Shake, Rattle, and Roll
Most modern game controllers are outfitted with actuators and gyroscopes. They are the devices that make most motion controllers like the ones found on the Wii or the PS3 possible.
An actuator gives feedback to players in the form of vibrations. As with control schemes, make sure the language of your actuator usage is consistent. Rather than blasting the thing off all the time, limit it to when players take damage or when they earn a reward. You can have a lot of fun with actuators—if you take the time to play with them.
My favorite use of an actuator was in Silent Hill (Konami, 1999). The developer figured out how to vibrate the two actuators at different frequencies to simulate a heartbeat. Whenever the character was scared or hurt, the controller’s “heart” would vibrate, telling players that they were in trouble. This result was really creepy and effective.
A gyroscope allows players to rotate the controller as another way to manipulate...