The PlayStation Move Arrives — a Hands-On Report 185
itwbennett writes "The PlayStation Move hit retail stores on Friday and blogger Peter Smith spent the weekend putting it (and his shoulder) through its paces. So how does this motion controller compare to the Wii? Smith says it 'felt a lot more precise' but that 'there were instances where the depth perception of the camera got lost for a moment.' The bottom line: 'If you have a Wii and the Wii Motion Plus accessory, there isn't a whole lot here right now to justify $100-$170 worth of gear for most gamers.'"
CNET is similarly critical, complaining of the continual calibration requirements and the dearth of good launch titles. The Guardian's games blog agrees that quality games are currently lacking, but says the accuracy and responsiveness are a step up from the Wii, giving the Move a lot of potential. iFixit did a teardown, providing an interesting look at the hardware inside the device.
Is this a bad move for Sony? (Score:4, Funny)
We'll have to calibrate our polls to find out.
I'd be able to take the "Move" more seriously (Score:2)
There, I said it. Someone had to. Seriously, who designed this and instantly did not think "our customers will think this looks like a Dildo"? Were they trying to copy Nintendo's "Wii" (thanks capt. obvious) and who thought up the name, they must have put a whole 10 minutes work into that.
This comment was written on my Microsoft Type, computed on my AMD Process and not proof read using my Samsung See.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
we've had years of hardware improvements where the only difference between the prior and new generations has been better graphics. multi-player has always been there with the online factor only allowing you to play over the internet and without having your TV cut up into smaller boxes. but the basic play with the same controls has been around for decades.
motion gaming is a nice breath of fresh air and sometimes it seems like a catch-22. people here call for game devs to make something new and now that they
Re: (Score:2)
Though if the cost comes too close to the $170 end for the gear, that's just about as expensive as just buying the Wii in the first place.
Re: (Score:2)
You need the camera attachment ($40 new), the basic controller ($50 new), and if you're playing a game that needs a thumb stick for say movement, you need the other controller ($30). Thats before you buy any software at all.
There's a bundle with sports champs, but doesn't have the secondary controller, at $99. So.. you're pretty much at Wii prices for the Move. And you have all the downsides of bolted on accessories that have always plagued consoles. Required accessories further segment the market. Maybe th
Re: (Score:2)
I agree with you. I recieved the Move controller as an early birthday gift from my wife (Though I seriously suspect that she wanted them herself).
I know she paid the slightly expensive figure of £30 each for the controllers (we already had the Playstation eye). There was a Camera + move bundle for £45. She could have got it cheaper online, but she wanted me to have it as soon as possible. We didnt bother with the Navigation controller, and so far its not needed, it is only £22 anyway.
She a
Re: (Score:2)
It's not about the hardware. As long as they have a solid line-up of fun games to play with, it'll be a success.
oh well.
Re:Is this a bad move for Sony? (Score:2)
Yes. Bad move. Just give me a damn joystick, so when I push a button or shove the stick in a certain direction, it registers. I get extremely frustrated with the Wii's not registering my moves, and then I die. That is the opposite of fun - it's like we turned back the clock to the 1982 Atari SuperSystem/5200 with its shitty control (analog sticks and PacMan do not mix).
.
>>>motion control is a prime selling point for your most unique, successful competitor?
Just because Wii is number one doesn't
Re: (Score:2)
"Remember having to lick your carts just so they'd work?"
Nope, I just used a thin eraser and kept the damned contacts clean. Never once did I have to blow in or lick a cartridge.
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, motion control sucks because it has no clear-cut feedback (unlike a joystick or button or mouse or touchscreen). Don't believe me? Swipe your hand, and watch the guy onscreen punch. Then, swipe your hand again and watch him not punch.
What did you do differently? To you, it's like you performed the same movement, but to the game you performed two completely different moves, and one was just outside the control dead-zone. In fact, because humans are so inexact when it comes to movement, you have to
Re: (Score:2)
Gah I hate dead zones even on normal controllers, these motion controllers would probably enrage me to no end. Usually they manage to tune them down for serious racing games but sometimes not. Especially in GTA. You just can't ease around shallow curves you have to jerk your way through them. Wish game devs would allow them to be tuned, but then, most don't even let you fully customize your buttons.
