At the Game Developers Conference today, Sony Computer Entertainment officially unveiled PlayStation Move – a motion controller with near-perfect precision. Set to launch this fall, the new platform will offer “motion-based, high-definition gaming unlike anything on the market.”
The one-handed controller features a variety of games that will appeal to a greater variety of audiences. Whether it’s kids, teenagers or adults, PlayStation Move has the appeal. Examples of its use include a game like table tennis, where instead of just swinging the controller in any direction, way or form to hit the ball, the player must actually go for the ball where they then can hit it at any speed or angle they prefer.
In fiscal year 2010 alone, Sony will release over twenty games dedicated to or that support the controller.
There are thirty-six publishers on board developing for the new product, as well. These publishers include:
505 Games U.S.
Activision Publishing, Inc.
AQ INTERACTIVE Inc.
ARC SYSTEMS WORK CO.,LTD
ATLUS Co., LTD.
Bigben Interactive
CAPCOM CO., LTD.
CCP
Crave Entertainment
CYBERFRONT Corporation
Disney Interactive Studios
Electronic Arts Inc.
FromSoftware, Inc.
Game Republic, Inc.
GUST CO., LTD.
HUDSON SOFT CO., LTD.
IREM SOFTWARE ENGINEERING INC.
Koei Co., Ltd.
Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
Majesco Entertainment
Marvelous Entertainment Inc.
NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc.
ONGAKUKAN Co., Ltd.
Oxygen Games
PAON CORPORATION
Q Entertainment Inc.
Q-GAMES, LTD.
SEGA CORPORATION
Sony Online Entertainment
Spike Co., Ltd.
SQUARE ENIX GROUP
TECMO, LTD.
THQ Inc.
UBISOFT®
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Zoo Entertainment, Inc.
The controller’s pricing has yet to be decided, but Sony is targeting a starter pack include a game, the controller and a PlayStation Eye camera for under $100 USD when it releases this fall.
A PlayStation Move sub-controller with a joystick on it will also be available. This will allow players to experience games that may require two hands, like archery or sword and shield. It was shown on stage at GDC that SOCOM 4 would have the option to use the controller.
Sony’s released the logo and images of the new hardware. Check those out at the gallery. Stay tuned, as we bring you screenshots from the newly announced controller games.
While I’m not all that jazzed about the secondary controller — it looks WAY too much like a Wii-mote with that — I do like the fact that it’s COMPLETELY wireless and doesn’t require batteries.
I also like that the top changes colors but since it says that the ball will change color based on the room as well as what’s happening in the game I wonder what how the color will change when there’s more than one controller being used.
But based on early reactions from Kotaku they say that it’s not as precise as the Wii, which is shocking to read about considering this is supposed to best the Wii in many ways. However, they also stated that because of the PS Eye it’s actually more precise.
I know, kind of a mixed bag but hopefully this will be successful against Natal. Sony has a lot to prove and lot to lose by, more or less, copying the Nintendo formula.