Qmotions-Golf
This novel peripheral helps you add more swing to your golf gaming.
By Raymond "Psylancer" Padilla | Jan. 10, 2004

Golf isn't the most physically taxing sport. Similarly, golf games aren't exactly the most severe tests of your manual dexterity. Enter Qmotions-Golf -- a peripheral that allows you to play golf games with your own clubs, adding a new level of interactivity and a completely different way to enjoy golf games.

The hardware has a free-swinging arm with a golf ball attached at the end. The arm is attached to an electronic sensor that records information from your swing. When you hit the ball, the sensor calculates the speed and direction of your stroke. The impact and direction (hook or slice) is calculated and sent to whatever machine the device is plugged into.

To demo the unit, Qmotions-Golf was plugged into a PC running Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004. The company representative hit the ball in several different ways to show how accurately the machine registers distance and direction. The rep said that it's relatively easy for them to make the hardware compatible with the numerous PC and console golf games on the market. Whether you're playing Tiger or Links on a PS2 or a PC, this device will make your gameplay sessions more physical and more fun.

The initial product will come with the hardware, a PC adapter, and a yet-to-be-named golf title. Console adapters will be available in the future. Qmotions-Golf has a retail price of $249 and will be available in early Q2 2004.

The company isn't stopping at golf. It's also readying a similar peripheral for baseball games. While both these products will add an extra dimension to your gaming, clumsy players or ones with tempers will want to use them with caution. You don't want to fling a bat or throw a club with rage at your precious television.

Not only does Qmotions-Golf add a whole new challenge to your favorite golf games, it also adds a whole new kind of fun. It's a great find for sports gamers or executives that want to get in a few rounds of golf without leaving the office. •

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