Re: (Score:2)
this is the beauty of the Move, the "dead"zones are not as bad as the Wii. As long as the orb is visible to the EYE, it can track it (unlike the Wii where it has to point at the TV).
It only enters the dead zone when it can no longer be seen by the camera (behind yr back). However, the library does deadreckoning, and uses other sensors to still track it.
Re: (Score:2)
(Remember having to lick your carts just so they'd work?)
No.... I always thought you were a little out there, with your strange love of a crappy old computer, but I didn't know that your fetishes escaped your fevered Internet rantings...
Responsiveness (Score:2, Informative)
Not according to IGN.
Source: http://ps3.ig [ign.com]
Re:Responsiveness (Score:5, Insightful)
Which, given the 4 years since the Wii was released, is pretty poor.
By all accounts, the Move should blow the basic Wii controller out of the water and be at least par with the Motion Plus.
Re: (Score:2)
Having spent probably around a hundred hours using the Wii, I can say that for tracking one's motion, Move does blow the basic Wii controller out of the water, both in terms of accuracy and refresh rate. I have never used Motion Plus.
I played with friends' Wiis (how do you say that without inviting off-colour jokes?) but never bought my own because while I enjoy the motion control aspect for some games, I didn't like the frustratingly spotty tracking.
I've only had a few days with Move, of course, but so far
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
And it does. It's an extremely precise and accurate controller and the lag is not really noticeable. It is so accurate that the Start the Party game is able to overlay a sword / bat / etc exactly over the top of your camera image.
Whether this means anything in the long term is another matter.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Considering IGNs competence I would want to know if the TV or the Move system added this lag.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Considering IGNs competence I would want to know if the TV or the Move system added this lag.
If the lag is between the motion (top of the swing...) and the button, then it's not the TV.
whomever wrote that has no idea what a ms is (Score:2)
A millisecond delay? I'm sure there's more than a millisecond, given that it only draws a frame every 16ms at best.
As mentioned below, I'd love to know what TV IGN used, as other reviewers didn't mention this and your TV can add a lot of delay.
If this lag on button release is real, it's surely due to bad programming and not Move itself. Move is a bluetooth controller, same as a DualShock 3 (or a Wiimote for that matter). If DualShock 3 can detect and signal to the host a button release with no detectable la
buttons aren't motion control (Score:2)
He speaks of the lag of the release of the frisbee, which takes place when you release a button.
Buttons aren't motion control, there's no technical reason the buttons on this device should have any more lag than on a DualShock 3.
Re: (Score:2)
The statement was that there is button lag in frisbee. You assert there can't be button lag (note, you are replying with nothing other than "nuh uh"). For one, you haven't addressed the issue in question. You are asserting it "shouldn't" happen, not add
Re: (Score:2)
I've had a Wii since launch, have got the Wii Motion Plus addon and now own PS Move. Ironically, I don't actually like motion control; I guess I keep hoping that something will convince me of the benefits. Anyway, after a couple of days with the PS Move, my conclusions are as follows:
- The accuracy of the PS Move's tracking is a million miles better than the basic Wii-mote's, and still a long way ahead of Wii Motion Plus. This applies to both the accuracy of the motion tracking, and accuracy of the pointer.
Short version: No Games, Waste of Money (Score:2, Insightful)
Never forget the pris dork factor of waving those things around.
Having your parents buy this is a great way to ensure your virginity if you're a teen boy.
Re: (Score:2)
Never forget the pris dork factor of waving those things around.
Having your parents buy this is a great way to ensure your virginity if you're a teen boy.
Ah the bane of far too many teenage boys... thinking they have a clue what teenage girls think is cool or not cool.
Who is this for, really? (Score:5, Insightful)
The other end of the potential market would be people who already have a PS3 but really want Wii-like controls, but how many people does that segment represent? How many people who play Final Fantasy 28 on their PS3 finish playing that for 912 hours straight and then say "gee, I wish I could do Wii bowling on this console"?
