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PC Games Get Physical

Cycle, golf, or even snowboard with a digital twist, using these not-quite-like-life sports games.

By Tom Mainelli, PCWorld   

These devices make you get up and move. They're not just some force-feedback joystick that wiggles a little when you get shot out of the sky. It's about swinging baseball bats, pedaling bikes, and more. And it's very cool.

Of course, these products might not appeal to gamers who consider climbing a flight of stairs to a PC a workout. But for those willing to endure a little exercise with their fun, there is potential here.

Digital Fore!

As an aspiring golfer, I jumped at the chance to try Real Feel golf simulator from Miacomet. The 3-foot-long "driver" with a sensor point on the end felt way too short, but still I took swing after swing. Eventually I even hit a few, and got to watch the ball's meager trajectory on the huge display. Playing the game on a 15-inch computer monitor might detract from the effect.

I blamed my poor golf performance on the hardware, until the next guy stepped up and easily whacked a half dozen balls. Show-off.

After a promising demo by a company rep, I watched a bunch of E3 attendees step up, swing, and miss at pitch after pitch from an upcoming baseball simulator. I guess good hand/eye coordination doesn't translate well to fast pitch.

Miacomet also offers a $40 PoolPro hardware setup that works with pool software, and a Fishing Adventure package with rod, reel, and force feedback. All hardware connects to your PC by Universal Serial Bus port.

Testing Pedal Power

I saw two interesting bicycle contraptions at the show. One is a modest product available now; another is more ambitious but still in prototype.

The CycleFX product retails for $190. It includes racing software and a hardware rig that connects to your stationary bike or treadmill and your PC.

The hardware transfers your "energy output" to the software, where you can race computer-generated opponents or even live racers across a local area network or the Internet. The software includes a road race and two off-road courses; additional course are available.

The Gamebike virtual trainer is even more interesting. Designed by an orthopedic surgeon looking for a corporate backer, the prototype incorporates an actual mountain bike. You use the bike as a virtual joystick for just about any game. You pedal faster to increase speed, steer using the handlebars, and click on additional hand controls to fire. The guy running the demonstration worked up a good sweat playing a cycling game, and it looked like fun.

ThrustMaster's Snowboard met with a less enthusiastic review from a real snowboarder trying it at E3. It's a full-sized snowboard simulator with "tilt sensors" designed to let you maneuver the board like the real thing.

The snowboard king says it's fun for a while, but the board is too stationary. It doesn't let you swing the back end around like a real board, and "that's key" to the fun, he says. The product won't ship until the PlayStation2 arrives in the United States in October.

Okay, so most of these products seem a little clumsy, with a real first-generation feel. But they're still pretty cool, and they'll get better. Batter up!