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The Engadget Show returns this Saturday, March 20th with Nicholas Negroponte and PlayStation Move!
It's that time again -- the Engadget Show returns this Saturday, March 20th at 5pm! We'll be joined by Nicholas Negroponte, founder of the MIT Media Lab and OLPC project for what's sure to be a rousing conversation. What's more, we'll have Joystiq's Chris Grant on hand and Sony's Senior Researcher Dr. Richard Marks will be showing off the PlayStation Move... and we'll be letting some lucky audience members demo it live on the show! You'll be meeting our new investigative correspondent Rick Karr and we'll have more of the classic Engadget Show shenanigans that you love so much. You can also look forward to some chiptune goodness from minusbaby, as well as visuals from notendo. We'll be streaming the whole thing direct to you via the internet, but we'll be doing some major giveaways at the live show only, so make the trek and join us at The Times Center in person if you can. If for some reason you live in not-New York, hit up the stream and tweet comments directly to the show! The Engadget Show is sponsored by Sprint, and will take place at the Times Center, part of The New York Times Building in the heart of New York City at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues (see map after the break). Tickets are -- as always -- free to anyone who would like to attend, but seating is limited, and tickets will be first come, first served... so get there early! Here's all the info you need: There is no admission fee -- tickets are completely free The event is all ages Ticketing will begin at the Times Center at 2:30PM on Saturday, doors will open for seating at 4:30PM, and the show begins at 5PM You cannot collect tickets for friends or family -- anyone who would like to come must be present to get a ticket Seating capacity in the Times Center is about 340, and once we're full, we're full The venue is located at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues in New York City (map after the break) The show length is around an hour If you're a member of the media who wishes to attend, please contact us at: engadgetshowmedia [at] engadget [dot] com, and we'll try to accommodate you. All other non-media questions can be sent to: engadgetshow [at] engadget [dot] com. Subscribe to the Show: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V). [Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V). [RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.
PlayStation Move requires only 2MB of RAM, developers breathe sigh of relief
While it's a crying shame that Sony's PlayStation Move won't have full four-player support, at least the technology is efficient; our buddies at Joystiq are reporting that the camera-and-wand based motion control game system will only minimally impact game performance. Quizzing Sony's David Coombes, they found out that the advanced image processing required to make sense of your wild, flailing movements will take only 1-2 MB of RAM. Of course, when you consider that the PS3 has only 256MB of fast XDR memory to begin with, that 2MB isn't as "insignificant" as Sony would have you believe, but coupled with the company's claim that the whole shebang takes "under a frame" of the Cell CPU's processing time, we're inclined to think it won't be much of an issue for the end user. Assuming they fix that nasty lag, of course. Check out our full PlayStation Move guide for more details.
Joystiq and Sony VP Scott Rohde talk PlayStation Move
So, we brought you along for the big reveal and some playtesting, and even presented you with this handy guide just in case you had any more questions. You still haven't got enough of Sony's new motion controller? You're going to want to hop on over to Joystiq for an enjoyable interview with Sony Worldwide Studios VP Scott Rohde where he gets down to brass tacks and answers questions involving the ins and outs of Move game distro, whether the preponderance of "shovelware" mini-game collections will help or hurt the platform, and the fate of the DualShock controller. It's a wild ride, indeed. So why are you still here?
PlayStation Move: everything you ever wanted to know
Sony dropped a lot of knowledge on us yesterday, at long last replacing rampant speculation with some cold hard facts -- and even a name! -- for its new PlayStation motion controller. The PlayStation Move is being described as a "platform" and a "virtual console launch" by folks at Sony, and we think they mean it, so prepare for a motion-controlled ad war later this year, as Microsoft and Sony set themselves up for a real three-way fight with Nintendo for your physical living room activity of the gaming variety. While some of the high-level Wii-like functionalities might be obvious, follow us after the break as we walk through the nitty gritty of everything we know so far about Move. %Gallery-87956%
Want more on the PlayStation Move? Head over to Joystiq!