The slightly cynical side of me wonders if this is just Sony trying to find a way to stick it to Nintendo (again) after the way that the SNES CD (later PS One) deal went down.
Re: (Score:2)
As a PS3 owner I am trying to figure out if I am better off buying Move or a Wii. In past generations I have owned all consoles but the MS one, mostly because Xbox and PS have very similar game types.
Re: (Score:2)
I too am a PS3 owner and I have the same question. The answer to our question is found in the games. Are there games for the PS3 that use the new controller? Are there games for the Wii that use the motion control? Ok then, there's the answer.
I still don't have any good 6-axis games for my PS3, despite the reasonably high quality of this controller.
Re: (Score:2)
Um...how about a Final Fantasy title where your arm is swinging, instead of just your thumbs...
Re: (Score:2)
No thanks. That's exactly why I stopped buying Wii titles (I have all three consoles). I tried one or two, and realized I really disliked motion control in the types of games I enjoy playing. Waggling your arm back and forth to slash your sword is entertaining for the first ten minutes. After ten hours of that, you're wishing you could just press a button.
I'm sure that motion control is great for some demographics, and could really have some specific titles that do great with it, like party games. I'm
Re: (Score:2)
After ten hours of that, you're wishing you could just press a button.
I get it. A game that actually involves physical activity makes it too much like physical activity for a gamer to enjoy.
I suppose adding a feature that slashes you open from glottis to groin when you fail to block your opponent is out of the question, then.
Re: (Score:2)
and how the current generation of PS fanboys that are becoming old will teach the new generation of fanboys if their children want a Wii?. Now seriously, Sony is just selling something to avoid that people that already have a PS3 go and buy a Wii
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
What if the question is: -
"Wii games can be pretty fun sometimes, especially with a few mates around having a laugh, but why can't we have something similar where the control scheme is a bit less dodgy, and the graphics don't suck ass?"
I'm pretty sure there's a fair few people asking that question.
Re: (Score:2)
"Wii games can be pretty fun sometimes, especially with a few mates around having a laugh, but why can't we have something similar where the control scheme is a bit less dodgy, and the graphics don't suck ass?"
If you are such a total snob for uber-high-res graphics that you would describe the display of the Wii as "suck ass" then you are simply not the target market for the Wii or its games, and you would likely never find anything from that library worth buying.
I'm pretty sure there's a fair few people asking that question.
They are probably only asking that question between long rounds of online play on their XBox360 or PS3 and would stop asking it once the next Halo, Gran Turismo, or Final Fantasy game comes out.
Re: (Score:2)
you are simply not the target market for the Wii or its games
Then why do I own a Wii, and a small collection of the better games for it? Why would I describe the Wii as fun, if I didn't even own one?
I don't own a PS3 either. Personally, I prefer to do my hardcore gaming on PC. But anyone who thinks there isn't a market for Wii-style party games with better graphics is deluding themselves. If you seriously think the only difference between Wii and PS3/Xbox/PC graphics is the resolution, I find it hard to believe you've spent any time gaming at all.
Re: (Score:2)
Then why do I own a Wii, and a small collection of the better games for it?
You are a very strange consumer, to intentionally buy a system whose graphics you previously described as
suck ass
I would never purchase a car for regular use whose handling or performance was "suck ass". I would never pay for an OS whose stability was "suck ass". So whether or not you intentionally went out and purchased a gaming system whose graphics, in your words, "suck ass", I don't know. Hell for all I know you might have a nuclear-powered BetaMax in your living room as well, and maybe a LaserDisc player
Re: (Score:2)
Good graphics != Fun
I bought a Wii because the games are fun. Graphics are not the be-all and end-all of gaming, they're just the icing on the cake.
If I can have an equal amount of fun but with great graphics too, all the better. I think there's a market for such a thing. If you don't, that's fine - neither of us own Sony shares (I assume), so it's not going to affect our lives too greatly.
Re: (Score:2)
If you are such a total snob for uber-high-res graphics that you would describe the display of the Wii as "suck ass" then you are simply not the target market for the Wii or its games, and you would likely never find anything from that library worth buying.
