PlayStation 3 motion-sensing controller to be shown off at E3?

It's now just over a month before Sony's E3 press event and already the rumor mill is aflutter with what the comapny's planning to debut on stage. We've already heard about PSP's apparent makeover, and now comes word from Variety that the PlayStation 3's oft-rumored motion sensing controller, closer in the vein of the Wii remote than of its relative-positioning Sixaxis pad, will be getting some time on stage. A source from Kombo late last month suggested key third-party developers have already been brought up to speed and asked to implement the functionality into their upcoming titles. Like we said, this isn't the first time we've been down this road, and it's not happened infinitely more times than has, so... take that as you will. Brace yourself, this is only the beginning of the of a flurry of game-related murmurs and speculation in the leadup to next month's conference.

Read - Variety
Read - Kombo

[Uncontrol @ May 1st 2009 1:42AM]

The Playstation 3 really should've shipped with a motion-sensing controller.

[deanb @ May 1st 2009 1:49AM]

Your Sixaxis not work?

[Uncontrol @ May 1st 2009 5:36AM]

I thought to myself, "No way ... no way would anyone actually believe I wasn't aware of the Sixaxis. I'm going to be called out on this obvious trolling attempt."

Yet, here we are.

[霽月瀛台 @ May 1st 2009 10:31AM]

It looks identical to a Wiimote.
Is the out looking of Wiimote patented?

[Frankenstein Black @ May 1st 2009 11:26AM]

Exactly and this will finally prove what I have been saying since day one of the next gen console warz and that is, the Wii and its control function IS A PERIPHERAL AND NOT A PLATFORM!

Kudos to Nintendo for pulling of the snow job er sale of the century (i.e. selling an under powered, light on next gen performance, console with a “COOL PERIPHERAL”).

If done correctly, Sony, in one fail swoop, will render the Wii obsolete especially with compatibility for existing games and getting devs to jump on board. The Wii’s weak hardware has “no next gen headroom.” R.I.P. Wii!!

[Hearsay @ May 1st 2009 11:56AM]

@Frankenstein Black
If Sony really does come out with this do you really think it will make any major impact on the Wii. I don't the two systems are designed for different types of people. I have both and I only play the PS3. I think the Wii is a party console not really a gamers platform. Its for people to enjoy with other people not to sit down and play long games with. I just don't see a motion-sensing controller (I know about the dualshock) getting people to buy a $400 system when the Wii goes for under $200.

Nintendo's major advantage in the next gen console war was designing a console that was affordable and had appeal to people that were not traditional gamers. It is also the only console that was selling for more than it cost to manufacture. So Nintendo was the only company making profit on the hardware that it was selling. Nintendo is not relying on game licensing to make money yet it still gets money from game licensing like all the other guys. I don't expect the Wii to disappear any time soon. Too many owners.

[BB @ May 2nd 2009 6:31AM]

I second, they should have, Xbox 360 should have thought of this too.

[Skyla @ May 1st 2009 1:44AM]

o.o

wow...

just wow.

[adil @ May 1st 2009 1:45AM]

sony, if you want greater sales, drop your price. a Wii ripoff isn't going to make me wanna buy it anymore just because of motion remote.

[darkmax @ May 1st 2009 1:58AM]

Sony already claimed that they are making a loss for every PS3 unit they sell.... They only make in game sales, so they claim.

[anus1220 @ May 1st 2009 2:26AM]

yeah but if they had a wii-like peripheral (if properly utilized) it could make buying a wii pointless, and they could (potentially) take over an entirely new market share.

[rDub @ May 1st 2009 8:14AM]

@anus1220 ... Just because Mercedes has the same motion controller peripheral (steering wheel) as a Honda or Toyota has not allowed it to take over the entire market.

[anus1220 @ May 1st 2009 12:53PM]

@ rDub that's why i said potentially. it's not going to automatically do it itself.

[MatiasOliva @ May 1st 2009 9:57PM]

nobody is telling you to buy the ps3, maybe u cheap, and for the price its right cause of the exellent graphics and everything it does then the price is what its soposed to be, u cant compare the graphics of a wii with a ps3 just CANTT

[Andre @ May 1st 2009 1:51AM]

" Sony's controller apparently used LEDs (light emitting diodes, essentially little electric light sources) and a small webcam to track the device's movements."

