Novint Falcon
Based out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Novint Technologies functions as a technology development and licensing company. Novint is a relatively new and unheard of company that specializes in the haptics (sense of touch) field making 3D-touch computing devices primarily for consumer use. For the past 5 years, Novint developers have been working on the Falcon, a product which Novint hopes will take the company to the next level of recognition in the gaming and developing world. The Falcon is a one of a kind gaming controller that enables users to “experience true virtual touch unlike any controller in history”. 3D-touch lets you control the game in three dimensions and feel nearly exact three dimensional force feedbacks. “When you hold the Falcon’s detachable grip and move your cursor to interact with a virtual object, environment, or character, motors in the device turn on and are updated approximately 1,000 times a second, letting you feel texture, shape, weight, dimension, and dynamics.” The realistic way in which the Falcon enables users to control and interact with the game allows for real skill and muscle memory to develop. This dimension of gaming is what separates Novint and its Falcon product from other gaming systems and competitors. The sense of touch that the Novint Falcon exploits is the direction in which I believe marketers would find most success when advertising the Falcon.
Because Novint is the first company of its kind to focus on incorporating the sense of touch into its products, creating a unique brand in order to appeal to consumers will require much less effort in trying to separate the Falcon for its competitors. Some may argue that Apple has the whole “incorporating touch into technology” field on lock with its Multi-Touch iPods, iPhone, and now the iPad. However, developers at Novint bring a different level of touch to their products. 3D touch and force-feed back actually connects us to the game; the sense of touch reinventing in the gaming world.
Touch and feel physically and emotionally influence the experience we get from connecting to the world around us. Without our sense of touch, babies wouldn’t develop correctly, we would never be able to engage in intimate or meaningful relationships, and the world would be a complete mystery apparent only by what we see. When we pick something up, we immediately recognize the weight of the object and how it feels, moves, operates, and how we can influence the object ourselves. Touch gives us an incredible understanding of our surroundings. Even upon being introduced to something or someplace completely new; if we can touch it, we can form a basic understanding of what we are dealing with. Now imagine incorporating such a significant aspect of our lives into a video game. Imagine running through a virtual world and being able to “feel weight, shape, texture, dimension, dynamics, and force-feedback, performing comparably to commercial devices that cost thousands of dollars.” That’s right, not only is the Falcon the first video game controller of its kind, but it’s also inexpensive. A player using the falcon can feel the kick from a gun as he shoots an enemy; feel tension as he pulls back on cross-bow, and even feel the characteristics of virtual objects and environments. This form of gaming makes game play feel more natural and realistic by actually connecting you to the virtual game world through your sense of touch.
In order for marketers to create a culture around this brand that appeals to our emotions and desires, they would really have to exploit the sensation of touch that the Falcon delivers to its players. Marketers and advertisers would narrowcast information about the Falcon to the correct audience; computer geeks and videogame addicted teens. For this specific demographic, the 3D touch feature of the Falcon system will serve as the basis for emotionally branding this product. Creating advertisements which portray the true potential and power of gaming which such a controller can produce will create a culture around Novint. Based on results of Neuromarketing techniques, marketers will be able to determine how consumers will react to the 3D touch advertisements. Looking through responses to the Falcon advertisements on blogs and online discussion boards, marketers will develop a better understanding for what consumers expect and would enjoy most about their product. These tactics of persuasion not only are used to communicate with the consumer and develop feedback, but also to , in a sense, ‘test’ how the product will impact consumers and how they will react.
