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Nyko charge base for PlayStation Move available for pre-order

Joseph L. Flatley — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 18:11:00 EST

Yes, it looks like the PlayStation Move accessories are starting to trickle in. While we're still lusting after the shooting attachment, we do realize the need for more modest hardware such as that supplied by Nyko. The Charge Station is a pretty straightforward affair: it features four ports for powering up as many Motion Controllers and / or Navigation Controllers, and can be pre-ordered from Amazon for $20. On a related note, we can't wait to see what CTA comes up with for its Move accessories. We hope there are some Sony-compatible wings in our future!

Nyko charge base for PlayStation Move available for pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Jun 2010 18:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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THQ CEO calls PS3 Motion Controller 'Arc' throughout investor call

Thomas Ricker — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 02:01:00 EST

Even after all this time Sony's hand-held wand bent on bringing some of that interactive Wii game play to the PS3 still doesn't have a name. Announced at E3, Sony as recently as January 20th was still calling its PS3 Motion Controller, well, "Motion Controller" in its official communications with a footnote that the name was still tentative. Of course, we've heard whispers that it'll be called Arc -- and we're not alone. THQ boss Brian Farrell has either been reading the same sites as us or (more likely) is privy to some inside information. During an investor call, Farrell referred to the "PlayStation Arc motion controller" multiple times in both his prepared statements and in the Q&A round that followed. Remember, this is the same man who loose-lipped the Natal launch date well before Ballmer confirmed it for late 2010. Yeah, so PlayStation Arc it is.

THQ CEO calls PS3 Motion Controller 'Arc' throughout investor call originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 02:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony says PS3 motion controller was codenamed 'Gem,' might or might not actually be called Gem

Donald Melanson — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 11:58:00 EST

We never heard much more of the rumored Sphere codename for Sony's PlayStation 3 motion controller since it cropped up a few months ago, but it looks like we now finally have another name for it besides "PlayStation Motion Controller." That word initially came from EA's John Riccitiello, who let slip the name "Gem" during his talk at the UBS 37th Annual Global Media Conference when speaking about Sony's and Microsoft's new motion controllers. Just odd enough to work? Well, not so fast, as Sony would only go so far as to confirm to Kotaku that Gem was "an early code name for the product," adding that they "haven't announced final name at this point." Not exactly a full-on non-denial denial, to be sure, but it would seem that the door for Gem is at least open a tiny crack.

[Thanks, Aaron]

Sony says PS3 motion controller was codenamed 'Gem,' might or might not actually be called Gem originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony's PlayStation motion controller patents venture into abstract realms

Paul Miller — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:31:00 EST

We've seen plenty of PlayStation motion control patents from Sony, some of them surprisingly similar to what we've actually observed of the as-yet-unnamed controller. This new one, however, gets a little odd. The basic structure seems familiar, but Sony's recently-filed patent application deals with add-ons in wild ways that not even the peripheral-happy folks at Nintendo have envisioned. Our favorite is probably the double-ender (Fig. 6B for those of you following along at home), which is probably the most assured recipe for a little brother's bloody nose to be run by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office since the longstaff was invented. So, does this mean more cash to shell out for a "full" PS3 motion control experience? We can't imagine Sony being gung-ho about that strategy in the face of the (as yet) add-on free Project Natal, but we suppose we'll just have to wait and find out.

Sony's PlayStation motion controller patents venture into abstract realms originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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13 PS3 motion control games confirmed for next year, motion-enhanced Biohazard 5 coming Spring 2010

Ross Miller — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:23:00 EST

Sure, the company's Tokyo Game Show keynote was a bit of a bore, but in a second press conference for Japanese media, Sony did what it could to make up for it by revealing Biohazard 5: Alternative Edition, the first PS3 title we've heard of to support the new motion controllers -- and better still, it's due out Spring 2010. Also confirmed is the existence of 13 first-party titles with motion support coming at some point next year, including Pain, EyePet and Flower. Both Biohazard 5 (known in the US as Resident Evil 5) and a LittleBigPlanet tech demo were shown on stage, and pics from the announcement are being uploaded now, so stay tuned!

