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

 

[Baked]

I'm sorry but if Natal turns out as it should, Natal will kick ass.

Unfortuntly Microsoft has already shown us that it does not work and will not work the way they say it will.

 

[jefXfree]

Packaging Images:

 

[BlueCali]

packaging looks nice.

 

[jefXfree]

UK retailer cuts price of PlayStation Move

UK retail giant GAME has lowered the price of PlayStation Move to £34.99, saving punters £5 on the Sony motion controller when compared to its recommended retail price (RRP).

In addition, the company has also reduced the price of the navigation controller to £24.99, meaning you’ll be able to pick up a complete Move set for just under £60 – the cheapest method currently available.

Finally, GAME has also lifted the lid on a number of Move-compatible games, including R.U.S.E, The Sly Collection, Echochrome 2 and Michael Jackson: The Game.

 

[jefXfree]

What PlayStation Move Setup is Right for You?

Now that E3 2010 is in the books and all of the launch details around PlayStation Move have been announced, I know a lot of you may be wondering exactly what you need to start playing motion-controlled gaming on the PS3. So, here’s a primer that spells out all the great options that will be available and how much it will cost you to get up and running with PlayStation Move.

The PlayStation Move platform consists of the PlayStation Move motion controller, the PlayStation Eye camera and, of course, the PS3 system. We’ll offer various options for you to choose from depending on what hardware you already own and what kind of PlayStation Move experience will satisfy you. Here’s a breakdown of prices depending on your current situation.

What Move Setup is Right for You?

I don’t yet have a PS3
Your best option: *PlayStation 3 Sports Champion Move Bundle
How much it will cost? $399.99

have a PS3 and nothing else
Your best option: **PlayStation Move Bundle
How much it will cost? $99.99

I have a PS3 and PlayStation Eye camera
Your best option: Move Motion Controller
How much it will cost? $49.99

*The PlayStation 3 Sports Champion Move Bundle comes with: a PS3 system, 1 PlayStation Move motion controller, a PlayStation Eye Camera, the Sports Champions Blu-ray game and a PlayStation Move game demo disc.

For those of you who own a PS3 already, the PlayStation Move Bundle is the complete Move package, offering everything that you, your friends and your family need to enjoy PlayStation Move in both single-player and multiplayer modes. The PlayStation Move platform is designed to be flexible. We’ve done our best to give you plenty of options, both in terms of gameplay and hardware, so you can customize your PlayStation Move experience to fit the way you game.

For the vast majority of PlayStation Move games, you can play with one motion controller when playing solo. There are some titles that give you the option to play single-player with one *or* two motion controllers if you would like, such as Sports Champions. It’s completely up to you. One title launching this fall that is an exception worth noting is The Fight: Lights Out, which requires two motion controllers to deliver the best possible experience, tracking both arms and your head with one-to-one precision.

In many games, when you’re playing against friends or family, you can all share one motion controller – in a game like Start the Party!, for example, players can just pass the motion controller around. You will need more than one motion controller only for simultaneous game play — for example, if you’re going head-to-head with a friend in a Sports Champions gladiator duel, you will each need your own motion controller.

The PlayStation Move Navigation Controller is an optional add-on that brings directional buttons, an analog stick, and two face buttons into the PlayStation Move’s control scheme. The sleek Navigation Controller essentially replicates the left side of the DualShock 3 controller for familiar and natural control. At $29.99, we think it’s a wonderful supplement to the PlayStation Move platform, especially for games like Heavy Rain, where you control a character, but it’s not required for any of the PlayStation Move games. The DualShock 3 controller that came with your PS3 will let you do everything the Navigation Controller does in all PlayStation Move titles.

It all goes back to the PlayStation philosophy that every consumer is different, and everybody benefits when you get to make your own choices. An extra motion controller or a navigation controller are additive to the PlayStation Move experience. For some of you, aiming a bow and arrow with two motion controllers in Sports Champions will be the enhanced realism you’re craving; for others, one controller will work just fine.

Bottom line is, we’ve got you all covered. We hope we’ve provided enough great options for all of you out there and can’t wait until you can get your hands on PlayStation Move come September 19th.

 

[jefXfree]

Blu-Ray Entertainment Center goes hands on with the Playstation Move.

july 22

While at comic con today I had the opportunity to play with the Playstation Move (specifically while playing Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition) and must say that jumping into the middle of the game using the move is a bit tougher than I thought.

There are a lot of buttons for a motion controller that you have to memorize locations and settings in order to make the playing experience smoother.

