Watch out, Wii -- your niche is about to get a little more crowded. Speaking at a press conference in Tokyo today, Sony boss Kazuo Hirai announced the eagerly awaited Playstation 3 Motion Controller will go on sale next spring.
Will this be enough to dethrone the Wii?
The device still doesn't have an official name -- it's just the "Motion Controller" for the time being -- but combined with the Playstation Eye camera, it will be able to track a user's face, voice, and body movements. Like the regular Playstation controller and the Wii's remote, it also packs rumble motors for force-feedback.
Looking rather like a cross between a black-finished Wii remote , a flashlight, and a Halloween prop, the controller is topped with a large spherical light, which can glow in multiple colors to give feedback to the player -- and serves as a highly visible marker to help the Playstation Eye camera keep track of your movements.
What games will use it? Glad you asked. Sony's flagship Motion Controller title will be a revamped version of this year's smash hit Resident Evil 5, updated with new controls and extra scenes. There's a suite of new 2010 games planned, too, including new versions of old favorites like Ape Escape, Echochrome, plus at least six additional Motion Controller games. Some existing titles -- including PAIN, Flower, and High Velocity Bowling -- will also be patched to support the new controller.
Will it be enough to tackle the dominance of the mighty Wii? Sony's in a strong position, posting healthy sales of the redesigned PS3 Slim in its first few weeks. But it's been Nintendo's software (like all-time best-seller Wii Sports and colossal success Wii Fit) that has really made the Wii's success stick. Can Sony produce an experience that'll match Wii Sports for approachability? We'll have to wait until next year to find out.
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Posted: 24 Sep 2009
