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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.
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.
NBA 2K13 hits the hardwood with Kinect, PS Move rides the bench
During a demo of NBA 2K13 yesterday, 2K Sports representatives showed off a new feature exclusive to the Xbox 360 version of NBA 2K13: Kinect voice commands. These commands can be used for simple things like telling a player to move to the post, as well as more advanced commands like calling isolation plays for specific ballers. Cursing at Kinect is a feature, but it'll net you a foul in-game.The Kinect features will only be available when playing against the AI in NBA 2K13 – no Kinect voice commands in online and local multiplayer. 2K Games reps said that it didn't make sense from both a technological and gameplay standpoint. In local multiplayer, there'd be no way to determine who is who; using Kinect voice commands online would bog down the experience in needless lag.As for PS Move support on the PS3, 2K Games reps told me that feature would not make a return this year. PS Move support made its debut in NBA 2K12, unveiled by none other than Kobe Bryant during an E3 2011 presentation.%Gallery-162192%
Sony PlayStation Move Racing Wheel hands-on (video)
After Sony's PlayStation keynote last night here at E3, PlayStation.Blog made a sort-of-surprise announcement when it officially detailed the $40 Move Racing Wheel -- something we only caught passing glimpses of during our liveblog. Naturally, we decided to drop by Sony's booth to find out whether the peripheral might potentially pass muster for you serious virtual racers out there. Our verdict after some racing in LittleBigPlanet Karting? Definitely not, but it sure is interesting despite a few quirks. Join us past the break where we'll break it down with text and video. %Gallery-157252%
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.
Sony reveals $40 PlayStation Move Racing Wheel for LittleBigPlanet Karting and more
We didn't spot it on stage during the pre-E3 2012 press conference, but Sony's PlayStation Blog is showing off a new PS Move Racing Wheel on the way. This framework apparently fits around the Move, featuring different grip styles with twist throttles and paddle shifters depending on what kind of racing you'd like to do. The "precise motion tracking" afforded by the Move appears to be targeted at titles like the upcoming LittleBigPlanet Karting, but it's hard to see how this will be real wheel, or even controller, alternative for serious gamers. It certainly seems to be fair competition for Microsoft's Wireless Speed Wheel that was introduced last year or the Nintendo Wii Wheel, but frankly we're surprised that's a battle anyone else wanted to be in. Either way, we expect to get our hands on it this week before it hits stores this fall for $39.99. %Gallery-156981%
Sony's Wonderbook is PS Move-augmented reading, launches with J.K. Rowling's 'Book of Spells'
If you were wondering what Sony planned next for the PS Move, the answer is apparently... books. Just displayed at its pre-E3 press conference, Wonderbooks will let users turn physical books into the best pop-up adventure of all time. As seen in the presentation, it could project images onto the book, letting users peer own dark tunnels, cast spells or even dodge a flying dragon that escaped from the pages. On the downside, the task looked a bit complicated for the target audience, requiring them to manipulate the book, look at their TV to see the effects and wave a wand with their other hand. There was a bit of a demo fail during the presentation, we'll see if things work more smoothly when we get some hands-on time tomorrow. The first PlayStation 3 Wonderbook title available is by none other than Harry Potter writer JK Rowling, who brings the Book of Spells for muggles to try their hands at Hogwart's best-known incantations. One other book was also mentioned, Diggs Nightcrawler. Check out our liveblog for all of the details. Update: Check after the break for two new trailers from the PlayStation.Blog, one for Wonderbook in general and another specifically for Book of Spells.
CTA Digital unleashes official US Army gaming peripherals, gets your adrenaline pumping
Although this time it isn't the inflatable Wii accessory you fell deeply in love with, CTA Digital's bringing you something a bit more on the rugged and wild side -- à la Rambo. In a partnership with the US Army, the company's unveiling a flood of official gaming accessories to make you feel like you're part of our nation's bravest. The arsenal of peripherals -- which cover PC and console gamers -- will include a US Army Elite Force Assault Rifle, Sniper Action Rifle, Commando Assault Rifle and a Universal Gaming Headset for all your smack talking, just to mention a few. There's no word on how much damage the shooters and co. will do, and retailer availability will be coming "soon." Full game compatibility and other deets can be found in the PR below.
Sony's latest PS Move Bundles let you go Medieval, get your groove on
Good ol' gaming bundles can be enticing when you're on the prowl for a new console or accessory set, and we have to admit, we'd be excited to lay some motion-controlled moves down with Sony's latest PlayStation offerings. Back at E3, we had a chance to slice enemies with virtual swords in Medieval Heros: Deadmunds Quest, thanks to the PS Move's 1:1 tracking abilities. With the game releasing next week, Sony's decided to offer it in a $100 bundle, packing a PS Eye, Move controller and a copy of Sports Champions (which Deadmund shares its gameplay mechanics with). If you don't already own a PS3 -- and love getting your groove on -- the Everybody Dance bundle may be your $300 ticket to the wand-waving fun; it features a 320GB PS3 Slim, PS Eye and Move controller, along with a DualShock 3 for when Duty Calls. These likely won't be Sony's last PlayStation-related bundles to hit shelves before the year's through, but if it sounds like your kind of party you'll find more info at the source link below.
