PS3 Move Megathread

[jefXfree]

PlayStation Move is a motion-sensing game controller platform for the PlayStation 3 video game console by Sony Computer Entertainment. Based on a handheld motion controller wand, PlayStation Move uses the PlayStation Eye webcam to track the wand's position, and inertial sensors to detect its motion. First revealed on June 2, 2009, PlayStation Move is slated for worldwide launch in Q3/Q4 2010. PlayStation Move hardware available at launch includes the main PlayStation Move motion controller, and an optional PlayStation Move Navigation Controller.

Although PlayStation Move is implemented on the existing PlayStation 3 console, Sony states that it is treating PlayStation Move's debut as its own major "platform launch," planning an aggressive marketing campaign to support it. Sony plans to release several different bundle packages for PlayStation Move hardware; including an under-US$100 starter pack with a PlayStation Eye, a PlayStation Move motion controller, and a game; and a bundle with a PlayStation 3 console, PlayStation Eye, and PlayStation Move motion controller. Specific pricing has not been decided

As with other PlayStation Wireless Controllers (SIXAXIS, DualShock 3), both the main PlayStation Move motion controller and thePlayStation Move Navigation Controller will use Bluetooth 2.0 wireless radio communication, and an internal lithium-ion battery which is charged via a USB Mini-B port on the controller.

Motion controller: The PlayStation Move motion controller features an orb at the end which can glow in any of a full range of colors according to the RGB color model using light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The colored light serves as an active marker, the position of which can be tracked along the image plane by the PlayStation Eye. The uniform spherical shape and known size of the light also allows the system to simply determine the controller's distance from the PlayStation Eye through the light's image size, thus enabling the controller's position to be tracked in three dimensions with high precision and accuracy. The sphere-based distance calculation allows the controller to operate with minimal processing lag, as opposed to other camera-based control techniques on the PlayStation 3. A pair of inertial sensors inside the controller, a three-axis linear accelerometer and a three-axis angular rate sensor, are used to track rotation as well as overall motion. An internal magnetometer is also used for calibrating the controller's orientation against the Earth's magnetic field to help correct against cumulative error (drift) in the inertial sensors. The internal sensors can be used for dead reckoning in cases which the camera tracking is insufficient, such as when the controller is obscured behind the player's back.

The controller face features a large ovoid primary button (Move), small action buttons triangle:, :circle:, :x:, :square, and a regular-sized PS button, arranged in a similar configuration as on the Blu-Ray Disc Remote Control. On the left and right side is a Select and Start button, respectively. On the underside is an analog trigger (T). At the tail of the controller is the wrist strap, USB port, and extension port.

The motion controller features vibration-based haptic technology. In addition to providing a tracking reference, the controller's orb light can be used to simulate aesthetic effects, such as the muzzle flash of a gun, or the paint on a brush.

Using different orb colors for each controller, up to four motion controllers can be tracked at once with the PlayStation Eye. Demonstrations for the controller have featured activities using a single motion controller, as well as those in which the user wields two motion controllers, with one in each hand. To minimize the cost of entry, Sony has stated that all launch titles for PlayStation Move will be playable with one motion controller, with enhanced options available for multiple motion controllers.

According to Sony, use of the motion-tracking library entails some Synergistic Processing Unit (SPU) overhead as well an impact on memory, though the company states that the effects will be minimized.

Navigation Controller: PlayStation Move Navigation Controller is one-handed controller designed for use in conjunction with the PlayStation Move motion controller for certain types of gameplay. Replicating the major functionality of the left side of a standard PlayStation Wireless Controller, tPlayStation Move Navigation Controller features an analog stick, a D-pad, and L1 and L2 analog triggers. The Navigation Controller also features :x: and :circle: action buttons, as well as a PS button. Since all controls correspond to those of a standard Wireless Controller, a Sixaxis or DualShock 3 controller can be used in place of the Navigation Controller in PlayStation Move applications.