Ugh...this is not a good idea. I'm a big fan of motion controls, but this is a poor way of going about it. Webcams have a very limited viewing radius, meaning if your controller has to be in view of the camera the entire time, the window in which you can make your movements is pretty limited. Furthermore, it would only really work with one person at a time, since there'd be little room for two, let alone more. Plus what if you accidently obscure the LEDs?

This does not seem like a great way to go about it...

[steven.hidy @ May 1st 2009 2:36AM]

This is how the Wii does it. The Wii's sensor bar contains four infrared LEDs (whose light is invisible to humans, similarly to a TV remote) -- two are placed at each end. The Wii remotes have built-in webcams with IR filters (such that they detect only the bright infrared LEDs) and the firmware in the Wii remote performs various software trickery to get everything working. It's a cheap and effective way to do it.

[Andre @ May 1st 2009 2:39AM]

^Sorry, perhaps my quote wasn't clear. The patent images shows something similar to the Wiimote, yes, but in reverse. The camera's on-top of the TV, and the LEDs are on the controller itself. As such, motion control is limited to the range of the camera's eye, whereas the Wiimote only uses the camera as a pointer, relying on the accelerometers internally (and soon MotionPlus) to figure out what the Wiimote's doing when it's not pointed at the TV.

[why not the LS2LS7? @ May 1st 2009 2:52AM]

SIXAXIS has motion sensors too.

The Sony system described would have fewer camera problems than a Wii. On a Wii, simply pointing the pointer at different places could cause it to no longer have a view of the sensor bar. On the Sony, as long as the controller is in a location that can be seen, the camera should see it, regardless of orientation.

And this really is the problem with the Sony system described. It is lousy at sensing controller orientation, however it is very good at location sensing.

Honestly, these people appear to be just guessing from Sony's patent. I'd be surprised if Sony's system only incorporates what was in that patent. It just didn't seem sufficient for good control. Then again, the Wii system is no great shakes either. And I'm not sure Motion Plus is going to improve it enough to replace a regular controller.

But I guess we'll know more at E3.

[rodney.ha @ May 1st 2009 1:52AM]

hmm. Though the ps3 is expensive, at least it can be catered towards both hardcore gamers and family oriented gamers now with this new controller, and still have some beautiful graphics. People of course will say they're ripping it off the Wii, but hey, that's competition ya know?

And as for people asking for price cuts, Sony can only strip away so many parts to make it slightly cheaper. Manufacturing costs determine the price, right? You wouldn't make something for $20, then sell it for $2 would you?

But hey, that's just my thought, I probably don't know what I'm talking about, someone will probably know more than me.

[Michael Hillstrom @ May 1st 2009 10:19AM]

If you have the loads of money that sony does and are desperately trying to gain back the market share you lost this generation, you may want to consider selling your console for a loss.

[Hearsay @ May 1st 2009 12:05PM]

Actually that is exactly what Sony and Microsoft are doing with there systems. It costs them more to make there game systems than they sale them for. The rely on game licensing to make up the difference. However, till they have a large install base they do not make profit. That is why it can take several years till an new game console is making profit.

[robbie @ May 1st 2009 1:54AM]

i got mine the day it came out yea i was one of those people standing in front of walmart and mine came with a montion sensing controller aka sixaxis so i dont understand how this is anything new why is this not old news?

[cedrikfd @ May 1st 2009 1:53AM]

I actually find the PS3-mote pretty decent looking! Dare I say even better than the Wiimote?

[Evangelion @ May 1st 2009 3:26AM]

Yeah, it doesn't look shopped at all!

[MegaBite @ May 1st 2009 1:57AM]

Wow. Could they make it look any more like a wii remote? I mean, every single button is the same!

[lightofhonor89 @ May 1st 2009 2:01AM]

You're joking right? It's just a wii controller in negative and with a sony logo added on... It's not real.

[Jamesology @ May 1st 2009 2:04AM]

Some people just do not have the brain power to notice the obvious.

[Dave Chappelle @ May 1st 2009 7:31AM]

no no, i am pretty sure Nintendo copied the PS3-Mote.

[zomg0t @ May 1st 2009 1:57AM]

Develoeprs Develoeprs Develoeprs!
Develoeprs Develoeprs Develoeprs!

[Jamesology @ May 1st 2009 2:02AM]

WOW! How did you manage to spell the same word wrong SIX times.

