To nobody's surprise, Sony's delayed the launch of its PS3 motion controller to autumn 2010.
Sony Computer Entertainment said it's delayed the motion controller so that more games will be ready for launch, which now goes head-to-head with Microsoft's Natal at the end of the year.
The PS3 controller, when used with a special camera, detects the movement and location of the player's hand. Basically, it looks and sounds like an improved Wii Remote.
Yesterday a rumour emerged that the controller will be called 'Arc'.
With Sony and Microsoft going head-to-head again, it really is starting to feel like a console launch year, isn't it?
Should be an interesting battle for the casual market, later this year.
It's all going to depend on the games, from my perspective, rather than the technologies involved.
I wonder if consumers are going to be confused with the whole situation?
Personally, I still see the Wii easily outperforming both Sony and Microsofts efforts in the sales dept.
As for Sony and MS, it just depends on how many existing users take to motion control.
To me, it seems like there are more 360 fans interested in Natal, than PS3 fans interested in Arc(?). For the time being, at least.
That's my impression too. Also, I thought Sony's motion wand was called "Gem"? Guess they changed the name.
I just find the potential of Natal pretty limitless, provided they are able to jump some of the big technological hurdles related to it. And that is a big IF.
Arc will definitely be more precise, but it seems more confined to the sorts of games we see on the Wii - pure, single-input motion control.
all this is going to do is take focus off real games.
all motion efforts i've seen have been pretty shallow.
the wii software sales have been quite crap considering its 60m base. and seeing as sony and microsoft dont really make a profit on hardware, this motion ying is a false hope of glorious profits.
i dont want to stand up while gaming, let alone be waggling about. hope this crashes and burns so we can get back to proper gaming as soon as possible.
Is anyone else totally uninterested in the whole motion control palava? Call me a purist but i'll stick with the dualshock thanks
COMPLETELY uninterested.
I am, what I'd deem, as a "life long gamer", been gaming for 30 years, but this whole motion control thing is lost on me.
We got a free Wii last year as part of a mobile phone contract and I just really can't see the point in it, I can't ever see me using it, so its relagated to my daughters bedroom.
Over christmas, parents in law got a Wii, we were round there boxing day, and everyone was playing it, oooo isn't this fantastic, errr.....no, its rubbish.
I suspected this would happen as there has been very little seen of the games and next to no hype. On one hand it's good, as we might get better launch titles, but it also means they won't get the jump on Natal in terms of getting casuals to buy a PS3.
all this is going to do is take focus off real games.
all motion efforts i've seen have been pretty shallow.
the wii software sales have been quite crap considering its 60m base. and seeing as sony and microsoft dont really make a profit on hardware, this motion ying is a false hope of glorious profits.
i dont want to stand up while gaming, let alone be waggling about. hope this crashes and burns so we can get back to proper gaming as soon as possible.
I'm not so sure either will be a failure.
My reasoning being that if hardcore gamers for 360 and PS3 take to motion control, then surely it will be success?
Adventure and fps games would always sell well on 360 and PS3, especially with the choice of motion control, or not.
The big selling Wii games are Wiiplay, Wiisports and wiifit. Whose to say that Sony and Microsoft won't be just as successful with their casual games and build their casual fan base?
I'm not saying that would be the case, but it wouldn't surprise me if 3rd parties jumped from the Wii to the 360 and PS3.
the wii has been desserted by 3rd parties. their games generally flop. especially anything that isnt a gimmicky dance/party/keep fit game.
the wii doesnt have hardcore gamers mostly, so why would the hardcore ps3/360 crowd take to motion??
naughty dog have already said they arent interested. so thats sonys best adventure game out the window as far as motion is concerned.
the only successes on wii are the party games. and the wii has the best image for that. also you can bet as soon as natal/arc come out nintendo will slash the price to compete - its not like they will be out of pocket. its long overdue for a price cut. they make a healthy profit on what is a cheap peice of technology.
all this is going to do is take focus off real games.
all motion efforts i've seen have been pretty shallow.
the wii software sales have been quite crap considering its 60m base. and seeing as sony and microsoft dont really make a profit on hardware, this motion ying is a false hope of glorious profits.
i dont want to stand up while gaming, let alone be waggling about. hope this crashes and burns so we can get back to proper gaming as soon as possible.
