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PlayStation Move sub-controller hits FCC, will be named Navigation Controller
Wondering what Sony's going to call that PlayStation Move sub-controller -- you know, since "nunchuk" is already taken? Wonder no more. Sony part number CECH-ZCS1U just hit the FCC's database, and "Navigation Controller" is written in nice bold letters right there on the label. It's looking like this is official, as the Sony US website has been quietly updated with the change, and we think it makes a certain amount of sense, as most 3D games let you aim the camera with your dominant hand and relegate navigation to the other. Like the Motion Controller, Sony's opted for confidentiality on this one, meaning we won't have photos of the controller's juicy guts for six months, but hey, at least you already know what the outsides look like -- and you can see it in action on the Engadget Show right here.
PrimeSense fesses up: it's the magic behind Microsoft's Project Natal
Up until now, we haven't actually been able to find out too much about the ins and outs of Project Natal. For all we knew, it's a technology designed in the back stall of a unicorn barn, and the final name will somehow involve diphthongs from both "lasers" and "Robot Apocalypse." All jesting aside, this really does mark the first bona fide announcement about the nuts and bolts behind Microsoft's forthcoming motion sensing add-on for its Xbox 360, and lo and behold, the revealing is being done by the same company we sat down with earlier this month at GDC. Quite a few of you assumed that PrimeSense's webcam was indeed Project Natal in camouflage when we posted up our original hands-on, and while we couldn't confirm or deny those suspicions at the time, we can today. So, what's this mean for you? It probably means that PrimeSense is actively looking to get its 3D-sensing technology (which has obviously been tweaked quite a bit by Microsoft, to its credit) into as many living room scenarios as possible, so what you're seeing in Natal might just appear elsewhere in the very near future. Did your imagination just run wild? No? Have a look back at our GDC experience and try again.
PlayStation Move controller hits FCC as 'Motion Controller,' confidential until September
Sure, it's got the old name but Sony's "Motion Controller" CECH-ZCM1U is undoubtedly Sony's new PlayStation Move controller. There's not much to glean from the tests (yes, it passed) other than the specific mention of a Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR radio. The rest of the filing is under a 180 day confidentiality request good until September -- a bit earlier than Sony's reported "holiday" launch plans. Don't read too much into that FCC date though, Sony can always extend.
PlayStation Move controller lag detected, analyzed
When Sony unveiled its PlayStation Move (nee Arc) controller at the GDC last week, it came along with some impressive promises: it would only cost developers 2MB of system memory (out of 256MB on offer) and it would respond to user inputs within a single frame of animation. Our own experiences with the thing felt a bit more laggy, and now Eurogamer is echoing those impressions and putting a bit of science behind them courtesy of a 60fps Kodak Zi6 camcorder. By filming the controllers and their on-screen representation, the site's tireless statisticians calculated an actual lag (including that of the display) of 113ms -- closer to 10 6.78 frames if a game is running at 60fps. Naturally much of this is thanks to the rendering of the result and not just the Move, but according to a 2008 GamaSutra test we found (linked as "More Coverage" below), the controller lag from the standard PS3 controller varies widely from game to game, with GTA IV measured at 166ms -- almost 50 percent higher than seen by the Move. So, while we can't draw too many conclusions about this single-game test from GDC, we can give a little advice: get back to beating up some underworldian goons as Kratos and don't worry about it.
Toy Story 3, Brunswick Pro Bowling added to PlayStation Move lineup
Sony has added two titles to the PlayStation Move's launch lineup that we haven't seen before. Not only will you be able to get your Move on in Slider, Sports Champions and all of the other announced launch titles, but we can now add Disney-Pixar's Toy Story 3 and Brunswick Pro Bowling into the mix as well. Toy Story 3 is of course a tie-in to the movie, and Brunswick is in there because you can't have a motion controller in 2010 without a bowling game attached. No seriously, you can't. Which is weird, because the future of gaming sure does look a lot like the 2007 of gaming. Only with better graphics. [Via PSLS]
PlayStation Move ad pulls no motion-controlled punches against Wii, Project Natal
Sony's VP of Realistic Movements Kevin Butler (boy, does that guy have a large business card) is at it again, this time in a video ad for the PlayStation Move. He's back from the future to thank us all for the success of the motion control device, and make a few jabs towards Nintendo and Microsoft for their efforts. Here's a few choice quotes. "Because real boxers don't hit like this [flails arms exasperatingly]" "It's also got what we in the future call buttons, which turn out to be pretty important to those handful of millions of people who enjoy playing shooters, platformers, well, anything that doesn't involve catching a big red ball." "C'mon, who wants to pretend their hand is a gun. What is this, third grade? Pew, pew, pew." Check out the futuristic -- or now-eristic, rather -- commercial after the break. And if you ask, sorry, we still wouldn't bet on Kansas City in six.
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 will offer limited four player support
So you do your research, you read up on everything important about the PS3's new Move controller, and you consider yourself well prepared for a future of wild merrymaking and multiplayer gaming parties. And then you find out you can't use four full sets of controllers with your console. As it turns out, the PS3's Bluetooth module is only fit to address up to seven wireless devices at a time, which poses something of a puzzler when you consider that you need a pair of Move controllers (or a Move plus a sub-controller) to get your money's worth and four times two is, well, a number greater than seven. Perturbed by this, Gizmodo contacted Sony for an official response and the news gets even worse: "Four PlayStation Move controllers can connect to a PS3 at one time (or two PlayStation Move Controllers and 2 PlayStation Move sub-controllers)." That basically means you can have the full Move experience with only one friend, or you can share out the wands and have that tiny bit less fun with a quartet. Not a problem for the misanthropes out there -- or most people really -- but an important limitation to be aware of, nonetheless.
