First of all I'm calling it right now that Sony's waggle wand doesn't hit retail until Fall 10.
Second thing is that I'm not concerned about what the equipment can do, I want to see actual software that utilizes the tech in a way that would motivate me to buy it. Unfortunately, seeing how dev kits were not available at E3, we are talking about an extremely tight schedule to deliver decent content for a brand new device. Releasing this early next year with little to no software will basically kill the device before it even had a chance. Sony won't let this happen...well I don't think they will which brings me back to my first tought- This won't release until Fall 10 at the earliest.
Releasing this at the same time as Microsoft's Natal project is essentially suicide for Sony's waggle wand. Why? Because no matter what each of the competing technologies have or don't have its pretty obvious that Natal will be far more marketable than Sony's waggle wand. Just look at the attention each tech got at E3. Most didn't even realize Sony introduced a motion controller. Meanwhile millions of people are watching Natal demos on Jimmy Fallon and Good Morning America.
Marketing plays a very important role in this, because of who these devices are targeting. Tremendous advantage to Microsoft. I'm saying this because Sony seems to be making similar mistakes they did with the PS3 that lead to a bad start. Technology means nada if you have no software.
@Bii Nii Wii Nii: You know what would be a good way to market this to the average audience. Take those QRIO robots out of the museum and let them dance around with these instead of fans in sync with a dancing/motion game. QRIO dancing to the beat along with a kid/tween dancing to the beat. Should get some audiences.
But they could still put it in some games that they're publishing themselves in that period. It's not a far cry but I could see this get a heavy rain interaction (for example bits in the game where the character had to raise his hands in the video preview of the old detective (forgot his name)) or other internal games and think some studios already have access to this. Time will tell.
With the new marketing Sony are doing I'm getting hopeful for this device.
The tech is good and solid, and they're not promising to shake the foundations of gaming, But I feared that Sony' would release it then forget it. But it seems Sony are all getting therie arse in gear (I guess to do wiht Strigner taking top spot)
I've recently been on the prowl for a good deal on the cam actually. Anyone comment if £33 for Eye of Judgement + PSeye is a good deal. The Eye being £35 0n its own
@Rishaba: Eyepet and Eye is only £30!!
Bloody hell, then yeah I may snap that up, that makes Eyepet like £5, which isi pretty decent. Will keep my sister amused when I go home for Xmas.
It looks stupid. I don't mean the idea- that's fine- but the thing looks dumb. Like a glowing ice cream cone. I'm excited to see what they have in mind, I'm just not sold on having to hold two wands in my hand. If they wanted an archery game... okay. Perfect. If they wanted a game where a character has the ability to pick up a bow now and again... not so perfect. What the hell happens the REST of the game when I'm not hunting deer? I like the fact that it has rumble and triggers- that's the thing I see being very important over Natal, but the camera part... Eye Toy games only. Why, what, when have you ever needed to see the FRONT of your character, and not the back??? Crash Bandicoot and Nathan Drake both had a scene in their game where they were running at the screen. That's pretty much..."IT". So that seems pointless. Count me interested, don't count me sold.
@d20Dark: You won't need two wands. Sony have asked developers to allow their games be played with a single wand and if you do have two wands, you'll be able to take advantage of that.
Also, are you saying that the camera should only be used for Eyetoy games? If so, why?
@d20Dark: I don't get your comment on the "front of you" thing.
but as for picking up the controllers once in while I'd wager the games and remote would be made so you can play a full game, pretty much like the wiimote.
As for the look I really wish more folks would look up Mocap and how it works
@d20Dark: Think of it this way...
Imagine if this was used with Oblivion. Your holding one of these wands in each hand. One for the shield, the other for your sword, axe, or mace. Your hacking, slashing, blocking as one does with a shield and weapon. Next, with a press of a button on one of the wands you switch to your bow to take out a long distance enemy. Then, press the same button again to switch to a magic staff, which you then use to write out a magic ruin to cast a powerful spell. While, you could be using the other wand to aim at the intended target.
Just one way I can think of this could be used with a current game type.