Sony's calling the PlayStation Move the "next generation" of motion gaming and planning to market it as heavily as an entirely new console, so it's sort of a big deal -- and that means our main dudes at Joystiq are all over it. We've already covered the main details, but hit the links below if you're looking for some seriously deep dives. SOCOM 4 to support PlayStation Move EyePet to support PlayStation Move, hits North America holiday 2010 Move supported by 36 companies, 20 games this fiscal year The PlayStation Move games (we know of) Hands-on: SOCOM 4 (with PlayStation Move!) Hands-on: PlayStation Move's 'The Shoot' Hands-on: PlayStation Move's 'Move Party' Hands-on: PlayStation Move's Sports Champions We touched it: PlayStation Move from every angle 'Arc' lives on in PlayStation Move's logo
PlayStation Move motion controller launched at GDC, starter kit to be under $100 with game
No surprise here: Sony just officially announced the PlayStation Move motion controller at GDC 2010, calling it the "next generation of motion gaming" because it's so precise -- latency is about the same as the DualShock 3. As expected, it uses the PlayStation Eye camera to track the controller, and Sony says it becomes an "extension of your body." The plan is not only to engage casual gamers, but to use the precision of the controller to create "new experiences for core gamers" -- many of the demo videos we saw involved using a controller video in each hand, and there were quote a few demos of action / RPG games. We also saw a demo of Move Party, which uses the camera to do augmented reality gaming and video chat. The demos are pretty impressive -- Sony's not kidding when it says the Move is incredibly precise. There's also going to be a secondary "subcontroller" with an analog stick for shooters -- you can play all the way through SOCOM4 with just the Move and the sub-controller. (Yes, it's just like the Wii Nunchuk, only wireless.) You'll be able to get Move in three ways: in a bundle with a PS3, standalone, and in a starter kit targeted at "under $100" with the PS Eye, a controller, and a game. That's all the pricing info we have right now, but it certainly sounds aggressive -- Sony says they're treating this like a major console launch, so expect to see this everywhere when it launches around the holidays. Video after the break. Update: The European PlayStation Blog says some games will come bundled with Move as well. Check out our hands-on right here! %Gallery-87941%%Gallery-87956%
Sony files for 'PlayStation Arc' trademark in Japan -- all but a done deal?
Sony's PlayStation Motion Controller has gone through a few different names during its development, but "Arc" has cropped up far more than any other over the past few months, and it's now looking increasingly like a sure thing. While any official announcement will likely have to wait until GDC next week, the folks at Siliconera have discovered that Sony recently filed to trademark the name "PlayStation Arc" in Japan, which is just the latest form of confirmation of the name following a domain registration, and some noticeable name-dropping from gaming CEOs seemingly in-the-know. Of course, Sony could always pull a surprise out of its hat, and we'll be there live at GDC to report on whatever happens.
Sony's PlayStation motion controller patents venture into abstract realms
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 now codenamed Sphere?
Sony may still have officially been using the less-than-imaginative "Motion Controller" name for its, um, motion controller at the Tokyo Game Show last month, but it looks like some developers working with the technology weren't sticking as close to the script, and may have revealed the project's proper codename. As Joystiq notes, Sega producer Yasuhito Baba referred to the device as "Sphere" during an interview at the show, and Polyphony Digital's Kazunori Yamauchi also seemed to respond to the "Sphere" name without missing a beat when asked if Gran Turismo would support the peripheral. So, certainly less of a mouthful, and not exactly the worst of names if true -- in fact, it's such a good codename that none other than Microsoft has already adopted it for one of its projects.
PS3 Motion Controller confirmed for next spring, finally ready for its close-ups
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-73841%
Square Enix President predicts Wii HD for 2011, doesn't see big impact for PS3 and Xbox motion controls
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]
Sony R&D explains some background on the PlayStation motion controller
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]
Sony thinks it's a generation or two ahead of the Wiimote with upcoming motion controls
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]
Sony nabs patent for everyday object motion detection: the fragile glass of your TV won't know what hit it
All we've got to say is that they'd better be selling seats to the first living room demonstration of this tech when somebody gets cute and grabs a real baseball bat for a demo. Sony has filed a patent for technology using the PlayStation Eye which can detect regular objects in 3D space and file them away in a database for later use in gameplay. Naturally, the camera already does object motion detection of a sort with the blocky embedded codes on Eye of Judgement cards, but this seems to be taking that tech to a new level, and would imply that you won't necessarily need to be waggling that goofy ball-on-a-stick controller that Sony demoed at E3 for all upcoming motion control titles for the PS3. But for some reason we're sure we should be scared of whatever combination it does turn out to be. [Via Joystiq]
Motion control wars: Xbox 360 and PS3 are playing catch-up with Wii next year, who will do it right?
It doesn't come as a surprise that Sony and Microsoft are hard at work at motion controls for their respective consoles: Nintendo is eating their lunch. The Wii's incredible appeal with the average consumer -- due primarily to the accessibility and charm of its Wiimote motion controls -- has also created an annoying divide in the industry (real or perceived) between consumers who use embarrassing gestures to control meaningless mini-games, and those who memorize incredibly complex control schemes to control deeper and more "mature" experiences. There's been a small amount of crossover, of course, but since Sony and Microsoft have lacked most of the gestures option, a majority of it has taken place on the Wii -- the inclusion of an accelerometer in Sony's Sixaxis controller has had little impact on gameplay, and Sony's EyeToy 2 has had even less impact on the average gamer. Of course, that's all about to change next year, with the emergence of the Microsoft's Project Natal and Sony's PlayStation motion controller. Typical thinking would suggest that Sony and Microsoft will be attempting to capture a slice of the casual gaming market that the Wii has so well dominated, while also expanding on the Wii's capabilities at serving the hardcore gamer -- some capabilities which Nintendo itself is attempting to add to the Wii with the even more imminent MotionPlus add-on. So, does anyone here have what it takes to serve up the next generation of gaming controls to everybody, or do cost considerations and the current state of the console wars dictate an ongoing rift in the market? Let's weigh our options...