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%
PrimeSense talks full-body motion control at GDC, gives us a video demonstration
PrimeSense was formed in 2005, and unless you're a sickly obsessed silicon junkie, you've probably never heard of them. All that changes today. We sat down with the company at GDC to learn more about the chip that it produces, and we left with an imagination sore from being stretched so severely. Put simply, the company manufacturers a microchip that, when paired with off-the-shelf optics, can create a 3D grid that a computer can understand. The purpose here, as you can likely glean, is to enable PlayStation Eye-like interactions, or as the company suggests, a "more natural" way to interface with devices you use every day. Rather than grabbing the remote to switch channels or snapping up that HTPC keyboard in order to flip through your stored DVD library, PrimeSense would rather you kick back on the sofa and gently flick your hands in order to turn to this week's Gossip Girl or sort through those classic horror flicks. %Gallery-87985% It's important to remember that PrimeSense isn't in the business of creating hardware, but today we were shown a reference design that looks an awful lot like an enlarged webcam. The device is completely USB powered, and while the unit shown in the images and video here was obviously a standalone device, we were told that it would be possible to integrate the solution into displays and the like in the future. They also mentioned that the depth location -- which enables it to map out a room and detect your entire body -- was done on-chip, with only the associated middleware taxing the CPU. Still, they've had success running this on Atom-level processors, so there's certainly no big horsepower hang-up preventing it from hitting up a variety of markets. More after the break... %Gallery-87979%
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%
'PlayStation Move' trademarked by Sony in Europe, reeks of motion controller involvement
We're exceptionally likely to find out the official name of Sony's PlayStation motion controller in just a few hours during the company's GDC press event, but till then, we've got one more late-breaking morsel to chew on: Move. According to trademark divers across the web, Sony has filed a European trademark for "PlayStation Move," which certainly sounds like a plausible title for some sort of motion-sensing apparatus. To date, we've also heard "Arc" thrown around (which we tend to prefer, if we're being candid), and the logo shown here -- which is said to belong to a separate trademark application -- definitely looks more like an "A" than an "M." Keep it locked right here for more as we get it.
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.
'PlayStation Arc' trademarked in Japan
Another round of evidence suggesting that Sony will call its ball-and-stick thingamabob "PlayStation Arc": A Japanese trademark for the name has been spotted by Siliconera. The "Arc" name has seen rumored since the beginning of the year -- and has been dropped by execs like THQ boss Brian Farrell. Regardless of how you feel about the name, we think we can all agree it's a step up from the informative but decidedly boring "Sony Motion Controller." So, on to the GDC panel then?
Microsoft's Project Natal lag calculated to be a tenth of a second
Eager for a bit more Project Natal news now that Jonathan Ross let slip what may or may not be a launch date? Then you're in luck, as MTV's Multiplayer blog has taken advantage of a recent Natal demo session to peg down exactly how much lag we can expect from the motion-sensing system (assuming it's not fine-tuned any further, that is). After timing some 40 movements with a stopwatch, the site found that "life-to-screen" transitions ranged from 0.08 seconds to 0.12 seconds, or about a tenth of a second on average. That's obviously a bit slower than the response of an old fashioned controller (or even a Wiimote, for that matter), and is just enough to be noticeable when you're playing. Of course, it's the games that will ultimately matter the most, and we still haven't seen much more news on that front.
Peter Moore wants to be convinced by OnLive, already a fan of Arc controller
Peter Moore, formerly the big cheese in charge of Xbox, is now the head of EA Sports, but he's lost none of the forthrightness that's made him a popular man to interview in the past. In his latest sitdown with CVG, Peter expressed his admiration for the nascent OnLive cloud gaming service, but also noted that he remains uncertain as to whether it will actually work when millions of people decide to play the same game at the same time -- a reservation we probably all share. He did point out that the sort of readily accessible gaming OnLive represents was in his company's plans, and would be expanded with more browser-based games. Finally, as someone who's seen the PlayStation 3 Arc controller in action Peter should be well qualified to assess it, and he describes it as a "great complement to what's out there," claiming that it brings a substantially different experience to Nintendo's Wii Remote. Check out the source for the full interview.
THQ CEO calls PS3 Motion Controller 'Arc' throughout investor call
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.
Sony PS3 Motion Controller delayed until 'fall 2010' globally
Last official word we had on the launch of Sony's PS3 Motion Controller was Spring 2010. However, we just received a press release from Sony Japan with a revised availability of "Fall 2010." The calendar push affects Japan, Asia, North America, and Europe. In the statement, Kaz Hirai avoids using the "d" word saying only: "We have decided to release the Motion Controller in fall 2010 when we will be able to offer an exciting and varied line-up of software titles that will deliver the new entertainment experience to PS3 users." Still no mention of Arc though Sony does concede that "Motion Controller" is just a tentative name. Full press release after the break.