Sony introduces PS3 motion controller ‘Move’
Sony has officially announced the final design and name of its motion controller at the Game Developers Conference. A kit containing the PlayStation Move controller and the necessary webcam costs up to $100.
With the Move controller, Sony wants to take over the motion sensing baton from Nintendo. “Nintendo has successfully introduced motion gaming to the general public, but we see the migration from Wii to PlayStation 3 as a logical next step,” he said. suggested Peter Dille, head of marketing at Sony Computer Entertainment America, during the press conference in San Francisco. Not only would the PS3 be technically superior to the Wii thanks to its greater computing power and HD output, the Move controller would also be more accurate than the Wiimote.
The Move Set consists of two parts. The main controller has a white sphere with an LED. The PlayStation Eye webcam can track the movements of the LED sphere and translate it into input for games. The handle of this Move main controller has the signature four PlayStation buttons on the top, a large button in the middle of the four and a home button. The bottom of the controller is equipped with a trigger.
For first person shooters and other games that require walking, Sony has developed the ‘magic wand’, a sub-controller. Just like the nunchuck controller on the Wii, this one is equipped with an analog stick, a d-pad, a cross and circle button, a home button and two triggers. The two controllers are wirelessly connected and both have a built-in, rechargeable lithium-ion battery.
Sony also announced which games will use the Move controller first. For example, the fighting game Dukes was announced, there will be a party game for the whole family, sports enthusiasts will be served with Sports Champions and there will be a talent show game. Also planned is the kung-fu game Slider, the screenshots of which show a man speeding down a street on an office chair, and a wild west shooter.
The Move will be released in the fall of 2010 and a complete starter kit with the two different Move controllers and the PlayStation Eye will cost up to $100. For gamers who already have the webcam at home, the Move will also be sold separately.