ONQ
09-25-2010, 21:22
Ripten Review: Playstation Move Starter Bundle
SEPTEMBER 25, 2010 12:19 PM DARREN MAULER COMMENTS
http://www.ripten.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Move_Review-600x527.jpg
Sony and the PlayStation 3 have fired their opening salvo in the motion control wars with The Playstation Move. While it will likely draw comparisons to the Nintendo Wii controller I would have to say that, by and large, it’s a different experience. It’s only natural to make this comparison as both technologies look and operate in a relatively similar fashion, but I will make this statement before I proceed with this review: The PlayStation Move clearly distinguishes itself from any previous attempt at motion control with dead on 1:1 precision that even Wii Motion Plus can’t match.
It’s only right to inform you that this is primarily a Playstation Move Starter Bundle hardware review.
Initial Impression:
At first impression the Playstation Move wand can initially look a little unsettling. While it’s similar in size to the Nintendo Wii, the major distinguishing feature is the golf ball sized orb at the head of the controller. This orb presents a unique look, which many initially ridiculed. Maybe it’s because I’ve grown accustomed to seeing photos over the last 15 months, but I had no problem with the controller’s appearance.
http://www.ripten.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/mc_large-620x-600x243.jpg
The rest of the controller is slick and form-fitting. The controller face features a large oval Move button, surrounded by small action buttons which correspond to the standard PlayStation controller face buttons, and a regular-sized PS button. The Move button is a welcome addition and it’s large size works well as the button is often used as an OK/Accept function. On the left and right sides of the Move controller lie the Select and Start buttons. Underneath is an analog trigger referred to as the “T” button. On the tail end of the controller is the wrist strap, USB port, and an extension port. If there is one flaw to point out, it would be that the location of the select and start buttons just never feel right and it can take a while to get accustomed to their placement.
The camera is the familiar Playstation Eye. It’s a relatively small camera that can be easily placed with minimal effort.
http://www.ripten.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/eye-e1285441126912.jpg
The Playstation Move Starter Bundle does not come with the Navigation controller and at this point it’s not that necessary. A common Dual-Shock controller can do the required job just fine.
Technology:
The PlayStation Move motion controller’s orb can glow in a of a full range of colors using RGB light-emitting diodes, based on the colors in the user environment captured by the PlayStation Eye webcam. This enables the Move to select an orb color that can be distinguished from the rest of the background. The colored light serves as an active marker, the position of which can be tracked along the image plane by the PlayStation Eye. The uniform spherical shape and known size of the light also allows the system to simply determine the controller’s distance from the PlayStation Eye through the light’s image size, thus enabling the controller’s position to be tracked in three dimensions with a high degree of precision and accuracy. The sphere-based distance calculation allows the controller to operate with a minimal amount of processing latency. A pair of inertial sensors inside the controller, a three-axis linear accelerometer and a three-axis angular rate sensor, are used to track rotation as well as overall motion. An internal magnetometer is also used for calibrating the controller’s orientation against the Earth’s magnetic field to help correct against cumulative error (drift) by the inertial sensors. The inertial sensors are also used in cases where camera tracking is insufficient, such as when the controller is off camera, even possibly behind a player’s back.
(Sorry, this techno talk made me sleepy too.)
PlayStation Move in Action:
How precise is the Move? Very Precise. As I said earlier, The Move does it’s job very well and easily performed any of the actions required to play Sports Champions. I found actions such as spiking a volleyball to a specific target on a volleyball court and putting a slice spin on a ping pong both rather easy and satisfying to accomplish.
Performance-wise the Move feels very accurate, but not to the point where extreme accuracy could get in the way of having fun. Sports Champions Archery makes for a great demonstration. While aiming arrows at targets one has to consider both the effects of gravity and how small natural movements can effect your arrow’s path. While it may not sound fun, Archery with the PlayStation Move is both a gratifying and enjoyable experience.
http://www.ripten.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Sports-Champions-archery-e1285438355450.jpg
While the Move recommends users stand over two meters away, I found it had no problem reading my actions from 4 feet away. This works fine for gamers like myself who game in, “Man-Caves” and probably don’t have 10 or more feet of extra cave space to spare.
You should be aware that the Move will need to calibrate before you start a game. It’s a minor inconvenience and the calibration helps ensure an optimized experience.
Much like the Wii, Move Motion control with games like Sports Champions have broad appeal. My girlfriend has never touched my Playstation 3, but had a blast playing Volleyball and Table Tennis with Move. One of my hardcore gaming friends who had never considered the Move, played with me for a few hours and although he acknowledged enjoying Sports Champions, he was more focused on the peripheral’s use with shooters like Killzone 3. Upon seeing its precision firsthand, he changed from critic to potential customer.
Verdict:
The PlayStation Move accomplishes everything Sony executives said it would: It provides an excellent precise 1:1 motion gaming experience for both hardcore and casual gamers. While it may draw criticism for lack of originality, Sony ensured a superior motion gaming experience from Day One.
PlayStation Move is not the Wii, and has actually been in development for quite a few years. Now it’s Sony’s turn to show what they have learned and release more “hardcore” games with interesting Move compatibility. At this point, it definitely seems that the PlayStation Move Hardware is up for the task. PlayStation Move is a winner.