The display of the Wii does "suck ass". The least they could have done is include a scaler so we could have HD output, but frankly it has half-assed SD output anyway. Whether I connect it to my 52" Sharp Aquos or my 27" Philips POS, the colors are muddy and "swimmy" compared to any other console. Indeed, solid colors appear stippled and patterned! The Wii simply has shitty video output. Frankly, this has been a problem with every Nintendo console, and I've owned them all (including the Famicom.) I haven't r
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I'll be very interested to see if that does come about. It's something Nintendo have repeatedly denied, but that doesn't mean it isn't going to happen, of course.
Whether Sony (or Microsoft - hahahaha!) can make any inroads into the casual/party game market in the mean time remains to be seen.
I think there's probably some crossover point between casual and hardcore gaming, combining motion control with state of the art graphics, which could work really well. I don't know if the market agrees, however.
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, Sony has a habit of delivering answers to un-asked questions. Playstation Home and The Tester series are prime examples.*
The jury's still out about how well the controller performs for FPS's. MAG beta has Move support, but reviewers have had mixed responses to it.
Heavy Rain was (will be?) patched to support Move. I think that would be a fairly novel concept. Especially using essentially the same interface that the FBI agent has.
*Still waiting for Jet Moto and Colony Wars updates, Sony. Get on it! I do
Re: (Score:2)
The other end of the potential market would be people who already have a PS3 but really want Wii-like controls, but how many people does that segment represent? How many people who play Final Fantasy 28 on their PS3 finish playing that for 912 hours straight and then say "gee, I wish I could do Wii bowling on this console"?
There's two answers to that: not many (US) and many (Europe).
Consider this: Sony sold just 1.5 million copies of Singstar in the US, but over 16 million in Europe. Those are exactly the kind of gamers who will get a Move for their family or friend game nights.
Re: (Score:2)
Consider this: Sony sold just 1.5 million copies of Singstar in the US, but over 16 million in Europe. Those are exactly the kind of gamers who will get a Move for their family or friend game nights.
Except that Singstar is a game that often includes the microphone; no almost-$100 hardware investment (or more for multiple players) required. Getting people to buy into PS3 Move will not necessarily be so easy...
Re: (Score:2)
I keep thinking Sony has delivered an answer to a question nobody is asking.
I'm guessing it's because their -investors- are asking "Why did Sony spend all this money on a fancy console that isn't nearly as popular as a remote control you can wave around, and how can we get some of that money?" This is the same company that saw Nintendo was making motion controls, so they quickly said "hey, you can tilt our controller, so it has motion controls!" Sony's best and brightest seem to have retired somewhere during the last generation of consoles.
Re:Who is this for, really? (Score:4, Insightful)
The Wii is limited by the use of vectors rather than absolute positioning; whereas the PS Move is highly accurate in both minute and large movements.
People nowadays have a mentality that Wii = Casual games, therefore, Motion Controls = Casual games. What most people fail to understand (and I expected much more of the tech-savvy Slashdot users) is that the reason why motion controls has been associated with casual games is due to the lack of precision.
How many games on the Wii has successfully integrated motion control where you are actually moving your character's limbs/weapons in 1:1 precision? None (The new Zelda game didn't seem to be as accurate as the PS Move during the E3 2010 demonstration). Wii games, and most definitely, Kinect games, must be forgiving in design to account for the lack of precision; hence, the existence of causal games.
In terms of technology, PS Move is everything that we thought Wii can do when the Wii was first introduced. Who was disappointed when they first played Wii Boxing and found out that Wii is not 1:1? I sure did.
We all know that Kinect is all smoke-and-mirrors spewed out by Microsoft in order to trick uninformed users of what it can and can't do. The Kinect Star Wars demo will NEVER be the way that Microsoft has led the uninformed to believe due to Kinect's high latency and the software challenges associated with handling different body sizes and human movements.
PS Move, however, has highly accurate dynamic tracking (both slight and large movements) and will have amazingly accurate fighting games, lightsaber fights, etc, etc that is not possible on the Wii and especially Kinect. So to lump the PS Move with Wii bowling and base your opinion on previous motion control implementations is illogical.
