Sony’s plans to make the PlayStation Move controller a PC peripheral have been prematurely outed, after references to the “Move Server project” were included in a Game Developers Conference 2011 schedule. According to the description, Game Systems and Developer Support head John McCutchan will be discussing PC software development for Move at a GDC talk later this month.
McCutchan will be revealing the “Move Server project that will make it possible for academics and hobbyists to develop software using the PlayStation Move controller on their own PCs” as well as looking at how the Move Shooter accessory can be accommodated. The project appears to be Sony’s attempt to kick start sanctioned hacking of the Move, perhaps in similar ways to how we’ve seen Microsoft’s Kinect and, before then, Nintendo’s Wii used in non-standard ways.
VUDU has announced that the new 2.0 interface is going out today to most VUDU-enabled HDTVs and Blu-Ray players, as well as PS3 and Boxee Box users. The updated interface speeds access to movies as well as introducing recommendations based on viewing history; in an imminent update, PS3 users will also be able to navigate the UI via their Move controller.
There’s also a social feed and enhanced search functionality, and VUDU is using a cloud-based system that should make future updates to the interface more immediate. Those with VIZIO TVs and Samsung devices should eventually get the new 2.0 interface, with VUDU saying it expects the update to roll out to those TVs and devices soon.
While Microsoft may have the momentum on their side, Sony is definitely not showing any signs of stepping out of the motion-based gaming market any time soon. Especially with the number of PlayStation Move units the company sold since its release, back in September. While Microsoft’s Kinect’s numbers may be impressive, Sony’s are, too.
However, unlike those initial sales figures we saw back in the middle of October, which just focused on Europe and the United States, these new numbers from Sony are on the global side. It factors in the number of Move units sold worldwide, and it looks like Sony is satisfied with the results. According to the company, they managed to move 4.1 million units. That boils down to just under one Move unit sold for every PlayStation 3 console out there.
With numbers like this, and seeing just as much strength from Kinect’s sales figues, it wouldn’t be a surprise to hear that game developers will now take the leap into motion gaming, and start cranking out titles.
Sony has warned of worldwide stock shortages of its Move controller for PS3, with senior marketing VP Peter Dille claiming that the shortfall will likely last into Q1 2011. “We have a catch-up problem in all three territories that will last until January or February” the exec told VentureBeat, admitting that Sony misjudged potential demand for the Move controllers.
The mistake, it seems, was prompted by slumping games sales this year – down 8-percent compared to 2009 – and shopping patterns observed in the run up to the last holiday season. Then, consumers had waited longer before buying games hardware, something that doesn’t appear to be happening this time around says Dille. No official Move sales stats have been released, but the company said it had shipped 1m to stores in the first month of availability.
The 320GB version of the PlayStation 3 isn’t all that new. It’s been included in the Move bundle since the launch of the motion-based peripheral and camera. But, Sony apparently believes that while the Move bundle is the best way to go, they want to at least give the option for a Move-less console for anyone out there who doesn’t want to get off their couch.
Sony has announced that the new console, which will feature a 320GB hard drive, access to Netflix, and all of the standard issue items in the box, is already heading into stores. Of course, the main takeaway of the pricing here, which is $350, is that Sony is taking great strides to subsidize the price of the Move peripherals. You can get the 320GB PlayStation 3 Move Bundle, which includes the camera, one controller, and Sports Champions game, as well as the console, all for $400 right now.
When you look at it that way, spending the extra $50 to get more hardware, and a free game, is obviously a deal in of itself. But, if you look at the $300 for the 160GB, you’ll be getting double the storage capacity for just $50. So, if you’re trying to talk a loved one into the fact that you have to have this console, at least now you know how to bring it up in conversation. Keep your eyes open at your local electronics retailer, as the console should be landing in stores soon enough.
Sony has announced that in the first 30 days of the PlayStation 3 Move controller being on sale, it has sold 2.5 million of them. That’s 1 million controllers in the USA and Canada and 1.5 million controllers in Europe, and that’s not counting any of Asia, where the item has not yet been released. This strange wand of mighty power sells for around $50 USD and allows players to control their actions in Playstation 3 games with the actions of their arm.
The 2.5 million number across the nations comes from the LA Times, while Reuters, focusing more on the stateside story, hears Jack Tretton, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America, say that supply still isn’t meeting demand: “We had to go back and increase production twice, we’re absolutely maxed out right now,” Tretton said.
