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Google's 'Tilt Brush' virtual painting app comes to PlayStation VR
Google's Tilt Brush painting app is conquering one of its few remaining frontiers: consoles. The search giant has teamed up with Outerloop Games to release the 3D creative tool for PlayStation VR. To no one's surprise, it's the familiar experience, just in your living room. It turns your PlayStation Move controllers into virtual brushes you can use to create immersive masterpieces.
Sony files patent for modular, transforming PS Move-like controller
What if a PlayStation Move controller didn't just move but could also transform (and roll out)? Our friends at Engadget have spotted a US patent filing from Sony for a modular PS Move-like controller that would do such a thing. The patent describes a controller that could attach to additional "blocks" that would change the feel and function of the controller. The patent shows three examples of how this would work: A block could extend to make the Move controller function as a sword, or rotate to give it the handle and feel of a shotgun. Add on another block for a secondary handle and the shotgun becomes a rifle. Or, in more technical terms, according to the patent: "In the present embodiment, multiple blocks are assembled or transformed, and the shape and position thereof are used as input values for information processing." Keep in mind that patents are just patents, and there's no guarantee consumers will ever see a product like this that they could actually purchase. A patent for a transforming controller that featured both DualShock and Move functionality, for example, has yet to show its face in the real world.
Sony patent hints at a touch-enabled PlayStation Move controller
Sony's PlayStation Move controller has helped bring motion-enabled gaming to PlayStation consoles for over three years, but hasn't exactly set the world alight. To better compete with Microsoft's controller-less Kinect and Nintendo's Wii motion accessories, the company has been looking to extract more functionality from its wireless joystick, as evidenced in a recent filing with the US Patent Office. The patent, entitled "Flat Joystick Controller," describes a controller not dissimilar to the PlayStation Move handheld we've come to know and kinda love, but Sony hints that an upgrade could come in the form of a touch-sensitive surface on the front of the handle. The company says the new controller "enables control for a variety of applications and simulations while providing an intuitive interface," allowing gamers to better control in-game characters and select elements without having to alter their grip. While the patent suggests Sony is only experimenting with the feature, similar to the hybrid DualShock/PlayStation Move controller patent it filed last year, we know that the company mulled an all-touch PS4 controller before settling on the DualShock 4, indicating that touch still has a big part to play in PlayStation's future.
Free Portal 2 In Motion co-op DLC out today on PlayStation 3
The PlayStation Move-powered "In Motion" expansion for Portal 2 received a free batch of DLC today on the PlayStation 3, developer Sixense Studios announced. In Motion owners can immediately access the new content by installing a patch released today on the PlayStation Network. Sixense's "Non-Emotional Manipulation" DLC adds a co-op campaign to In Motion, allowing two players (using two PlayStation Move controllers) to team up in split-screen or online cooperative modes. Cross-play with PC players via the Portal 2 MotionPack is also supported. A patch released last year added PlayStation Move support to Portal 2's core campaign and co-op levels, though Move-specific gameplay mechanics such as Portal Surfing and Scaling are exclusive to Sixense's expansion. Both Portal 2 and the In Motion expansion are currently on sale for 20 percent off in the PlayStation Store. PlayStation Plus members get an additional 40 percent discount off the sale price.
Yoshida: DualShock 3 won't work with PS4
"No, [PS4] doesn't support DualShock 3, but it does support PS Move," Sony worldwide studios president Shuhei Yoshida has confirmed. Considering the design of the DualShock 4 and the functionality within, we can't say we're too surprised.Obviously we knew about the PS Move compatibility, seeing as how it was featured during last night's event, but this is the first definitive word on DualShock 3 support. Last night Sony announced that PSOne, PS2 and PS3 games would be playable on PS4 through technology developed by Gaikai, but that PS3 discs would not work natively.
PlayStation Move compatible with PS4, Media Molecule shows
During today's PlayStation Event in NYC, Media Molecule's Alex Evans revealed the studio has married the PlayStation Move controller with the PS Move, Sony's motion peripheral originally designed for the PS3. The Move was demonstrated as a sculpting tool with the PS4, among other things.Really, the entire demo was an artistic suite, showing the Move being used as a paint brush and to control two dancing avatars. The sequence eventually culminated in a full rock show where players used Move to control individual instruments. While not Media Molecule's next game, per se, the demo was designed to showcase the creative power of the PS4.
