is at fault, (slow to detect movements) and it's not the game, thereby killing off the idea before it even starts. It would be far better for them to market this as a mouse alternative for the workplace, (reducing RSI claims), first and not a gamers device until the tech is advanced enough to use with games.
We see many sci-fi films where a wave of the hand moves screens around a glass monitor (Avatar is a good example of this) and maybe in the future, it will be able to be used in that fashion but it will take a lot of development and refinement before it reaches that stage. Until then, like many other things such as fingerprint recognition and voice recognition, it will remain in the realms of gimmicky toys for richer users.