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PlayStation Move Preview
We get some hands-on time with Sony's motion controller offering
While GDC Canada had a rather busy schedule, with multiple sessions running at the same time, there were a few late additions. One of those additions was a presentation by Sony Entertainment, which included a discussion of the 3D technology and of course, PlayStation Move. This article focuses on the PS Move and related notes, so if you are looking for 3D tech part of the presentation, see our previous article.
With PlayStation Move, Sony is quite clearly attempting to reinvent the motion control systems in gaming. They pioneered the early technology with the PlayStation Eye, though the product never really took off as expected in the popular culture. Then Nintendo came along with the Wii, and showed the gaming industry that motion controls are possible and extremely profitable on that feature alone. Thus, both Microsoft and Sony are set to introduce their motion control devices this year. While Microsoft’s Natal attempts a rather interesting hands-free approach, Sony decided to model their design in a more common way by introducing the Move. PlayStation Move is essentially two custom controllers with motion sensitivity features, and the PlayStation Eye combined to provide a user with a fresh experience.
A bare-bones demo of the technology
During the presentation, Anton Mikhailov from SCEA described the various methods and technologies that go into making the Move possible. As he described the device, a variety of demos were shown to the audience. On a technical level, the controller is very impressive with precise movements and very little delay between the input and the result. The controller incorporates sensors based on a triple axis, X-Y-Z, representing a direction in a three dimensional space. It essentially improves on existing SIXAXIS tech.
The ball on the end of the controller is a vital part of the device, as it sends information via sensors dynamically. In classical 3D technologies, the position of the player in a space is calculated, whereas with Move the sensors are able to dynamically establish player position via direct information feeds to the system. The color of the sphere changes in order for the Eye to have an easier time tracking the device in varied lighting conditions, but it is also used to illustrate gameplay elements – for example, the ball may turn white and yellow when the player is firing a weapon in the game. It was also demonstrated that the ball is quite sturdy and can withstand direct impact on a hard surface – it is soft, which also means that accidents involving TVs are less likely.
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