While playing Resident Evil 5 it felt a bit harder to navigate though aiming felt smooth. The implementation of the motion control was very much 1:1, with beautiful and quick tracking... But, for now, I think the game is easier to play with a standard controller.

I'll have a little more information tomorrow when I go hands on with other games to get a better feel of the device.

july 23

Today I got another chance to play with the Playstation Move and must say that i'm not convinced that it's worth the money... And this is coming from an avid Sony fanboy, and someone who pumped this thread with every bit of Move news he could find.

First I played The Fight: Lights out and it felt really clunky. Though it's not something I brag about, I've been in my fair share of fights and this wasn't like any of them i've been in. Sony is touting the 1:1 ratio of the Move, but I definitely felt that the game wasn't registering everything I was attempting to do.

Now, to be fair, they were calibrating the thing on the fly so suit everyone from 3' tall children to 6' tall men, and the space was limited (as one Move Tech pointed out, it'd be ideal to be about 1 foot farther away from the PS Eye) so I'll give it some benefit of the doubt... But during the fight I definitely noticed that when I tried to fight too fast the character preformed maybe half of my moves; and I definitely felt that if I were fighting a bit slower it might help.

The second game I played of the day was Sports Champions, (The Gladiator Duel) this game felt much better (as far as a fighting game went) even though it was supposed to be more basic than The Fight: Lights Out. Maybe it was me subconsciously fighting a bit slower or maybe it was a bit more standing room; but it definitely felt a little more fluid...

As of right now i'm not 100% sure about the Playstation Move... I'm sure i'll get one, but I hope it plays better than I experienced today.

 

[Horhay]

I share the same thoughts on the fighting game. Felt clunky. There was a Golf game by a different maker at E3 and man was that a treat!

I didn't get a chance to demo RE5 though, I find that game hard to maneuver even with a control.

SOCOM was awesome with the Move though, very cool implementation. I enjoyed it. Certainly they have to figure out a way to make it smoother with games I still can't find an excuse to spend the money.

 

[jefXfree]

I share the same thoughts on the fighting game. Felt clunky. There was a Golf game by a different maker at E3 and man was that a treat!

I didn't get a chance to demo RE5 though, I find that game hard to maneuver even with a control.

SOCOM was awesome with the Move though, very cool implementation. I enjoyed it. Certainly they have to figure out a way to make it smoother with games I still can't find an excuse to spend the money.

Yeah. It's definitely 1:1, it's just not smooth... lol. It sounds like a complete contradiction... But I guess others will understand when they play.

I've been trying to get into Socom (Move) but the line is too long.

 

[jefXfree]

AppStore best seller gets the Move Treatment

With the list of upcoming, big-named PlayStation Move compatible games growing on a weekly basis it’s also good to see that the PSN looks set to have its fair share of supported titles.

One of those downloadable games has been confirmed as Flight Control HD, the incredibly popular iPhone and iPod Touch game that was also recently released on DSiWare

Sadly though, contrary to what we initially thought, you won’t have to simulate the movement of an aeroplane in your living room as Flight Control HD simply puts you in the hot-seat of an air traffic controller. On the iPad version, you simply have to draw lines to point each air vehicle to its designated landing zone, racking up points for landing craft successfully.

It doesn’t sound particularly exciting, granted, but reviews of the game on the various formats praise it for its simplicity and addictive qualities. With two million units already sold worldwide it’s obviously worth keeping an eye on. Perhaps Move will add something else, though we’ll have to wait and see.

 

[jefXfree]

Sony details UK PlayStation Move pricing

Sony has lifted the lid on its UK pricing strategy for PlayStation Move, in addition to shedding more light on the Starter Pack that will be released alongside the new peripheral.

The platform holder confirmed that punters can expect to pay £34.99 for the Motion Controller itself, while the Sub Controller will set you back £24.99. PlayStation Eye, meanwhile, will retail for £24.99.

As for the Starter Pack, it’ll cost £49.99 and includes the Motion Controller, PS Eye and a starter disc. The contents for the disc are as follows:

·Sports Champions
·Start the Party!
·The Shoot
·EyePet: Move Edition
·TV Superstars
·Tiger Woods PGA TOUR ® 11 (English only)
·echochrome ii (PSN title)
·Tumble (PSN title)
·Beat Sketchers (PSN title)

Elsewhere, Sony also revealed that gamers can utilize the DualShock 3 instead of the Sub Controller in order to play Move-compatible games.

PlayStation Move releases in the UK on September 15.