[Al @ May 1st 2009 2:19AM]

@Jamesology
He must be using IE

[Nohone @ May 1st 2009 2:37AM]

@Al

He must be using the web browser built into his PS3

[zomg0t @ May 1st 2009 2:45AM]

Maybe he was pointing out the way that Ross spelled developers in a manner parodying a certain Developers' Conference speech by someone I think many of you may be familiar with.

[Jamesology @ May 1st 2009 6:20AM]

@nohone
Even probably on the 360 since neither has spell check. The probability of him using the Wii, or even anyone, as a web browser is slim to none. I would be better off using my old Moto RAZR surfing the net than on the Wii.

I bet this controller is as pointless as their video remote. Oh Sony, most entities learn from stupid mistakes but in your case...... WOW need I say more?

[Jo Blo @ May 1st 2009 12:04PM]

no, he used copy paste on his iPhone

[deanb @ May 1st 2009 2:01AM]

I thought the original patent for this motion device was with ultrasound/sonar? Hence the baubles on the end of the controller.

[erwin @ May 1st 2009 2:14AM]

what is this...? may fools?

see what i did there? because... it's the first of may. like april fools. is the first of april.

also... because i think it's a joke.

[TareX @ May 1st 2009 2:16AM]

This mockup looks 100X cooler than the Wiimote...

[ZaxCG2 @ May 1st 2009 12:24PM]

White is the new black, my friend.
Or is it the other way around...
hrrrr...
My brain hurts.

[TareX @ May 1st 2009 3:15PM]

Black is back...

White used to be the new black, but after seeing that PS3mote mockup, not any more.

[OneWithABrain @ May 1st 2009 2:24AM]

Nice. Free money for Nintendo via lawsuit!
Seriously, isn't the Wiimote design patented?

[Extinction @ May 1st 2009 4:42AM]

Not by nintendo. Nothing in it is new.

[deanb @ May 1st 2009 5:01AM]

Accelerometer, IR sensor n bluetooth.
In fact Ninty are being sued by some company that makes a gesture based mouse. Cant remember their name but it was reported on here a fair few month's back. They tried to get a trade injunction on Wii's.

[Nick Nguyen @ May 1st 2009 2:29AM]

hey that controller looks pretty sick

[Lazarpandar @ May 1st 2009 2:33AM]

Nick Yuen from highschool is that you?

[davedrastic @ May 1st 2009 3:17AM]

No matter how good it is, no matter how much better than the wiimote it is, it will be nothing more than a gimmick unless there are multiple good games released for it. I think our experience with the Wii shows us that a Wiimote-like device is not enough to offer immersive gaming and outside of the novelty factor offers no real improvement over the standard button based controller. Unless Sony has a string of Tier 1 games with real innovation and real immersiveness poised for release, this will ultimately fail.

[deanb @ May 1st 2009 5:10AM]

Like LBP for controlling the Sackboy, throwing grenades in Uncharted, Flower, Noby Noby Boy, SuperRubbaDub, GTA4, Warhawk, Mirrors Edge, Motorstorm, Lair and Blazing Angels?
Some of those are gimmick's, some don't support it so well, but it's the same with the Wiimote too.

But for those that don't get it, PS3 has Sixaxis from launch that support's motion sensing. Were not talking swing the controller like a golf club, but it does support motion. So whatever device is supposedly coming out is gonna be a bit different to just motion sensing.

[J-Lo @ May 1st 2009 3:43AM]

Well, I find this a great opportunity for Sony. There would now be a big competition with Nintendo and Sony. It think PS3 sales will increase but not surpass the Wii sales. PS3 sales would most likely increase because it is practically a Wii with better graphics if this hypothesis was to happen. =D

[dexterganpot @ May 1st 2009 4:35AM]

you guys do know the ps3 is outselling the wii and xbox and is the best selling console in japan. the ps3 games are great and more and more great games are releasing for the system. i have one and over 40+ games for my ps3 which are all great games.
cant wait for the up coming games to be released. just give it a while and the ps3 will be like japan all over.

and for the new motion controller, ps3 dont need it to outsell the other two consoles. its great software sales and more and more people wanting to buy a ps3 will do that alone.
ive got a nintendo wii and its enjoyable when with many people. but i BARELY play it.
i mostly play my ps3 and the great libary of games.
its much more fun.
=)

[Uncontrol @ May 1st 2009 5:37AM]

hey sweet, i didn't know ken kutaragi read engadget