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Nielsen: Majority of gamers in the dark on Natal, Move
The Nielsen Company has released the results of a recent survey designed to gauge gamer awareness of Microsoft's Project Natal and Sony's PlayStation Move. Among the 2,400 gamers surveyed, 21 percent are currently aware of Natal, while 23 percent are aware of the Move. Things look a little better when restricting the results to those who actually own and play the 360 or PS3, with 39 percent of 360 gamers aware of Natal and 42 percent of PS3 gamers aware of the Move. Of the gamers aware of the Move and Natal, those who actually own the respective console show more intent to purchase. 42 percent of 360 owners plan to purchase Natal, compared to only 35 percent of total gamers aware of the device. PS3 owners show a nearly identical 41 percent with intent to purchase, compared to 28 percent of all those aware. Strangely, even though both Natal and Move have publicly known launch windows, a surprisingly high number of respondents -- nearly 40 percent -- don't know when the products will be available. Also noteworthy, respondents show a wide disparity as to what they believe the hardware prices will be. To the 6 percent who think Natal will be less than $25: you're going to be disappointed.
BioWare bosses see potential, challenges in Move and Natal
Speaking to IndustryGamers, BioWare head honchos Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka shared some thoughts on the current state of motion controls and the potential of Move and Project Natal. According to Zeschuk, BioWare has been looking for ways that the technologies could enhance a role-playing experience. He mentioned using motions to "enhance your feeling that you're actually acting in the game." For a game like Mass Effect, Zeschuk imagined the ability to affect a conversation with a gesture, saying "you could actually pull your finger and pretend you're shooting the guy for the renegade action." Zeschuk wants to see motion controls "evolve beyond the party game." He added that "it's going to be a challenge" for developers to move past the party game mentality. "You look at the Wii, and no one's ever gotten past that, that initial stage," said Zeschuk (someone send that man a copy of Shattered Memories). Thankfully, both Natal and Move are far too sophisticated for simple bowling games. Oh, wait. For Muzyka's part, he believes motion controllers can make games more accessible, allowing developers to connect on a deeper level with players. "The challenge is finding ways to remove those barriers that doesn't create new barriers like having your arms get tired from waving the controller around, things like that," said Muzyka, adding, "If you can do that, I think there's a real opportunity."
John Daly's ProStroke Golf gets Move support
Small-time publisher O-Games announced its take on the world's oldest sport, John Daly's ProStroke Golf, in May to little fanfare. However, MCVUK reports that the title's developer, Gusto Games, recently made a decision which should garner a bit of attention: The PS3 version of the game will now be compatible with the PlayStation Move. The game, which is due out October 1, will be demoed for the first time on the show floor at E3 2010, where the titular professional golfer John Daly will be on-hand to show how one gets their virtual putt on -- a subject we probably don't need too much additional instruction in, thanks. We'll try to get some time in with the game once we make our way to E3 in a couple short weeks.
PlayStation Move two-fer: Sony tells devs to avoid bad Wii clones, ad points to July release
There's no question that PlayStation Move news is only going to get more frenzied in advance of E3, and it looks like things are already starting kick up a notch, with two stories recently surfacing that could shed a bit more light on what's in store for Sony's new motion controller. The first of those comes directly from Sony's Rob Dyer, who told Gamasutra that the company has been "spending a lot of our time" going back to game developers and telling them what works and what doesn't, and offering other helpful advice like "it didn't work on the Wii for a reason" -- the general idea there being that Sony doesn't want Move developers simply churning out clones of bad Wii games. The second bit of news comes courtesy of New Zealand South African game retailer BT Games, which recently put out a flyer containing the notice above that suggests the Move could be coming as soon as this July. Of course, that conflicts with some earlier listings that pointed towards a September release (and Sony's own word that it's coming "this fall"), but this particular retailer does apparently have a bit of a history with leaks, having correctly confirmed the existence of the 250GB Xbox 360 Elite a few months before its release.