New Games:
Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios will release a total of 20 games compatible with the PlayStation Move before April 2011. Currently a number of games have been announced to include support for PlayStation Move, including:

Ape Escape (working title)
Beat Sketcher
Brunswick: Pro Bowling
Champions of Time (working title)
Deadliest Catch: Sea of Chaos
Eccentric Slider (working title)
Echochrome 2
Eyepet
The Fight: Lights Out
Heavy Rain
Heroes on the Move
High Velocity Bowling
Hustle Kings
John Daly's ProStroke Golf
Killzone 3
Kung Fu Live
Kung Fu Rider
Little Big Planet 2
The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest
NBA 2K11
Pain!
Racquet Sports
Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition
Ruse: The Art of Deception
The Shoot (working title)
Sing and Draw (working title)
Singstar Dance
Sorcery
The Sly Collection
SOCOM 4
Sports Champions
Start The Party!
Time Crisis: Razing Storm
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2011
Time Crisis: Razing Storm
Tower (working title)
Toy Story 3
Tron Evolution the Video Game
Tumble
TV Superstars
Under Siege

Full Game List: http://move.gamespot.com/games/index.html

Companies:
Alongside Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios and its second-party partners, a total of 36 third-party game development companies will support the PlayStation Move and develop games compatible with it.

Accessories:

Guns
Chargers
Controller Grips
Misc.
________
Vaporite solo

 

[BlueCali]

The PlayStation Move Won't Wear A Condom

For most of its life, the Nintendo Wii Remote has been sheathed in rubber, its native form factor obscured over fears of death and destruction. Sony's Move controller, on the other hand, will breathe the free air.

Raising the prospect of smashed TVs with Sony Computer Entertainment's studio boss, Shuhei Yoshida replied "What's good about the sphere is that it's very, very robust. It's much more robust in terms of protection for the controller and people around it because it's soft. So we don't need a sleeve."

Famous last words, Shuhei. The Move is out later this year in the US, and if Americans are known for one thing, it's lawsuits.

 

[BlueCali]

Sony has told Develop that it is actively allowing the press and public to take pictures and video of its upcoming motion controller, Move.

In fact, the platform holder recently allowed various members of the press to take snaps of the device at a recent showcase in London, which Develop attended.

Today news site VG247 reports that Microsoft will not be allowing video or photography at its "technology-free" pre-E3 Project Natal showcase.

It is almost certain that the newest and nearest rival to that technology – Sony’s PlayStation Move – will be seen at E3 with no restrictions on taking pictures and filming footage.

“We’re very hands-on with Move, we’re not camera-shy” a Sony rep told Develop. “We are showcasing a range of games that showcase Move’s broad range of experiences, and so we have no issue with allowing people to see Move and record what they like.”
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The developments come as both Sony and Microsoft try to allure audiences to new technologies in which consumer confidence is vital. Motion control remains a relatively uncharted technology in the last three decades of game development.

Microsoft’s proposed ban on cameras will likely fail to encourage those who have already expressed doubts about its controllerless peripheral.

Traveller’s Tales company director Jon Burton recently told Develop that his own experience with the hands-free controller raised concern.

“I was actually more impressed with Sony’s motion capture solution than Microsoft’s Natal,” he said.

“[Natal is] exceedingly clever,” he said, “but the lag on the input and lack of physical buttons is really going to restrict the kind of games that can be done with it.”

 

[BlueCali]

Best Buy opens PS3 Move retail division

Best Buy Co. Inc. stores this month opened a new online retail subdivision for Sony Corp.’s Playstation Move motion controller for the Playstation 3.

Bestbuy.com now includes a full video that demonstrates the motion controller hardware. In addition, the division includes information about Move Controller, Navigation Controller, Playstation Eye Camera, and Move Titles.

The Playstation Move utilizes two motion sensors, a three axes gyroscope, and a three axes accelerometer to detect controller angle and movement, Bluetooth 2.0 and a Lithium-Ion rechargeable internal battery.

It is used in combination with the current Playstation Eye peripheral.

Sony in Mar. said the Playstation Move will be sold in a Starter Kit for under $100.

In addition, Sony will sell stand-alone controllers, including a Move sub-controller with analog stick, and a bundle with the PS3 hardware and Move at a to-be-announced price.

Playstation Move games in development include Move Party, The Fight: Lights Out, Sports Champions, The Shoot, TV Superstars, and Brunswick Pro Bowling.

Move compatible titles include SOCOM 4, EyePet, and Toy Story 3.

 

[BlueCali]

Rumor: Playstation Move Priced to .... Move!