 

[jefXfree]

If the UK disc comes with all those games on it I might just import their starter pack. Ours appears to have ONLY the Sports Champions.

 

[jefXfree]

Biohazard 5 Alternative Edition Bundle

 

[mobius387]

​

 

[BlueCali]

MAG confirmed for PS3 Move.

 

[jefXfree]

PS Move is no.1 reason to buy a PS3, says Koller

Sony America’s John Koller has said that recent studies made by the hardware manufacturer have revealed that PlayStation Move has come out on top as the main reason to invest in Sony’s latest home console.

Koller divulged the info during a recent interview with the chaps at GameSpot, where he further commented on Sony’s hopes that the motion-sensing peripheral will encourage punters to get off the couch and become more involved with gaming.

PlayStation Move will be available for purchase in North America on September 19, with a UK release arriving a few days earlier on September 17.

 

[jefXfree]

Check out this list for info on all the PSMove titles.

 

[jefXfree]

Planet Minigolf gets PlayStation Move support this September

 

[Groo The Perverted]

I'm intrigued by this but don't know if I'd want to get it or not. It looked incredibly cheesy in some fight game I saw, where they show the players using the controller.

Although if it will make High Velocity Bowling any easier I'm all for it. lol. I can't for the life of me get the spin thing right on HVB so I gave up on it.

 

[jefXfree]

PlayStation Move review -- Engadget

The PlayStation Move. It's funny to think just 15 months have passed since Sony first unveiled its motion controller, and now we're mere weeks away from hitting the retail market. To be sure, it's not like the company didn't have waggle on the mind already -- patents dating as far back as 2005 reveal as much, and of course the incredible success of Nintendo's Wii proved there's a market for more physically exerting gameplay. And it's not just PlayStation; Microsoft's got its controller-free Kinect motion camera system coming this November. So, in the year where all major game consoles now ask you to get off the couch and earn arm muscle, how does Move fare?

Hardware

To borrow a bit from our previous coverage, PlayStation Move is a motion controller system with sensors to detect the player's movements and translate them into gameplay. The primary remote is just about the size of the Nintendo Wii remote / attached MotionPlus combination. Where Move departs from the Wii is that while the Wii detects movement with its built-in accelerometers, pointing (with the sensor bar) or even detecting exact orientation (with the addition of MotionPlus), Move can be tracked precisely within real 3D space instead of just inferring relative movement based on your previous position. For gameplay, this means you'll be performing fewer of those cute little flicks Wii pros have become so fond of -- most gameplay motions require a full and complete movement on Move -- but it also means interesting things for augmented reality. Of course, for AR you need a camera, and lucky for Sony it has the PlayStation Eye already on the market. In fact, the Move system is partly based on what the Eye can detect of those cute colored balls at the end of each Move controller, which helps the PlayStation know how far away from the camera the controller is, and map, say, a tennis racket exactly to a user's hand.

Each wireless Move controller has the four familiar symbol buttons surrounding a new "Move" button, which generally functions as the OK / Accept command input. Under that is the PS button that takes you to the XMB. There's a "T" trigger button on the underside, and on the butt we've got two ports: a mini-USB for charging / syncing and an additional "extension connector" (as it's called in the accompanying manual). When we asked SCEA reps what the mystery port was for, all we got in return was an ominous "TBD." Perhaps it has something to do with that 1950s style ray gun we espied back at E3.

The controller itself is really comfortable to hold, the contours resting perfectly in our hands. Every button is easy to reach, although the 45-degree counter clockwise twist of the command buttons did confuse us a bit initially. The Move controller's not just for games, either -- it can be used to navigate the top menu by holding down the T button to initiate movement and then tilting in the appropriate direction. Sensitivity can be adjusted, but we found the default to be very manageable. We've discussed lag before, and while it does vary from game to game with any controller (motion and otherwise), overall we can say there wasn't anything notably jarring -- although that said, we weren't playing anything as twitchy as a first-person shooter.

Though not part of any of the bundles, Sony's also releasing a companion Navigation Controller (also wireless) that you'll be able to wield with your off hand for more traditional analog controls. It's got a joystick in the standard position, a directional pad just underneath, as well as additional 'X' and 'O' buttons (generally used as "accept" and "cancel" in most games). Below that is another XMB menu button, and on the underside are L1 and L2 triggers. Mind you, if you've already got a DualShock 3 lying around, there's no reason to drop $30 on one of these sticks -- it can be can be used interchangeably -- but comparatively-speaking the joystick here is a good bit more convenient.

