After spending the last several years on top, the momentum of the Wii is slowly starting to wane, and now both Microsoft and Sony are getting in on the motion control action. Microsoft is going bold with their controller-free camera solution, Kinect, but Sony has taken the middle ground, blending the best elements of both; maintaining the familiarity and precision of a controller, but integrating a camera for full body tracking and augmented reality applications. Has Sony simply reinvented the waggle or have they perfected the concept of motion control? The answer falls somewhere in between.
The Move definitely draws significant inspiration from the Wii, and when it was formally unveiled at Game Developers Conference, many were quick to make that comparison. However, it became quickly apparent that the system expands upon the Wii by incorporating a wider array of motion tracking technologies. The Wii relies on infrared and built-in accelerometers to detect motion, orientation, and tilt with pretty solid results, but the Move adds angular rate sensors, magnetometers, and LED marker tracking to the mix for true one-to-one tracking.
The system uses real-time motion data from the inertial sensors built into the Move controller, and combines it with information that determines its position on a three-dimensional plane using the PlayStation Eye. It may look silly, but the glowing orb at the top of the controller is actually the key to the Move's precision. The camera uses the illuminated orb as a means of determining the distance of the Move controller from the screen by using its size within its field of view as a gauge.
With all of that data coming in at once and being reproduced on screen in real-time, it's a wonder that the PlayStation 3's processors don't buckle under the strain. But much to our surprise, there seems to be no substantial lag or graphical degradation when the Move is being used. But that isn't to say the system isn't without its issues. The Move, like all peripherals, is only as good as its supporting software, and unfortunately, many of the titles being prepared for the launch have some serious flaws.
When the system launches on September 19, it will accompanied by games like EyePet, Kung Fu Rider, Sports Champions, andStart the Party. We had an opportunity to check out these titles and witness the motion tracking in action, and depending on how well developers adapted their games to the motion tracking system, performance ranged from true one-to-one motion detection to glitchy and delayed results.
The games that represented a player's motion best seemed to be EyePet and Sports Champions. EyePet is a great demonstration of how the Move can measure 3D space, with the EyePet intelligently interacting with not only players, but the environment around them. It also demonstrates how well the system can impose fully rendered 3D graphics over the controller on screen. Sports Champions is a better example of how well the game can replicate a player's movements and position with an in-game 3D character. Though there are certainly some exceptions, Sports Champions manages to accurately represent a player, down to the tilt of their hand or leaning of their body.
Start the Party, like EyePet, uses augmented reality-type gameplay and layers 3D graphics over the incoming video feed from the PlayStation Eye. While the orientation tracking was comparable to EyePet, there seemed to be slightly more delay. Kung Fu Rider, a more traditional 3D title, however, seemed to be the least responsive and had the most delay between player motion and in-game action.
The sharp contrast between titles is a bit disheartening, because by every indication, there is no critical flaw with the hardware itself – motion tracking is accurate, there is no serious processing speed or graphical degradation posed by the incoming data, and in some games, it performs exceptionally well.
The only significant issue we found with the hardware is that the camera can be a bit sensitive, due primarily to the poor video quality of the PlayStation Eye, which features a max resolution of 640 x 480 and some rather lackluster light sensors. As a result, the whole system can be a bit temperamental depending on the environment. Well-lit rooms seem to have the best results, but those with large windows, lots of external illumination or otherwise conflicting light can experience issues. While the built-in inertial sensors aren't thrown off by the setting of a room, the 3D tracking that uses the Eye and glowing orbs relies on being able to clearly identify the controller on the incoming video.
How can this be problematic? Well, if there is a lot of conflicting light coming from behind a player, the Move controller's glowing orb can be washed out and the system won't be able to differentiate it, thus limiting its ability to determine its distance from the screen. Obviously, dimming rear lights or closing the blinds on your windows will eliminate these issues, but it is still a less-than-ideal solution. Projection systems are also difficult to integrate the Move into, as there is typically a lot of light coming from the rear and nowhere else in the room. Subsequently, the only thing we would change about the PlayStation Move would be to make use of a higher resolution, or possibly even high-definition camera instead of the PlayStation Eye to enable it to adapt to more diverse environments.
As for the PlayStation Move and Navigation controllers themselves, both have been designed and produced to a standard comparable to the DualShock 3, with responsive action buttons, d-pad, and triggers. Obviously the design and uses of the PlayStation Move require uniquely shaped and arranged buttons, and Sony has done so in a way that seems fairly intuitive for the user. The action buttons are raised and the d-pad is curved, making tactile recognition easier, while Start and Select are placed on the sides to avoid unintentional depressions. Similarly, the Home button has been regressed into the center of the controller to prevent mistakenly pulling up the XMB menu. The trigger on the Move controller features more of an inward arch, providing better grip, and the Navigation controller's thumbstick is practically identical to the DualShock 3 in terms of shape and resistance.
Both controllers feature lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, which is a plus; avoiding frequent tedious battery changes. Battery life is decent, with both controllers achieving about seven hours of average battery life on a single charge. Connecting USB cables to each controller in order to recharge a whole set is far from ideal, but most of the industry's biggest accessory manufacturers are already working on multi-controller charging stations for the PlayStation Move for release later this year. Sony itself will be offering an officially-branded charging accessory of their own for $29.99, though it only accommodates two controllers at one time.
But the biggest concern for consumers, next to quality, is, of course, cost, and Sony has actually been very smart in their pricing of PlayStation Move. While certainly not a cheap endeavor, the Move has been broken down, piece-by-piece, which allows users to buy only the parts they need. In other words, if you already own a PlayStation Eye and just need the controller and a game, you can do precisely that. The Move controller is being sold separately for $49.99 and the Navigation controller will cost $29.99, while the setup can be purchased with the camera, Move controller, and a copy of Sports Champions for $99.99. Prospective PlayStation 3 owners can even buy a bundle with the PlayStation Move, PlayStation Eye, Sports Champions, and a 320GB PlayStation 3 for $399.
At the end of the day, the PlayStation Move has the potential to be the best motion control system on the current crop of consoles; but unfortunately, the games offered at the moment just don't do the technology justice. If you're eager to buy into the system now, don't expect a whole lot of great content straight out of the gate, but with time and certain kinks ironed out, the Move could prove to be a great way to add new gameplay experiences to the PlayStation 3 and attract new, more casual players.
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