Sony’s Move to Make.

So it finally has a name. Sony Computer Entertainment unveiled the  PlayStation Move at the Game Developers Conference. Sony now has an official motion control device that is soon to be released. 

The once codenamed the Arc, much information was shared about the new motion controller. The PlayStation Move’s functionality is based on three words “precise”, “responsive” and “Ultra Sensory”. It has been stated that the Move can create this gaming experience with its ability to track fast and slow motions with just under one frame of latency. A few demos took stage. It showed that the Move has progressed since Sony’s 2009 E3 conference.

Sports Champion: Gladiator Duel

Sports Champion: Table Tennis 

The first game that showed the new motion controller’s capabilities was Sports Champions. The game was basically a series of games in one. Gladiator Duelshowed how two Move controllers come together to form sword and shield with one to one movement gameplay. In the Table Tennis demo it showed how a subtle movement of the wrist can cause a topspin shot or a slice drop shot, as well with fast and full arm movement, power shots were displayed. Also there will be Archery and Volleyball coming with the game. The gritty Motion Fighter demonstrated how in order to land a real punch, there must be full arm extension with the controller. The behind the back view puts you on the level to throw uppercuts, hooks and headlocks for extra damage.

Move Party 

EyePet

More casual games were next on stage. Move Party seems to be a social game setup with random mini games. Some of the mini games consisted of the controller being used to hit bugs with a tennis racket, coloring in shapes, and cutting hair with clippers. LittleBigPlanetdevelopers used a combination of the Move controller along with the Sixaxis controller. While one player controls Sackboy the other player helps out with the Move controller by turning and shifting platforms throughout the level. A video of EyePet was displayed. The controller was used to clean the pet, bounce it around with a trampoline, customize the style of its fur, and also to draw on the screen to have the pet reenact your movement to create the same drawing.

SOCOM 4

Sub-Controller

The Move is also capable to be played with games like the newly announced SOCOM 4 developed by Zipper Interactive. Developers of the game showed how the Move can be used to fire weapons and the second controller was used for directing the player. The second controller for the direction movement is called PlayStation Move Sub-Controller which has a analogue stick and D-pad.

Sports Champions: Archery

Motion Fighter

All of the games that took stage were still not fully developed games. When PlayStation Move releases this fall, these games will go hand and hand with its launch along a full set of twenty games by the end of the fiscal year 2010. Details on different bundles were one packaged with just the controller for those that have the Eye camera already. Another that has been dubbed the Move Starter Kit, including the Eyetoy camera, Move Controller and a game for less than $100. The final setup was to have the Move Starter Kit to be placed with a PS3 system. While aiming at all types of gamers and genres, Sony is going to put in a lot of effort to treat this like a console launch.

Here is a little info about this new Sony product. The Move and the Sub-Controller do not use batteries, instead it is charged through a mini USB cable. No wires are needed for the two to be connected. The Sub-Controller, as of now, does not have a motion detection device in it. That is why the game Motion Fighter used two Move controllers. Gyroscopic tilt sensors in the controller transmit placement, position and movement  data to the PS3. The sphere on top of the motion controller is what the PlayStation Eyetoy use to detect the Move. Also the sphere changes color according to your environment so the PlayStation Eye can detect the Move easier. The PlayStation Eyetoy can detect faces, gender, age, smiles, open and closed eyes, and speech. The system memory used is 1-2 MB to operate the motion setup. Up to 4 PlayStation Move controllers can be connected to the system, or a combination of two Move controllers and two Sub-Controllers. It is also now known that because of the blue tooth limitation of the PS3 (by 7 components) it cannot connect 4 Move controls and Sub-Controllers to go along with them. What game limitations this will have in the future, only time will tell.

The Move has a great amount of support going for it. As of now, here are some of the publishers planning on releasing games for this new motion controller.

• Activision
• Arc Systems Works
• Capcom
• Disney Interactive Studios
• Electronic Arts
• From Software
• Koei
• Konami
• Namco Bandai
• Sega
• Square Enix
• Tecmo
• THQ
• Ubisoft