PlayStation Move is an upcoming motion-sensing game controller platform for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) video game console by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). Based on a handheld motion controller wand, PlayStation Move uses the PlayStation Eye camera to track the wand's position, and inertial sensors in the wand to detect its motion. First revealed on June 2, 2009,[2] PlayStation Move is slated for launch in the PAL region and most Asian markets on September 15, 2010, in North America on September 19, 2010, and in Japan on October 21, 2010.[1] Hardware available at launch includes the main PlayStation Move motion controller, a supplementary PlayStation Move navigation controller, and an optional PlayStation Move charging station[3] It will compete with the Wii Remote with Wii MotionPlus and Kinect (previously known as Natal) motion control systems for the Wii and Xbox 360 home consoles, respectively.
With Microsoft Kinect and Nintendo 3DS dominating the E3 headlines, it is perhaps too easy to overlook the strong showing of PlayStation Move at the industry's showpiece event.
The launch line-up of games is looking impressive: bespoke Move titles like Start the Party are genuinely great fun, previous hits like Heavy Rain are getting the upgrade treatment with well-realised interface implementations, while forthcoming heavy-hitters from Sony such as Killzone 3, Gran Turismo 5 and LittleBigPlanet 2 are all slated to support the new hardware.
While Move doesn't have the sci-fi allure of Kinect, the foundations of its basic design are extremely strong, and its performance in terms of precision and latency is best-in-class. There's also the device's basic flexibility: Move can "do" gesture-based games similar to Harmonix's excellent Kinect title, Dance Central. The E3 unveiling of the accomplished SingStar Dance proved that while full-body scanning can't be achieved, the overall effect turns out to be much the same.
Moreover, unlike Kinect, core titles can be easily supported. SOCOM 4 demonstrated that Move adds genuine value to a tactical shooter in a way that simply couldn't be implemented on the competing HD motion controller, providing a naturally intuitive interface that we found to be markedly superior to the standard DualShock setup.
However, it's fair to say that reception to PlayStation Move hasn't been uniformly positive. There's a train of thought that suggests perhaps Move doesn't offer enough to differentiate it from the Wii remote, that the accuracy and performance it represents isn't the hook required to bring the casual audience to the PlayStation 3.