I see HUGE potential for these new Sony motion controllers.
@-MasterDex-: You need two wands for the games that we've seen that look fully interactive. Bows, Boxing... That's all I've seen that isn't Wiimote obvious. And the camera being used for eyetoy type games is because... what real release game would have any use for a camera?
@deanbmmv: The "You can see the object on the screen- as if you're holding it!" effect that Sony is talking about. The image is of the FRONT of you. You're face, you're stomach. What game would use this feature??? How often do you play a game where you see the front of your character (or YOU in this case?) 99% of all games, all the time- you see the BACK of your character. So the idea that you could "Put the tennis rachet in your hand!" is pointless in the end. Why would you want that? And more importantly- how would you USE that??
@d20Dark: It can still use your silhouette/bones ot figure out how your standing, and figure out how you'd be from the back.
If you know of any other way of doing this enlighten us.
@marklip: That's a great example of the 'during part' being great- but you're making my other point for me. In Oblivion- you MOVE around, dodging, chasing, running. And what then? And when you're not fighting? How are you doing to get around? Do you have to put the controllers down to pick up the 6Axis? That would be bothersome- and then pause to pick them up again? That won't work! That'll be nonsense. I can see Rail games working, but not games that we're playing now. That's the whole reason the Nunchuck was invented for the Wii!!!
I still think the controller is 10x better when you have two of them. That bow and arrow thing? Brilliant.
I hope the games don't become mostly made for one controller because of obvious reasons (everyone who has two controllers has one, but not everyone who has one has two), because the two controller thing is just beast.
I'm picking up two when it comes out. Maybe another 2 later for my brother to play with me!
@ShadowOdin isn't american: Playstation Home is such a second life ripoff!!11! Sony are dying! lololololol!
Just kidding. I think the anti-sony fanboys are a bit confused as to what they should be ripping on these days. The slim and the price-cut might have shaken a few alliances.
@ShadowOdin isn't american:
Hopefully it's because Sony is starting to get their stuff together after the clusterfuck that was 2006-2008. That'd be my guess anyway.
@-MasterDex-: Well I understand them. I too am filled with rage whenever something good happens to a console that I do not own.
That's why I murdered that baby when Shadow Complex was announced, if you remember.
@ca$h (for clunkers (has ended)): Will I agree that 2006-2007 was bad, I was rather happy with the turnout of the latter half of 2008 which more than made up for the spring.
@-MasterDex-: Yeah, Sony are pretty solid now.
They're no longer expensive, they have a decent games library, errm, i think thats all there was to attack.
Oh apart from the PS2 thing, but thats a straw man argument. PS2 still has PS2 BC. 360 doesn't. simple.
@ca$h (for clunkers (has ended)): Yeah I think this is where people really started to hate Sony (2006-2008). Right now however, it seems that they learn something of those 2-3 years in the desert. That's good for us gamers :)
@ShadowOdin isn't american: Haven't you gotten the memo? We're experiencing a flood of ex-360 fanboys who've just bought a slim. It's sorta like being born again.
It's funny, Kotaku isn't the only site either. Hey, better late than never. Let's welcome our new brothers and sisters who've finally seen the light.
Well ,I hope the wand has an analogue stick ....it surely looked as it did but for the words of the engineer ...he only refered about the analogue "trigger".A trigger isnt a stick is it?
Well ,they are saying they want to play all type of games with this so they absolutely need an analogue stick....
@Iberianpower: Well this new controller could be perfect for new genre's of games other than those which require movement in a 3D world aka FPS, and who knows, perhaps they have something similar, to the nunchuck on the Wii already developed that you hold in your opposite hand.
But this thing could actually work for many types of games that require a mouse like say RTS, it's fast, it's precise. Two buttons by the thumb could also increase what this could do.
I'm skeptical, (sorry the Wii left a bad taste in my mouth) but my eyes are definitely open to the possibilities since this is much more than a Wii mote, even with the enhanced Wii MotionPlus.