Sports Champions

This is the Move's flagship title -- its "Wii Sports," if you will, and in more ways than one. Sports Champions is a collection of titles aimed at showcasing the controller's potential, culled largely from tech demos we've seen since its initial unveil. We're looking at six sports in all: Disc Golf, Gladiator Duel, Beach Volleyball, Archery, Table Tennis, and Bocce. Each sub-game requires a quick calibration before beginning, whereby you stand in the appropriate spot (denoted by brackets overlaying the Eye's visual monitor) and hold the controller at shoulder level, down at your side, and then in front of your belt buckle -- or the general area where one might be. Even if you're using two motion controllers at once (more on that later), only the dominant hand is used for calibration. The process takes seconds, so despite doing it before every single game, it never really bothered us to have to repeat.

Table tennis was frustrating on the Wii given some of the liberties Nintendo's controller takes in 1:1 motion mapping, but here, a number of us on staff (including Show Producer and Pong Aficionado™ Chad Mumm) found the system here much more accurate -- and less frustrating -- than our many experiences using the Wii remote. Not only does the paddle's angle look and feel pretty precise, but the Eye is used to detect which direction you're facing and adjusts your virtual character accordingly. Each game has three difficulty levels -- bronze, silver, and gold. Here, while it felt as if bronze would let you swing as obnoxiously as possible and still hit the ball in bounds, gold was far from forgiving. If you put a hard spin on the ball, it'd fly off the table. Unlike on Wii, however, we never felt as if it was an inaccurate and frustrating failure -- it was obvious to us that we had a bad swing.

Both Gladiator Duel and Archery give you the option to use two motion controllers, and if you bought a second one, we highly recommend using it. In the latter game, the off-handed controller is used to hold the bow, while the dominant hand grabs an arrow from the quiver, brings it up to the front of the bow, and then pulls back in preparation for firing, the combination of the two now used in conjunction for aiming. The entire motion is wholly fulfilling, and if you get tired, you can break with trying to feign reality by holding it at your side, something the in-game tips menu even suggests.

Gladiator Duel follows a similar suit -- shield in one hand, sword in the other. This isn't going to compare to the 1:1 lightsaber game of your dreams -- if you swing through and your in-game sword is blocked, the motion is deferred despite your arm flailing -- but your initial angle of attack is matched pretty well. Holding the trigger button on your shield will instigate your block, and it'll angle pretty appropriately with your own hand. Jumping will either get your character off the ground or, if already poised to attack, initiate an aerial attack. Enough damage and you'll be prompted to do a special attack that, if it connects, will enter your character into a cinematic quick-time event. What you don't get to control is your foot movement, quick dodges notwithstanding, as your character will always stay within blade's distance of the opponent. In our opinion, that could easily be made possible by allowing you to use the joystick-equipped Navigation Controller, but alas, the companion remote doesn't seem to be compatible with this or any other game in the bundle, bummer.

If we had to compare this to the similar motion-centric bundles being offered by the competition -- Wii Sports, Sports Resort, and the still-in-development Kinect Sports -- right now we'd rank this pretty high on the list. Every title felt like something worth multiple playthroughs, and we'll admit, the HD visuals did feel like a value-add. It's a pretty fun title for playing with you friends, and additionally, provides a pretty good showcase for Move's capabilities.

Other software

EyePet has come a long way from when we first saw it back in July 2009, but in its more final form, the frustration definitely outweighed the cuteness. The actual process of creating your pet takes forever, and setting up your floor to appropriately play never feels quite right, or maybe it's that we're not used to interacting with an intangible, three-dimensional furry gremlin. Your Move controller isn't always used, but when it is, it turns into an augmented tool -- a hand-held heater, a milk bottle, a baseball mitt, etc.
If you ever played Boom Blox on the Wii -- or even to some extent Jenga in real life -- then you've already got a feel for how Tumble plays. Stack blocks in a 3D space, make those blocks fall / collapse: it's a simple game that teaches you how to use the motion controller in a three-dimensional space. Fun, but nothing too crazy.

R.U.S.E. is Ubisoft's upcoming World War II-based real-time strategy game, and one of the few games we had that was designed to use the Navigation Controller -- in this case, for screen movement and unit selection. The Move controller can also pan / tilt the screen and issue commands based on where you're pointing. The system is very intuitive and even has some crafty options for cycling through highlighted units based on their type. However, it doesn't quite best a keyboard-and-mouse combination for controlling larger groups of units -- blame it on the joystick, mostly. Despite that, it's still one of the better strategy games we've played on a console.