Update: Some new details of the LittleBigPlanet motion control demo from our friend Ittousai of Engadget Japan. In the presentation, one player was playing the normal way via DualShock while a second person was "assisting" by means of the motion control.

Gallery: LittleBigPlanet motion control tech demo

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13 PS3 motion control games confirmed for next year, motion-enhanced Biohazard 5 coming Spring 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PS3 Motion Controller confirmed for next spring, finally ready for its close-ups

Paul Miller — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:55:00 EST

We've heard plenty about Sony's PS3 Motion Controller, but we hadn't actually seen a press shot of it until now. Looks pretty PlayStation-ey, wouldn't you say? Sony has also confirmed that spring 2010 is the launch window (with those rumors of a March date in Japan floating around). It can't come soon enough! At the TGS announcement Kaz Hirai reiterated that the controller will meet the "stringent" requirements of hardcore gamers -- which is always a comfort, no matter how much of that gamer-pleasing will have to come from the actual games themselves. Hit up the read link for Joystiq's live coverage of the Sony keynote from TGS!

Update: Press release!

Gallery: PS3 Motion Controller finally ready for its close-ups

Continue reading PS3 Motion Controller confirmed for next spring, finally ready for its close-ups

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PS3 Motion Controller confirmed for next spring, finally ready for its close-ups originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square Enix President predicts Wii HD for 2011, doesn't see big impact for PS3 and Xbox motion controls

Paul Miller — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:12:00 EST

Image courtesy of GAME Watch

Sure, they sound like the words of a man who hasn't begun development of any motion-controlled titles for the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, but we're still intrigued by President of Square Enix Yoichi Wada's statement (he's the guy on the left) that the motion control additions to the PS3 and Xbox 360 aren't that big of deal. He cites the other "pillars" of console use (like video playback) that somehow make motion controls a minor player -- though we'd say the Wii's sales numbers would beg to differ. Speaking of the Wii, Yoichi thinks all three major consoles will start to look rather the same by 2011, when believes the Wii followup will hit the market -- in line with other rumors we've heard for the "Wii HD." Three "HD" consoles with similar input options and similar graphics output certainly sounds like a boon for developers, we just hope there are enough similarities in the control systems and enough "impact" in PS3 and Xbox motion control sales to make mega triple-platform motion-controlled blockbusters feasible.

[Via Joystiq]

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Square Enix President predicts Wii HD for 2011, doesn't see big impact for PS3 and Xbox motion controls originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony R&D explains some background on the PlayStation motion controller

Paul Miller — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 09:14:00 EST

Well, it's no GameGun, but we hear this "PlayStation motion controller" thing from Sony is going to be "kind of a big deal." The SCEA R&D team was kind enough to put together some behind the scenes footage detailing a bit of the genesis of the controller and some of its technical prowess, and according to Sony this should be just enough of a calculated tease to get us excited for TGS in late September. We feel so manipulated. Video is after the break.

[Via Engadget Spanish]

Continue reading Sony R&D explains some background on the PlayStation motion controller

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Sony R&D explains some background on the PlayStation motion controller originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 Aug 2009 09:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony's early plans for motion controllers involved superheroes, magic, and... Teletubbies?

Laura June — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:44:00 EST

It's no secret that Sony's motion controllers were in the works for quite a long time before finally being unveiled at E3 2009. Still, it's fun to look back into the past and see how the whole project evolved. Our buddies at Joystiq have cleverly dug up some slides from a 2001 Richard Marks presentation which describes, among other things, a game called Misho the Witch -- which made use of a ball-and-stick controller to train a virtual pet -- much in the vein of Sony's just unveiled EyePet. Some other ideas being tossed around were an X-Men branded game based on "superhero properties" and one based around the Teletubbies. Remember them? Yes, this presentation is that old. Oh, the olden days. There's no evidence that any of these ideas went too far beyond the talking-phase, but we'll have to wait and see for sure when the PS3 Motion Controller debuts next year. One more shot after the break.