It does look like it can be a really cool device. I definitely want to see game developers coming up with cool ways to incorporate this kind of devices into the game experience, rather than just include it sometimes just to make the game feel different.
Like when I saw the demo from E3, I would like to see an adventure game that can use that kind of sword fighting and the use of bow and arrow and so on. Not to bash the Wii, but when I see Wii Resort, that just looks like a demo of what the system could do on a full game, such as using a bow in Zelda TP. Why can't there be more stuff like that, actually making good use of the technology?
I really enjoy these "behind the scenes" features than sony releases from time to time... the last one I remember was that tank demo for the PSeye... I went out and bought the cam that day.
@exion: i remember seeing that as well, but it kinda turned into the eyepet with the ability to draw the plane and have it read into it didn't it? Maybe we can start to see these pop up in different forms, thou that tank one would make a great demo just for people to mess with
@exion: I saw that vid too... I don't know why they never released that tank game. I think besides the occasional vid-chat, the only game I used my camera on was Burnout Paradise.
And until the wand comes out... what do we have to look forward to... Eyepet?
@ChaoticInfinityX & @ittekimasu:
I've had some use out of my PSeye, taking advantage of the surprisingly robust free "EYEcreate" software and having a massive spree of Eye of Judgement for a while, as well as talking to my family over the chat, but on the whole, up until now the tech has been fairly neglected...
Definitely looking forward to this device being released... though I know it's ways off. Once they showed the section of the demo at E3 where he's taunting the dummy and tapping it on the chin... I was impressed.
natal is not original either. its eyetoy tech thats been up graded. why don't people see this. also can't anyone see the similarities between what the eyepet does versus what the boy did in the moleneux project.
08/28/09
Second thing is that I'm not concerned about what the equipment can do, I want to see actual software that utilizes the tech in a way that would motivate me to buy it. Unfortunately, seeing how dev kits were not available at E3, we are talking about an extremely tight schedule to deliver decent content for a brand new device. Releasing this early next year with little to no software will basically kill the device before it even had a chance. Sony won't let this happen...well I don't think they will which brings me back to my first tought- This won't release until Fall 10 at the earliest.
Releasing this at the same time as Microsoft's Natal project is essentially suicide for Sony's waggle wand. Why? Because no matter what each of the competing technologies have or don't have its pretty obvious that Natal will be far more marketable than Sony's waggle wand. Just look at the attention each tech got at E3. Most didn't even realize Sony introduced a motion controller. Meanwhile millions of people are watching Natal demos on Jimmy Fallon and Good Morning America.
Marketing plays a very important role in this, because of who these devices are targeting. Tremendous advantage to Microsoft. I'm saying this because Sony seems to be making similar mistakes they did with the PS3 that lead to a bad start. Technology means nada if you have no software.
08/28/09
But they could still put it in some games that they're publishing themselves in that period. It's not a far cry but I could see this get a heavy rain interaction (for example bits in the game where the character had to raise his hands in the video preview of the old detective (forgot his name)) or other internal games and think some studios already have access to this. Time will tell.
08/28/09
The tech is good and solid, and they're not promising to shake the foundations of gaming, But I feared that Sony' would release it then forget it. But it seems Sony are all getting therie arse in gear (I guess to do wiht Strigner taking top spot)
I've recently been on the prowl for a good deal on the cam actually. Anyone comment if £33 for Eye of Judgement + PSeye is a good deal. The Eye being £35 0n its own
08/28/09
I wonder how much it has to do with Stringer and how much it has to do with Kaz taking over SCEI?
08/28/09
08/28/09
Bloody hell, then yeah I may snap that up, that makes Eyepet like £5, which isi pretty decent. Will keep my sister amused when I go home for Xmas.
08/28/09
08/28/09
08/28/09
08/28/09
08/28/09
Also, are you saying that the camera should only be used for Eyetoy games? If so, why?
08/28/09
but as for picking up the controllers once in while I'd wager the games and remote would be made so you can play a full game, pretty much like the wiimote.
