At last year's Consumer Electronics Show, one of the more unusual gadgets that we saw was the Falcon game controller from Novint Technologies, which allows users to feel objects and interactions in a 3-D manner. We were intrigued by the device's potential--its unique approach to force feedback (explained here) let us experience the sensation of touching different surfaces and materials--but expressed a good deal of skepticism about it's chances in the marketplace. Why? Because while there had been a number of recent runaway successes in the alternative input category--SingStar's microphone, Buzz!'s buzzers, Guitar Hero's guitar and the Wii remote--the first three were built around what proved to be killer exclusive software, and the fourth additionally benefited from being included with each and every Wii sold. By contrast, the Falcon was essentially an after-market, would-be mouse replacement peripheral with no exclusive software; and as such, we had a difficult time imagining it breaking through.

Still, slow and steady wins the race. Last week, Novint and Electronic Arts exclusively revealed to us their agreement by which Novint will license several EA games, which Novint will then patch to support its Falcon peripheral.

 Rodin's "The Thinker." Courtesy of innoxiuss; edited by Level Up

The Idea: It's time to destroy the "cult" of gamers--starting with the term "gamer"

The Thinker: Douglas Wilson, game developer

The Source: GameSetWatch

The Quote: The Church of Gamers is not only morally problematic; it also ends up working against innovation in the medium. Imagine, for example, how ridiculous it would be if all television watchers identified as their own "Tubers" subculture. It’s a humorous hypothetical precisely because a vast majority of first-world citizens watch television, from the romantics who tune in for soap operas and sports fans who catch game highlights over breakfast, to the sci-fi fans addicted to the latest Joss Whedon serial and insomniacs who watch old game show reruns.

To read the rest of this introductory installment of "The Big Idea," click on the link below.

1. EGO...trip: Guilty as charged; dead to rights; caught red-handed; etc.
2. PUB...lishers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose--but your ecosystem.
3. ROM...Would you pay $500,000 for this old Atari 2600 cartridge?
4. SIN...ging the praises of SingStar: a look at the game's development pipeline
5. RND...We who are about to blog salute you, or, They shoot bloggers, don't they?