Possibly the biggest stumbling block facing Sony and their upcoming Move device is how the company prices the motion controller add-on. Good news for gamers, however, as according to renowned bastion of hard facts, The Sun, Sony’s Wii-rival will hit shelves at the sweet spot of “about £45.” (€52)

It makes sense for Sony to charge as little as possible for its new technology in an effort to attract a greater number of consumers and hence compete with Nintendo in the upcoming Waggle Wars™. Previous reports hinted that the Move could retail at up to £100/€115, a figure many would-be adopters were turned off by.

If The Sun’s report is accurate (and there is nothing to suggest this isn’t just wild speculation on their behalf) it looks like Sony are prepared to swallow a considerable hit in order to get as many Moves into people’s homes as possible later this year.

£45 is about $66 american dollars.

 

[Glen-BoB]

they'd be smart to take a loss on this device because it might make some folks buy a PS3 system over a Wii.

 

[jefXfree]

PS Move to launch in September, says Jason Bradbury

TV presenter Jason Bradbury of The Gadget Show fame has claimed that PlayStation Move will launch in September 2010, which ties in nicely with Sony’s earlier comments that the device will be released this fall.

"... another thing I was meaning to say. Sept for PlayStation Move!!! I'm sure of it. Can't say why. Just.. September 2010,” said Bradbury, writing in a post on Twitter.

The motion controller was first unveiled during Sony's E3 press conference last year, and is scheduled to ship in three different bundles. According to Sony, you'll be able to purchase the new peripheral as a standalone device (for those who have PS Eye), bundled with a PS3 and camera or packaged with a game and camera.

Expect more on PS Move at E3 next month.

 

[jefXfree]

Sony tells devs to avoid bad Wii clones

Sony's Rob Dyer, has told Gamasutra that the company has been "spending a lot of our time" going back to game developers and telling them what works and what doesn't, and offering other helpful advice like "it didn't work on the Wii for a reason" -- the general idea there being that Sony doesn't want Move developers simply churning out clones of bad Wii games.

 

[jefXfree]

Ad points to July release

South African game retailer BT Games, which recently put out a flyer containing the notice above that suggests the Move could be coming as soon as this July. Of course, that conflicts with some earlier listings that pointed towards a September release (and Sony's own word that it's coming "this fall"), but this particular retailer does apparently have a bit of a history with leaks, having correctly confirmed the existence of the 250GB Xbox 360 Elite a few months before its release.

 

[BlueCali]

In a community-based interview over on the official PlayStation website, Mark Green of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has said the reaction time for the PlayStation Move is just 22 milliseconds.

Reaction times have been spoken about a lot in recent times, and not just for Move, but Microsoft's Project Natal as well.

"So I can tell you that it is accurate to the nearest millimetre, precise in motion tracking and likewise in seeing where the controllers are in 3D space." said Green. "Its reaction time, from movement to delivering to the screen, is just 22 milliseconds and on screen it is pixel precise".

He added: "To put that in perspective the system is five times faster than that of a typical human’s reflexes!"

PlayStation Move is set to launch later this year, with a price still to be announced - though it has been confirmed the device will be less than $100. More will be shown at the E3 conference in just two weeks time.

 

[BlueCali]

 

[jefXfree]

PS Move more precise than Kinect, says BBC

The BBC’s resident technology boffin Rory Cellan-Jones has claimed that PlayStation Move offers gamers more precision in comparison to Microsoft’s Kinect peripheral.

Following some hands-on time with Kinect (formally known as Project Natal) recently, Cellan-Jones admitted that while he could “certainly see the attractions of throwing away the control and just flinging yourself at the game,” he didn’t feel overly convinced by the new device from a hardcore gamers perspective.

“I was not quite convinced that Microsoft’s technology would deliver for hard-core gamers. It seemed to work well on fun Wii-like games where you didn’t need too much precision – I’m not so sure how whether it would deliver on a first-person shooter.”

Comparing it to Move, he found that Sony’s motion controller offered a far more precise experience overall: “I’ve had a go on Sony’s Move motion control system, which is unveiled on Tuesday. Sony’s solution is much less radical. It has retained the controller, now adorned with glowing spheres which interact with a sensor unit on the television,” he said.

“This makes the whole experience less physical than with Kinect, but it also delivers a lot more precision. Sony showed us a table tennis game which seemed to mimic the real thing much more closely than I have seen elsewhere.”