New PS3 and PS Move bundles leaked by box manufacturer, Black Friday deal evidently in tow (update)
There may be a healthy selection of new PlayStation kits coming your way in the near future. Images of unannounced bundle boxes have surfaced over at Slickdeals, courtesy of Scream777, who claims to work at a package production facility that makes 'em. Those include a previously unknown Mayhem Edition PS Move kit with a Sharpshooter peripheral and the newest Resistance and Killzone titles, while a Complete Entertainment Bundle packs a 160GB PS3 Slim with a free month of PlayStation Plus and the latest Little Big Planet and Ratchet and Clank. Gaming blog Gimme Gimme Games claims that the CEB will be $250, with Scream777 noting that its order invoice lists it as a Black Friday special. Adding credence to the leak, said poster also threw in box shots of the 320GB Uncharted 3 bundle and Goldeneye 007: Reloaded Sharpshooter set -- both of which are currently available for pre-order. Here's to hoping it all proves true, but in the meantime, you'll find more details in the links below. Update: We've received a few comments noting the typo of "stereoscopic" on the box. While all of the pictures in the source do seem like they could be valid (as we mentioned, the latter two can currently be pre-ordered), it's certainly worth raising an eyebrow to.
Deadmund does it right: PlayStation Move and 1:1 swordplay, hands-on (video)
Medieval Moves: Deadmund's Quest may be built on the mini-game mechanics of last year's Sports Champions, but its whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We hit up Sony at E3 2011 to see if Deadmund could out-fence the Jedi in a duel of 1:1 swordplay and on-rails battle. What we found was surprisingly responsive. Deadmund himself runs on a pre-set path, plodding his way through a skeleton-filled barracks automatically. Deadmund's on-screen sword matched our wand-equipped wrist's every move, accurately slicing skeletor wannabes any way we saw fit. Reaching behind our back with the Move controller let us pull a virtual arrow from a quiver, or we could choose to dispatch baddies by flinging throwing stars. If the on-screen slashfest lagged behind our physical slicing in any significant way, we didn't notice -- we were too busy loving the Move's speedy response time. Faster swings produced "stronger" in-game sword attacks, or farther flying shurikens. Last year at E3, we accused the PlayStation Move of just skirting outside of gimmick-land, but it's hard to argue with 1:1 motion control this responsive. Will Deadmund move Sony's motion lollypop to the front of the gesture control race? Probably not on his own, but it's still great to see this tech at its best. Check out our hands-on playthrough video after the break to see the action for yourself.
Resistance 3 'Doomsday Edition' pack launching on September 6 for $150, includes PS Move Sharp Shooter
Worried you won't be ready to blast Chimera with a white and orange PlayStation Move when Resistance 3 launches this September? Worry no more, as Sony today announced the Resistance 3 "Doomsday Edition," which retails for $150 and comes packed with a copy of the game (naturally), a PlayStation Move/Navigation Controller, a Sharp Shooter peripheral, and a PlayStation Eye. As you might expect, it launches alongside the regular retail pack on September 6 in North America, though no international details were revealed.
Sony ships 50 million PlayStation 3s, eight million Move controllers worldwide
Sony has a couple of sweet, sweet numbers to report with regard to sales of its gaming hardware. The PlayStation 3, that venerable old powerhouse of console gaming, has surpassed 50 million units shipped around the globe, while the PS Move controller introduced late last year has also kept pace and rounded its own milestone with eight million units shipped. We say "shipped" in spite of Sony calling these sales, because what Sony reports are sales to retailers, not end users (the company calls 'em "sell-in numbers"), so they're not directly comparable with retail sales of the competition. Still, numbers are numbers, and these are pretty big ones. Full PR after the break.
PlayStation Move headed to PCs under official 'Move Server' project
Oops. Looks like Sony's plans to make its PlayStation Move controller an official PC accessory have been unceremoniously revealed in a description of a Sony Computer Entertainment America talk scheduled for Game Developers Conference 2011. According to the synopsis, John McCutchan, SCEA's lead for Game Systems and Developer Support, will be on hand to discuss the "Move Server project that will make it possible for academics and hobbyists to develop software using the PlayStation Move controller on their own PCs." Hmm, sounds like somebody feels left out by all of the unofficial Kinect hackery which could be treated to official Microsoft support sometime this summer. Now go hit up the source link below to read the description for yourselves.