John Koller, director of hardware marketing for Sony’s PlayStation business in Foster City, California, thinks sales are so high due to the fabulous games already available on the market (like EyePets, Time Crisis: Razing Storm, and Start the Party.) The number 1 million in the USA is quite significant as less than a week ago, sales seemed to fall short of expectation in the USA at 300,000. Not so bad anymore, yes? I’m guessing the whole of Asia will add more than significantly to these numbers very soon as their sales post in the coming weeks.
Even before Sony’s PlayStation Move went on sale, there were already enough bundles to satiate most consumers. Ranging from a full bundle with a PlayStation 3 included, all the way down to just getting your hands on one of the Move controllers, they covered the gamut of included accessories and features. But, the company obviously has more up their sleeve, as they’ve just announced the EyePet bundle. This one, though, is only going to be sold in Toys “R” Us stores across the United State and Canada.
This bundle won’t include a PlayStation 3, so you’ll already want to own the console. But it does include one EyePet game, one PlayStation Eye camera, and one PlayStation Move Motion controller. Sony’s calling it another PlayStation Move Starter Kit, but there’s no word on whether or not you’ll find any demos of other Move titles inside the box.
As far as pricing and availability go, you’ll be able to pick up the EyePet bundle in participating Toys “R” Us stores in the United States and Canada beginning on September 24th, and it will run you $99.99. If Sony already has their Sports Champions Move game included in one bundle, and now EyePet in another, we’re curious to see if the company releases other bundles with other games included. That would definitely be one way to get new customers.
Sony’s PlayStation Move motion controller hit shelves last week, just in time to suffer indignity at the hands of iFixit. They promptly tore down the controller, finding it surprisingly easy to open up and – with the exception of a couple of soldered components – promising for later hacks, repairs and general tinkering.
For instance, the whole thing is held together with just a few regular Phillips screws, and the illuminated ball simply lifts off after that. Sony has used a heatsink with the LEDs, which should prolong their lifespan, and the battery is hooked up via a connector rather than soldered. Unfortunately the same can’t be said for the vibration motor, which is fixed to the mainboard. More on the PlayStation Move here.
Unfortunately, while the core systems are available, some of the accessories aren’t quite ready to ship yet. The endearing retro-styled raygun controller – aka the PlayStation Move Shooting Attachment – is up for $19.99 preorder and won’t ship until October 26th. Sony’s own Move charging station is available – at $29.99 – but third-party versions like the CTA double-charger won’t arrive until the end of the month.
I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t like playing with the Nintendo Wii all that often. I realize that Nintendo fans won’t like to hear that, and I understand why they enjoy using the console, but for me, tossing my hand around while holding a remote just doesn’t add much gaming value. Plus, the console is inundated with games for kids that just don’t appeal to me.
But when Sony announced that it would be delivering the PlayStation Move, and Microsoft offered up the Kinect, I thought that my issues with the Wii would be forgotten. I figured that both devices would deliver a far more viable experience than anything Nintendo could muster.
And so far, without actually playing with either motion service, I’d have to say that the chances of Kinect and Move appealing to me more than the Wii are quite good. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t see issues in either platform.
On the Move side, I just don’t like having to hold something to control movement on-screen. I understand that it’s a technique that worked well for Nintendo, and investing in a Kinect-like experience might be a tall order for Sony, but I don’t like it. That said, I’m a little hopeful that the Move will deliver a better gaming experience, thanks to some more sophisticated titles reportedly supporting it, like Killzone 3.
With Kinect, I’m more intrigued. Having the ability to control characters without holding anything really appeals to me. And although I’ll probably be forced to move around the room more than I would like, the prospect of Kinect totally blowing away the Wii and the PlayStation Move seems great.
But for all the good that I see from Kinect and Move, I already feel that, once again, the motion-gaming market has betrayed me. At E3 earlier this year, Microsoft showed off Kinectimals — a title that lets gamers become “friends” with animals. The company will also be selling Kinect Sports, Dance Central, and several other decidedly casual titles at launch.
Although the PlayStation Move looks to have a better selection of games for the hardcore fans out there, I’m drawn back to holding the Move controller. I just don’t like the experience. And I doubt that it will be so much better than the Wii’s that I will be all that impressed.
So, as I sit here and wonder what my future gaming experience will be like, I find that motion gaming has failed me. At this point, none of my options deliver everything I want. The PlayStation Move has that controller. The Kinect, at least out of the gate, will seemingly focus on casual games. And the Wii, well, the Wii just doesn’t do it for me.
I’m hoping to say something different a year from now after I’ve had a chance to fully immerse myself in the various motion-gaming environments that will come my way. But right now, I’m sorry to say that motion gaming doesn’t excite me the way I wish it did.
