This week we’re talking about the five biggest moments in the PS3’s history – we’ve already talked about the introduction of trophies, and then covered the Slim revision – today let’s look back at PlayStation Move, and the tech demo at E3 2009.
Let’s be honest, Sony weren’t quite ready to show Move at E3 back then, but Microsoft had just demoed Kinect (or Natal, as it was) and rather than be left behind, SCEA wheeled out two blokes (one of which clearly couldn’t swing a bat) to show what the technology could do at a very early stage.
And everyone was blown away – sure, the games weren’t there (and wouldn’t be for some time) but this was some seriously impressive stuff. The core mechanics seem in the above conference demonstration found their way into final games years later, too, but it seems crazy that it took well over a year to come out.
Since the early excitement of late 2010 PlayStation Move has died down considerably, finding it’s undoubtedly impressive statistics more of a by-product for third parties, with first and second party support flagging somewhat. There are gems in the rough, mind, PixelJunk’s cursor-less 4am is a neat use in a very much non-game environment.
Wikipedia states that there are 107 Move compatible games – 46 are exclusive to the hardware, with 61 featuring Move support despite those games being multi-format. Those aren’t bad numbers, but Move didn’t really click sales wise like Kinect did. Poorer marketing, poorer games, or was it just a little bit too geeky and fiddly for a family audience?
The accuracy of the device is staggering, though, with launch title Tumble perhaps making the best of Move’s precision and detail – inertia sensors, accelerometer and a rate sensor ensure that your every move is tracked 1:1, and the Eyetoy camera based 3D depth really threatened to revolutionise motion control.
The revolution never really came, but that first outing three years ago was amazing, and Sony haven’t given up on Move yet – Sorcery released recently, PSN titles are still pushing it now and again and we’re hopeful that something might appear at E3 this year that really, finally shows off what PlayStation Move can do…
Taylor Made
I have 2 moves & a nav the day it came out was the best day played sports champion til my arms got sore, a week later never used it again.
Nice toy though the accuracy was on point shame Sony didn’t do much with it to make it stand out rather than look like a wii gimmick
cc_star
Loved Sports Champions, Table Tennis, Bocce & the fine control should have been the starting point to something awesome.
cc_star
Seemed hastily put together to me, obviously a reaction to Kinect reveal.
Move sold itself though, the tech was & is amazing, but if only Sorcery was the start rather than a slightly disappointing middle & that Sony had rammed Move home like MS has done with Kinect with a reasonably consistent stream of big name licences like Star Wars, Sesame Street, Disneyland & now Harry Potter.
Shame that Sony didn’t task Naughty Dog, Guerrilla & Evolution with making a quality Move exclusive game, with that talent & the undoubted Move tech it would have been a huge unqualified success rather than a meh optional extra with a few highlights.
Wish Richard Marks Move demos were available to download, I’d have loved to have messed around with those.
bmg_123
I still long for the Ducks tech demo from 2005…
cc_star
That would be great… my kids would love it.
JesseDeya
Have you thought about seeing a therapist? You have this love/hate relationship with Move bordering on obsessive.
And these points… do you just have them permanently in your clipboard ready to paste every time anything Move related is posted?
cc_star
As is your endless stream of replies to my comments about Move.
Sympozium
Hey now be nice.
Cutter.T
Apparently London Studios were working on one. (Leaked via Jobs were ‘motion control skills’ were required for a AAA game) It got cancelled though apparently. Although on the day of the Sorcery Reveal, YOSP on twitter (the president of WWS) said that a game called ‘from dawn’ was still in the works. (A survival horror game which was shown in the gamescom reel from after that E3.
cc_star
Would be great to see.
Wonder how many projects have been ‘rested’ that might have come to light if they got the tech in more people’s homes
ThoughtPolice
This comment is WHY TSA editorial sucks so badly. Clearly utterly clueless.
The PS Move wasn’t “rushed together”, it predates the Nintendo Wii controller by several years.
Year head idiots claiming Sony copied Nintendo all the time, but to hear it from a so called tech writer is rather depressing to say the least.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv_hNrTw_t4
I hear TakeABreak magazine is advertising for writers, perhaps you might be more suited.
cc_star
We’re talking about the presentation being a reaction not the tech itself. I know about the tech & the history of it, thankyou very much.
Sympozium
You missed the point.
bmg_123
After seeing that demo I really wanted a move, with games that implemented that accuracy, but since that never came, then I never even considered buying one. Although LittleBigPlanet’s implementation has tempted me a little.
tactical20
Impressive technology, poorly implemented. But then I think most of us called that as soon as we saw this demo.
Jakster123x
I remember being amazed by the demo and bought a Move pretty much at launch. Good tech, but no killer app quite yet.
BLAGGER
I dunno I actually like my move (the nav controller has been redundant) but game wise I’ve certainly enjoyed, House of the Dead :Overkill, Flight ControlHD, Auditorium HD, Child of Eden, Datura (despite feeling broken) and more recently Pixeljunk 4am which has been my game of choice for the last couple of weeks, but Move just for Moves sake sucks! (I’m looking at you Killzone 3 with your campaign feeling more like an onrail shooter!)
BLAGGER
sorry about poor spacing of words, I recently smashed up my keyboard due to it being shit…..now it’s worse!
wonkey-willy
funny as ive just traded my move and games in for a wii
never really got any use in our house,even the kids didnt play it
Sympozium
The software wasn’t really great then I got it again for LBP 2 which was annoying at Create.
Really its meant for groups not single which is the problem with Move for me.
Sympozium
oops. wrong guy?
TSBonyman
I would like to have seen something developed from the Endgadget Move demo, but Tumble and Sports Champs are great and it’s also fun for parties/groups. Admittedly i don’t use it as often as i did when it launched but i have started using it again for Pixeljunk 4am, which is quite good!
BLAGGER
Pixeljunk 4am is the way forward! :)
Foxhound_Solid
Killzone 3, sharpshooter, move, too much fun….