Re: (Score:2)
PS Move, however, has highly accurate dynamic tracking (both slight and large movements) and will have amazingly accurate fighting games, lightsaber fights, etc, etc that is not possible on the Wii and especially Kinect.
That's funny, because the summary suggests that the PS Move is a pile of shit:
Smith says it 'felt a lot more precise' but that 'there were instances where the depth perception of the camera got lost for a moment.' The bottom line: 'If you have a Wii and the Wii Motion Plus accessory, there isn't a whole lot here right now to justify $100-$170 worth of gear for most gamers.'"
CNET is similarly critical, complaining of the continual calibration requirements
So it's highly accurate and dynamic (uh, if it's moti
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Who is this for, really? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
It's also that the PS3 includes a hard drive which allows for a lot of downloadable content! This makes a big difference in games like Guitar Hero/Rock Band, which I recommend getting for PS3 or Xbox, not for Wii. The stupid thing is, the Wii has USB ports, so it could easily add an external hard drive or flash memory.
I don't know what you do with your Wii, but it does have some internal storage capacity (albeit not a lot). That is how your system stores your Miis, amongst other things. If you were to download any virtual console or WiiWare games, they would go there; you can also add an SD card to it for more storage capacity.
Hence it really isn't fair to imply that there is no capability to download more stuff to the Wii out of the box; I have a few VC titles on my Wii and have yet to buy an SD card to put in it..
Re:Who is this for, really? (Score:4, Informative)
What makes you assume that? I only paid 40 bucks (well, euros, to be exact) for one Move controller so far, plus another 40 for Sports Champions, as I already owned the Eye camera peripheral. Alternatively, the starter set (comprising the cam, Move controller, and a demo disc) is being sold for 55 euros around here. If you consider Sports Champions essential for completing the PS3 'upgrade' to full Wii potential, you are still looking at less than 100 €/$.
If you walk out of the store with a bag containing the starter pack, another Move controller, two sidekick controllers (at 30 $ each), and Sports Champions, you will have paid around 195,-. You do the math for a Wii with Wiimote plus, additional Wiimote plus, and two nunchuck controllers yourself, please.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
I've got a Wii and a PS3. Even after the Move, the Wii remains the king of fucking expensive controllers.
Gotta have a Wiimote for each set, to be the body of your absurd controller-squid. $40. Now you've got a pointer, no analog stick, and you can turn it sideways and PRESTO CHANGO it turns in to the least ergonomic Nintendo game controller since the NES. Terrific.
So you're gonna need an analog stick, plus motion sensing for your other hand if you want to use any of the games that take advantage of that
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Thank you captain repeat what the post stated in an obvious manner.
Ugh (Score:2, Insightful)
Thanks, Sony. Thanks for adding to the overabundence of games with needless motion controls. All this will do is fragment the gaming world even more, while taking potentially good games and making them a waggle fest. [livingwithanerd.com] Nintendo already had this covered...you didn't have to step in with your overpriced hardware to saturate the market even further.
Re: (Score:2)
At least the waggle is an option.
New ideas and tech is nice, but I hate it when companies say, "this is the future, so we're doing it exclusively, now!"
Say what you will, but I have a PS3 because it really does a little of everything.
Re: (Score:2)
Say what you will, but I have a PS3 because it really does a little of everything.
Agreed! I'd just rather those R&D dollars go into furthering development of the console through firmware updates or obtaining new licenses for downloadable games, rather than a motion control scheme.
Re: (Score:2)
Uh, no...I enjoy the games available for the PS3, and I REALLY enjoy the PS3 hardware.
I'm talking specifically about the Move and its (so far announced/released) titles...not the PS3 itself.
Not a Wii HD (Score:5, Interesting)
I picked up the Move and EyePet on Friday. While Sports Champions is nothing more than Wii HD, EyePet proves the real power of the Move setup. This game will not be for everyone (but if you have kids, it is 100% amazing) but what it does is amazing. With augmented reality and seeing yourself on the screen the tracking has to be perfect or it will simply look wrong. At no point when my four year old has been using it has it missed a beat. On top of that, EyePet uses a lot of video feedback from the camera for things as well. The best example is when your pet falls asleep and it starts "dreaming" about things it has done with you. It stores recorded of things you did with the pet and plays them back in a dream bubble over the pets head.