Heavy Rain actually came out this past February, but it's now getting software-patched to work with Move controls. And we're not just talking about a few tweaks. Movement has been mapped to the navigation controller, and all prompts are now specific swings and orientations that feel contextually appropriate with the characters' actions. It took us until halfway through the tutorial section to get accustomed, but once we did, it was fun to just sit back and enjoy. We can't say it enhanced the experience in any way when compared to the old control scheme, but it certainly didn't lessen our enjoyment.

SOCOM 4 is probably the most eagerly anticipated of the Move games, and it's easy to see why. SOCOM is one of Sony's most popular franchises, and the Move does legitimately add some extra immersion to the experience. The game controls exactly like any of the various Wii shooters and honestly we didn't notice anything amazing about the fidelity compared to the Wiimote, but unlike most of those Wii shooters this one won't be a stripped-down port. And it'll have multiplayer. That's always good, too.

The Fight: Lights Out 3D was not as fluid as we were hoping. With a Move controller in each hand (no navigation peripherals here), we stretched our arms all the way out, and then back in to our chin, for calibration. The lag wasn't too bad, but the precision and fluidity were a bit off in this build. That said, points for good 3D implementation.

Two golf games will give duffers a change to get their mulligan on minus the greens fees. Tiger Woods 2011 is obviously the premier title in this space, but we only got a chance to try out another competitor: John Daly's ProStroke Golf. It's a cross-platform game featuring the former most-controversial figure in golf, and though the game is very early (only allowing hitting drives at this point) changes in aligning the face of the club were reflected accurately and instantly, meaning fades and draws were executed just as we liked. The game will even change your swing type based on how close you stand to the virtual ball.

Cost

From day one -- again, that's September 17th -- Sony's offering several different price points for opting into Move, largely depending on what you already have. The most popular one's gonna be the Starter Bundle, which includes the motion controller, required PlayStation Eye camera, and Sports Champions for just under $100. Conversely, you can buy all those parts separately -- $40 for the game, $40 for the camera, $50 for the controller -- but as you can probably figure out yourself, that'll set you back an extra $30. A navigation controller is $30, but given the DualShock 3 can function in the same scenarios (and be used in traditional games), you might want to stick with what you've got or pay the $55 for a more versatile option. Then again, if you're a complete newcomer to the PlayStation 3 -- or really need to slim down your home theater system -- $399.99 will net you the starter bundle with a DualShock 3 pad and a new 320GB PS3.

At launch, there'll also be an option to pick up a charging station for $29.99, which will charge two controllers (motion or navigation) simultaneously. That's certainly not a bad option, but bear in mind a mini-USB cable will work just fine, at the cost of using something much more fashionable and decorative.

In our experience, to get the most out of Move, you're probably going to want to grab a second Move controller right off the bat, which puts your ideal cost of entry at $150. It's worth noting that lines up within cents of Microsoft's Kinect sensor, which hits retail a couple months later on November 4th. When we initially started hearing about the two, we were hesitant to believe there'd be a price parity between the two -- after all, Kinect's a camera and Move is a camera plus numerous hand waving devices. That's not the case, as it turns out, and Kinect devs are currently only showing two-player action, drawing similarities even further. We'll reserve final judgment on that one when we get a retail Kinect all our own, but coming out of the gate, Sony's definitely got the right stuff.

Wrap-up

"Exactly as with EyeToy in the PS2 days, it's a product that needs to be sampled. You need to get your hands on it. You need to understand it. You need to try it." So says SCE's Senior VP Ray Maguire. And it's true; motion controls are nothing new in the games industry, but PlayStation has really learned from its competitors and delivered a compelling and entertaining experience complemented by the hardware's ability to push HD visuals. But like its rival, the success is going to be largely dependent upon the games that support it. What we've seen so far is very promising, but whether or not the $100+ cost of entry will dissuade one too many customers remains to be seen. The traditional console cycle seems to have been eschewed by all players in favor of new methods of interactions. It's shaping up to be one of the most interesting eras in the history o console gaming, and make no mistake, Sony's got all the right ingredients here.

 

[jefXfree]

PlayStation Move Bundle: Final Retail Unboxing

You may have seen some new impressions of PlayStation Move recently. A number of sites, both gaming and mainstream, received their press kits last week, hence the new reviews. We’ve been linking out to many of them on the sidebar, and we’ll fully recap on Sunday’s What We Read.

But what about you, the customer? How will your Move experience begin? We just got in the final retail packaging for the PlayStation Move Bundle. Here’s what you get in the box:

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