Sony PlayStation Move Announced

Motion sensing gaming comes to the PlayStation 3 today with the announcement of Playstation Move during the Game Developers Conference in San Fransisco. Your favorite gaming website MEG was there to cover the event which kicked off with a speech from Mr. Shuhei Yoshido, the President of Worldwide Studios. Mr. Yoshido said that motion gaming on PS3 will be for both causal and hardcore gamers and that the type of games being created for it are extremely diverse. He said that the technology is precise, responsive and ultra sensory that allows breathing new life into many of the existing titles along with providing tools to create new games that were not possible before.

Following Mr. Yoshido, Mr. Peter Dille, Senior VP of Marketing & PSN came up on stage and talked about the momentum that PS3 has going for itself. He mentioned that Playstation was the only console around the world that experienced a 50% growth rate in terms of Software Sales versus 2008 whereas the overall category amongst all consoles was down by 9%. He said they Sony is having a hard time keeping the hardware in stock which is a high-class problem. He moved on to 2010 and said the year started with MAG and 256 players online simultaneously that can only be done on PS3. He followed that up with Heavy Rain, White Night Chronicles, MLB10, God of War III (which clocks it at an unheard of 35Gigs!), ModNation Racers, GT5 (few chuckles heard when he mentioned that) and finally SOCOM4. All in all an extremely impressive year for PlayStation to look forward to. This is not all as he said that, as always, there will be a few surprises at E3.

Finally, he proceeded to talk about PlayStation Move which he said is unlike anything in the market- its fast, precise and accurate. It recognizes everything from the tiniest twitch to the strongest punch. He gave due respect to Nintendo Wii for making motion sensing games mainstream but said that nothing has been as precise and ultra-sensory as PlayStation Move and this is because of the technology Sony has used which is a combination of the Play Station Eye (camera) and a wide range on input sensors found on the Move controller. He said that the controller will be available as a standalone product or as a starter kit with the Playstation Eye and one game for under $100 as well as a full console bundle with the three things just mentioned. This was followed by a video demonstrating Move.

Following the Video, we got to see the controller in real world- enjoy the following videos which showcase what the PlayStation Move is about.

Launching towards the end of the year, Mr. Dille said that outside Sony, there is a long list of 3rd party titles that will support Move from publishers like Activision, Capcom, Square Enix, EA, Sega, Ubisoft, Konami an Disney.

Here’s the official press release from Sony.

PlayStation division Sony Gulf FZE today announced that PlayStation®Move motion controller for PlayStation®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system, launches worldwide this fall, offering a motion-based, high-definition gaming experience unlike anything on the market. Concurrently with its launch will be also release PlayStation®Move sub-controller to be used along with the motion controller for intuitive navigation of in-game characters and objects. The PlayStation Move platform, including the motion controller, sub-controller, and PlayStation®Eye camera*1, together with a strong line-up of software titles, will deliver an innovative and highly immersive experience on the PS3 system.
The combination of the PS3 system and PlayStation Eye camera detects the precise movement, angle, and absolute position in 3D space of PlayStation Move motion controller, allowing users to intuitively play the game as if they themselves are within the game. PlayStation Move motion controller delivers unmatched accuracy through its advanced motion sensors, including a three-axis gyroscope, a three-axis accelerometer, and a terrestrial magnetic field sensor, as well as a colour-changing sphere that is tracked by PlayStation Eye camera. Through PlayStation Move system, both fast and subtle motion can be detected, whether the user is swinging a tennis racket, or painting with a brush. With PlayStation Move motion controller, users can provide direct input through action buttons and an analog trigger, while receiving physical feedback from rumble functionality and visual feedback from the sphere’s ability to display a variety of different colors. Furthermore, PlayStation Eye camera can capture the player’s voice or image, enabling augmented reality experiences.
The newly announced PlayStation Move sub-controller is a one-handed controller, developed to further expand the game play options that PlayStation Move games can offer*2. PlayStation Move sub-controller features a sleek curved design that pairs with the motion controller and comes with an analog stick and directional buttons that allow users to easily control the game when moving characters or choosing a direction. Like all other Wireless Controllers for the PS3 system, it comes with a built in lithium-ion rechargeable battery as well as Bluetooth® technology, enabling the controller to transfer the input information wirelessly to the PS3 system without a cable. PlayStation Move motion controller and sub-controller will further broaden the gaming experience on the PS3 system for all genres, from games that use one motion controller to games that use both controllers.
The introduction of PlayStation Move controllers has been well received within the industry and now 36 third party developers and publishers*3 have decided to support PlayStation Move platform. In fiscal year 2010, SCE Worldwide Studios will also release more than 20 games that are either dedicated to or supported with the PlayStation Move platform.
SCE, with strong support from software developers and publishers, will deploy various measures to enhance the PlayStation Move software title line-up and vigorously promote the PS3 platform.

*1 Users will need to use the PlayStation Eye camera to enjoy PlayStation Move motion controller on PS3.
*2 DUALSHOCK® or SIXAXIS® Wireless Controller can also be used in place of the sub controller.
*3 Please refer to the attached list below for detail.