The lights are on
Sony’s new Move controller is all the talk here at GDC 2010. Some are skeptical and others are quite excited. Sony is definitely chasing Nintendo with the Move’s imagery featuring the families having fun in nice living rooms. But what about the games themselves? Well, we took them all for a ride to see how they felt. While a lot of people have been making the joke “Wii HD”, there is more to the Move’s abilities. Read on for our impression of the games they showed at the event. Also, don’t miss our breakout on the Move version of SOCOM 4 and the interesting info we were able to unearth.
The ShootOne of the better demonstrations of the Move’s tracking ability came in the form of a simple rails shooter aptly titled The Shoot. The gameplay is fairly simple: shoot the bad guys. Set on a campy Hollywood style set, players are pitted against robots with destructible armor. One shot is only enough to tear that armor off. The more robots you kill in a row without missing, the higher your multiplier goes. There are also special moves which use motion gestures to perform attacks that help repel the oncoming robot attacks. The real star of The Shoot is how well the game controls. The tracking is very smooth without being overly sensitive. The developer seems to have nailed a balance that a majority of the Wii games only wish they had.
Move PartyEvery peripheral needs minigames! Move Party is one of Sony’s answer to the family fun factor that comes with the territory. Comprised of several games that all feature high speed action, the game really felt more like a goofy tech demo for the technology. That’s not to say that it wasn’t goofy fun or worked well. In fact, the game’s pace kept things moving fast enough that it was hard for boredom to set in. Some of the minigames we tried included cutting a the hair of a goofball cartoon, saving falling birds with a fan, squashing bugs, and painting. The painting, much like The Shoot, was a good demonstration of how stable and refined the controls can be. The bug squashing game really stood out as a great example of how the Move can track depth beyond the basic motion. You can actually see the forward and back movement reflected one-to-one on the screen. While the games may be uninspired, they showcase the Move’s abilities.
Sports Champions
Much like that “other” sports title on that “other” platform, Sports Champions is a collection of different active games that take full advantage of the Move’s abilities. Of the available games - archery, frisbee, table tennis, and Gladiator - we took a go at Gladiator. The game requires the use of two Move controllers, one for the weapon and the other for the shield. The game’s concept is simple: win the fight. Of all the Move games we tried, Gladiator felt like the weakest link. Winning was pretty easy and some of the tactics that one would assume would come in handy - like shield blocking and fancy weapon swings - weren’t all that necessary in the end.
Motion FighterOne of the most interesting hands-on demos at the Sony Move unveiling was Motion Fighter, a gritty street brawler. With one Move controller in each hand, we went toe-to-toe with a biker dude in a back alley. Keeping your hands up in a defensive position, subtly moving left to right creates a dodging motion. The rest of the fisticuffs are pretty self explanatory, with hooks, jabs, and uppercut motions delivering the corresponding attack. When things got rough, we reached into the dirty move trick bag, pulling off a headbutt by pushing in the triggers and moving forward. Motion Fighters will feature split-screen bouts, online fights, and a career mode that will unlock new finishing moves as you fight your way through the competition.Be sure to check out the GDC 2010 hub page for quick access to more news and hands-on impressions straight from the event in San Francisco, CA.
Sounds like the wii is pretty much done for. 'bout time :)
So is there going to be a bundle package that has two Moves? A lot of the tech demos that I've seen required two. I read on another site that there's going to be a bundle that has one Move, the psEye and an unknown game.
Let's be honest Davis, Mario alone will keep the Wii alive much longer than it needs to be.
I must admit I'm getting kind of excited about these. I wish they would have stuck with Arc though. It's much cooler sounding. They're hoping the same people who wasted money on Wii Fit will buy into this, but it's going to be hardcore gamers that will decide if this succeeds or flops
@EJStrat
That's what Sony said, you can find more info on it in our topped Move debut story
do you get two controllers in a pack for the games that require two, or do I need to fork over the money for the second one by itself?
I'm going to kill someone one if the PS3 turns into a little kid console like the Wii is. I think this is a really good idea for Sony, but if I hear another ten year old talking smack online or something.....I think I might go over to that kids house and throw his PS3 out the window. =^ D
Motion Fighter online play. I'm sold
I doubt very much that this will actually help sony take over nintendo. First of all the demographic that are naturally attracted to sony and nintendo are very different. Second these peripheals will be something extra you have to buy in addition to the playstation 3, making it a much more expensive option than the wii, and the people that buy the wii let price weigh in heavily when they do, as they are usually families buying them. I see this being about as popular as eye toy or something like that. I will say though it would be nice to see this technology paired up with the graphical power of the ps3 i just dont think it is enough for someone to top nintendo.
Looks pretty cool. I'll try it out.
Looks promising, but I just cannot get over the ridiculous ball on the end of the controller. Really Sony? Thing looks like a "personal massager".
I'd argue that this won't be a Wii killer. The Wii is already ingrained into households that most likely would only buy one console anyways. I doubt that those households will buy a PS3 for the same thing they are happy that the Wii has. They just don't think like that. If Sony focuses on taking households from the Wii I bet they'll be sorry with the results.
This is going to kill the wii. i think project natal is going to be way better though.
Besides "Move Party" every other game I'm looking forward to play. I own a Wii and 360 as well and Nintendo has some great games (if its made by Nintendo, Sega, Square Enix, Capcom, and EA Sports) every other game that was out is CRAP. Hopefully Sony notice that and are trying to appeal to more hardcore gamers out there. Games i would like to see that we can play with the "Move" (Still think that they should have called it the ARC) are: GOW3, Final Fantasy XIII, a new Kingdom Hearts game, Uncharted 1 and/or 2, Ratchet and Clank, Jak and Daxter, and other good games, heck even some from EA Sports as well. (I know there are other games) but still those or some in that list I see that are playable (or even just one), then Sony you got yourself a deal.
Motion Fighter looks pretty cool but I am baffled as to why you would have "finishing moves" when the game is based on your own movements. Wouldn't you just have to swing harder and faster? Looks like the buttons are going to be used quite a bit.
looks like sony sold out, sad.
awesome!! this does look like a Wii controller though.........haha
This looks not too bad. This looks like it could hold the PS3 over for a while, keeping that 10 year lifespan going. It's essentially turning the PS3 into a Wii HD, while allowing it to maintain its classic gameplay at the same time. The marketability is great. Let's just pray we don't get an abundance of party games akin to the Wii...
I have to say, I'm impressed. I thought the games for this peripheral would be gimmicky at best. But seeing The Shoot and Motion fighter changed my mind. I'm still a bit skeptical, but now I'm a little more assured about the Move
*insert the hype for the Wii from 4 years ago, relevant to 2010 tech standards*
As much as everyone preemptively, and then initially loved the Wii... it sure seems unfair that something with so much more precision and direction doesn't garner the same amount of love.