Continue reading Sony's early plans for motion controllers involved superheroes, magic, and... Teletubbies?

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Sony's early plans for motion controllers involved superheroes, magic, and... Teletubbies? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony thinks it's a generation or two ahead of the Wiimote with upcoming motion controls

Paul Miller — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:28:00 EST

Sony sat down with Eurogamer at the Develop conference last week, and had some interesting things to say about its new motion controller technology -- including a bit of polite smack to talk about the Wiimote. Unfortunately, we're not sure that Paul Holman, SCEE VP of R&D, was referencing MotionPlus when he said that Sony's tech is "another generation forward, or even a couple of generations" ahead of the Wiimote. Holman, along with Kish Hirani, head of developer services, sidestepped questions about MotionPlus specifically, but were more than happy to talk down Project Natal -- with a couple generations of EyeToy already under their belt. What's more interesting is what they revealed about their own product, including built-in microphone that can detect the direction of audio, and the availability of the glowing ball to developers to add immersion -- it can be lit with any color in the spectrum. They wouldn't confirm much about what buttons the controller would have, other than that it would have buttons, but it seems Sony's main objective is providing developers with a broad buffet of control options to pick and choose and implement. They're also sticking by that Spring 2010 date, though the launch could be somewhat contingent upon what games are ready by then.

[Via Joystiq]

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

Sony thinks it's a generation or two ahead of the Wiimote with upcoming motion controls originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony placing PS3 slim manufacturing orders for delivery in July?

Nilay Patel — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:43:00 EST

We haven't heard much about the PS3 slim since E3, but that doesn't mean it's been entirely quiet out there -- the hot rumor today is that Sony's signed manufacturing agreements with both Foxconn and Pegatron to build the revised model in time for July delivery. That much we believe, since it's been backed up by a couple different credible reports, but here's where it gets totally insane: there's a suggestion that the slim will be the last PS3 model of this generation, and that a next-gen console based on Sony's motion controller is due in spring 2010. We don't buy that at all, since the PS3 is just entering its prime and Sony was clear that the motion controller was for the existing console, so we think this rumor is getting garbled down the wire -- it's far more likely that the slim is being prepped for an August launch to coincide with those rumored price cuts, and that new PS3 bundles that include the motion controller are set to drop next year. That's just our take on the matter, though -- we'll see how things shake out.

Filed under: Gaming

Sony placing PS3 slim manufacturing orders for delivery in July? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PS3's motion controller: force feedback, up to four per console

Ross Miller — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:29:00 EST

Sony has taken a few of its developers aside and doled out a few new morsels of info about its upcoming PlayStation 3 motion controller. Leaving the Sixaxis as the black sheep of the family, the wand supports force feedback from the get-go, and up to four of the devices can be tracked at one time. The technology can work in conjunction with PlayStation Eye's face / head tracking and built-in mic, but naturally that's gonna tax the Cell processor more. The company's reportedly considering some joint use of the motion remote and standard controller, with the example given of holding the wand as sword and DualShock 3 as shield. We're not sure if that'll somehow count additionally toward the max wand limit -- probably not, at the expense of not using the more accurate color-changing ball tracker -- but it's definitely more cost efficient for the consumer than having to pick up another remote. Tentatively launch window is still Spring 2010, which as it turns out is infinitely more than what we know about Natal's release date at this point.

[Via Joystiq]

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PS3's motion controller: force feedback, up to four per console originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Sony's PS3 motion controller in action

Thomas Ricker — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 06:26:00 EST

In case you missed it yesterday, video of Sony's PS3 motion controller prototype has made its way to YouTube. It's not an ordinary Wiimote, it's not as mind blowing as Microsoft's Natal, it's, well... it's something in between. And it's not available until 2010 so this is as close as you'll get for awhile.

Continue reading Video: Sony's PS3 motion controller in action

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Video: Sony's PS3 motion controller in action originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 06:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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