PlayStation Move will be out in full force during the company’s E3 press conference tomorrow morning, so stay tuned for more details on the device from the show as they break.

 

[BlueCali]

PlayStation Move motion controller – Available as a standalone for $49.99 (MSRP).
PlayStation Move Bundle – Includes one PlayStation Move motion controller, a PlayStation Eye camera, Sports Champions Blu-ray game and PlayStation Move game demo disc for $99.99 (MSRP).
PlayStation 3 Sports Champion Move Bundle – An introductory package for PS3 newcomers, the PlayStation 3 Sports Champion Move Bundle includes a PS3 system, a PlayStation Move motion controller, a PlayStation Eye camera, Sports Champions Blu-ray game and PlayStation Move game demo disc, all for only $399.99 (MSRP)

Additionally, the PlayStation Move navigation controller and PlayStation Eye camera will be available for $29.99 and $39.99, respectively. But wait, there’s more! This fall, we’re also bringing you two additional Move peripherals that will complement your gaming experience.

 

[BlueCali]

So I should sell my PS3 eye, because the controller plus game is $90... so $10 more for the eye.

i can sell an eye for $30 or so. Way to jip me Sony.

 

[jefXfree]

PlayStation Move Sub-Controller now called PlayStation Move Navigation Controller.

 

[jefXfree]

New titles:

Brunswick: Pro Bowling
Time Crisis: Razing Storm
Ruse: The Art of Deception
Singstar +Dance
Toy Story 3

 

[jefXfree]

Pricing and Availability (WITH PICTURES ) added to OP!

 

[jefXfree]

PS3 Games shipping with Move AND Regular Game on single BD

Today at E3 we received a bit of exciting news. New Playstation Move games will ship with their regular controller counterparts on the same BD (and vice versa where applicable).

This is exciting to those of you that want to try out move titles, as you're not stuck with a game you don't want if you're not into the move controls... All you have to do is swap controllers and take the game on OG controller style!

 

[jefXfree]

Game list in OP updated.

 

[jefXfree]

PlayStation Move shooting attachment in pictures: the ray gun you always dreamed of!

We heard a mention of the PlayStation Move shooting attachment in Sony's Move E3 press release, but now that we've seen photos of the thing we think we're in love. The trigger of the attachment locks in with the analog "T" trigger button of the slotted-in Move controller for some sweet, shoot-tastic shooting, while the face buttons of the controller remain accessible thanks to a window cutout up top. But while we're sure it works great and all that silly nonsense, we're just totally enamored with the looks: it's like a 1950's ray gun, and with a light-up ball on the end and the future of motion gaming at your fingertips, perhaps that's not so far from the truth. The ray gun part. The 50's were actually a pretty bad year for motion controlled console gaming.

 

[jefXfree]

DualShock can be used in lieu of Navigation Controller

Remember that rumor a couple years back of PS3 motion control gaming being based around a pull-apart DualShock 3? Well, perhaps it wasn't such a wild idea after all. No DualShock 3s have been harmed in the making of Move, but Joystiq has just confirmed that you can actually use the existing controller for Move gaming instead of springing for the Navigation Controller if you'd like. Obviously, you'll be one-handing the DualShock, not quite as comfortable as the Move's tiny, dedicated quasi-nunchuck, but it saves you $30 for your hassle. You'll only have access to the d-pad or four face buttons, depending on which side you choose, but interestingly, the Nav Controller's X and O buttons are redundant with the full Move wand, so hopefully this won't impact gameplay too greatly.

Original Article:

Sony's Wiimote competitor to come as break-apart DualShock 3?

So GamesIndustry's got word that Sony's supposedly-forthcoming Wiimote competitor is taking shape as something that sounds a lot like a break-apart DualShock 3, which would split down the middle and be used as two independent halves. Because that's really what the PS3 needs, is another kind of controller. Seriously, do they really think any new device will be greeted warmly by the PlayStation fans they first disappointed with the SIXAXIS, and then bullied into paying $55 for a DualShock 3 (and only because they spent so much time fighting Immersion over the money they clearly owed in the first place)? There's a chance we could find out at this year's E3 if this controller really is in the works, but it's a small one as they're still trying to help people get over the DualShock 3 hump, after all.