Today Sony held its press event. It kicked off with a look back at its successful line up in 2009. This included Killzone 2, Heavy Rain, and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. They went on to brag about their Game of the Year awards. Then they touched on another of their upcmoning Playstation 3 exclusives, God of War 3. Maybe you’ve heard of it.
Enough on what they have done. They were ready to show us what they were going to do. The remainder of the event revolved around the motion controller that they have been hyping up for a while now. We have come to know this accessory as the “Arc”, but tonight it was given its official name. Playstation Move is the name Sony has settled on for its next addition to the Playstation family. To use this accessory you will need a PS3 Eye. If you do not have one there is no need to fret. To help future consumers and current customers Sony has created three kits for people to choose from depending on the amount of equipment you need. These kits are:
The Standalone Kit: For those who have a Playsation 3 system and PS3 Eye ready to go this will give you the Playstation Move controllers.
The Starter Kit: Maybe you decided to skip out on the PS3 Eye when it was released. No problem. Pick up the starter kit and you will get the PS3 Eye, Playstation Move controllers, and a compatible game.
The Bundle Kit: If you have been on the fence about buying a PS3 and the new motion controller has caught your attention, then Sony set this kit up for you. It includes a Playstation 3 system, Playstation Move Controllers, PS3 Eye, and a game. It is unclear whether or not a Dualshock 3 controller will be included as well.
An official price was not given, but we were told that the starter kit would sell for under $100. Now you may have noticed that in the descriptions above I said “Playstation Move controllers”. This is not a typo. There are two controllers. The one you have all seen with the color changing orb at the top is the main one and can be used alone for basic games. The second one, known as the sub-controller, does not include the glowing ball and provides players with an analog stick, D-pad, Start/Select buttons, and an extra set of X and O buttons. This is very similar to the Wii’s nunchuck and allows players to play more complex games where movement is involved, like Socom 4.
I forgot to mention that Socom 4 was compatible with the Playstation Move? It is not the only one. Many major developers are getting behind this new product and may already actively working on games for Sony’s new item. Here is a list of games, old and new, that will support it so far:
- Sports Champions Gladiator Duel (working title)
- Sports Champions Table Tennis (working title)
- Move Party! (working title)
- LittleBigPlanet
- EyePet
- Motion Fighters (working title)
- Socom 4
The addition of Move to LittleBigPlanet was interesting to watch when demoed. One person played as the sackboy with the Dualshock 3 controller while the other player used the Playstation Move to interact with the world to help the sackboy progress. During the level shown Move was used to pull down springs, flip hazardous landscapes so they could be traversed, and solve puzzles. This new type of co-op play looks like it could refresh the game for those who continue to play and suck every bit out of the game.
We had some hands-on time with Socom 4 using the Playstation Move. That impression will be up soon so check back for it. I will tell you this. Many people dread motion control-based shooters, but I think we have the exception here.
Sony’s press conference left us wanting more. The Playstation Move has great potential to bring in the more casual game audience that the Wii has succeeded in doing while still pleasing and supporting its hardcore fanbase. From navigating the XMB to feeding your EyePet to giving out squad commands the Playstation Move has got it all.