Ubisoft remains refocused on Xbox 360, PS3 in new year
In January, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot told investors that the company would "refocus"' its development efforts on Xbox 360 and PS3 in 2010, with particular emphasis on iterating its major franchises on the HD consoles. Today, as Ubisoft reported its earnings (actually, losses) for the fiscal year ending March 31, the company remained committed to the ongoing strategy outlined earlier this year. "We will have more 360 [and] PS3 revenue this [fiscal] year than we had last year," Guillemot said during an investor call today. "The big franchises -- seven of the eight franchises -- will be on 360; and six will be on PS3. And we will have around six or seven on the Wii." CFO Alain Martinez put last fiscal year's combined sales from PS3 and Xbox 360 software at "about 45 percent" of revenue for the publisher, adding, "I wouldn't be surprised if we are over 50 percent on these two platforms" at the end of the current fiscal year (April 2010 – March 2011). Martinez noted that Wii software sales accounted for "about 26 percent" of revenue in the last fiscal year and hopes sales to be close to that percentage again this fiscal year. In total, Ubisoft is looking to draw "about 77 percent" of its revenue from the three console platforms over the next four quarters.
Capcom president on E3 2010, new motion controllers
Speaking to the Financial Times (registration required) Capcom president Haruhiro Tsujimoto declared that the success of Microsoft and Sony's upcoming Natal and Move motion controllers depends on sound planning. "If there isn't a strong business model message from the platform holders about how they will develop [motion controllers] with users," said Tsujimoto, "then I don't think it will go well." In other words, Tsujimoto places the onus of success on the manufacturers of the motion controllers, and not necessarily on the games that will be created for them. Tsujimoto also took time to reiterate Capcom's stance on overseas game developers, noting that the company will use them for sequels to established products. Regarding E3, Tsujimoto discussed a shift in the gaming industry toward downloadable titles, devices like the iPad and social networks. He added that Capcom will be heavily pursuing downloadable titles, the iPad and Facebook. As for the likely star of Nintendo's E3 showings, the 3DS, Tsujimoto said he is "interested" to see what the device does "apart from 3D."
Divnich makes E3 predictions, expo to be 'inflection point' for game industry
In his latest Divnich Debrief column at IndustryGamers, EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich has made some predictions for E3 2010. Divnich sees this year's expo as a pivotal one for the industry, noting that new technologies like PlayStation Move, Project Natal and the 3DS must make a big splash. Otherwise, says Divnich, we may see industry funding driven toward sectors like MMOs and social gaming. Divnich sees the expo as an "inflection point" in gaming history, saying, "Either E3 2010 acts as a positive catalyst and boosts industry confidence, or it reinforces the negative notions about the long-term viability of traditional gaming." Divnich makes a few predictions about the show, notably that Rockstar may reveal Grand Theft Auto 5, though it won't announce any hard street date if it does. Divnich believes, however, that you can expect a new teaser for Agent. Nintendo, meanwhile, will announce the official name of the 3DS and announce plans to launch the device in "at least two regions" this November. He also expects the unit will sell 5 million units by March 2011. Furthermore, Nintendo may finally show off its Vitality Sensor in more detail. Beyond that, the show will likely revolve around Move, Project Natal and the 3DS. "Whatever the outcome or your own personal opinion, one thing is for certain," says Divnich, "E3 2010 is a must attend event for anyone with any vested interest in the video game space."
PlayStation Move controller priced at $60 in Canada
Sony's been pretty fuzzy on pricing for the PlayStation Move -- we've only really heard "under $100" for the full package with controller and camera -- but it looks like the numbers are starting to solidify, as Gamestop Canada has the controller itself now listed for $59.99. How that number will translate into a US price is obviously up in the air, but Sony's MSRPs tend to be the same or similar across the US and Canada, so we'd say we've at least got a reasonable estimate of how much this thing is going to cost. We'd also guess that this points to a full package price of $99, but we'll see -- Sony's got months before the Move's planned holiday launch to tweak all these numbers. [Thanks, Matthew]
Media Molecule co-founder talks LBP2 changes, Move support
In a recent interview with VG247, Media Molecule co-founder Mark Healy talked about some of the big changes coming to LittleBigPlanet 2 -- not all of them were revealed in this morning's action-packed, Passion Pit-infused trailer. According to Healy, improving the "Play, Create, Share" pillars of the first game was a focus for the sequel. The first two will be bolstered by new creation tools like the Direct Control Seat and character AI, which allow you to modify the genre of your homespun creations. The Share pillar will see the implementation of the web functionality teased last year, suited to creating personalized websites for each of your in-game creations and making them easier to share with other players. Media Molecule will also streamline the stage-finding process with Level Links -- badges you can embed within your levels, which players can use to hop directly into another of your creations, or the next sequential level in your fully-formed game. Finally, on the subject of Sony's motion controller, Healy said the potential to play the game using only the Move and Sub Controller "seems like a bit of a no-brainer." However, he added, "we're totally going to go to town on supporting that, but I don't think we will have the full functionality at launch." After watching this tech demo, we're not sure we can wait for the Move's near-limitless capacity for Sackboy-griefing.