If Sony can get more titles out like this that show how it isn't Wii HD, they will have something.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
You could probably get the kid a real pet for less.
Now that I have the smartassery out of the way, is this worth paying almost as much as a wii would cost?
I have a PS3 and am stuck between buying Move or a Wii.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
I did like those on the Cube quite a bit. In reality I will probably end up owning both eventually.
The Wii will play all Cube games right?
Sony really pissed me off that I have to keep both the PS2 and PS3 in the living room. I guess I should be happy I don't have to keep the PS1 out too.
Re: (Score:2)
Yes, it will. However, you need a GC controller and memory card.
This may be a surprise if you're used to the early PS3s, which use the PS3's hard drive to create virtual memory cards and use the normal SixAxis or DualShock 3 controllers.
Re: (Score:2)
Well I have a fairly nice wireless GC controller, wavebird would be better though and plenty of memory cards. That was a really underrated system
Re: (Score:2)
The Wii will play all Gamecube games BUT you have to buy the GC controllers. The ones that the Wii comes with will NOT play the GC games.
There's a GC slot along with 4 GC ports on the side of the Wii.
Re: (Score:2)
The Wii will play all Gamecube games [...]
:( Not Phantasy Star Online.
Re: (Score:2)
I use a Gamecube to Playstation 2 controller adapter - works flawlessly in Ikaruga.....
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
My kids already have three pets and they have most definitely cost more than the Move (crap, probably more than the PS3 + Move + TV combined!) ;)
But is it worth it? Not yet. The software that is currently there isn't enough to fully justify it or prove the platform. Having said that, I do believe it shows the potential to be awesome. Check out this trailer for EchoChrome 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Usn6eo9FeTM [youtube.com]
If Sony can get more interesting Move titles like this out, they will really have somethin
Re: (Score:2)
I was just kidding, I have a "free" cat that cost more than all that combined I am sure.
Thanks for the insight, I will get the Wii first then most likely.
Re: (Score:2)
1) I never played the Eye only version, so I can't really speak to that.
2) The tracking is simply fantastic. When the wand transforms into an object in hand it never has missed a beat for us.
3) My girls are 2 and 4. Both of them play with it just fine. My 4 year old of course does a better job with the stuff that requires more fine control, but the 2 year old enjoys it all the same.
Hope that helps.
Re: (Score:2)
Can you do Skype video chat with the Move's camera?
Because that could be a killer app over the Wii right there. Get a Blu-Ray player, game console, and a way to video chat with the grandparents, all in one package!
Right now, though, it looks like you're stuck with video chat to other PSN users, which makes that feature entirely useless. Which is strange, because the PSP comes with a Skype client, so it's not like it would be something entirely new to them.
And, hey, this isn't a new idea at all, tons of peop [playstation.com]
Re: (Score:2)
I hope slashdot becomes less popular. Maybe we can finally get rid of all the kids from digg that know nothing.
Re: (Score:2)
And they wonder why Slashdot is declining in popularity.
There might be something yet unexplained about proto-nerds faced with the seriousness of our discussion systems and news (yes, funny comments and all.) I have tried to pimp slashdot to a few geeks-in-training over the years in two different tech-support environments; mostly because I'd like to see them become more code-friendly. They're not digg users, like one child comment to yours considered. I tried to use how their looking up to me for being resourceful and tech-savvy when they needed experienced help
Gun Aim accuracy (Score:2)
So how does the gun aiming work ? Is it any good with the Move?
I hate the wii gun aiming. It does not calibrate at all. So you need to be a fixed distance from the screen for the best results.
And aiming from the hip where you move your hands in response to what you have on the screen works better than sight aiming where the cross hairs do not track the sights over the full screen.
