Video: Sony PlayStation Motion Controller
Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: Sony, Motion, Controller, E3 | Themes: Digital Entertainment
Earlier this week Microsoft managed to steal the show before it had even begun with its motion sensor and today at E3, Sony cut itself a piece of the active gaming pie.
Sony’s offering is more like the Wii than what we’ve seen from Microsoft. While Microsoft tracks the users movements, eliminating any need for a controller, Sony has a Wiimote-like controller which when moved around, is tracked by a PlayStation Eye Camera.
The demo went exactly like you’d expect it to: tennis, sword fights, writing with the wand and was all in all less impressive than the Microsoft demo we saw on Monday. That said, it seems Sony is a little ahead of the game. Sony’s demo was with real working prototypes, live on stage whereas Microsoft just showed a demonstration video. Sony also has a release date: Spring 2010. Microsoft may have whipped us all into an excited tizzy with Project Natal but we still don’t know when the Jack and Janes of the world can get their hands on the technology.
All in all, I think I'm more excited about Project Natal because it’s different enough from the Wii to warrant owning both the Wii and an Xbox 360 but let us know what you think! Also, check out our full roundup of the Sony conference.
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Sony has once proven itself to be behind the times in this gaming generation.
0h noes! virtual antoine is stuck in a box with a tv and no way out!!!
it seems both Wii and PS3 is going for 1:1 control but 360 is going for what Wii did first time with general motion control except with more advanced technology using full body capture and voice/face recognition...
overall, i'm more interested in 360's Natal technology since it has more overall controller solution than Wii and PS3....
it seems PS3 is trying to play catchup with Wii's motion control...who knows when they will be able to do face and voice recognition?
yea the 360's motion concept seems to be the better one right now. who knows what issues or limitations Sony's and MS devices will have once someone gets to try it.
Personally, I think Natal will work better as a biometric device that can be used in very entertaining and efficient ways, than it will be as a control device (except, for, possibly, navigation of an OS or other non-game function). E.g. recognizing the user's face as a login password, detecting rising frustrations in a gamer and adjusting the current game settings, (heh) and age verification SO I DON'T HAVE TO TELL THE BROWSER I'M OVER 18 FOR THE UMPTEENTH TIME JUST TO WATCH A DEMO VIDEO ON BAYONETTE
oh, sorry for that last bit.
I think one should wait until final products are in our hands. Is really amazing what the devices can offer, but we have to wait for the devices + game development + new ideas to give a positive or negative answer.
I will be 100% impressed when playing with this devices, not just watching them...
Is too early yo say a console is better than other just by watching these little demos (impressive ones for sure!!!!)
oh...one more thing...
from press briefing, Natal said it'll work with EVERY game that came out before AND all future games...
it WOULD be sweet to play some of the 360 arcade games using your body as the controller...
wonder how would that work on Geometry Wars 2?
Actually, they said it would work on every 360 system, not on games.
I think the precision of Sony's offering was way more impressive than Microsoft's Natal. The full body was cool on Natal, but if you watched the movements, they were all big and clumsy - not what I'd expect for interesting games.
The Natal presentation is all smoke and mirrors, the hole family playn games is a bunch of ppl and some CGI imaging. That's all. Sure the idea has a huge "wow factor" but such a software/hardware bundle will either cost a tone of money (to work at advertised in the fake presentation) or the slow, unresponsive and unreliable.
I suggest you watch it again, and you will see that such complex movement or fast composition can't be done now for a cheap price or lot's of gadgets. Microsoft promised something that they don't have, and Sony didn't. All in all weak presentations for both companys, some interesting titles but most of them with a 2010 release. Till then, don't get your hopes up for some cheap trick, you'll only get disappointed.
WOW go sony i dont believe i'm saying that lol i'm not for console's. but sony out did themselfs
Actually, they said it would work on every 360 system, not on games.I think the precision of Sony's offering was way more impressive than Microsoft's Natal. The full body was cool on Natal, but if you watched the movements, they were all big and clumsy - not what I'd expect for interesting games.
it was a prototype. natal did get more love though cause the idea is fantastic, but i think sony's motion control will be better exectuted, BUT i dont think it'll be any different than the wii motion control. it'll be the same
I think on the surface the Sony Motion device does seem like a Wii rip-off (which I am sure Wii is the only reason they began developing the controller) however, the Sony device is so much more capable than the Wii device (yes even with their new "motion+" which honestly should have been in the device when it first launched, its unprecise motion capture is one reason I do not like the Wii, as well as the lacking visuals). The Sony device can actually recognize you in a true 3D space, forward, back, any true 360 direction, and coupled with the graphics power of the PS3, I do expect some pretty amazing games coming out for this device. Also, havent there been studies about virtual interfaces, and that people "need" something to actually touch and interact with in order to get a satisfying experience... You wont get that with the Natal... and honestly, who is going to sit there and wave their hand back and forth to cycle through their entire music or photo list (which could be into the thousands of items...) when you can just hold down a direction on the controller. I think that honestly, the Natal will come across as more gimmicky than anything else. I am sure there will be a few games that are actually fun with the device, but will for the most part turn out like the Wii (hundreds of complete crap titles). And I am sure that the Natal will spawn some completely new game genres because of the interface, but I do not see it interacting well with current established genres... I mean how are you going to play Halo (as an example) on that? There is no way to turn, or even shoot (not to mention the accuracy of the motion capture is very lacking...). This is where I see the Sony device taking off on the long road, it already has triggers and direction controls on the device, so can be used more realistically than the Natal. Also, how sad is it that the tech demos for the PS3 were still more graphically intensive and attractive than full blown titles on the Wii? lol
As a side note... how creepy was Milo?
The Microsoft one was just a concept video, there wasn't any actual technology there. At least Sony is much closer to market with this. Yes, it's a complete Wii ripoff, but with Nintendo outselling both systems it makes sense that they will try to copy them, and then tweak it a bit.
Overall the concept looks great... but I wonder if they managed to improve the tracking technology so much as to actually follow fast movements... and not just moving some gun from side to side... things like reflex movements that take only a fraction of the time a conscious move does.
I hope that Sony control ends up working as well as they imply. But I wonder if you'll need an upgraded Eye camera for faster motion tracking? Imagine how complex boxing games could be with that. Light saber duels anyone? Instead of 'L1+X' to cast a spell, how about tracing symbols? Strap one on each hand and one on each leg and you've got the next generation DDR. I wonder if it could be refined enough to implement a glove that tracked each finger? Surgery games? But, I'd be happy with an interactive 3D file-management system.