Minority Report UI designer John Underkoffler talks about the future of gestures
Unless you're an engineer who designs cutting-edge user interfaces, you've probably never heard the name John Underkoffler before ... but you've definitely seen his work. Remember the computer Tom Cruise uses by waving his hands around in Minority Report? He designed that. And it wasn't just faked together for the movie, Underkoffler had a working prototype at MIT before that, and now he's designed a version that you can actually purchase. Underkoffler now serves as the Chief Scientist at Oblong Industries, and we spoke with him recently in connection with the now-on-Blu-ray Minority Report, and he talked extensively about the future of computing, how video games are driving technology forward, what in the hell the game Tempest is all about, and why it's time for the mouse to die. Read on after the break for the full interview.
THQ CEO: Move & Natal games shouldn't be ports
During an earnings conference call today, THQ CEO Brian Farrell told investors and press not to expect the publisher to release ports of its existing games for Project Natal or PlayStation Move. "What you will not see is porting of games to Natal, or I don't think you should see that," he said. "I think they should be specific, standalone game experiences that exploit that very new and significant technology. And the Move is the same way: You've got to do something unique and not just an add-on with respect to that platform." Later in the call, however, Farrell did not entirely rule out ports of Wii games for PlayStation Move. When asked about the possibility of "Moving" games like De Blob (future iterations of which have been confirmed as multiplatform), Farrell said that THQ would "take advantage where we can in terms of development environments [and] take advantage of technology we already have," though he noted that because of the HD capabilities of the Xbox 360 and PS3, "just porting over those assets doesn't work." We'll see what THQ is developing with the new technologies next month, as Farrell said, "you'll like what we show at E3." Even without porting, Farrell said that development costs for Natal and Move games were lower than on traditional games, "because, again, it's not about the technology, but it's about the gameplay." The big draw for Natal titles, he said, is the "interaction with digital objects." Farrell even alluded to passing the savings on to the consumer, rather than defaulting to a $60 retail price for future HD motion games published by THQ. He said that the company is "still deliberating internally on that" and "may not even announce those launch prices until much closer to the launch" of the games.
Toy Story 3 on PS3 features Move support, exclusive character
As with most major children's films, Toy Story 3 will have a licensed video game counterpart, releasing on nearly every platform imaginable -- including platforms from the future. Disney Interactive Studios has confirmed PlayStation Move motion controller support for Toy Story 3. Like Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition, the game won't offer motion controller support out of the box. The reason? Toy Story 3's release date -- June 15 -- is months before the Move controller is even available. A press release clarifies that "players will be able to download mini-games that will be playable with the PlayStation Move when the new motion controller is available." Excellent, motion controller mini-games! We can't wait! Until then, PS3 owners will be able to enjoy additional content exclusive to the platform. As with Batman: Arkham Asylum, Sony has secured exclusive rights to yet another playable villain. The slightly less disturbed Emperor Zurg will be playable in the game's "Toy Box" mode, a sandbox mode that allows players to create and play free-form challenges.%Gallery-92107%
Interview: SOCOM 4's Travis Steiner
SOCOM fans are by far some of the most vocal and opinionated people in gaming today. Having endured the rocky launch of SOCOM Confrontation, the revelation that SOCOM 4 would include support for the PlayStation Move motion controller was met with a large amount of skepticism. We spoke with Zipper Interactive about their plans to address fan concerns, and the challenges of balancing a game with two very different control inputs. Some fans didn't take well to the announcement that SOCOM 4 would use the Move controller. How do you address concerns that motion controls will "ruin" the experience? First and foremost, SOCOM 4 was designed with the DualShock in mind. When we started this game over three years ago, Move didn't even exist yet. I cannot emphasize this point enough: the game supports both controllers. And again, we designed SOCOM 4 with the DualShock in mind. What ended up happening is that when we found out about the Move, we decided to try it out and see if it fits with the SOCOM experience very well. And so far, the reaction of the people that have tried it is that it's actually integrated quite well. The key there is that it's an optional control mechanic, and in no way is any other part of the SOCOM game being hindered or negatively affected by Move's integration.
