While new interactive technologies offer near-infinite possibilities for app creation, few things can capture our imagination quite like games. Over the past several months at Leap Motion, we’ve seen hundreds of developers building games in a variety of genres, pushing our 3D interactive technology to the limits. Today, in honor of E3, I’d like to provide some insights on how our developers are transforming the gaming experience.
iVoltage’s 3D platformer Froggle, coming soon for Leap Motion. Take an adventure spanning 120 missions, where you can hop across lily pads, fly on a bird, ride a beetle, or control a jetpack.
There’s no magic formula for building incredible games. But there are a few fundamentals that a great game must accomplish. A great game is something you can play over and over again – something that tests your skills and gives you the thrill of accomplishment. It’s an unforgettable experience.
As the Director of Developer Relations at Leap Motion, I’ve played lots of games developed for the Leap Motion Controller. Over that time, I learned that all great Leap Motion apps, regardless of category, have one thing in common. They all achieve three essential things:
1. Does it allow me to do something I’ve never been able to do before?
These are the games that completely reimagine computer interaction and take advantage of the Leap Motion Controller’s unique capabilities. One of my favorite examples is Block 54 – a game that lets you reach into 3D space and extract blocks in a virtual world.
It’s a simple idea, but if you try to imagine how you might play it with a mouse and keyboard, you quickly realize how 3D interaction can radically change what’s possible with a computer. Block 54 is part of a movement that’s shifting computer interaction to replicate what we do in the real world.
2. Does it make the experience better or more fun?
We’re seeing lots of great games that exist on other platforms now being revamped with a new motion-control twist. Sortee, Perfect Slice, and Fruit Ninja – all games originally designed for touchscreens – have a new level of spontaneity and playfulness with the Leap Motion Controller.
Flow Studios’ Sortee is a puzzle game where you can sort trash from treasure with your hand in the air.
3. Does it keep me coming back for more?
This is the question that separates truly great games – the ones that are destined to become classics – from good or ok games. Great games can always be revisited because they always have something wonderful to offer, even years down the road. These are the games that we remember fondly, and replay even when they’re “obsolete.” The truth is that a great game is never obsolete – because the experience, the sense of fun and playfulness, is something that lasts forever.
In the coming weeks, our developers will continue to build and refine amazing apps for Airspace. Game developers are never afraid to innovate and raise the bar for the rest of us, so I can’t wait to see what they surprise us with next.
Avi Dabir, @bringmedabir, is Director of Developer Relations for Leap Motion.