Start The Party
This is PlayStation trying to do casual. It’s a mashup of lots of game types, all controlled with, as you’d expect, the Move. It’s also a little bit disappointing because, and this is fairly fundamental, it’s essentially a single player experience. Sure, there’s a multiplayer mode but unless we’re missing the obvious you take turns to perform the various tasks required of you, rather than diving in simultaneously. As it transpires, then, although Start the Party is a fair amount of fun, it’s nowhere near as manic and as exciting as you might have hoped it would be.
Supermassive Games have absolutely nailed the tech, though – the augmented reality offered by the Move and the PlayStation Eye not only casts you and your surroundings onto the screen with ease but transforms the controller into whatever crazy object best fits the current minigame. From giant fly swatters to a tasty looking pizza, the mapping of the Move is fantastic, and really shows how the device can ‘become’ anything the developers want it to be. The best implementation is the game where you have to blast ghosts, with the Move becoming a torch on screen to illuminate the otherwise pitch black room – clever, innovative and a shining example of what’s possible.
That said, the minigames themselves aren’t always so consistent in terms of quality, and although presumably aimed at a younger age range than most of TSA Towers’ ageing populous, Start The Party’s depth of challenge was slightly lacking (although our version of the game is missing some difficulty levels). Clever use of the camera for importing your face into the game deserves attention, though, especially seeing as you can deface your mates’ faces during some of the mid-round intervals. Start The Party, then, whilst no doubt the Move’s poster child, seems a little shallow at the moment. We await final code with interest, though.
Kennykazey
I’m gonna buy move one day, just you wait and see!
SpikeyMikey23
Can I ask who ‘we’ is? Obviously its nofi, just wondering which other staff members have tried it. The jurys still out for me. Looking forward to a few tsa reviews to see if you can persuade me to part with my cash. Informative write up! Thanks!
Kovacs
It’s the royal “we”. Standard practice when talking about an entity such as a website. That said, expect to hear more MOVEments in this area from us (or, you know, me) before the week is out.
YOURMUMANDME
Did everyone at TSA Towers have a sex change ? :S
That picture says so, also explains why it’s so tidy now as well….
Kovacs
I thought everyone knew TSA was staffed by a bunch of hot women? Isn’t that the reason why we’re so popular? ;)
*flutters eye-lashes*
Tuffcub
I can assure you I am NOT a woman.
YOURMUMANDME
Circus much ?
“Bearded, dancing, female bear-cub spotted in grungy council estate flat.”
JoshHood
I can assure you that I don’t think I’m a woman.
jonny_bolton
Yeah, I have to say Nofi’s looking pretty hot.
Mason_Mk
Very neat article, resembles how i wanted to learn about move: glad the tech works well, but don’t really care about really minute details that only fanboys bicker over. Getting this day 1 with resi 5 (was this available for you to play too?)
colossalblue
oooh, I forgot Resi 5 Gold was going to be Move compatible. I’ll have to dig out my disc!
Juelz345
Only the Gold (or what ever it’s called) Edition will have move support.
Mason_Mk
Yeah ive pre-ordered the gold 1 on shopto for £15, bargain!
AG2297
@ Juelz345
He did say Gold dude :)
Juelz345
*slams head on desk*
a inferior race
This sounded like the hardware acts as advertised but that the software is more or less average. Could this be true of all the games designed move?
Mason_Mk
These are more the casual games though, it will probably work better in games like Killzone 3, Sorcery, Resident Evil 5 etc. which is more based on accuracy and precision then waving your hands around
Parker
Yeah exactly, the first wave of games is pretty much guaranteed to be sub-par, but later on, I’m sure we’ll see some pretty epic implementations of the Move.
a inferior race
Should the first wave of games really be sub-par? When new tech comes out, shouldn’t the first wave be good a least. Take the dualshock for example. Vibration worked pretty well in Gran Turismo and motion control worked quite well is motorstorm.
Juelz345
Simple rumble is VERY different from implementing a whole new control machanic. And just how well motion worked in Motor Storm with Dual Shock 3 is subjective, and still very differnt (which is what you’re talking about right, the original dual shock didn’t have motion controls.
I fully expect that the majority of games that launch for Move and Kinect will be average at best, hopefully with a few shiners. Just like launch games for any console don’t show you what the console is really capable of and fail in comparison to the games that are released in the coming years.
iAvernus
Weren’t the first couple of games for the PS3 ok too? I mean they weren’t bad, but they weren’t great! With time they’ll make better games for the Move…I’m sure of it.
Carl
Does it come with the girls?
AG2297
http://www.thesixthaxis.com/2010/08/10/lunchtime-discussion-sex/
;)
nemesisND1derboy
Hahaha…Genius :P
matty
Nice article, seems like it all works as it should. Don’t think I’ll be getting it but good to see it’s alright. I like that you can control the xmb with it that’s pretty cool you don’t have to switch between controllers then.
I need to stop looking at the move logo and seeing it as an upside down Voi Jeans logo lol.
Peter Rushton
The only good games worth getting in first week imo are r.u.s.e, echochrome 2, sports champion ( which americans get free rather then a disc version of demos ( which will be on the psn store for free.. ) ) and then of course there are those games that will be recieving a free patch i.e lbp, heavy rain and flower :D
GameBoss01
Yeah. Here in America, We are not getting the demo disc replaced by Sports Champions! The Bundle comes with both Sports Champions and the demo disc :D
dude90
I still probably get the starter kit, but getting the full games will depend on my own experience with Move itself.
haz360
Brilliant little article, looking forward to future Move coverage from TSA :)
Glad to hear that the Move “feels” right, can’t wait to actually get my hands on one. For me, Sports Champions is the only “new” disk based game that appears worth getting. Resi 5 and Heavy Rain should get some extended play time in my house because of Move too, but I think the real winners at launch are going to be PSN titles like Echochrome 2 and Flight Control HD.
Looking forward to it regardless :)
nofi
The games are fine, don’t worry. We’ll have full reviews of them all on the 1st of September.
minerwilly
Realy enjoyed your in-depth preview of your thoughts Nofi. I’m definitely going to get the motion controller on day one and then if I enjoy it the sub-controller at some stage in the future . £29 quid isn’t too much of a risk to try it out even on my crap income !