Gizmodo: Novint

Novint Falcon Force Feedback Controller Gets Valve Support

Jason Chen — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:40:00 EDT

The long-in-development force-feedback PC game device Novint Falcon is a good idea in theory, but without actual support from games there's not a whole lot you can do with it. Good news though, since Valve just announced support with the controller for PC versions of The Orange Box, Counter-Strike: Source, the Half-Life 2 series, Team Fortress 2, Portal and Left 4 Dead. With the pistol grip accessory it'll be fine for every game, but what we really have hopes for is fiddling around with that gravity gun and feeling the force feedback with it. [Novint via Crunchgear]

Crazy Novint Falcon Touch Controller Gets Official EA Support, Maybe Worth Buying

matt buchanan — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 11:45:06 EDT

I messed around with Novint's Falcon haptically endowed globe/joystick at Tokyo Game Show last year. It was neat, but not going to replace my mouse—in part because game support was lacking. Now it'll be supported in real, live games from EA: Madden NFL 08, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08, Need For Speed ProStreet, Battlefield 2 and Battlefield 2142. But! Even if you're already one of the ~~suckers~~ lucky souls who already owns a Falcon, it'll cost you another $10 to patch a game to get all touchy-feely with it. FWIW, there are definitely better tactile experiences out there for 10 bucks. [Level Up]

Novint Upgrades the Falcon Controller With Black Version, Pistol Grip Accessory

Sean Fallon — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 20:25:32 EST

Novint's Falcon 3D Haptic Joystick has been around for awhile now, but it has just received an upgrade in the form of a black version and an optional pistol grip accessory for FPS gaming. At $19.99, the grip is a little more expensive than the $4 price tag they hinted at last May, but if you are already paying $199 for the black Falcon, what is another $15? [Novint via i4u]

The Novint Falcon Sex Toy

Jason Chen — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 14:00:10 EDT

So this is why the Novint Falcon force feedback controller was delayed so long? So they could work out the Fleshlight integration? All is understood and forgiven, Novint. [Slashdong via Fleshbot]

Novint Falcon Actually in the Wild

Jason Chen — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 18:00:36 EDT

You knew the Novint Falcon 3D haptic joystick was finally shipping, but now we've got confirmation from customer number one, Tristan George. Tristan says he's played the Half Life 2 mod with the Falcon and "it's amazing, very fun to play."

If you don't remember, the Falcon is a 3D joystick that actually lets you "feel" textures and surfaces by moving the ball around. We've been hearing about it for years now (I tried it at the last E3), but it's good to know that this thing is definitely solid and shipping, and not vapor. We never doubted ya, Novint. – Jason Chen

Thanks Tristan!

Product Page [Novint]

Novint Falcon 3D Joystick Finally Shipping

Brian Lam — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 21:03:18 EDT

We hear that the Novint Falcon 3D haptic joystick, originally due over a year ago, is finally shipping. It's always good when products emerge from the vapor.

If anyone gets their hands on this thing, let us know. –Brian Lam

Touchy Novint Falcon Finally Coming in June

Louis Ramirez — Tue, 01 May 2007 16:34:14 EDT

We've been following Novint's Falcon controller since its birth, and now the folks at Novint tell us their pasty white baby is ready to make its debut. The Falcon will be out June 18th for $239. In a nutshell, the 3D controller lets you play games via a handshake-like grip that offers a more realistic experience via force feedback and tactile sensation. The Falcon will come with 24 mini games and a four-game sports pack, which will include titles like air hockey and tennis. So how does it play/feel? For the most part, it's pretty smooth.

Both the air hockey and Half Life 2 demos were glitch-free. The grip is a little awkward at first, but nothing you can't get used to after a few minutes of play (Novint mentioned they're planning additional grips, like a pistol grip for shooters, for about $4 a pop). My only complaint is that it's pricey at $239. You could buy a Wii for that (if you can find one). And without the proper support, you essentially have a $239 paperweight. My advice: wait to see what games will support it (the Novint reps said they'd have a full list closer to launch) and decide on that. – Louis Ramirez

Hands On with Novint's 3D Game Controller

Louis Ramirez — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 10:30:10 EST

We saw a lot of controllers at CES, but Novint's Falcon stood out from the pack. It's a force feedback 3D controller designed for PC games. Users hold the grip handshake style and can then move it up/down, left/right, or backwards/forwards.

The cool thing about the Falcon is...

that it reacts depending on the app or game you're playing. We demoed it with Half Life and after a few seconds of adjustment found it was both easy to use and accurate. The knob has 3 buttons you use for firing, and each time you fire, the Falcon provides a push backwards. The bigger the gun you're shooting, the stronger the jolt backwards. Another demo had us pushing an object on the screen. Again, the Falcon provided resistance when pushing on the hand grip. Our only complaint was the Falcon's size. It stands pretty high and requires a bit of desktop space. It also has this weird dental machine/space robot look to it. It's not the prettiest controller out there.

Otherwise, it's expected to come out in June for $239 and will ship with a few micro games. – Louis Ramirez

Product Page

E306 Clips: Novint Falcon

Jason Chen — Wed, 10 May 2006 18:44:16 EDT

We had a talk with Bill Anderson of Novint Technologies, maker of the upcoming force feedback Falcon controller/interface. It's come a long way from a year ago, and it's grown a ball.

How it works: you grasp it with your fingertips in a handshake-like grip, then move it in any direction inspace and it will feel like you're actually interacting with the item on the screen. Example: If there's a rough ball on the screen, the Falcon will vibrate around the surface of the sphere and prevent you from putting your hand through the actual ball itself.

Retailing in '07 for a target price of under $100, the Falcon is geared towards FPS games, sports games, and other games where force feedback is key.

Product Page

Two videos after the jump.