Despite the PlayStation Move being released in a little over two weeks, Sony have been incredibly mature about the advantages their motion controller device has over the competition’s, with particular respect to Microsoft and their ‘controller free’ Kinect. Incredible accuracy, perfect 1:1 mapping and games that fit in with the console’s pre-existing market and ethos are points that we’d have expected the Japanese publisher to be shouting about – but no, instead they’ve been concentrating on making the games and ensuring lovely people like us have the device so we can tell you all about it in advance.
In an interview in this month’s Edge magazine, though, Dr Richard Marks, SCE’s senior researcher on the Move project, has spoken out about Kinect, Microsoft and the types of games the Redmond giant are launching with. He’s still a gentleman, though, don’t expect snide soundbytes or glib digs. He does say that Microsoft’s position of “one controller is too many” isn’t quite right, though – saying there’s “some stuff you can’t do as well” with just a camera, and there’s some stuff “you could never do as well”.
He goes on to answer a question based on Kinect requiring Microsoft to come up with new concepts around gaming, whilst the Move can just slot into existing ones. “I think whether Microsoft succeeds or not really depends on whether or not people think that buying Kinect for that set of experiences makes sense,” he said, countering that by saying with Move “no matter who you are, you’ll really want [it].” It’s all about the games and the market, with Move’s line-up, despite being slightly more esoteric than we’re used to just now with the PlayStation brand, it’s not as ‘out there’ as say, Kinect Adventures, which might well jar with the 360’s userbase.
Time will tell, of course, and both publishers are already working on the next generations of motion control games. “A lot of the teams didn’t know what Move would be able to do when they started making their game designs,” said Marks. “When you get the controller in your hand and start to play with it you realise there’s new possibilities to work with. Just as with any new platform, it takes time.”
Edge issue 219 is out this week. We’ll have the Move’s launch games reviewed on September 1st. You can read more from Edge Magazine here.
spats
Richard Marks is always awesome. I’m very much looking forward to Move.
Divine
Ahem! That’s ‘Doctor’ Richard to you :)
spats
Should be Sir Richard to be honest.
Bilbo_bobbins
or Doctor Dick Marks
PoorPaddy89
^^ Awww, aren’t we all just getting along? ;) ^^
Sony haven’t be perfect gents though in the New Controller War have they? I seem to remember a certain Sony VP making certain ‘pew! pew!’ noises in a certain advert a while back… :D
SpikeyMikey23
lol, some areas of the country need better playschemes by the looks of things
FluBBa
Not really interested in the waggle stuff since I already got a Wii but looking forward to the FPS games that will support the move (and table tennis :) ).
solidsteven
i think it has a chance to sell. and also think kinect has no chance.unless ms can prove it works and one to tsa for preview
solidsteven
edit send one
Gaztee
I still believe that Kinect will sell a lot better than Move, because MS wi Market the crap out of it!! I personally can’t see something like virtua tennis 4 being as good on Kinect as with move!!
Are we going to see demo units in shops any day now?? If Sony could get this right it could be massive! I don’t even think it’s right to compare it to the wii it’s so much better!!
DrNate86
That’s a lot of hidden comments, I’m guessing there was some dispute over which peripheral is “l337”. I am going to be really interested to see how well Move does on launch, it has got the advantage of coming first, but MS have been marketing the crap out of Kinect. Personally I hope Move does well as I think it offers a more versatile gaming experience, but Kinect may force developers to think outside the norm and produce some truly original games, much as the NDS did. Or both could do just reasonably well, while the Wii continues its iron grip on mankind!
Jas-n
Some people are so mature :)
UsernameHere
” but Kinect may force developers to think outside the norm”
Yeah, just like the wiimote forced developers to think differently right? We didn’t just get a bunch of waggle fest games, we got classics like ninja bread man! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGPEnsrCZJA
lol j/k i’m sure something good will come out of it.
Jas-n
Awww I thought it was Anton talking about Kinect, he’s mine and PushSquare’s man crush.
DrNate86
He does have pinchable widdle cheeks! *cough, excuse me.
Stitch
Ah, is it that soon! Who here will be buying it at launch?
Peter Rushton
I will be getting the starter pack and maybe R.U.S.E.
:D
Charmed_Fanatic
ME!!!
rht992
JESUS! it comes out that soon? dam i better find some pennies
bunimomike
I poo you not… Asda has Move boxes with “Pre-order now, for December 2010”. Saw them today. I’m guessing they haven’t a clue right now.