CUSTOM INSTALLATION HOW-TO

Ridge Racer 7 allows you to use the controller as a steering wheel, rotating it clockwise and counterclockwise to turn your vehicle. Again, the motion-sensing just wasn't as precise and seemed to lag behind the analog stick; usually it caused me to go from oversteering one way to oversteering the other. Call of Duty 3 implements the motion-sensing in a variety of ways depending on situations in the game. If a Nazi soldier grabs you, shaking the controller back and forth causes you to grapple with him. At other points in the game, the controller is used to simulate rowing as you cross a river in a boat, to twist a detonator fuse into an explosive, or to drive a Jeep. Since none of these situations required the precise control that Tony Hawk or Ridge Racer demands, the feature was more functional, but it still felt kind of tacked on.

I thought Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 incorporated the tilt control best. As any golfer knows, body language and lean go hand in hand with good (and bad) shots. So leaning, tilting, and twisting the controller to add spin to the ball seemed almost second nature.

As game developers get used to this new feature, it will probably find use in cool, unexpected ways. It certainly gives designers a new tool to play with. I do miss the rumble, though, and at this point I'd trade the tilt to have it back. Having the controller vibrate in response to crashing, being shot, getting tackled, and so on provides a visceral connection to the game and also sometimes a "clue" as to what's happening onscreen.