Sony patent shows redesigned Move with dangerous possibilities
Sony recently filed a patent that describes a method for determining the location of a PS Move-like controller through a sound capturing device. The patent describes the two-dimensional light-tracking that the current Move device uses in conjunction with sounds emitted from the controller, which would provide a gauge for the controller's "depth" in association with the sound capture device located on the TV.What's more, the patent includes a number of pictures that show a Move-like controller with swappable face plates for different button setups, as seen after the break, as well as the ability to attach controllers together in a number of ways. Among the patent's illustrations is one depicting a child performing a bicycle kick while playing a soccer game with Move controllers attached to his hands and legs. Simulation sports games may never be the same.
Sony files patent for transforming Move/DualShock controller
A newly discovered Sony patent application reveals a device that literally sticks together the functionality of the PlayStation Move and its Navigation Controller with the form factor of the DualShock. The "Hybrid Separable Motion Controller," filed last May, consists of two halves of a standard DualShock shape, each with a Move-style orb at the top.Both sides have accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers to sense motion, and can be operated either separately or locked together into one unit. It's designed such that games will be able to detect the configuration in use.We're asking Sony if the company intends to use this concept in the PS3 or future devices.
Project Holodeck gets help from Razer, swaps Kinect for Move tracking
The group of folks bent on crafting a real-life version of Star Trek's "Holodeck" -- a virtual playground, essentially -- are getting official support from gaming hardware company Razer. That support means not only access to Razer's hardware but also the company's staff of trained professionals. The Project Holodeck team have already implemented Razer's "Hydra" -- a PC-based motion controller that originally shipped with Portal 2 -- into their work on Holodeck showcase game, "Wild Skies." But that's not the only big news for Project Holodeck, as the team recently swapped Microsoft's Kinect motion tech for Sony's PlayStation Move motion tech. Project lead James Iliff told RoadtoVR.com, "The Kinect hardware is extremely lacking in fidelity. Every point the Kinect tracks is filled with unmanageable jitter, rendering the data useless for anything other than the most simple of interactions. We tried very hard to get around this with several software algorithms we wrote, to get multiple Kinects to communicate with each other, however this did not really make anything more accurate unfortunately." In place of Kinect, the team strapped a PlayStation Move setup to a Pro-Tec skateboard helmet, and combined that tracking with the Hydra's motion control and Oculus Rift's head-mounted display. The result is ... well, it's a person standing in a room with a whole bunch of electronics attached to their person. But also, it allows players to interact in a 3D environment -- from perception to engagement. The team's still got plenty of work ahead of them, as evidenced by their latest video (below), but it sounds like things are coming together more cohesively than before.
PlayStation Wonderbook starts augmenting your reality in November from $39
If you were intrigued about that Wonderbook PlayStation peripheral we saw back at E3, then your curious wait may soon be over. As of November 13th, you'll be able to get your wizardy hands on the accessory for the reasonably magic price of $39.99. This is for the book alone, but there's also a bundle for $79 that includes the Book of Spells game (in collaboration with J.K. Rowling) a Move motion controller and the PlayStation Eye camera. Three other forthcoming titles get a mention too, Diggs: Nightcrawler, BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs and experiences from Disney, set for release some time in 2013. In the meantime, better start saving up the Galleons.
Adidas miCoach out now on European Xbox 360s and PS3s, connects to cameras and own hardware
Those looking to hone their own olympian body in preparation for this year's Games can grab Adidas' miCoach title for both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Tapping into both consoles' respective motion-sensing cameras (and Adidas' own sensors and units), there are six sports to dabble in, with over 400 different exercises that can be synced with existing miCoach accounts. There's also a raft of Adidas-emblazoned athletes to take you through those motions. The games are priced up at £21 (around $32) a piece in the UK, but American indoor athletes can expect their version to arrive around July 24.
One day, Portal 2 in motion DLC will come to PS3, it's such a shame the same will never happen to Xbox
Remember Razer's Hydra controller that came with a motion-controlled version of Portal 2? PS3 owners will be receiving those same levels as a DLC later this year with added support for the PlayStation Move. Players will be able to manipulate objects in order to solve puzzles with more flailing limbs than you can shake a stick at when it arrives later this year.
