Sony’s Motion Controller seems to have the gaming community split. While some gamers welcome the addition of a new motion sensing controller, others state they want nothing to do with the device. The biggest feedback we’ve heard from you, our readers, is that the Motion Controller will not have anything to offer for hardcore gamers. We recently had a chance to speak with John Koller, Sony Computer Entertainment America’s director of hardware marketing, about what the more serious gamers can expect when the controller is released this fall.
While we were given some general information about the controller, Koller was not able to delve into specific unannounced titles that will be released when the controller is launched. However, he said, “The genres and game types launching for the Motion Control platform are amazingly diverse. Imagine using the Motion Controller as a sword, a gun, or even a wand or pen – the new controller tracks 1 to 1 to your body movements; it’s precise, yet fun – and has such intuitive controls that we think it will breathe new life into many well-established game genres as well as create new challenges for new ones.”
The idea of motion control has been around for quite some time – well before the Wii. In fact, if you look back to the EyeToy back in 2003, you can see some early examples of how players could physically interact with games. The EyeToy was as much for the non-gaming community as it was for the real, serious gamer.
“We’ve been working on motion control technology for quite some time now,” Koller said. “Looking back, EyeToy laid the groundwork for the amazing technology in the PlayStation Eye for PS3 and now, the new Motion Controller.”
The release of the controller was recently pushed back from a previous tentative spring time frame to fall. This new, later release date gives Sony the chance to make sure there are a variety of titles available at launch.
“We decided to have the Motion Controller launch in fall to ensure we are offering an exciting and varied line-up of software titles that will deliver the new entertainment experience to PS3 owners,” he said. “Again, the beauty of the Motion Controller technology is that it can offer that diverse range of content experiences – whether you’re a hardcore gamer or a social/casual gamer. It’s going to allow for a much broader range of content than available on other platforms.”
We already know games like LittleBigPlanet and Resident Evil 5 will have Motion Controller support, and we’ve heard from industry heads like Heavy Rain developer Quantic Dream’s David Cage voice interest in Sony’s new controller, but more specific motion control titles are still unknown. Support for motion controls for existing games like LBP and Flower will come from a patch (as will 3D support – but that’s for another interview).
“We are working hard to have a comprehensive portfolio of attractive and innovative games for the Motion Controller, not only from SCE Worldwide Studios but also from the third party developers and publishers. We’ll provide more details at a later time.”
So, for now we do not have specific titles; however, a comment from Koller certainly heightened our interest. In explaining the gameplay experience, he said since the Motion Controller is so precise, it will be great for games in a wide range of genres, including first-person shooters, fighting games, or adventure games. When you think about what an incredibly precise motion controller could do to games like Demon’s Souls, Resident Evil 5, Tekken 6, Hustle Kings, Pain, or even classic PSone titles (while that remains unlikely, we think it’d work well in games like Silent Hill or Tomb Raider), you can start to see the potential for it brining something new and fresh to the hardcore audience.
“Our primary goal in creating the Motion Controller technology was to finally allow players to feel completely immersed in a game,” said Koller. “Every movement the player makes is tracked in a 1 to 1 motion in real time to the character in the game. By combining the new Motion Controller with PlayStation Eye, it not only detects the precise natural and intuitive movements of the hands with the controller but also detects the absolute position of the controller in real-life space including its depth (distance) from the camera. The Motion Control is very precise while still being extremely fun, which is great for a wide range of genres, including first-person shooter, fighting or adventure games.”
We plan to bring you as much news about the Motion Controller as possible in the months leading to its release. Stay tuned for future interviews and features on what the controller will offer you.