Sega to reveal Natal, Move projects at E3 suited for 'PS2 type' audience
Last September, Sega promised to clue the world into its plans for Project Natal and PlayStation Move in early 2010. Actually, back then, we were still calling it the PlayStation Motion Controller. Oh, so young and naive! Now that we and Sega are both a few months older and wiser, the latter's plans have been pushed back a bit -- in a recent interview with IndustryGamers, Sega West president Mike Hayes explained that the company's Natal and Move plans would be revealed at E3 2010. Though we haven't heard much about Sega's feelings on the upcoming wave of new motion control technology, Hayes explained the company is excited about "the fact that Move and Natal will bring in more of what I'd call the PS2 type of consumer for those platforms, which then suits very much the IP that Sega has." We've hypothesized that the PS2 IP he's referring to is the already motion-infused Sega Super Stars (pictured above) -- in our heart of hearts, though, we're secretly hoping for a motion-controlled Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future.
The Fight: Lights Out promises 60fps fighting on the Move
Looks like the unnamed "Motion Fighter" for PlayStation Move now has a title. As revealed by the PlayStation.Blog, the game is now known as The Fight: Lights Out. For the uninitiated, The Fight is the Move's take on Punch-Out!, using the camera and two Move controllers to recreate your motions in a one-on-one setting. Producer John McLaughlin took a few jabs at the competition (read: Wii), emphasizing the visuals of his game. "There's been motion controller games out there without that graphical fidelity, and now on PlayStation 3, it truly is the platform that can deliver everything," McLaughlin stated. The Fight undoubtedly looks better than a Wii game (as it should), but we're most excited to hear that it runs at 60fps. Obviously, one of the biggest concerns surrounding the Move is the potential for input lag. If The Fight is capable of running at such a high framerate, it better deliver a truly fluid experience. We'll definitely get our hands on an updated build at E3 later this year.
Side-Kick founded to work on motion-based games for 'next-gen' consoles
Israel-based company Side-Kick is a new studio "focused on the creation of motion control games for next-generation game consoles and digital living rooms." We're not quite sure what a digital living room is (The Matrix?), but the rest seems fairly self-explanatory. Led by Guy Bendov, co-founder of Double Fusion, the new company also includes former Eidos and PrimeSense alums, the latter being responsible for the tech behind Microsoft's upcoming Project Natal. So, the studio definitely has built-in familiarity with Microsoft's new motion-sensing device and, based on that next-gen line above, we assume the company will also produce PlayStation Move content. Side-Kick has a few games in development right now -- Mini Demons is only briefly shown via its website -- and will be on-hand to display its new wares at Microsoft's ThinkNext2010 event and E3. We've contacted the company for clarification on which platforms it's currently targeting. Update: A Side-Kick representative got back to us, stating that "Natal and Move are the targets for now since they use camera systems to track movement." Well, we're glad that's cleared up!
PlayStation Move sub-controller now called 'Navigation Controller'
Sony's PlayStation Move sub-controller had its naming day at the FCC and marched off proudly as the "Navigation Controller." Mazel tov. The Sony America website has been updated to reflect the change. Meanwhile, the Wii Nunchuk controller is sipping its scotch in the corner and laughing maniacally over (somehow) having the cooler name. The next major public opportunity for the "Navigation Controller" to shake and Move its assets will be at Sony's E3 press conference, slated for June 15. Source -- PlayStation Move navigation controller [Sony] Source -- FCC %Gallery-87963% [Via Engadget]
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.
Hudson's Lost in Shadow may come to PS3, 360; dev team 'brainstorming' Move, Natal titles
Speaking with Joystiq at yesterday's Konami Gamers Night event, Hudson producer Shinichi Kasahara told us that he hopes his upcoming Wii title Lost in Shadow will someday see release on both PS3 and Xbox 360. When asked whether or not his team has any interest in developing for the HD consoles and their motion controllers, Kasahara said, "In addition to hopefully transferring [Lost in Shadow] to those consoles, we are also actually already brainstorming a couple of different ideas that we're probably going to develop for Natal and Move." Look for our hands-on with the Wii version of Lost in Shadow and our full interview with Kasahara-san coming soon.
Sony E3 2010 press conference set for June 15
Sony has sent out official "save the date" notices for its E3 2010 press conference, which will again return to the Shrine Auditorium at its usual 11:30AM PT time slot on Tuesday, June 15. Unlike Microsoft's duo of presentations this year, Sony won't be hosting a separate event for PlayStation Move, which already grabbed the spotlight during GDC. Unsurprisingly, the announcement also notes that Sony will be available for appointments during E3, June 15–17, which might offer a chance to check out Tretton's promised Killzone 3. At the very least, we'll finally get our mouths on that delicious batter he spoke of. Right? Right?! You promised us cake!