I'm not so sure either will be a failure.
My reasoning being that if hardcore gamers for 360 and PS3 take to motion control, then surely it will be success?
Adventure and fps games would always sell well on 360 and PS3, especially with the choice of motion control, or not.
The big selling Wii games are Wiiplay, Wiisports and wiifit. Whose to say that Sony and Microsoft won't be just as successful with their casual games and build their casual fan base?
I'm not saying that would be the case, but it wouldn't surprise me if 3rd parties jumped from the Wii to the 360 and PS3.
Sounds plausible, and should that happen then it may galvanize Nintendo in to releasing a new console which could change the entire playing field if the console outperforms the current "next gen" consoles. Still, that's idle speculation on my part.
I have got a PS3, and I am pretty uninterested in this. Having said that, Natal seems better purely on the fact there is no controller. Looking much more forward to Bioshock2 =)
The current PS3 controller has motion sensors in it already and it's been nothing but a novelty, one that has worn off too.
Uncharted used it to throw grenades and it was so stupid that in Uncharted 2 it was taken out. It was kinda cool in Killzone 2 for a while but lets face it as far as I'm concerned hardcore gamers don't want or need this.
Sony has now tried this twice (eyetoy and motion in controller) and neither has taken off, I think Sony and Microsoft should just give up and concentrate on either making a new console OR make there current ones even better for the hardcore gamers.
The Wii is doing well, DEAL WITH IT! Don't just try and copy it.
To me, it seems like there are more 360 fans interested in Natal, than PS3 fans interested in Arc(?). For the time being, at least.
That's because of the cool swishing videos of menu navigation and auto signing in and the massive potential. But once it comes out and it's just casual games that it's used for most people won't be that interested in it.
Though the casual games could work for PS3 and 360 with 'hardcore' gamers buying the attachments as a cheap substitute for the Wii to use for a laugh.
The whole motion game thing is a fad ... popularised by the Wii.
You cant blame Sony or Microsoft for jumping on the band wagon but all these periperals will be used on Christmas day 2010 & be gathering dust by new years day 2011!
Don't care for motion controls, they are not as precise as normal controls, which is why I don't play my Wii very much. Unless this wand and Natal can improve on the current controllers for PS3/360 I don't want them. So far all I see is gimmicks that might have potential to be good in a few years time.
If they can get Nutella or Wandything working well in non casual games then I'm all for motion control.
If however it means that we'll get innundated with awful cheap bargin bin 'party games' whilst recieving only lazy support for triple A titles these devices are going to fail against the wii.
Nintendo can get away with that s**t because old people don't know any better and the wii is cheap, they aren't going to buy an expensive system and an expensive peripheral just so they can play whack-a-mole.
Not good for Sony!! Natal is gonna kill them, not because its a better product for games, but because it is very intriguing and people will want to see if it works, I hate Xbox, but will want to try it, if that means buying one, so be it.
Also MS marketing agency is gonna come out with something that is gonna kick the muppets Sony has to do there's.
The more I think about Natal, the more I feel it is gonna win the console Gen for MS.
Sony got rid of Sega and nearly Ninty by reposition their product through marketing. MS is gonna do the same thing with Sony, their marketing is so much better than theirs.
Sony if you are listening, you have not got a clue about marketing anymore, from being world changing to being absolute rubbish.
Be interesting to see US sales figures compared to the UK, cause the US ads were so much better.
well i'm looking forward to it. Pointer control is the closest thing you can get to mouse and keyboard on a console and the dual shock 3 is the biggest piece of s**t ever. so i welcome a new controller.
The only problem i have with the PS3 motion controller is that we haven't seen any games. Not even a proper tech demo really. aside from resi 5 which if the controls turn out anything like the wii will be awesome. Hopefully that'll change as the year progresses.
From the little i have seen though the one thing it really needs is some kind of analogue stick attatchment like the nunchuck just for comforts sake.
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