‘PlayStation Move’ Does It Do Everything?

Before I start my impressions of the PlayStation Move, I would like to mention that although comparisons with the Nintendo Wii are inevitable, I will focus on evaluating the Move system on its own. With that out the way, here are my impressions of the PlayStation Move.

First, the games and how the Move handles them. One genre the Wii has done so well is party games. Party games are just as good on the Move as the Wii. However, the Playstation’s HD capability is an added bonus for the Move, but overall party games are about fun. The Move nails this fun in the same style that the Wii does, with simple controls that gamers of all ages can play.

Despite the fact that the Move excels in party games, it suffers from the lack of games specifically for children. Until Heroes on the Move, Sorcery, etc. comes out, this section of games is pretty bare apart from the free upgraded Eye Pet title. This will clearly change once Sony releases more Move titles, but at the moment it majorly lets the Move down.

Sport games on the Move are a cut above the Wii and this is highlighted in the Sports Champion game. Rather than just a swing left or forward you really have to ‘move’ realistically like you would in the sport. One example is the table tennis game in Sports Champions, where the player can make the slightest adjustment to the angle of the bat to hit the ball back along a slightly different line. This gives sports games the added sense of realism which makes them even more addictive!

Titles which can be described as adult or hardcore are where the Move blasts away the competition. The Move is certainly tested in this section of games, from being used to control a gun or a character’s hands. Getting those accurate shots in a first person shooter can be really easy and enjoyable with the Move’s precise controls, allowing you to snap from one side of the screen to the other and shoot multiple targets within a very short stretch of time. Also in other adult titles, such Heavy Rain, the player has to do the real world action with the Move, whether it be drinking from a bottle or hitting someone. Using the Move in this way furthers the involvement of players in the game, creating extra immersion for gamers in the virtual game world.

Before even playing the Move, a few features hit me. The device, with its distinctive cylindrical shape, was taller than I had anticipated but as soon as I picked it up it was clear why. The shape both helps create a simple button layout and also means the controller is comfortable in the hand; this is perfect for any type of gamer. Whether picking the Move up for a party game or looking to put a long gaming session on the latest hardcore FPS, the Move is great to use.

While the Nintendo Wii uses an infrared sensor bar, the Move uses the PlayStation Eye which picks up the colorful glowing ball on the end of the Move. The PS3 uses the ball to determine the distance from the TV to the gamer. Although I haven’t had any problems with it, the fact that the controller works with this ball alone makes me worry how easy it is to break the ball off the top of the controller, which would render it useless.

The addition of the rumble feature was a great idea on Sony’s part. Not only is it in keeping with the Dualshock controllers, it also adds a great way of giving feedback to the controller. The other way of giving feedback to players is by the change of color of the glowing ball at the end of the Move controller. Both the rumble feature and the change in color of the sphere happen at key parts of games. For example, the sphere flashes red if you crash in Kung Fu Rider. This shows players more feedback than they are used to, making it seem like they have even more influence in-game and increasing player immersion.

Players can also use the Move controller to access and navigate the XMB. The XMB is simple to navigate with the Move even though it takes some getting used to. But once players are accommodated to the Move, they will be flying through the menus–a great bonus out-of-game feature which completes the Move package.

Alas, there are a few areas the Move needs to look at. Online gaming is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, section in this generation of gaming. The ability to hop online and play against your friends or compete in competitions with players from around the world is a major selling point for most players. Unfortunately the Move has yet to really get into this market. Soon enough games such as SOCOM 4 and Killzone 3 will be out with Move capability, but games such as Sports Champion would have been majorly improved with the chance to play online.

Sony has prided the move on being accurate and precise so you can do real world actions, so the Move must attempt to stay away from the Wii titles which just involve players waggling left or right for certain in-game animations. The Move should stick to the games where the advanced motion detection of the Move is directly translated into an in-game movement. Otherwise, only the graphics will be the difference between Wii and Move titles, where it should be content as well.

Before I conclude, the last point is one that needs to be said but should be taken less into consideration than content: graphics. Non-party games where things such as shadows come into play and the effects of water or the surroundings can be noticed prove how the Move can make motion gaming look amazing as well as fun. Having a motion control device with current generation console graphics means we will see many more titles appearing with Motion devices and this can only be a good thing, as it broadens the range for consumers.

I can see why the Move has had the nickname of Wii HD given to it, but taken as a whole it’s better in many other ways. The better graphics, more accurate controls and more hardcore games make the Move a very nice way for Wii fans to upgrade to an HD console without feeling lost in unusual controls. The Move is simple to use but most of all fun! A delightful experience can be had by anyone, and the negatives of the Move are already being sorted out by Sony, with online and childrens’ games coming very shortly. In short, there is no better time to pick up a PlayStation Move than right now.