Here’s The Rundown:
+ Perfect 1:1 precision gaming
+ Slick and form-fitting controller
- Need to calibrate before most games
- Start and Select buttons positioned awkwardly
http://www.ripten.com/2010/09/25/ripten-review-playstation-move-starter-bundle-mauler/
SEPTEMBER 25, 2010 12:19 PM DARREN MAULER COMMENTS
http://www.ripten.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Move_Review-600x527.jpg
Sony and the PlayStation 3 have fired their opening salvo in the motion control wars with The Playstation Move. While it will likely draw comparisons to the Nintendo Wii controller I would have to say that, by and large, it’s a different experience. It’s only natural to make this comparison as both technologies look and operate in a relatively similar fashion, but I will make this statement before I proceed with this review: The PlayStation Move clearly distinguishes itself from any previous attempt at motion control with dead on 1:1 precision that even Wii Motion Plus can’t match.
It’s only right to inform you that this is primarily a Playstation Move Starter Bundle hardware review.
Initial Impression:
At first impression the Playstation Move wand can initially look a little unsettling. While it’s similar in size to the Nintendo Wii, the major distinguishing feature is the golf ball sized orb at the head of the controller. This orb presents a unique look, which many initially ridiculed. Maybe it’s because I’ve grown accustomed to seeing photos over the last 15 months, but I had no problem with the controller’s appearance.
http://www.ripten.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/mc_large-620x-600x243.jpg
The rest of the controller is slick and form-fitting. The controller face features a large oval Move button, surrounded by small action buttons which correspond to the standard PlayStation controller face buttons, and a regular-sized PS button. The Move button is a welcome addition and it’s large size works well as the button is often used as an OK/Accept function. On the left and right sides of the Move controller lie the Select and Start buttons. Underneath is an analog trigger referred to as the “T” button. On the tail end of the controller is the wrist strap, USB port, and an extension port. If there is one flaw to point out, it would be that the location of the select and start buttons just never feel right and it can take a while to get accustomed to their placement.
The camera is the familiar Playstation Eye. It’s a relatively small camera that can be easily placed with minimal effort.
http://www.ripten.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/eye-e1285441126912.jpg
The Playstation Move Starter Bundle does not come with the Navigation controller and at this point it’s not that necessary. A common Dual-Shock controller can do the required job just fine.
Technology:
The PlayStation Move motion controller’s orb can glow in a of a full range of colors using RGB light-emitting diodes, based on the colors in the user environment captured by the PlayStation Eye webcam. This enables the Move to select an orb color that can be distinguished from the rest of the background. The colored light serves as an active marker, the position of which can be tracked along the image plane by the PlayStation Eye. The uniform spherical shape and known size of the light also allows the system to simply determine the controller’s distance from the PlayStation Eye through the light’s image size, thus enabling the controller’s position to be tracked in three dimensions with a high degree of precision and accuracy. The sphere-based distance calculation allows the controller to operate with a minimal amount of processing latency. A pair of inertial sensors inside the controller, a three-axis linear accelerometer and a three-axis angular rate sensor, are used to track rotation as well as overall motion. An internal magnetometer is also used for calibrating the controller’s orientation against the Earth’s magnetic field to help correct against cumulative error (drift) by the inertial sensors. The inertial sensors are also used in cases where camera tracking is insufficient, such as when the controller is off camera, even possibly behind a player’s back.
(Sorry, this techno talk made me sleepy too.)
PlayStation Move in Action:
How precise is the Move? Very Precise. As I said earlier, The Move does it’s job very well and easily performed any of the actions required to play Sports Champions. I found actions such as spiking a volleyball to a specific target on a volleyball court and putting a slice spin on a ping pong both rather easy and satisfying to accomplish.
Performance-wise the Move feels very accurate, but not to the point where extreme accuracy could get in the way of having fun. Sports Champions Archery makes for a great demonstration. While aiming arrows at targets one has to consider both the effects of gravity and how small natural movements can effect your arrow’s path. While it may not sound fun, Archery with the PlayStation Move is both a gratifying and enjoyable experience.
http://www.ripten.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Sports-Champions-archery-e1285438355450.jpg
While the Move recommends users stand over two meters away, I found it had no problem reading my actions from 4 feet away. This works fine for gamers like myself who game in, “Man-Caves” and probably don’t have 10 or more feet of extra cave space to spare.
You should be aware that the Move will need to calibrate before you start a game. It’s a minor inconvenience and the calibration helps ensure an optimized experience.
Much like the Wii, Move Motion control with games like Sports Champions have broad appeal. My girlfriend has never touched my Playstation 3, but had a blast playing Volleyball and Table Tennis with Move. One of my hardcore gaming friends who had never considered the Move, played with me for a few hours and although he acknowledged enjoying Sports Champions, he was more focused on the peripheral’s use with shooters like Killzone 3. Upon seeing its precision firsthand, he changed from critic to potential customer.
Verdict:
The PlayStation Move accomplishes everything Sony executives said it would: It provides an excellent precise 1:1 motion gaming experience for both hardcore and casual gamers. While it may draw criticism for lack of originality, Sony ensured a superior motion gaming experience from Day One.
PlayStation Move is not the Wii, and has actually been in development for quite a few years. Now it’s Sony’s turn to show what they have learned and release more “hardcore” games with interesting Move compatibility. At this point, it definitely seems that the PlayStation Move Hardware is up for the task. PlayStation Move is a winner.
Here’s The Rundown:
+ Perfect 1:1 precision gaming
+ Slick and form-fitting controller
- Need to calibrate before most games
- Start and Select buttons positioned awkwardly
http://www.ripten.com/2010/09/25/ripten-review-playstation-move-starter-bundle-mauler/