As for the look I really wish more folks would look up Mocap and how it works
08/28/09
Imagine if this was used with Oblivion. Your holding one of these wands in each hand. One for the shield, the other for your sword, axe, or mace. Your hacking, slashing, blocking as one does with a shield and weapon. Next, with a press of a button on one of the wands you switch to your bow to take out a long distance enemy. Then, press the same button again to switch to a magic staff, which you then use to write out a magic ruin to cast a powerful spell. While, you could be using the other wand to aim at the intended target.
Just one way I can think of this could be used with a current game type.
I see HUGE potential for these new Sony motion controllers.
08/29/09
08/29/09
08/29/09
If you know of any other way of doing this enlighten us.
08/29/09
08/28/09
I hope the games don't become mostly made for one controller because of obvious reasons (everyone who has two controllers has one, but not everyone who has one has two), because the two controller thing is just beast.
I'm picking up two when it comes out. Maybe another 2 later for my brother to play with me!
08/28/09
08/28/09
I'll get right on that.
08/28/09
What have you guys done to my Kotaku!?
08/28/09
You'll summon them...
08/28/09
...OH SHI-
08/28/09
Just kidding. I think the anti-sony fanboys are a bit confused as to what they should be ripping on these days. The slim and the price-cut might have shaken a few alliances.
08/28/09
Hopefully it's because Sony is starting to get their stuff together after the clusterfuck that was 2006-2008. That'd be my guess anyway.
08/28/09
That's why I murdered that baby when Shadow Complex was announced, if you remember.
@ca$h (for clunkers (has ended)): Will I agree that 2006-2007 was bad, I was rather happy with the turnout of the latter half of 2008 which more than made up for the spring.
08/28/09
08/28/09
They're no longer expensive, they have a decent games library, errm, i think thats all there was to attack.
Oh apart from the PS2 thing, but thats a straw man argument. PS2 still has PS2 BC. 360 doesn't. simple.
08/28/09
08/28/09
08/28/09
....SHITINEVERLEARN
08/28/09
It's funny, Kotaku isn't the only site either. Hey, better late than never. Let's welcome our new brothers and sisters who've finally seen the light.
08/29/09
08/29/09
08/28/09
Well ,they are saying they want to play all type of games with this so they absolutely need an analogue stick....
08/28/09
But this thing could actually work for many types of games that require a mouse like say RTS, it's fast, it's precise. Two buttons by the thumb could also increase what this could do.
I'm skeptical, (sorry the Wii left a bad taste in my mouth) but my eyes are definitely open to the possibilities since this is much more than a Wii mote, even with the enhanced Wii MotionPlus.
08/28/09
Like when I saw the demo from E3, I would like to see an adventure game that can use that kind of sword fighting and the use of bow and arrow and so on. Not to bash the Wii, but when I see Wii Resort, that just looks like a demo of what the system could do on a full game, such as using a bow in Zelda TP. Why can't there be more stuff like that, actually making good use of the technology?
08/28/09
They still havent released that though :(
08/28/09
08/28/09
And until the wand comes out... what do we have to look forward to... Eyepet?
08/28/09
I've had some use out of my PSeye, taking advantage of the surprisingly robust free "EYEcreate" software and having a massive spree of Eye of Judgement for a while, as well as talking to my family over the chat, but on the whole, up until now the tech has been fairly neglected...
I WANT THAT GODDAMNED TANK GAME :(
08/28/09
Same, mostly flipping my friend off, but we didn't play much because that game made him motion sick.
I'm actually looking forward to the EyePet, just to get some usage out of the cam, as well women will dig EyePet.
08/28/09
heck, even "eyepet" sounds like a euphemism come to think about it.
08/28/09
This was the best design for the motion controler : [www.truegameheadz.com]
Sadly it wont be this one.
08/28/09
08/28/09
08/28/09
08/28/09
08/28/09
08/28/09
08/28/09
Baby Shaker 2.0?
06/17/09
06/17/09
Others, like me, realize the upgrade doesn't mean better games, nor does it mean that the Eye can't do the exact same things WITHOUT the upgrade.
06/17/09
06/17/09
Dude's a engineering mastermind.