Logitech seems to be working closely with Sony PlayStation these days. Logitech was the behind the headet that shipped with SOCOM. More recently, the 'eye-toy' camera device for the PS2 that Sony was showing at E3 is built using Logitech cameras. This device allows for a new type of interactive gaming; Players affect (and control) the game by moving around and waving their hands. Actually, any motion in the field of view of the camera will be recognized by the game, allowing for (possibly) the world's first real-numbered player game. A game could be played by 3.14 people, by having 3 people playing and one other waving a few fingers in front of the camera...
The thing I found most exciting at Logitech, however, was their new Driving Force Pro steering wheel that was designed for use with Gran Turismo 4. Unlike steering wheels for consoles in the past, the Driving Force Pro wheel will turn 900 degrees from lock to lock. If you're not sure what that means, from 12 o'clock to 12 0'clock (all the way around once) is 360 degrees. 900 degrees is two and a half times around and is the same amount of play as is found in your average modern automotive. This means that the Driving Force Pro will provide a great deal more precision (specifically, 2.5 times as much...) allowing for minute corrections in steering. This is designed to correct one of the greatest problems with driving games - oversteer. The folks at SCEA noticed that novices would often lose control of a vehicle and spin out even on straight-aways in Gran Turismo games. This added precision should help to provide a more realistic and enjoyable simulation of the driving experience on the PS2.
Stay tuned for reviews of these products as they are released.