PlayStation Move Sharpshooter hands-on: a first-party SMG peripheral coming in February
This isn't the first PlayStation Move peripheral to replicate a firearm, but the Sharpshooter is brought to you by Sony itself, so you expect a higher degree of quality than from the third-party deluge. And if you're the sort who like to accessorize, it's a pretty good offering. We had a chance to check it out this morning over a brief round of Killzone 3, which Sony says was the inspiration (along with the upcoming SOCOM). Overall, it's pretty light and sturdy. The Move controller slides into the front, and the buttons then become mapped around the gun: RL is under the grip, the Move button is just under the trigger, start and select rest on opposite sides of the barrel, and Square / Triangle are mirrored above the trigger, making it easier to reach regardless whether you're right- or left-handed. There's a cradle under the stock for the Navigation Controller to rest, the butt is adjustable, and the top has a mount for a scope (no details on that peripheral of a peripheral). There's additionally a lock button and what seems like burst-fire mode that won't be used by Killzone 3; the reps told us they spoke with various other developers to make sure the accessory fit their needs as well but couldn't elaborate more. So, how did it handle? We'll say the buttons were all easy to get to, but this accessory is fundamentally not for us. Having to move the entire submachine gun (or your whole body, as it were) to aim felt more unwieldy than simply twisting a wrist like you would with the first-party Shooting attachment (or the Move controller by its lonesome). Speaking of which, the Sharpshooter is lacking in retro aesthetic, something we really liked in the "1950s laser pistol" replica that came out last month. We get the feeling this wasn't made with us in mind, anyway. Sharpshooter should hit store shelves in February (same month as Killzone 3) for a penny under $40. Looking for something more traditional? A jungle green DualShock 3 is also coming in February for $55. Press release after the break. %Gallery-110228% %Gallery-110247%
Sony ships 4.1 million PlayStation Move controllers to retailers (updated)
A little press release from none other than Sony informed us this morning that the company has shipped 4.1 million PlayStation Move controllers worldwide. Alas, that number has been widely misreported as the tally of direct end-user sales, which it most definitely is not. What Sony's letting us know is total wands that have left its warehouses on their way to retailers, a number that's one step removed from actual sales results. Still, if you simply must have something to compare against Microsoft's 2.5 million Kinect sales, there you have it. Update: Our brothers at Joystiq have reached out to Sony and confirmed that these numbers represent shipped units, not consumer sales. Here's Joystiq's exact wording on the (seemingly purposefully) confusing situation: A Sony representative explained that the 4.1 million actually represents Move units shipped to stores, adding "While we don't disclose our exact sell-through number, the key is that our retailers continue to ask for more Move units and are taking every unit we can supply them with based on their sales." Which, you know, would have been a cool thing to put in that press release, we think. Update 2: We've also confirmed with Sony that the sales numbers are in reference to retailers, not consumers, and learned that more than 75 percent of the sales in the US are bundles -- meaning new console sales or software groupings.
VUDU hits PS3 on November 23rd, UI overhaul coming mid-December
First Netflix, then Hulu Plus, and now VUDU. The movie rental service is making its way onto PlayStation 3 just in time for Thanksgiving later this month -- November 23rd, to be exact. If you're familiar with Walmart's recently-acquired video service, you know the drill: on-demand HD titles streamed for a fee, up to 1080p and Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 surround sound. The interface will be the same as every other VUDU iteration -- until mid-December, that is. That's when, as we've been told, the company plans to roll out version 2.0 of its UI. In addition to being more streamlined, there's ratings, recommendations, and most interestingly, support for PS3's Move controller. Pictures below, press releases after the break. %Gallery-107570%
How would you change Sony's PlayStation Move?
Is it Sony's play against the Wiimote, or the Kinect... or both? Hard to say exactly, but there's no question that the PS3 is no longer on the outside looking in when it comes to motion gaming. Now that it's been on the market for a few months, we're looking to hear from early adopters -- have you enjoyed your time with the Move? Has it lived up to your expectations? Any quirks with gameplay that you'd iron out? Any particular games that you'd prefer to see play nice with the apparatus? Set yourself in the mindset of a SCEA designer for a tick and let us know how you'd do the Move differently down in comments below. And yeah, sticking with "Arc" is totally an acceptable suggestion to make.
PlayStation Moves into creepy ad business
We all know Sony likes to be a bit off the wall with its commercials, so this dystopian vision of a grown-up baby's trudge through corporate monotony shouldn't surprise us at all. And yet, somehow, it does. It's part of a pair of new ads destined for Latin America, the second of which awaits you after the break.
PS Move SMG accessory is not a rifle, it is a gun, it is not for fighting, it is for fun
When Sony announced its PlayStation Move it went ahead and threw out a bunch of accessories at the same time -- a charging stand and even a cheesy light gun attachment. The intent was obvious, trying to get ahead of those third parties who've filled whole aisles at your local Target and Walmart with cheap plastic Wii clip-ons, but you just had to know they'd catch up. CTA Digital, who earlier brought us the classy Wii bowling ball controller, is coming out shooting with a submachine gun peripheral that it aptly calls "Submachine Gun." Clip your glowy Move baton up front, slide the nunchuck thing in the grip, and start huntin' Helgath. The stock and scope are removable (shown after the break), in case you're fighting in the close confines of a dorm or studio apartment, while the "quasi-futuristic styling" is perfect for your faux-military tastes. Shipping in late November, this can be yours for $29.99. Oh, and don't worry, we won't cover every junky Move accessory that comes along. We predict a flood of the things.
