Why Sports Champions is the perfect introduction to the PlayStation Move
- Posted September 11th, 2010 at 21:26 EDT by Adam Dolge
- 18 Comments
I am not ashamed to admit I own a Wii. I bought one after playing countless hours of Wii Sports with my brother and his two little kids. The problem with the Wii is there is very little lasting appeal after the novelty wears off. With Sony’s motion controller coming out soon, many wonder if the Move will encounter the same ‘play it once and forget it’ fate.
Only time will tell how well Move and Microsoft’s Kinnect will do, but there is one thing that became very clear to me after playing around with Sony’s motion controller: Sports Champions is the perfect introduction to Move.
On the surface, it may seem like Sports Champions is the Move’s equivalent of Wii Sports (there are plenty of similarities), but if you dig a bit deeper you’ll find that the game is quite engaging and has that PS3 flair we all love. Sports Champions introduces you to the power, precision, and unique abilities of Move through a series of mini-sports games. Those mini-games include Table Tennis, Archery, Disc Golf, Beach Volleyball, Gladiator Duel, and Bocce.
The graphics are clean and crisp, just as you’d imagine on the PS3, and the ambient audio is very realistic. Developed by Zindagi Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, this will without a doubt be the first game many will own for their new Move controllers. For the most part, they’ll own the game because it comes bundled with a Move pack and a PS3 move and console bundle. Beyond the obvious bundled options, Sports Champions is the quickest, easiest, and best first experience you will likely find with Move.
As you likely know, Move offers a precise take on motion controls. Instead of only tracking the controller’s movement from left to right, up or down, the PlayStation Eye can tell if you move the controller closer to the TV, or you move further away. This feature is implemented quite well with games like Archery, and there were only a few occasions (mostly with Table Tennis, sadly) that the depth sensitivity felt a little too sensitive. Overall, the PS Eye tracks the Move controller so well that the slightest tilt in your wrist is picked up—that’s for better or worse, especially in Disc Golf.
The Move’s ultra-sensitive motion detection is utilized perfectly in Sports Champions. Even if there are times it feels too precise, the game itself makes up for any of your small mistakes, meaning you won’t spend a lot of time frustrated that you moved your hands too high to block a spike in a match of Beach Volleyball. It’s not a perfect game or design, but it is a perfect introduction for new Move owners.
I’ve played through all the different mini-sports games, and there are definitely some great games, and some fair games. Everyone will have an opinion on what the best mini-game is in Sports Champions, and while I personally have to side with Beach Volleyball (I never thought I’d say that), all the other games (with the exception of Archery, maybe) are extremely fun to play and easy to learn.
The game is, without a doubt, a casual game, a family-friendly game, and will likely sell accordingly. But since the game will cost about $40 USD, even real hardcore gamers may spend their hard-earned cash to see what all the fun is about. This is not the kind of game you will want to spend an entire Saturday afternoon playing non-stop, but it is the kind of game you’ll want to play on a Friday night after school with your friends, or at a party. I can’t say I tried playing while inebriated, but I could see Sports Champions as the center attraction at a party with some friends a few brews deep.
Look for a full review of Sports Champions soon, and look for some additional video demonstrations.
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Comments
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Grim_Dicer
- 4:38pm EDT - September 11th, 2010
- 1
Another wii game that Sony has opted to copy from Nintendo *yawn* Give us something that isn't Nintendo-like please
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RSDHALIWAL94
- 4:48pm EDT - September 11th, 2010
- 2
wii is simply finished. i own 1, biggest waste of money
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JustinPinter
- 5:05pm EDT - September 11th, 2010
- 3
@ Grim_Dicer
Just so that you are informed, Sony began work on 3D gaming, Blu-ray, and motion controllers long before the PS3 launched...including the Wii. The PlayStation Move has been part of their product strategy since the beginning, launching mid-lifespan alongside 3D support to further lengthen the PS3's growth.
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Mildew23
- 5:32pm EDT - September 11th, 2010
- 4
how can something be too precise? I mean i can see it maybe being a little annoying to find out you can't play the game well because you can't just swing around like on wii, but is that really a down side to the product. i mean isn't that what sony has been pushing for the last half of the year
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hvnlyswrd08
- 5:54pm EDT - September 11th, 2010
- 5
Too precise? Haha I guess thats better than not precise enough. Great article, I can't wait to play with friends and family.
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edward_moffet
- 6:34pm EDT - September 11th, 2010
- 6
This is what I expected. Good job PSU, this isn't meant to be Move's killer app it's a fun collection that's meant to give users a taste of what the Move can do, it isn't the main course, it's a sampler platter, still tasty though.
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nimer55
- 9:22pm EDT - September 11th, 2010
- 10
My main problem isn't the $40, or even the $100. My problem is that some games require to move controllers, some require one move, and one sub.
Meaning:
I need to buy the kit at $100. Then a move controller, and a sub controller at $80 combined to be able to fully enjoy all 1 player games. that's $180.Then for a second player I need to buy two move controllers, and one sub controller, giving it a combined price of $130. Combined with the original it makes it $310.
(if i'm missing something, please let me know, cause I want to have move, but it's not worth $310 to me anymore. 2-3 years ago I maybe would of, today I won't.)
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adamdolge
- 11:11pm EDT - September 11th, 2010
- 11
@10 - In the review kit Sony sent off, there are five games and they all only require 1 move controller. But it's true that it will cost a bunch of money if you need the Eye and have people to play with. You can use your normal controller for the sub controller.
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B4yron
- 5:29am EDT - September 12th, 2010
- 13
1) Do you use the sub controller for Sports Champions, and if yes what is it used for?
2) Does the archery require 2 move controllers and if not how does it work with just 1?
I was thinking about getting the starter kit + 1 extra move controller, but I'd like to know if the sub controller is needed for anything in Sports Champions.
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princevegeta1980
- 5:38am EDT - September 12th, 2010
- 14
I'd like to know what the difference is between "sports champion" that is bundled with move in the U.S and the "demo disk" which is bundled in the E.U with move? I think on this part we're being ripped off in europe! am I wrong?
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PS3 John
- 8:51am EST - January 6th, 2012
- 18
Sports Champions is not only a great starter game, I think it's a great game! I find disc golf and Bocce Ball absolutely addicting! Get a few people over, crack open a few beers... It's a good time.
B4yron, it's been awhile since you asked, but no, you don't need more than one controller for Sports Champions. You can utilize more than one in some of the games (such as archery), but it's not requred.
The Move is proving to be a great interactive system, and has some good games coming along in 2012. Check out the list of PS3 Move Games for 2012. My Christmas wish... Sports Champions 2 was on it! Please consider developing it!
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