Check out the review of the Novint Falcon over on Ars Technica. I’ve known about this thing for a couple of years and been curious about it. It’s an input device for computers with sophisticated force feedback and the ability to measure input motions in 3d. It’s finally going to be available at retail for at or around $200. This is exactly the kind of of silly tech device I love to waste my money on it, so of course I’m considering it. There’s an au courant notion in game design that the success of the Wii means people are looking for tactile, immersive gaming experiences. The Novalint’s invention actually predates this, but it’s arriving on the retail scene at the right time and along with the potential for a whole new class of input devices to match the nunchuck and wiimote from nintendo. This has all been tried before, and mostly failed, though special purpose devices for golfing and racing games have done well enough. Truth is it’s really unlikely I’ll pick one up, but I still think it’s a pretty cool little gizmo and I hope it’s a harbinger of interesting devices to come.