Sony PlayStation Wonderbook hands-on (update: video added)
Last night, we caught a demo of PlayStation's new Wonderbook during the company's E3 press event. Today, we grabbed a few moments of hands-on time with the new PS Move peripheral at the Sony booth. As we learned last night, the first title for the new tech is a collaborative effort with J.K. Rowling, entitled Book of Spells. The kit makes use of an augmented reality book in tandem with the Move hardware to project images and animations (basically the game itself) right on the pages. Consisting of only six spreads (12 pages), the software will track your progression through the chapters, and beginning a new quest simply means heading to back to the front of the book. We got a closer look (free from last night's demo fail), so have a peep at the gallery below and head on past the break for some impressions. Update: We've added a video of the hands-on just beyond the break for your viewing pleasure. %Gallery-157207%
Sony reveals a PlayStation Move Racing Wheel at E3 2012
Sony has announced that it's releasing an official, very nice looking racing wheel for the PlayStation Move later on this year – you may recall a patent surfacing online recently. The whole design, as you can see above, is much more active than motion controller wheels we've seen so far: It's got not only a motion controller mount, but full buttons and a D-pad, and even vibration feedback. The sticks on the sides can flip up to move into a motorcycle steering mode, and the controller is compatible with both current and future PS3 racing games. Looks slick! The wheel will be out in the fall for an MSRP of $39.99.
Live from Sony's E3 2012 keynote!
The Playstation 3 is getting a little long in the tooth and the Vita isn't exactly breaking sales records. Could E3 2012 be the show where the former gets a successor and the latter a price cut? The answers are, in-order: probably not and possibly so. Care to find out? Join us at the time below when Sony will reveal all. June 4, 2012 9:00 PM EDT
Editorial: Sony needs more than Sorcery to resurrect the PlayStation Move
The first time we saw Sony's PlayStation Move, it didn't even have a name: we only knew it as the PS3 motion controller. The newfangled prototype was Sony's response to the success Nintendo found in the Wii, a motion-sensitive "me-too" that hoped to one up the competition with better tracking, more "core" games and a curious glowing ball perched on its top. Its first outing showed a handful of tech demos, flaunting gameplay concepts that we'd eventually see in Sports Champions and Medieval Moves: Deadmund's Quest. Since then, the Move has seen its fair share of exclusive and compatible titles, but none quite engaging enough to make the peripheral a must-have accessory. With the next generation just around the corner and Sony's portable cards already on the table, E3 2012 is looking a little light on the hardware front. If Sony's going to give the Move one final push, now is the time.
Adidas MiCoach game launching this summer, headed to Xbox 360 and PS3
Despite being involved in that peaceful conundrum with THQ, we knew Adidas still planned on launching its MiCoach video game at some point in the near future. Now, after weeks of keeping those lips sealed, the German company announced it's teaming up with publisher 505 Games to finally bring the fitness-driven title to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 -- where it'll primarily use the Kinect and Move add-ons. While 505 will handle all publishing duties, Adidas notes the MiCoach game is in the works by UK developer Chromativity "under exclusive license." Of course, the F50 creator couldn't leave its big name reps out of this one, which is why sport celebs like Kaká, José Mourinho and Dwight Howard are going to be teaching "Masterclasses" within the game. Hey, at least now you know you won't have to be out on the field to put that tracking system to good use.
Just look at this PS Move steering wheel patent
At first glance, it looks like Sony's answer to the Wii Wheel. But the patent proposing the above device has one odd feature: controller grips on the side of the wheel, which houses a PlayStation Move, that extend outward.The patent – it's described as "ornamental design for a video game controller peripheral" – was originally filed in April of last year and recently surfaced online. As is the case with many patents, this is less of a guaranteed product and more of snapshot of some of the ideas that went through a peripheral designer's head.
House of the Dead 4 opens its doors on PSN April 17
A new Sega arcade shooter comes home for the first time next month, when House of the Dead 4 hits PS3 on April 17, for $9.99.House of the Dead 4 gains a few augmentations in its trip to PSN, including HD graphics, Move support, a slew of new Trophies to unlock and additional levels found in House of the Dead 4 Special. It's no Overkill, but it's a nice bonus for franchise fans who never tracked this one down in the arcade.
Sony makes a patent move for Kinect style controller
We're not suggesting Sony has a Kinect style controller coming soon, but it certainly filed a patent for one. The application for a "User-Driven Three-Dimensional Interactive Gaming Environment" was initially logged in October last year by Richard Marks of PlayStation Eye fame. The controller can "determine when to interact with the system by allowing part of the user's body, or an object, to cross the maximum depth range plane" meaning input could be limited to just the hands etc. This wouldn't be the first time Sony has created controller technology similar to its competitors, but the company is careful not to outright state that's what it's for. That said, amongst the legalese it does go as far too say the system can be implemented by an entertainment system "such as" its flagship console. So, sadly there's no way of knowing if we'll be getting a PlayStation Motion any time soon, but feel free to wave over the source link to see the patent for yourself.