Re: (Score:2)
Some Wii games do allow you to calibrate. For some insane reason the number of these games are few. The ones that have it allow you to look down the barrel of your plastic gun with great accuracy.
Re: (Score:2)
It helps if you load up with explosive rounds.
From a technical perspective... (Score:3, Interesting)
From a technical perspective, this is just such a pathetic response from sony to the motion controller game.
Sony used to be such an innovator (or so everyone tells me) but all I have seen from them for years is pisspoor effort after pisspoor effort. This is a particularly sad effort on their part.
Why do I say that?
From a motion tracking point of view, tracking a brightly colored ball is pretty much the simplest possible thing you can do. Check out this embedded system you could buy for $150 or so in 2002 that did it as a basic demo:
http://www.acroname.com/examples/10067/10067.html [acroname.com]
It was one of the first things I did when I learned how to use the OpenCV computer vision library. Its just pathetically easy to do. You basically max out the contrast, and any pixels still white are the bright spots. Go check out ball tracking or blob tracking videos on YouTube. Every college student with a class in MATLAB has probably learned how to do it from the ground up, without a library.
Meanwhile, Microsoft is creating Kinect, which combines multiple cameras to create depth and color maps of your living room and model your entire skeleton in real time. *That* is incredibly complex and extremely innovating!
It is just so sad that Sony is actually releasing this as a product. It is literally like someone said "Hey, we need to do something about the wii", and someone said, "okay, how can we do motion tracking the cheapest way?"
In fact, that's probably why they did it. Instead of putting an infrared tracking camera in each remote (like the Wii), they can just use one camera on the TV and just put LEDs in the remote. They probably did this first and foremost because it was cheap, and for no other reason. Its sad that a company that used to innovate is not just a cost-cutting me-too company. They didn't think about how to improve on the concept, or if it even made sense; they just copied it with the least cost they could.
-Taylor
Re:From a technical perspective... (Score:5, Funny)
I agree; that was a good call on Sony's part. Clever of them to find an easier way to do something than the competition.
Yeah, it's going to be hard to squeeze that kind of processing onto a console... Microsoft and their devs have their work cut out for them.
Totally! Choosing the cheap way actually allowed Sony to approach Nintendo's price point for once, and making it easy for the camera to track allows for excellent accuracy.
I think we have a lot in common. We should be friends.
Re: (Score:2)
I agree; that was a good call on Sony's part. Clever of them to find an easier way to do something than the competition.
Yeah, it's going to be hard to squeeze that kind of processing onto a console... Microsoft and their devs have their work cut out for them.
Totally! Choosing the cheap way actually allowed Sony to approach Nintendo's price point for once, and making it easy for the camera to track allows for excellent accuracy.
I think we have a lot in common. We should be friends.
You joke (well, and there is some seriousness there clearly), but if Sony doesn't provide a compelling reason for people to buy their product, their sales and profit will suffer. They may have saved a bit on manufacturing and development costs, but showing up to the motion tracking game 4 years after Nintendo and not even clearly beating them at that game just means current buyers have no reason to choose Sony - so they'll ultimately lose money.
They could have spent a bit more in development to secure a spo
Re: (Score:2)
"Yeah, it's going to be hard to squeeze that kind of processing onto a console... Microsoft and their devs have their work cut out for them."
Which is why it's done by the Kinect hardware, leaving the console free to handle game logic and simply interact with the controller(s) (Kinect etc.) as need be like it always has.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
The Move has 4 sensors:
1) Eye camera sensing the glowing ball.
2) accelerometer
3) gyroscope
4) magnetometer (3D compass)
It is the combination of all 4 of these that allows accurate tracking. There is no single sensor answer that gives a decent solution to the general tracking problem.
Re: (Score:2)
...
And I don't know if this was the cheapest way. It's coming mighty close the price of the Wii itself. Wouldn't Nintendo's method thusly be cheaper?
Cost and price are different. Sony's method probably costs them less to make than Nintendo's costs them, but Sony charges more. All that means is that Sony makes more profit.
-Taylor
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
It would seem harder to coordinate tracking of four balls flying around the room.
Nope. Sony applied the KISS principle here: The orbs on the end of the wand have RGB LEDs inside so they can differientate themselves by colour. It's actually pretty easy to track them.
Re: (Score:2)
Seven. I think it's limited to four PSM wands though.
Sorry Sony, but no. (Score:5, Interesting)
Scene: a couple of years from now:
Sony: We've decide that we are limiting your Move to only work within a 2 meter range of your TV.
Gamers: But what if my TV is bigger, and I need or want to be more than 2 meters from my TV?
Sony: Tough. We've decided that it makes sense for us to limit this. You WILL apply the update. You WILL be limited.
Gamers: But WHY?
Sony: The reason we are giving is that some players are abusing the ability to be more than 2 meters from the TV to cheat at games, or something.
Scene: Today.
Me: Sorry Sony, but you've screwed me once on my PS3. From here on out, I am NOT buying hardware from you. I will avoid buying new games. In fact, the only real money you are getting is what you get from my Blu-Ray purchases, which isn't much. You want me to buy this? Then stop taking features away from me that I bought and paid for, that you advertised, and that were a part of why I bought from you - indeed, give me those features BACK. Until then, I am not interested.
Truemotion From Sixense (Score:2)
No hands on demos! (Score:3, Interesting)
An E3 article I read said that the Sony Move would be released Sept 20th. A more recent article said Sept 17th. It seems that nobody was really sure of the true release date. There was even a kerfuffle about stores selling the Move too early. Why didn't Sony make this a solid release date?
There were *NO* commercials on television touting the new product. None! Did Sony's marketing Dept just not get the memo? Something like this should be HUGE, but there was NOTHING! I had to go looking for ads for it on youtube and the PSN bfore I saw it in use.
I visited 5 stores over the weekend looking for a REAL hands on demo, and found none. All the stores had the devices in stock, but none of them had a demo. Does Sony have absolutely no confidence in their product to have a demo of it so people could try it before they buy it? I wasn't about to buy a motion controller that I couldn't test first.
And the only game right now that supports it is some sports package... Just like Wii sports. Is that the only thing they can think of for motion control? Sports? It's pretty obvious what any motion controller would be good for: A lightsaber battle game! Maybe even a swashbuckling pirate game. Instead, we get... Archery. Yawn!
It seems that Sony released a product without being prepared to sell it. I'm not surprised that it got mixed reviews.
what ELSE does the camera "see"? (Score:2)
The camera that senses the controller has how much resolution?
Are its images restricted to a separate piece of hardware that isn't accessible to the console CPU?
If not, what else CAN access the images?
VG Cats got it right. (Score:2)
Originally about the Kinnect, but still applies to the Move.
Leo: "So, you're getting the new motion thing?"
Aeris: "Fuck no, I've already got a Wii."
Re: (Score:2)
Originally about the Kinnect, but still applies to the Move.
I guess you missed the first line of my post, eh?
Re:Wow (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Yes, it would be much better for the review to be about the first 10 minutes of using the device, that anyone could just try for themselves in the store anyway.
Rather than about the impressions after a weekend of using it, something that most people can't do without putting down the cash.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:It hit stores earlier... (Score:5, Funny)
That and it looks like you're swinging around a vibrator.
Re: (Score:2)
I was going to say, "add in the cost of Motion Plus". But last time I was at wallyworld they had them bundled with remotes for the same price the remotes used to be.
So yeah, Nintendo is still winning in terms of price. But I think Sony's banking on existing customers.
Re: (Score:2)
... it doesn't work very well, there aren't any games out for it yet, they're late to market and it looks like a sex toy for a Dalek.
You want *how* much? Nah, I'm going to go and buy a Wii, a 24" LCD TV, three extra Wiimotes, four nunchucks and a bunch of games for that kind of money.
Good idea. But the Wii's 480p graphics will look really blurry on that TV. The PS3 games would look way better.
Re:So, in short... (Score:4, Insightful)
Actually the hardware works extremely well and is getting high praise. The launch lineup runs the gamut from excellent to tacked on. As with any launch lineup, you pick and choose the best titles (Tumble, Sports Champions) or wait for the next wave.